Ball Flight Laws for the SHORT GAME – A TEST of UNDERSTANDING
If both these ‘finish’ positions are for the short game, would you expect identical or different BALL FLIGHTS to result from the two positions below?
In other words, as the main aspect of BALL FLIGHT for the short game is trajectory, would both the finish positions shown here result in the same BALL TRAJECTORY (ie. high vs low shot)?
We know that Ball Flight is governed strictly by the BALL FLIGHT LAWS of how the club arrives at the ball, and connects with the ball. After impact, insist many folks, the ball is gone and what the club does will not matter.
So, to get back to the question above. If you answered both positions WILL result in the same trajectory, then WHICH aspects of the BALL FLIGHT LAWS make it so?
If you answered that both positions will NOT result in the same ball trajectory, then you’re saying FINISH DOES MATTER. So, in that case, which BALL FLIGHT LAW (BFL) governs that?
This is a TRAP for all the so-called Ball Flight experts in India and the USA and everywhere in between. So, am posting this on the LPGA T&CP and the National Golf Academy of India facebook pages as well as on my blog and hope to get MANY RESPONSES to this IMPORTANT CHALLENGE to the BFL!
It is easy to know without understanding ball flight laws even. The more vertical the entry, the higher the ball flight. Imagine chopping down on ping pong ball with the side of your hand – most of your striking energy goes down, and the ball climbs up the “face” more.
if you move your hand level along the surface of the table and hit the ping pong ball again with the same speed you did above, of course the ball will move along the surface of the table, or be much lower.
So working backwards from this, all one has to do is figure out the best way to control the club face path – if you take the club straight UP, then swing back down, you will likely get the finish on the right, assuming of course you are swinging with some force – and higher flight.
If you take the club back low, and almost level with the ground, and swing back through, you will get the finish on the left – and lower flight.
TRAJECTORY would seem to be identical as all body positions appear to be the same. Distance may be influenced by the velocity of the swing leading to a higher finish position.