The PGTAA Ball Flight Diagnostic System: Teaching Golf Through Cause and Effect
The PGTAA Ball Flight Diagnostic System
Core Concept
The golf ball reveals almost everything an instructor needs to know.
The PGTAA Ball Flight Diagnostic System teaches instructors how to diagnose ball flight logically instead of relying on guesswork.
The System
Step 1 — Start Direction
The clubface largely controls initial direction.
Questions:
- starting left?
- starting right?
- starting online?
Step 2 — Curve
Curve reveals face-to-path relationships.
Patterns:
- fade
- slice
- draw
- hook
Teach:
Cause before cure.
Step 3 — Trajectory
Trajectory reveals:
- strike quality
- dynamic loft
- attack angle
- contact efficiency
Step 4 — Contact Quality
Where impact occurs matters enormously:
- heel
- toe
- thin
- fat
- centered
Many golfers misdiagnose contact as swing path.
Step 5 — Pattern Recognition
One shot means little.
Patterns reveal truth.
Great instructors look for:
- tendencies
- consistency
- emotional reactions
- recurring misses
Key Philosophy
“Golf instruction should solve ball flight problems, not chase swing aesthetics.”
Barry Lotz combines legal training, business education from Harvard Business School, and decades of golf instruction experience to help instructors build both teaching skills and sustainable coaching businesses.
