
What is the vertical gear effect in golf?
This phenomenon called the vertical gear effect imparts an opposite spin (back spin in this case) to the ball, which is added on top of the back spin provided by the dynamic loft at impact. If the impact is made lower on the clubface relative to the center of gravity then the clubhead will de-loft or rotate clockwise even more now.
What is the gear effect in tennis?
In additional, surprisingly a draw spin will be imparted to the ball. This phenomenon is called the gear effect. When two gears work in unison, one gear travels in one direction and the secondary gear moves in the opposite direction. Imagine the bottom gear being the head.
What is the gear effect?
This phenomenon is called the gear effect. When two gears work in unison, one gear travels in one direction and the secondary gear moves in the opposite direction. Imagine the bottom gear being the head. As impact occurs at the toe, the gear turns clockwise.
Why does my golf ball spin to the right?
If the impact is made toward the toe of the club the ball will start to go out to the right (for a right handed club) due to the bulge. In additional, surprisingly a draw spin will be imparted to the ball. This phenomenon is called the gear effect.

What is golf gear effect?
Gear effect is the term used to explain how and why hitting the ball off-centre changes the ball flight. When the ball makes contact with the heel and toe it will cause the club face to change the direction it was pointing and will affect the spin, the ball will turn towards the Centre of Gravity.
Does gear effect happen with irons?
Gear effect is sidespin which is the result of an off-center hit with a club whose center of gravity is well back from the clubface. Without both these conditions, gear effect does not happen. Let's see what causes gear effect.
What is vertical gear effect?
0:473:24Vertical Gear Effect - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo this gear is going this way the golf balls the other gear which is going to produce more backspinMoreSo this gear is going this way the golf balls the other gear which is going to produce more backspin on the golf ball. If you hit the ball high on the face contacts. Up here it makes the clubface tilt
How does spin effect a golf ball?
As a general rule, spin affects a golf ball's flight shape and shot height. More backspin will cause the ball to go higher and stop quicker on the green while more sidespin will add curvature to your shots.
Why does a hook go further than a slice?
A hook goes further than a slice because its generated by someone who has a bigger brain.
Does hitting off the heel cause a slice?
While it might seem counterintuitive at first, a club head that is opening at impact can cause draw shots thanks to what's called “Gear effect.” The opposite is true as well: shots hit off the heel actually close the face, creating a shot that has more fade/slice spin or less hook/draw spin.
Do hybrids have bulge and roll?
Bulge and roll is designed into your woods and hybrids in an effort to create the most ideal ball flight on off-center hits as possible. That, of course, helps to explain why some of your not-so-great swings still find the fairway!
What is a golf smash factor?
By hitting the ball more solidly, or what's known as upping your "smash factor." Smash factor is the ratio between the speed of the ball as it leaves the clubface and your swing speed. Generally, 1.5 is an ideal smash factor, but the average golfer's smash factor is only about 1.42, TrackMan says.
What is bulge and roll on a driver?
The face of every driver (all clubs requiring a headcover for that matter) has roll and bulge while irons do not. Bulge is the curvature of the face from its heel to its toe, while roll is the curvature of the face from the crown to the sole.
Does low spin mean more distance?
A lower spinning golf ball is designed to add distance and decrease curvature in your shots. Since that's the case, these balls are great for beginners and high handicaps. That being said, a lot of low to mid handicaps use them as well.
How much backspin does a 7 iron need?
around 7000 rpmA good way to look at it is that the first number of the backspin rate should match the number on the bottom of the club you are using. So if you are using a 7-iron, your backspin should be around 7000 rpm.
Does lower loft reduce spin?
Reducing loft WILL decrease spin loft, it will also lower the launch of the ball. Cranking the loft down on its own will reduce spin loft, but the ball won't launch in the air. In order to achieve maximum distance, we need a HIGH launch and a low spin rate (and max ball speed).
What happens when the impact between the ball and the clubface occurs higher on the clubface relative to the center of gravity
If impact between the ball and clubface occurs higher on the clubface relative to the center of gravity then the reverse occurs. The clubface rotates around its center of gravity in a counter- clockwise motion (as shown). The ball leaves the face at a higher launch angle , which is important.
What is the phenomenon of two gears working in unison?
This phenomenon is called the gear effect . When two gears work in unison, one gear travels in one direction and the secondary gear moves in the opposite direction. Imagine the bottom gear being the head. As impact occurs at the toe, the gear turns clockwise.
What happens when the clubface rotates?
The clubface rotates around its center of gravity in a counter-clockwise motion. The ball leaves the face left of the target (again a right-handed head) due to the bulge, but the gear effect provides a slice spin to the ball.
Why is the top spin of a golf ball not top spin?
Well, it is not really top spin because the spin produced by the loft is much greater, but the top spin is added to the back spin to essentially create reduced back spin.
What happens when the ball goes out of the right hand club?
If the impact is made toward the toe of the club the ball will start to go out to the right (for a right handed club) due to the bulge. In additional, surprisingly a draw spin will be imparted to the ball. This phenomenon is called the gear effect.
What direction does the club head rotate?
This causes the clubhead to rotate in a clockwise motion (as pictured).
What causes a lower launch angle?
Roll curvature comes into play here. That, more than head rotation, is the cause for the lower launch angle. More back spin than before is imparted due to the vertical gear effect. This additional spin creates lift to the ball to help maximize trajectory and distance.
What is the gear effect?
Gear effect is the term used to explain how and why hitting the ball off-center changes the ball flight. When the ball contacts the face somewhere other than the Center of Gravity (CoG), it causes the face to change its orientation and affects the spin.
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 happens if the club's COG is further apart from the golf balls?
So if the club’s COG is further apart from the golf balls COG the more gear effect takes place, resulting in ball flights you’re not expecting. It is worth noting ‘Gear effect’ affects Driver and fairway wood shots, the affect dramatically reduces as you go in to your irons and through to wedges.
Why does the ball turn towards the centre of gravity?
When the ball makes contact with the heel and toe it will cause the club face to change the direction it was pointing and will affect the spin, the ball will turn towards the Centre of Gravity. This is because during the impact the ball and face are interlocked like two gears, this is why it’s called ‘Gear Effect’.
What is the gear effect in golf?
You may have heard of it before, or maybe you haven’t, but in golf there’s something called the gear effect. It happens every time you hit the golf ball, whether you realize it or not, and it has a significant impact on the direction you’re hitting the golf ball.
What is the center of gravity on a golf club?
The center of gravity (or CG) is the heaviest part of the clubhead, and every club has one. In drivers it’s designed to be down and toward the back of the clubhead, to help golfers launch the ball higher.
Spinning Out of Control
Since I have worked with Woody several times in the past, he had a good idea of my swing profile. I don’t usually have issues with too much spin with woods or irons, and any club that has a higher spin profile is generally a bad idea for a player like myself.
The Mysterious Gear Effect
Let’s explore the reason why I was experiencing so much inconsistency with this club when I didn’t hit it properly.
What Will This Actually Do?
Now that I have a golf club that will spin less for me, can I expect to hit straight shots every time?
