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Clubface Contact, The “Forgotten” Aspect of the Ball Flight Laws
Before we go any further, let’s look at the five aspects of the ball flight laws:
• Clubhead path through impact
• Clubface angle at impact
• Centeredness of clubface contact
• Angle of approach
• Clubhead speed
Assuming a square clubface angle to the clubhead path at impact, what could possibly happen, besides an outside force such as the wind, to make the ball not go straight? The answer to that would be failing to contact the ball on the club’s “sweet spot,” or center of percussion. Technically, the sweet spot is only a small point on the clubface, so if a ball is not perfectly or close to perfectly struck on this spot, a reaction known as “gear effect” takes place. Basically, the ball rolls or attempts to roll toward the center of percussion if it is not perfectly struck. Here is what happens when the four general areas around the sweet spot – above, below, on the toe and on the heel – strike the ball:
Above: Virtually every shot with any sort of decent contact will have backspin, so a ball struck here will not produce topspin. But it will reduce the amount of backspin, unless the club is descending at such an angle at impact that the golfer only contacts the lower part of the ball, in which case a pop-up with lots of backspin results (usually with a driver, fairway wood or hybrid; doing this with irons is rare). Hitting the ball above the sweet spot is important to produce long drives, so drivers are manufactured with a very low sweet spot in most cases. Irons hit appreciably above the sweet spot will produce shots with greatly reduced distance.
Below: A large increase in backspin will result, unless the ball is skulled or topped.
On the toe: This is where gear effect becomes extremely noticeable. High-speed video shows that balls hit on the toe of the club result in a clubface that twists open, sometimes severely, upon contact. Since the ball will want to roll towards the center of percussion, hook spin results. Launch monitor data show that toe strikes with a square clubface and path result in a hook the majority of times, and can even overcome an open clubface to the point of still producing a hook! On other occasions, if the toe strike is especially severe or the player has weaker hands, the clubface can open to an extent that it results not in a hook but a more severe fade or slice. This is not as common as a draw or hook with a toe strike, but it has been shown through the GC Quad launch monitor, which has the capability of “seeing” where on the clubface the ball was struck.
On the heel: As with toe strikes, heel strikes have noticeable gear effect, with fades and slices resulting. Here as well, heel strikes can produce fades and slices even when the clubface is closed to the clubhead path at impact. Although heel strikes often close the clubface at impact, they do not normally make a hook worse, according to GC Quad data. This is due to the heel being closer to the shaft than the toe, which means lack of hand strength isn’t as much of a factor as it can be with toe hits.
So, how can we use all of this in our teaching? It’s important to see where the student is striking the ball on the clubface so we can determine if something else is causing an errant ball flight besides clubhead path and clubface angle. With a driver, impact stickers or foot powder spray do the trick nicely. Impact stickers tend to also work on irons when hitting off of grass, and will always work on artificial turf mats. Foot powder spray may not work very well with irons hit off the grass.
If clubhead path and clubface angle are the two main aspects of the ball flight laws, then centeredness of contact is a close, and in fact a very close, third. Some teachers even argue that it’s the most important, because without striking the clubface squarely nothing else matters. Whatever your position, pay attention to this most important aspect of the ball flight laws.
Who Is In Your Shadow?
By Norm Crerar, USGTF Contributing Writer, Vernon, British Columbia
I am going to receive a medal. Word came via a phone call from the Governor General’s office about mid-July. For readers not familiar with Canadian history and culture, Queen Elizabeth is Queen of Canada, and as she does not reside in Canada, a Governor General is appointed to fill in for her. The post is somewhat symbolic, but it is a functioning part of our government.
The kind lady from the Governor General’s office informed me that my name had been put forward for the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Governor General had agreed. I was to keep the news to myself until I received formal notice in writing via mail within a few weeks. To say that I was overwhelmed would be to put it mildly. I had to do a search to see what the medal really meant and found that the Meritorious Service Medal, civilian division, was an award the Governor General, in right of the Queen, could confer on a person who had done something extraordinary to affect the lives of those around him or her in a positive way. I had been recommended for the medal for starting the Okanagan Military Tattoo. The short story is that I took an idea I had for a Military Tattoo to some like-minded friends, and they found some friends, and we got started talking in 2012. By2014 we had enough support and funding to put on our first event, and we are now into the planning of our sixth annual event.
The more I thought about the upcoming award, the more I started to feel bad. I was getting the medal, and all the people working with me to make the event the success that it has become were not getting anything! The more I thought about it, the worse I felt. I sought out the advice of a friend of mine who happens to be the commanding officer of our local primary reserve militia. He is a veteran of Afghanistan and spent his time there flying a British Army Air Corps attack helicopter. He did a lot of other stuff, as well, in a very busy military career. When I told him about my medal and my quandary, he went and brought out his medal board. “This one here, “he said, “you get for just showing up. This one you get for doing something out of the ordinary.” He then quoted Winston Churchill: “Every medal presented casts a shadow!” We talked about that for a long while, and I felt a lot better for our time together.
But, I am still thinking, all those people in my shadow really deserve my thanks. At the time of this writing, I am just six days away from standing in front of Her Excellency, the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General and Commander in Chief, Canada, and having her pinning a medal on me. I will wonder if she thinks of the people that were behind her, such as the first Canadian female astronaut. I know I will be thinking about all those who have been part of me being able to receive this distinguished award.
And how does this all fit in with the USGTF and teaching golf? Everything is connected! On one of my phone calls in 2013 to your president, the Old Funseeker himself, Geoff Bryant, he asked me what I was up to. I explained about the Okanagan Military Tattoo and that we were having great success inputting the program together, but were having troublefinding funding. He promptly sent me a cheque, and with that first bit of money in the bank, we started making the rounds of other sponsors and partners. No one wanted to be first! So, Geoff and the USGT Fare in my shadow and I will always be grateful. The event now has 600 performers, and our annual turnover is in the $200,000 range. The USGTF is still on our sponsor/partner/supporter page.
Are you known as the best golf instructor of your area? Of your state/province? Top 100 in the country? Who helped you get to where you are?
Who is in your shadow?