Week Seven: Distance

Students will be able to:

• learn about clubhead speed, angle of attack, and centeredness of contact

• determine how to effectively choose clubs based on distance

• practice choosing clubs based on distance

• learn about loose impediments and ball unplayable

• define responsibility

Quiz 7

Extra Credit

Club Selection

Week 7 Notes

1. Chapter 4: When you can’t play the ball as it lies

   1. Ball Unplayable- you can declare your ball unplayable anywhere on the course, except a penalty area. You have three options, each penalized 1 stroke.

      1. Stroke and distance

      2. Drop a ball along the line created by the nearest point of relief (from where your original ball is) and the flagstick, no nearer to the hole.

      3. Drop a ball 2 club-lengths from the nearest point of relief (from where your original ball is), no nearer to the hole.

   2. Loose impediments are objects that are (1) natural, (2) physically and easily moveable, and (3) NOT touching the ball. If the object were touching the ball, by moving it you would be improving your lie, which we know is not allowed. You can move loose impediments anywhere including in penalty areas. If you move your ball while moving a loose impediment, the penalty is 1 stroke. On the putting green, if your ball moves when you remove a loose impediment, you are not penalized.

2. Lesson: Distance Ball Flight Laws

   • We discussed direction ball flight laws in full swing last week. Now, we will learn about distance in full swing. The three ball flight laws relating to distance are clubhead speed, angle of attack, and centeredness of contact

   • You must find an appropriate swing speed and tempo where you can maintain your balance. Weight shift creates power and causes your ball to go far. Your strength and power comes from your lower body, which leads the downswing. At the top of your swing, push your feet and knees forwards, turn your hip and waist, and rotate your shoulders. Your arms will drop behind your lower body rotation. Let gravity do the work…your arms and hands (and grip of the club) will fall downward toward the ball. All of your weight should then shift to your front foot and your chest should face the target.

   • Clubhead Speed

     • This is how fast you swing. More technically, it is how much energy you transfer to the club through impact. We can measure our swing speed and the ball speed.

     • Smash Factor is ball speed divided by club speed. Smash Factor relates to the amount of energy transferred from the club head to the golf ball.

   • Angle of Attack

     • Attack Angle is defined as the vertical (up-down) angle at which the club head is moving at impact. Positive means hitting up on the ball while negative means hitting down on the ball. The amount that a golfer must hit down on the ball depends on how vertical the golfer's swing is.

     • For an iron, there is a steeper (more negative) angle of attack and you will hit more down on the ball. For woods and drivers, there is a more shallow (positive) AOA so you will hit the ball on the upswing.

   • Centeredness of Contact

     • This relates to how close to the sweetspot you strike the ball. You can either strike the ball near the toe, heel, or sweetspot.