Fulfill Your Need for Speed --
Speed + Spin + Launch Angle = Distance
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your ideas using this simple
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You Can Buy more Distance
You may
recall from past newsletters, that I am one that
advocates improving one's game by investing in short
game practice and golf swing lessons by a certified
professional. The main reason is that I firmly
believe that where's most golfers can make the
biggest difference to their games. Buying new tech
equipment will only provide modest improvements in
individual aspects of the
game.
So, firstly I'd recommended Dave Pelz's book, "The Short Game Bible" before. Reading his book will help your game immensely, even if you implement only parts of his advice. Go to your local bookstore and get it OR click here, Click
here to order Dave's Book, to order it from amazon; I'll make a few cents from your purchase.
The rest of this newsletter will address whether you can "buy more" yards off the tee by purchasing a new driver. The short answer is "maybe."
Launch Monitors
A launch monitor is a high tech device that will measure the initial flight conditions of a golf ball after being struck by a golf club. The important measures which determine distance are ball speed, backspin and launch angle. The monitor will take this information and using some mathematical algorithms (like what I use in my Errant Golf Ball analysis), determine how far the ball will fly.
Many of the large golf retail stores now have launch monitors so you can have your initial ball conditions measured with your current driver and then the technician can make suggestions of what driver characteristics can be changed to result in more distance.
You can find a launch monitor close
to you by checking out the Titleist website. Click here. The good launch monitors
tend to be too expensive for the individual golfer ($3K
- $5K).
For every ball speed, there is an optimum launch angle and backspin that produces maximum distance.
Launch
Angle
The launch angle of your golf ball
is determined by the club and your swing.
The club's loft and location of center of mass
will affect the launch angle. The greater the loft and
the lower the center of mass, the higher the launch
angle. So, if you tend to hit it too low with your
current driver, you could simply add some lead tape to
the sole of the club to lower it's center of mass,
resulting in a higher launch angle. Unfortuately,
adding mass will change the swing weight and thus feel
of the club. You can look for a new driver that has a
lower center of mass and/or greater
loft.
Ideally, the club is swinging upwards when
it hits the ball. Many golfers actually hit down on the
ball with their driver and thus the club is descending
at impact. This tends to increase spin applied to the
ball (sidespin and backspin) which might not be
desirable. Hitting down on the ball will also lead to a
lower ball speed, resulting in less distance. It's
important that the golfer tee the ball up high enough
and forward in his/her stance (off the left heel or toe,
for a right hander).
Launch
Backspin
The initial backspin of the
ball depends on the angle of attack of the club,
the loft and center of mass location of the club
and the golf ball itself. Of course, I recommend all
players playing with a soft covered, high spin ball as
that will be the greatest asset to the short game, the
part of the game where most golfers can make the
greatest improvement.
If you tended to hit
down on the ball (club descending at impact), you might
produce drives with high backspin resulting in too high
of a trajectory. Of course, you could use a lower spin
ball, but then your short game would suffer. The better
solution (given that you don't improve your swing) is to
use a driver with a lower loft and/or high center of
mass, thus resulting in a lower initial trajectory.
Launch
Speed
The ball speed depends of course
on the club's speed at impact (your swing speed) but
also on face of the driver and it's "spring effect." The
face of the driver will actually compress and then
rebound as it interacts with the ball. Some drivers will
spring more than others. Short hitters will realize the
biggest gain in distance from the "spring
effect."
An important thing to consider is the
ball speed off of mishits. The higher your handicap, you
greater your percentage of misses. New drivers that have
a very large face will tend to be more forgiving, which
means off center hits will not lose as much speed. You
might find that one driver results in higher ball speeds
on center hits, but lower ball speeds on off center
hits, compared to another. You might chose the latter so
that you're maximizing your distance on your mishits,
which is what you hit more often. This might hurt your
ego, but it'll be better for your game.
So, if
you really feel you want a new driver, there are lots
out there. Make sure you hit a number of balls (at least
10 each) with each driver so you can obtain a good
average. Be willing to invest a fair amount of time.
Otherwise, you might just be buying another one of
those drivers that performs initally, but in the long
run, isn't any better than the club you had.
If you'd like more detail on
choosing a new driver, purchase my special report.
Buy Now for
$10.99
or get it for free by purchasing a Swing Speed
Radar.
I'd appreciate any comments you have. Email them to
me at probablegolf@yahoo.ca
Take a look below the suggestion box for
some more ideas on how you can improve your
game.
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A list of resources that have been used to produce
this newsletter can be found on my web site here.
The focus of my
site is to utilize science and math to lower your score.
New technology is one way to achieve this, but to be
honest, the technology is one small piece of the
puzzle.
To actually improve
significantly, we all need to:
1. Improve our swings
using CD Interactive, Hit
Down Dammit!
2. Learn how to swing
simpler like the Iron Byron with the great coffee table
book, Swing
Machine Golf!
3. Improve our physical
fitness and strength.
The
Golf Trainer Power Performance Program™ and Ultimate
Golf Fitness Ebook
4. Improve our mental
games. Golf
Mind Software
5. Improve our Probable
Golf games. Learn how to make better choices on the
course through knowing how shot patterns and reading the
elements and course better.
Click on the links above
to take a look at ways that I personally use myself and
recommend you try as well.
Hope I provided some useful ways for to
become better prepared for you best golf season
ever.
Ken Tannar
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