Ball Flight Laws

Learning cause and effect, in other words, understanding why your golf ball is doing what it’s doing, is a big step in becoming a better player. Here are some definitions that will help you with this: Clubface Angle -The clubface angle at impact primarily (85%) determines the shot's initial starting direction. This is a direct result as the golf ball will generally leave at a right angle to the club face angle at impact. In addition, the relationship between the club face angle and the club head path will also influence the shots curvature. Club head Path -The club head path at impact primarily determines the shots curvature. This is a direct result of the relationship between the club face angle and the club head path at Impact. In addition, the club head path at impact has some (15%) influence to the initial starting direction. Angle of Attack -The dynamic loft of the club face at impact primarily determines the shots initial launch angle. The angle of attack of the club head will determine the amount of spin and overall trajectory. Club head Speed - The club head's speed through impact is a key determinant to how far the ball will travel. The ability to generate more club head speed will result into more power. Point of Contact -The exact point at which the clubface contacts the ball determines how much of the club head's speed is transferred to the ball. This point of contact on the club face can also have an effect on the amount of spin and spin axis of the golf ball. Now What Does This Mean? Basically, the initial direction of the golf ball is influenced by the clubface and NOT the club path! For years we have all been told the exact opposite but with all of the technology available today it's easily been redefined, proven, and helps us understand ball flight. Let's take another example: Is it possible to hit a draw with an open face? Yes! The "open face" is relative to the target line and NOT the club path. So...the clubface is slightly closed to the path but open to the target line. Let's say you swing in to out at a 10 degree path angle. If the clubface is closed to 5 degrees to the path then the golf ball will start to the right but draw back to the target.