The Ball Flight Laws

How the club and ball create ball flight, in my opinion, is the first thing all golfers should learn about the game before they even hit their first shot. This video is one of my attempts to give golfers the "core knowledge" they need to understand and play the game well.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• golf
• instruction
• ball
• flight
• laws

[pgampro]

To all:

Thanks for the kind comments. I have a strong request for you. Play around with the face angle. On the way back to the top, on the way down. Try holding the club with a closed face (strong) grip and an open face (weak) grip. Learn by playing. Don't judge. Just try something and see what happens. That's how you REALLY learn, not by just having someone like me tell you what to do.

John

[pgampro]

Hitting down more does affect the amount of inside-out. If the club is traveling more downward, it is also going to be moving more outward. That's why you can see someone like Mark Calcavecchia throw his divot well left of the target, yet hit only a slight fade with his irons.

[pgampro]

Thank you all for your great comments. I appreciate the support very much.

JD

[jasminesdad0401]

Great video! Where can I get that attachment that you used to demonstrate the face angle? Also, how does flipping/ loss of flying wedge affect the face angle? Thanks.

[pgampro]

it's called a lie angle tool. Golf around the world will have them.

[Excaliburxxxxxx]

What is HILARIOUS about those who dont like my observation is that the OLD players used this understanding of ball flight for DECADES and managed to control the ball VERY accurately with it.

Nicklaus says in his video that to FADE or DRAW the ball the only adjustment he needed to make was to OPEN or CLOSE the club face.

This concept REFUTES any argument that says that club face is whatever percent.

Hit a ball with a lot of speed and it WILL start on the swing path. Simple as that.

[Excaliburxxxxxx]

Again.

A slow club head speed results in a ball immediately heading in the direction the face is aimed.

A driving speed club head results in the ball starting on the swing path until ball spin later overtakes the trajectory.

For you players who are interested in PROVING the above open your clubface at address.

Do this twice.

The first time take a 1/4 swing like your chipping the ball.

The second time take a full 100% speed swing.

1. Goes directly right

2. starts straight THEN SLICES .

[Excaliburxxxxxx]

@gordonmorrisongolf

Uh....sorry , but your illogical viewpoint is refuted by EVERY slice caused by an open face, friend.

Open face at impact = side spin that WILL overtake the flight path after initially being on the swing plane.

I frankly dont care if golf students who dont know any better are letting these 'instructor's bullshit them into believing this crap to further confuse them or not, but OLD players like Nicklaus RELIED on this FACT to play the game for DECADES.

[gordonmorrisongolf]

@Excaliburxxxxxx This info is not correct, the intial direction is not affected by speed. Have a look on the trackman website for more info. The initial direction varies between 65% in favour of face up to 90% in favour of face depending on face rough ness, ball type, mositure etc but virtually not at all to do with speed. If you use the approximation that the face is 75% responsible for initial direction you wont go too far wrong. :)

[Excaliburxxxxxx]

What *I* have concluded about ball flight.

Overall Conclusion: The percentage that the initial ball flight path is affected by the direction the club face is aimed at impact is directly and severely affected by the speed that the club head is traveling at impact.

A slow club head speed results in a ball immediately heading in the direction the face is aimed.

A driving speed club head results in the ball starting on the swing path until ball spin later overtakes the trajectory.

[TheGolfdu]

@hitmanhawky Don't compare your swing with Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Ever. If your swing was comparable to them, where's your 10+ majors? Don't compare if you can't reach their level.

[ryandavidtrapasso]

@imsuprised yes, that would be my advice: Have a target - whether it be the flag or a ridge - and dial in your flight so that your ball should never cross the line [overdraw or overfade]. Makes misses more manageable. Good luck! Let 'us' know how it goes.

[imsuprised]

@ryandavidtrapasso i'm glad you replied; I had kind of lost my way a little bit in the last three months and forgotten the ball flight laws. I actually started aiming left for a fade and right for a draw. I'm going out this morning knowing to aim toward the target, and that it all depends on clubface and swing path.