Line of compression and tangential force

[Mathew]

I've been really trying to get into chapter 2 with in respects to physics to really get into Homer Kelley's mind further beyond than perhaps the text of the golfing machine itself and fully appreciate it.

It is my understanding (and ive just started studying this stuff so its very probable I've got the wrong end of the stick) that if you whirl a heavy object in a consistant orbit that the velocity and its mass (force) of the object being whirled around is always tangential to the point that the object is on the circle. Like if the string was cut - the ball would fly off at 90 degrees to the line of the centrifugal pull out.....

What is puzzling me is at impact the line of compression looks more down the angle of approach in picture 2-C-3 instead of down the tangent of the orbiting sweetspot. I would of thought the line of compression would be tangential to the orbit at the the point that the sweetspot travels through the ball.

Why also is in the picture 2-C-1, the line of compression pointing downwards at low point in comparison to the picture in 2-A?

Any ideas