experts disagree, but who's right?

[supronator]

The swing fault I have been battling with for years is the straight slice, which shows up with the longer irons but most especially the driver. The conventional wisdom says that this means my swing path is down my target line, which is what I want; but that the clubface is open. So, for years, I have been trying to close the clubface at impact, having identified this as the fault, but the results of my experiments on the tee have never been what I expected. The slice was always there, unless I snapped the face closed so much that I smothered the ball.

Now I have discovered that there is another faction of experts who dispute the validity of the conventional wisdom that the ball starts to the path and curves to the face, by claiming that the opposite is true, ie, that the initial path the ball takes through the air is determined, not by the direction of the clubhead, but by its face angle;ie, at impact, face angle influences initial ball path by some 80%, the remainder by the path and whatever spin is put on the ball. If this newer idea is correct, am I correct in saying that, regarding my straight slice, I have all along been managing to square up my clubhead, and that the slice element has come, not from an open clubface, but from swinging out-to-in. If this is correct, then I am most annoyed at having squandered years vainly trying to correct a swing fault by following advice that is just plain wrong.

I would much appreciate some knowledgeable comments about this.

[Zeph]

It depends on a number of factors, but this is the general idea:

With high lofted clubs from wedge to f.i. a 6i, the ball will launch more towards the angle of the clubface than the swingpath.

With lower lofted clubs, 5i through driver, the ball will launch more towards the swingpath before it curve back against the line of the clubface.
Read more here: http://www.tutelman.com/golf/clubs/ballflight.php?ref=

You can do two things to find a draw. To avoid the out-to-in swingpath, place a tee you want to avoid on the out-to-in path or one you want to hit on the in-to-out path. Do either of these and your swingpath will be in-to-out.

Next, the clubface. Make sure you have a neutral grip, or slightly strong. At the backswing and downswing, make sure you dont turn the wrists over or cup the left one. Also let the wrists be relaxed and let them release through impact.
If you consistently slice and start the ball to the right, with any club, your swingpath is most likely in-to-out. With the tee-drill I mentioned above, you'll quickly see where your swing path is. To get the ball to fly straight right or curve further right, the clubface must be open relative to the target line.

What about your divots, if you take any? Do they point right, left, or square?

[iacas]

I'm going to start a new thread on this in the very near future. I need to get through some of the TrackMan literature first.

By "very near future" I mean "later today."

Given the volatile nature of the discussions of this type, I'm going to be as precise as possible in framing the discussion so as to limit any volatility.