Presenting an open clubface relative to your swing path will cause the ball to curve from left to right. The amount of curve will depend on how open the face is in relation to the path. The right combination of out-to-in golf along with an open face may get your ball to finish on your target by starting left and fading back to the right.
Full Answer
What affects the flight of a golf ball?
There are five causes that effect the pattern to your golf balls flight. Let’s start by getting your golf ball airborne. Another term for this law is “angle of attack”. Because of the semi-vertical swinging arc, there are three angles the clubs head will approach the ball at impact.
How do you hit a golf ball to the right?
For a right handed golfer, if the face is pointed to the right of the target line (open) the ball will launch to the right of target. Our second goal: Produce a face angle that is facing our target squarely at impact.
What are the laws of flight in golf?
They are the physical forces that combine when hitting a golf ball and dictate how it reacts in flight. Understanding these laws helps to explain the answers to the key questions of distance and direction. These laws shouldn’t be confused with the golf swing itself, which are subject to principles.
What is a curve in golf swing path?
The degree at which the leading edge of the club face is at right angles to the swing path. This determines the accuracy of the ball’s flight along its ‘path’. This produces either a left curve or a right curve from that line.
How does slope affect ball flight?
The key takeaway here is that whenever you are hitting the ball off a downhill lie, your club head speed will remain basically the same. But due to an impact that's likely to be more inefficient, you won't generate as much ball speed. The ball will fly flatter, and land hotter.
How does slope affect golf ball distance?
Balls will travel a shorter distance with positive (uphill) slope and a farther distance with negative (downhill) slope. Knowing just how much change in elevation occurs between you and the pin is extremely important and in all honesty, it is virtually impossible to do this by eye.
What affects the flight of a golf ball?
The Speed Of The Ball Speed influences the distance you can propel the ball. Slower speeds produce less distance and higher speeds produce more distance. A lot of people who want to have a fast swing but who just focus on speed alone will struggle.
How does elevation change affect golf ball distance?
First, figure that for about every 1,700 or 1,800 feet of elevation a ball will travel about 5 percent farther. That means that the ball will typically travel about 10 percent farther at this elevation than at sea level, give or take a few yards.
How much does slope affect yardage?
As a general rule, one yard of elevation change (up or down) equals a yard of distance. For example, if you have a shot that measures 100 yards up a hill that rises 10 yards from ball level to hole, those 10 yards must be added to the total – so it's a 110-yard shot.
How do you hit a golf ball on a slope?
2:4913:02SLOPING LIES: The ultimate guide on how to play them correctly! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo i'm going to aim on the right hand side of this hole. That's going to allow the curvature of theMoreSo i'm going to aim on the right hand side of this hole. That's going to allow the curvature of the ball to come back to our center.
How do you control the flight of a golf ball?
1:279:11How to Control Golf Ball Flight Trajectory with Irons - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut if they don't have the speed that you have the ball flight comes down so the first way and theMoreBut if they don't have the speed that you have the ball flight comes down so the first way and the simplest. Way to lower your ball flight is just to simply slow your swing.
Do warm golf balls go further?
Generally, a warmer golf ball travels farther. The rubber materials used to make golf balls respond better if they are more resilient. Warmth enhances resiliency. A warmer ball will come off the clubface with more velocity and spin than a colder ball, encouraging loft.
How do dimples affect golf ball flight?
When dimples are added to a golf ball, it creates a tiny layer of air around the golf ball that significantly cuts down drag. This forces the air to flow over a larger portion of the ball, which results in a much smoother ball flight.
How much elevation makes a difference?
For every thousand feet of elevation increase above 1,000 feet above sea level, VO2 max max dropped by 1.9%. Additionally, time to exhaustion on a constant-speed treadmill run decreased by 4.4% per 1,000 feet of altitude.
How does elevation affect yardage?
With a driver, you get an extra 2.5 yards per 1,000 feet of altitude.
Does downhill play longer in golf?
1:063:56JUDGING DOWNHILL GOLF SHOTS - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt depends on how steep that downhill is but that's a two club difference on a par 3 which is goingMoreIt depends on how steep that downhill is but that's a two club difference on a par 3 which is going to make huge of difference huge amounts of difference.
What is slope adjusted distance?
Employing ID Technology that reads the uphill and downhill slopes of a course, Golf mode displays the slope adjusted distance (Horizontal distance ± Height) which is a guide distance to how far you should hit the ball.
How do you judge downhill distance in golf?
The first thing is to use the 15-feet formula. This formula should be approached as follows: If there is an uphill or a downhill shot of 15 feet of elevation, add or subtract one club. If there is more than 15 feet, add or subtract one club for every 15 feet.
How do you play uphill and downhill lies?
6:3513:16Top Tips to Hit Uphill and Downhill Lies on the Golf Course - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipRight because now I'm I'm already with my setup I'm promoting a steep angle of attack. So. If I putMoreRight because now I'm I'm already with my setup I'm promoting a steep angle of attack. So. If I put it back now I'm steep. And hitting early that's a very difficult combination.
How easy is it to learn golf ball flight?
And learning the basics of ball flight is very easy — it takes just a minute or two to grasp the simplest, most common explanations for why the golf ball does what it does in flight.". Having the most basic understanding of ball flight cause-and-effect lets every golfer do his or her own coaching. 01. of 02.
What does "toe deep" mean in golf?
Toe-deep means the toe of the club digs into the ground more than does the heel of the club. Battle scars (skymarks) on the top and toe of the driver from hitting the ball straight up. Tee marks on the bottom of the driver that are at an angle. Contact on the toe of the club. Ball flight is high with a loss of distance.
What does slice mean in soccer?
Slice (orange line): Cause — open clubface at impact. Effect — ball curves to the right.
What does hook mean in golf?
Hook (pink line): Cause — closed clubface at impact. Effect — ball curves to the left. (Note again that we are using a right-handed golfer in these examples; lefties should reverse the directional elements.)
Which divot point to the right?
Usually heel-deep divots that point to the right.
Is ball flight high?
Ball flight is high with a loss of distance.
What is the lie angle of a golf club?
It's always an acute angle, less than 90 degrees. The lie angle dictates, in part, where your hands will be positioned on the golf club, relative to the ground, at address.
What does it mean when your golf club is on the toe side of the sole?
If your lie angle is too flat, typically meaning it' s closer to 0 degrees than 90 degrees, then that means you will typically hit the ground with your club with the toe side of the sole. Hitting the ground with the toe of the sole means you're hitting with an open face, leading to a fade or a slice, meaning the ball will sail well right ...
What does it mean when your golf club is lying?
Well, you need to know how lie angle can affect ball flight. If your lie angle is too upright, typically meaning that it's closer to 90 degrees than 0 degrees, then that means you will typically hit the ground with your club with the heel side of the sole.
What does it mean when a clubfitter adjusts the lie angle?
If you're liking the club but not quite hitting it how you'd like with your lie angle, then the clubfitter can make an adjustment that could mean the difference between having the right club for you or not.
What does it mean when you hit the ground with the heel of your sole?
Hitting the ground with the heel of the sole means you're hitting with a closed face, leading to a pull or a hook, meaning the ball will sail well left of the intended target. From a visual standpoint, the toe of the golf club will be too much in the air at impact.
How many laws are there to control the flight of a golf ball?
There are five laws that influence the flight of a golf ball. These laws are absolutes. They are the physical forces that combine when hitting a golf ball and dictate how it reacts in flight. Understanding these laws helps to explain the answers to the key questions of distance and direction. These laws shouldn’t be confused with ...
What happens when you hit a golf ball?
When you hit a golf ball there’s various things that can affect the flight of the ball. Simply put, golfers want to to know simple reasons to explain: For golfers who struggle with any of the above problems, you really need to learn about the ball flight laws in golf which determine where your ball is ending up.
Why do we use ball flight laws?
Every golfer wants to play better golf and for most golfer’s that means understanding the fundamentals of the game. If your balls keep going in the same place, you can use the ball flight laws to help in identifying what your swing fault (s) are and to help you gain more control.
How many laws can golfers control?
The 5 laws can all be controlled and improved by golfers once they begin to understand how they affect the golf ball. Great coaching from The Golf School together with a solid plan and correct practice drills can help the golfer through the process of realisation, understanding, and improvement.
How to control where your ball ends up?
Control where your ball ends up. The aim of a golfer is simple – to get the ball from one point to another point. To do so they must first negotiate a given distance and secondly, they need to arrive at that target in a certain direction.
What is the angle of attack?
The angle formed by the descending or ascending arc of the club head on the forward swing in relation to the slope of the ground. Your angle of attack could be positive, negative or neutral.
What is the aim of a golfer?
The aim of a golfer is simple – to get the ball from one point to another point.
What direction does the golf ball launch?
For a right handed golfer, if the face is pointed to the right of the target line (open) the ball will launch to the right of target.
What direction does the club head go when hitting the target?
Because golfers swing on an inclined arc (not directly vertical or directly horizontal) but in between the two, the club-head path has three possible directions, outside to inside, inside to outside or down the target line during impact .
What is the fourth goal in golf?
Our forth goal: After starting with a descending blow into the back of the ball so the ball got airborne and a face angle that is square to the ball/target line at impact with a club head path that was down the line at impact you want to make contact with the back of your ball with the center of the clubs face.
What happens when the ball is at the bottom of the arc?
If the ball was directly at the bottom of the arc, your clubs head would approach the ball on a level/shallower approach.
How to make an imaginary ball to target line?
Again for a right handed golfer, let’s make an imaginary ball to target line by picking a target and going back behind the ball. Let’s straddle that imaginary ball to target line with our feet and look straight down that line towards our target.
What does a circle represent in golf?
The circle represents your club heads arc during your swing in motion. If you were to draw a line straight down from the center of that circle you would intersect the lowest point of that circle. That lowest point also represents the lowest point of your club heads swing arc.
Where do you contact the ball in golf?
You can contact the ball on the toe of the clubface (the farthest part of the clubs face from the golfer) inducing a hook shot. Or, contact can be on the heel (the closest part of the clubs face to the golfer) inducing a slice.
Where does a golf ball go when it travels along a pulled hook flight path?
A ball that travels along a pulled hook flight path will start to the inside of the target line and will proceed with curling aggressively to the inside still, before coming to rest way left of the target (for right handed golfers).
Why is it desirable for a golf ball to fade?
Good: Such a ball flight is deemed to be desirable because the ball will eventually land near the intended target.
What is a ball that travels along a hook flight path?
A ball that travels along a hook flight path is one that will start to the outside of the target line before curling aggressively towards the target and passing it before finally coming to rest to the left of it. Balls hit in such a way will carry a lot of topspin and as a result will roll a considerable distance after landing before coming to rest.
Why is a ball flight considered desirable?
Good: Such a ball flight is deemed to be desirable because the ball will land near the intended target.
Why is a pulled ball undesirable?
Mediocre: A pulled ball is deemed undesirable because the ball will miss the intended target, landing left of it instead. Opposite: The opposite of a pull is a push. More on: How to Fix a Pull.
What is a straight shot in golf?
Straight. A golf ball hit straight will travel directly in line with the target, from the moment it is struck all the way to the moment when it lands. A perfectly straight shot will not veer sideways at all and the amount of roll upon landing will be determined by the club selected. For example, a ball hit with a 9-iron will roll less ...
Why are hooks considered bad shots?
Bad: Hooks are considered bad shots because contrary to draws – which also go from right to left – balls hit with a hook will miss the intended target.
What happens when you hit the ball high on the face?
When you hit the ball high on the face, it will launch higher and spin less. This is optimal for your driver…assuming you want to hit it far. When you hit the ball low on the face, it will launch lower and spin more. This is very bad for your driver.
What does it mean when you hit the ball on your toe?
If you’re consistently low on the face, you’re robbing yourself of distance. If you’re consistently hitting the ball on the toe or heel, then impact location, not face or path issues, may be to blame for your inaccuracy.
What Is Gear Effect?
Gear effect is the term used to explain how and why hitting the ball off-center changes the ball flight.
