Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you play smarter, better golf. When I recently went to visit with GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jonathan Yarwood, we got on the ...

Pro golfers keep their swing path — a buzzword-y way of saying, the direction of their swing — it a pretty neutral place. Within a few degrees either side of where they're aiming. Amateur golfers?

First, let's get one thing straight: No, you shouldn't be thinking about all these things as you swing—unless you want to have your head so scrambled that you can't hit the golf ball. Instead, think ...