Instruction
Gear Effect Basics: How off-center hits cause slices and hooks
On the lesson tee, I frequently hear players say that the club twisted or slipped out of their hands at impact. So I ask them, “Why do you think it twisted?”
They usually explain that they did something to cause the club to twist or slip. This shows me that most golfers still don’t understand what is really going on at impact, which often leads them to try to fix an issue that never existed.
Have you ever noticed that this twisting of the club never happens when you flush it down the fairway or at the pin? That’s a big clue as to what’s causing the issue.
Line It Up
Both golf balls and golf club heads have what we call a center of mass (COM). This is the point around which the mass of the club head and the ball is evenly distributed, and can be thought of as the middle of the club head, as shown below.
When the COM of a club head and ball line up at impact, we get that great feeling we call “hitting the sweet spot.” But what happens when we don’t hit the sweet spot?
The Twist
Think about what would happen if a car collided with a lamp post. If the car and lamp post were to line up perfectly for the collision, the car would stop dead in its tracks. But if the car were to hit the lamp post with one of its headlights, the car would spin off violently. The same thing happens with a golf club at impact.
If the COM of the ball and the COM of the club head do not line up perfectly at impact, the club head spins. For example, if the ball were to be struck on the toe of the club, the point of contact on the face would twist around the COM of the club. That would open it up in a clockwise direction (for a right-handed golfer).
In the graphic above, the club head (moving right to left across the screen) hits the ball on the toe, causing a clockwise twisting in the direction of the white arrow.
How violent is this twisting? Watch the video below I made of some off-center impacts.
You can see that the twisting is quite dramatic, and it sends a lot of vibration up the club shaft and can actively twist the club in golfers’ hands no matter how tight they hold it.
It also leads many golfers to believe that they twisted the club actively, which wasn’t the case. This often leads golfers to grip the club tighter and tighter in an effort to stop the twisting. It’s futile, however, because there is a massive amount of torque created at impact. Further, a tighter grip can cause the swing to become less fluid and kill speed and coordination, leading to more off-center shots.
Curves
Hitting off-center shots also does something interesting to the ball at impact.
During the violent collision, the club head and ball can act like a pair of gears. So while a toed shot causes the club head to open up clockwise, the ball is twisted counter-clockwise (more accurately, the spin axis of the ball is tilted slightly more to the left). This causes the ball to have more draw/hook spin, or less fade/slice spin, depending on the impact conditions.
While it might seem counterintuitive at first, a club head that is opening at impact can cause draw shots thanks to what’s called “Gear effect.” The opposite is true as well: shots hit off the heel actually close the face, creating a shot that has more fade/slice spin or less hook/draw spin. Gear effect is also massively heightened when golfers have a wood or hybrid in their hands for reasons I will explain in an article that will be published at a later date.
Spin Doctors
Gear effect is vital to understand if you are to fix your own swing and ball flight issues, because not understanding it could lead to you trying to fix the wrong thing.
For example, say a player were to make a great swing, presenting the club head with a neutral path and a neutral club face at impact. In theory, this would hit a perfectly straight shot.
If that shot were struck out of the heel of the club, however, the shot would start left and slice off to the right, leading the player to believe they had come over-the-top and cut across the ball. I often see this self diagnosis on the lesson tee when the exact scenario occurs. This player will then go off and attempt to fix the over-the-top move, which was never the issue in the first place.
“YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHEN A BAD SHOT WAS CAUSED BY A POOR FACE/PATH COMBINATION VERSUS SIMPLY TOE-ING OR HEELING THE BALL.”
Actions You Can Take
Most people take for granted that they are hitting the sweet spot, yet I consistently see it as one of the main issues with the vast majority of golfers. For that reason, it is vital that you build both an increased understanding of what you are doing at impact (through feedback and awareness), as well as an increased ability to improve it.
So here is a simple exercise I get all my players with strike issues to do. Even players without strike issues should do this occasionally, just to make sure no poor patterns are creeping in unknowingly.
Step 1
Step 2

Place the ball as shown. You can tee it up or lay it on the ground. All the matters is that the dry erase marker dot is on the back of the ball facing the club head at address.
Step 3
To be great at something takes consistent practice of the fundamentals. Golfers hear so much about the fundamentals of grip, stance and posture, but they are worthless if they don’t strike the sweet spot. So when golfers become aware of their faulty contact point and get to work on fixing it, big improvement often occurs — to their swing and to their scores.
Starting taking a marker pen with you to the range if you want improved consistency, extra distance, better feedback and more awareness about your strikes. It will allow you to better diagnose the causing your poor shots so you can eliminate them from your game.
Editor’s Note: Adam is Author of the amazon bestseller “The Practice Manual,” where he discusses some of these concepts and more. You can purchase the book here.
Instruction
How to play your best golf when the temperature drops
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Instruction
3 lessons from Brooks Koepka that’ll actually lower your score
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Instruction
What we can learn from Blades Brown’s impressive American Express performance
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
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Pingback: Gear Effect Basics: How off-center hits cause slices and hooks - Dan Hansen Golf Instruction
Tim Briand
Sep 1, 2015 at 4:40 pm
Adam .. This is a great article, and one that most golfers, unfortunately, will not understand, though not for the lack of explaining it properly. For those of you who wonder why this phenomenon occurs, go to Newton’s 1st Law. A object in motion tries to stay in motion along the same vector unless acted upon by another force. In short, the Center of Gravity (CG .. Adam refers to it as Center of Mass) wants to continue travelling in a straight path. A force is applied to the object outside the CG, not in line with the vector the CG is moving. The result is that the object’s CG tries to continue along its vector, but twists to accommodate the force applied outside the CG vector. If you have ever stuck your hand outside a moving vehicle and made contact with something, you know that your hand wants to give way and rotate back. Same thing here. In this example, your hand is the area of the object outside the CG (toe or heel of club) and the CG of the club acts like your butt in the seat of the golf cart (it wants to keep going in line with where the cart is driving).
As for the GEAR EFFECT… During the moment that the two objects are in contact with one another, there is surface friction between both objects. If one object in contact with another rotates, it causes the other object to rotate the opposite direction (think mechanical gears).
It should not be understated just how tremendous this force can be when accounting for ball flight.
The variation in different club designs can DRASTICALLY effect the amount of gear effect, by as much as 1000 RPMs of “side spin” depending on CG location, clubhead speed, and area of strike away from the sweet spot. The factors that mitigate or exacerbate this phenomenon are the Club’s CG, the Moment of Inertia (MOI), and the amount of Bulge & Roll on the face. Because no Doppler launch monitor accounts for these factors from club to club, it can sometimes make errors when measuring club face angle, assuming that the vast majority of the side spin was due to face/path differential, and not accounting for the variations in club design and their effects on side spin with off center hits.
Tony Neri
May 14, 2020 at 5:30 am
There are tons of articles written by well known golf instructors that say the exact opposite of what Adam stated.Off heel shots cause draws/hooks and off toe shots cause fades/slices.Like everything in golf it boils down to individuals,in most cases there are not fix rules.For example in my case every shot hit off the heel goes left and every shot off the toe goes right
marcel
Aug 30, 2015 at 8:06 pm
lessons from AAA+ coach and practice… there is no excuse.
Dugan
Aug 27, 2015 at 9:20 am
I sometimes hit a drive on the toe and immediately feel the twisting. But a majority of the time the ball goes straight with reduced distance. What gives?
TA
Aug 29, 2015 at 2:29 am
You didn’t compress the ball enough on the toe, not got any trampoline out of that area.
Tim Briand
Sep 1, 2015 at 4:13 pm
Unfortunately, TA below is not entirely correct about this. What you are experiencing is Gear Effect nullifying an out-to-in path or open face (or a combination of both factors). If the face is open relative to the path, the spin axis of the ball tilts so that the ball spins with “fade” spin which would normally influence the ball to fade. However, when a player hits the ball of the toe, as described in the article above, Gear Effect causes the ball axis to tilt and cause “draw” spin. When the face is open to the path AND the ball is struck on the toe, the net effect is that the ball spin axis stays neutral, producing a straight flying shot. However a few factors will lead to the ball not going very far, such as loss of kinetic energy transfer due to the off-center hit, as well as loss of energy transfer due to the vector of the force (swing path), not being perpendicular to the striking surface (clubface) . In short, the two factors cancel each other but produce an impact that does not efficiently transfer energy from club to ball.
Hope this helps..
P.S. I am a Master Club Fitter for TaylorMade Golf, so my entire livelihood is based on understanding these principles.
Spell
Aug 27, 2015 at 3:10 am
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inertia
is why you can’t hang on to the twisting club even if you tried
Gubment Cheeze
Aug 26, 2015 at 5:47 pm
You forgot about the nails
Adam Young
Aug 27, 2015 at 12:27 am
I’ll ‘hammer’ out a new article and include them 😉
Paul Wood
Aug 26, 2015 at 5:12 pm
Nice article Adam. I like the simplicity and clarity you brought to what can be a very complex subject if you really dig into it. I like the idea of using a pink dry erase marker. May have to add that to my bag.
DPavs
Aug 26, 2015 at 2:53 pm
It’s probably also important to understand that gear effect is only going to noticeably impact the ball flight if the face of the club is square at impact. Or to say this another way it will not compensate for an open or closed club face. Also because the resultant gear effect is impacted by the further apart the COG of the ball and club are.. there is generally a good deal of it with drivers but far far less with irons .
Spell
Aug 27, 2015 at 3:12 am
Square to what? You’re not understanding the article
Dpavs
Aug 27, 2015 at 8:14 am
Spell-
Let me help clarify this for you. The answer is square to your swing path. I tried to make this clear by indicating that an open or closed face will always dominate the ball flight and gear effect will essentially be negated.
Just a note too, If you don’t comprehend what someone is indicating it’s great to ask questions but not good form to assume they did not understand.
DPavs
Aug 27, 2015 at 8:18 am
Square to your swing path, hence my reference to having the face open or closed (at impact).
Adam Young
Aug 26, 2015 at 1:38 pm
Hi guys,
I will be addressing vertical gear effect, difference in COM locations, bulge and roll, the moveable sweet spot and effective face size in later articles.
This is just a basic primer on gear effect, as the title suggests. For most golfers, the idea that twisting is caused by an off centre hit (and not the golfer actually twisting it) is a revelation for most.
Hope it helps with fault identification 🙂
other paul
Aug 26, 2015 at 2:01 pm
Oh good. Thanks Adam. Moveable sweet spot isn’t something I have heard much about at all. Speaking of golfers not actually twisting the club at impact. A golf pro I know tried to convince me that a tour pro he talked could add or reduce loft at impact because he was that awesome. Or that he could twist his club to hit a hook or fade when he wanted. Ridiculous.
Adam Young
Aug 26, 2015 at 2:09 pm
interesting 🙂
CD
Aug 26, 2015 at 6:12 pm
Should the dry erase mark be on the inner quadrant of the ball?
Adam Young
Aug 27, 2015 at 12:30 am
That can certainly be a nice way of encouraging a more in-to-out path (for mental reasons).
Although, the part of the ball the club face strikes will be a product only of the club face angle at impact – with a more open face contacting the inner quadrant and vice versa. Not a lot of folk know that one. You can still strike the inner quadrant with an out to in path (and vice versa) if the face is open enough
Mac n Cheese
Aug 26, 2015 at 1:35 pm
This is where torque comes into play with the shaft. The lower the torque number the less twisting that occurs with a miss hit, which equates to forgiveness.
John
Aug 26, 2015 at 1:17 pm
Following a poor round in a friendly best ball tournament two years ago, I altered my grip pressure, ball position, stance, takeaway speed, hand and head position because of what I thought (think) was a poor swing path. I can remember it vividly, one poor swing, the clubface hooked right (I’m a lefty), my hands flipped over, and I was convinced I needed a major overhaul.
You may have saved my favourite pastime because of this simple, and now obvious, cause-effect explanation.
I’m a moron, bless you.
David M.
Aug 26, 2015 at 12:24 pm
That is the most neutral driver club face angle (not loft — club face angle) I have seen. Where does one go to buy that club (one that sits completely neutral at address)? All my drivers sit with slightly closed hosel angles at address – further compounding the issue of gear effect.
spazo
Aug 26, 2015 at 11:49 am
i don’t see it mentioned that this works in the vertical direction as well–it’s just not as obvious.
saevel25
Aug 26, 2015 at 12:40 pm
For the driver,
Higher on the clubface = high launch, lower spinning
Lower on the clubface = lower launching, higher spinning
For irons
Higher on clubface = slightly higher launching, slightly lower spinning
Lower on clubface = slightly lower launching, slightly higher spinning
Typically the swing paths is such that it is very very rare to get the ball high and in the heel. A steeper path is typically one that goes from out to in. That brings the toe more into play. When you get steeper you bring the higher part of the clubface into play. When you swing in to out you get shallower. This brings the heel more into play as well as the lower part of the clubface. I could say the most likely spots for the ball to hit is the upper left quadrant and the lower right quadrant, and some areas in the middle.
Teaj
Aug 26, 2015 at 1:20 pm
see cobra’s E9 Face Technology
other paul
Aug 26, 2015 at 11:45 am
You missed closure rate, and its effects. And you missed bulge in the face and how it effects the curve of the ball differently with woods and irons. Article gets a 9/10 but it is also incomplete.
Jack
Aug 26, 2015 at 1:16 pm
OMG. 99 percent of the folks on here didn’t understand gear effect and now they do. Good article Adam.
DPavs
Aug 26, 2015 at 2:33 pm
And yet they all have under an 8 hdcp and drive the ball 300 yards… amazing isn’t it?
other paul
Aug 26, 2015 at 7:35 pm
Its not to hard to hit 300, but the 8 handicap is tough to get to.
Dpavs
Aug 27, 2015 at 11:26 am
+1
Stubaka
Aug 27, 2015 at 2:44 pm
Thank you. 300 is not hard to hit. But, can you hit it straight. Then, can you follow it up with a great scecond shot that lands on the green.
I can hit my driver 300 anytime. 200 straight and 100 right. I can’t control it, hence the reason it’s out of the bag. I’d rather hit my 3 hybrid 225-250 in the fairway, than constantly losing golf balls. Golf is much more fun now grinding for par, instead of looking for lost balls.
MG
Aug 26, 2015 at 11:27 am
For driver, i like spraying the face with foot powder spray to see impact position. But yea, dry erase works better with irons due to the powder coming off when taking a divot. good article.
Adam Young
Aug 26, 2015 at 1:48 pm
Cheers MG – I also prefer the marker pen because you can see the concentration of shots. Face tape ruins spin rate, and spray only really shows the range of shots.