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…
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…
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
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…
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…
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