Clubhead Speed Laws In Golf
STEP 1 – SWING FUNDAMENTALS
BALL FLIGHT LAWS
The five physical laws of ball flight are invariable, no matter who swings the club or where or how a club contacts the ball:
• Clubhead speed - The speed a club is travelling when it makes solid contact with ball determines how far the ball will go.
• Clubhead path - A ball’s starting direction is determined in part by the line along which the clubhead swings as it contacts the ball.
• Clubhead face - The direction of a ball is determined in part by the alignment of the clubhead face to path of the swing.
• Angle of approach - Trajectory is determined by the angle of the golf club as it approaches the ball.
• Centeredness of club contact – How closely to the centre of the clubhead face a ball …show more content…
is stuck influences its distance and direction.
Weather you are John Daley (in 1991 the longest hitter on the men’s PGA tour) or Cathy Smith (a senior women’s club champion), your golf ball will move according to the ball flight laws. It’s important to look in more detail at each law. (http://www.youandyourgolfswing.com/golf-swing-rotation.html)
Cubhead Speed
There is no substitute for swing speed.
All other things being equal, a clubhead swung faster will always send the ball farther. Of course, there may be trade-offs in accuracy and control if you swing too fast and lose your balance – you must learn to control your body and the timing of your swing. Researchers have found that once you read about 65% of your maximum speed, the accuracy of your swing actually increases. Most good golfers swing at 65 to 80% of maximum.
Clubhead Path
Imagine a wagon wheel on edge in front of you on the ground, with the edge aligned toward your target and the wheel tilted toward you about 45 degrees, forming an “inclined plane”. At address, the ball is at the bottom of your imaginary wheel. The ideal swing follows a circular path – not perpendicular to the ground, as you might imagine, but on this wagon wheel incline. The swing moves along the wheel on the backswing, slightly inside the wheel on the forward swing, along the wheel just before and after impact, and slightly inside the wheel on the follow-trough. A swing path that contacts the ball from the inside of the wheel yields a push (the ball lands to the dominant-hand side of the target line) and a path that contacts the ball from the outside of the wheel is a pull (the ball lands opposite to the dominant-hand side of the target …show more content…
line).
Clubhead face
The face of the club can be square to the path, open, or closed. The degree to which the clubface is open or closed at impact determines the amount of sidespin imparted to the ball. This spin causes the path of the ball to curve as the ball begins to slow down. Hooks and draws are produced by a closed clubface; slices and fades by an open clubface.
Angle of Approach
Both the angle of the golf club as it approaches the ball and the loft of the club (the angle of the face away from vertical) determine the height of ball flight.
The greater the loft, the higher and shorter the flight. Each club can produce a range of trajectories, controlled by the loft of the club as it contacts the ball. A ball stuck above its centreline will have a low trajectory. The “worm-burner” that never gets airborne has usually been struck above the centreline. A ball stuck below its centreline flies higher and makes best use of the club loft. Imagine the earth and its equator – each time you strike the ball, think about hitting below the
equator.
Centeredness of Club Contact
A golf club is designed to strike near the centre of its face. Just as tennis racket has a “sweet spot,” a golf club has a special point, called “centroid,” that produces maximum results in distance and direction control. By striking the ball near the centroid of the club, you contact the ball more solidly and with better control. As the contact points move toward the heel or toe of the club, distance and control errors are more likely.
BALL FLIGHT LAWS
The five physical laws of ball flight are invariable, no matter who swings the club or where or how a club contacts the ball:
• Clubhead speed - The speed a club is travelling when it makes solid contact with ball determines how far the ball will go.
• Clubhead path - A ball’s starting direction is determined in part by the line along which the clubhead swings as it contacts the ball.
• Clubhead face - The direction of a ball is determined in part by the alignment of the clubhead face to path of the swing.
• Angle of approach - Trajectory is determined by the angle of the golf club as it approaches the ball.
• Centeredness of club contact – How closely to the centre of the clubhead face a ball …show more content…
is stuck influences its distance and direction.
Weather you are John Daley (in 1991 the longest hitter on the men’s PGA tour) or Cathy Smith (a senior women’s club champion), your golf ball will move according to the ball flight laws. It’s important to look in more detail at each law. (http://www.youandyourgolfswing.com/golf-swing-rotation.html)
Cubhead Speed
There is no substitute for swing speed.
All other things being equal, a clubhead swung faster will always send the ball farther. Of course, there may be trade-offs in accuracy and control if you swing too fast and lose your balance – you must learn to control your body and the timing of your swing. Researchers have found that once you read about 65% of your maximum speed, the accuracy of your swing actually increases. Most good golfers swing at 65 to 80% of maximum.
Clubhead Path
Imagine a wagon wheel on edge in front of you on the ground, with the edge aligned toward your target and the wheel tilted toward you about 45 degrees, forming an “inclined plane”. At address, the ball is at the bottom of your imaginary wheel. The ideal swing follows a circular path – not perpendicular to the ground, as you might imagine, but on this wagon wheel incline. The swing moves along the wheel on the backswing, slightly inside the wheel on the forward swing, along the wheel just before and after impact, and slightly inside the wheel on the follow-trough. A swing path that contacts the ball from the inside of the wheel yields a push (the ball lands to the dominant-hand side of the target line) and a path that contacts the ball from the outside of the wheel is a pull (the ball lands opposite to the dominant-hand side of the target …show more content…
line).
Clubhead face
The face of the club can be square to the path, open, or closed. The degree to which the clubface is open or closed at impact determines the amount of sidespin imparted to the ball. This spin causes the path of the ball to curve as the ball begins to slow down. Hooks and draws are produced by a closed clubface; slices and fades by an open clubface.
Angle of Approach
Both the angle of the golf club as it approaches the ball and the loft of the club (the angle of the face away from vertical) determine the height of ball flight.
The greater the loft, the higher and shorter the flight. Each club can produce a range of trajectories, controlled by the loft of the club as it contacts the ball. A ball stuck above its centreline will have a low trajectory. The “worm-burner” that never gets airborne has usually been struck above the centreline. A ball stuck below its centreline flies higher and makes best use of the club loft. Imagine the earth and its equator – each time you strike the ball, think about hitting below the
equator.
Centeredness of Club Contact
A golf club is designed to strike near the centre of its face. Just as tennis racket has a “sweet spot,” a golf club has a special point, called “centroid,” that produces maximum results in distance and direction control. By striking the ball near the centroid of the club, you contact the ball more solidly and with better control. As the contact points move toward the heel or toe of the club, distance and control errors are more likely.