Golf Tip # 7
Ball Flight Laws: No matter what teaching method is being used, no mat¬ter who is swinging the club; no matter where you are ... at the moment of impact these laws determine the flight of the ball.
The Five Ball Flight Laws are as follows:
1. Speed — the speed at which the club head moves through impact is a great determinant of the distance a ball will fly.
2. Path — the direction in which the club is traveling at impact is a great determinant of the initial direc¬tion a ball will fly.
3. Face — the position of the clubface at impact is a great determinant of the final direction a ball will fly. (If either the heel or toe of the club arrives at im¬pact before the other, a spin is placed on the ball which will cause the ball to eventually hook or slice.)
4. Angle of Attack — the angle at which the club is either descending or ascending at impact is a con¬tributor to both the distance and the trajectory a ball will have; in addition, a ball struck above the mid¬point (equator) will roll or fly very low and a ball struck below the midpoint (equator) will fly relative¬ly higher.
5.Squareness of Contact — the degree to which the ball is contacted with the"sweet-spot" or percus¬sion point of the club at impact has a direct relation¬ship to both the direction and distance the ball will travel. Accepting the existence of physical laws governing the flight of a golf ball leads to the next level of priority, principles. To allow the learner to create the most effi¬cient movement pattern for his or her individual swing, an instructor must teach certain principles of the golf swing. Unlike the laws, which are irrefutable, the principles of the golf swing are somewhat less rigid. These are "qualities" of a golf swing which, at this point in time, are accepted to be necessary for all performers — within their individual capabilities. Please note that there is no mention of HOW principles should be done . . . only THAT they should be done!
