[John Graham]

John I'm typing on my iPhone which is a pain so I won't answer in full , but to address the first things first........ Homer didn't suggest the "path " of the club was a chord to the circle. The circumference it self is the path. It's an arc .

So the clubbead prior to it's low point is going down and out given some degree of inclination to the plane of the circle.

Thank you for correcting that. I need to choose my words more carefully.

So, do you think that a straight shot at the target is created when the face points at the target at separation while the path is still moving down, out and forward as mentioned to a low point plane that points to the target?

I was recently taught that the face and path have to be pointed in the same direction at separation to hit a straight flying shot. (assuming centered contact)