Hit Up
 

Is that because of the forward bending of the shaft at impact??

My assumption is that you are hitting the ball in the part of the clubhead arc that is past lowpoint. Again, that is only my assumption and I don't have any type of scientific data to back me up, but I do know for a fact that more loft yields more spin which at a certain point begins to kill my distance (as measured using the same club/shaft combo with different lofts on the monitors at the PGA superstore).

E.

Once again be very careful! I know for a fact that the simulators in the PGA Superstores read spin at about 800 to 1000rpms higher than it actually is. The other thing that you have to be aware of is angle of approach. If your approach angle is somewhere between -3 and +3 then you will probably get the best numbers. To little spin is just as dangerous as to much.

The rule with fitting drivers is use the loft and flex that allows you to achieve the best balance then test on the course. Monitors are only good to a point then it becomes a players prefernece. Many people find that they can produce the same numbers with different drivers yet on the course one goes much farther.

Someone mentioned the LPGA players using very little loft. If they have played that way their whole life why change them. Just like Bubba Watson, I may not change them but I sure won't teach it either.

Approximately how much difference in driver spin is there between the typical balls at a range/superstore vs. the balls we would play with on the course - say a pro-v 1?

I've heard that the range ball could be around 500rpms higher. That plus a simulator that's off by 800-1000rpms would be a huge difference!

Trackman and LPGA
 

Another part of the article talked about the LPGA players having a more upward AOA than the other tours. Maybe that is why a lot of the ladies seem to dip down so much at impact, they have to in order to get to the ball in a forward ball position. The announcers on Wed at the match play said that JB Holmes used a very forward ball position also. Very Interesting!!!

Aoa
 

I wonder how much the ball position would have to change to go from -5* to +5* Angle of attack. (all else being equal)

JB was playing his ball forward of his left foot on Wednesday

Can't answer that one exactly, but the PGA tour superstore has pretty advanced equipment and you can use the ball you normally play with. They even have a new monitor that is actually 3 screens. One is the typical screen in the front, and they also have two screens on the side so you get sort of a panoramic view. It is absolutely awesome!! Locally, there is no need to go to any other golf store because they have every thing I could possibly need and they have enough space to allow you to demo anything you desire.

However, let's assume the monitor is off. Even if the system isn't calibrated to exact real world circumstances (even though I believe it is pretty close), the relative differences in spin is still clearly evident when I increase loft on the drivers. An 800-1000 rpm difference in spin would be clearly evident once I got the club out on the course and I have not seen that big of an error happen. BTW, that would also mean that everyone getting fitted at the PGA tour superstore is playing with drivers with too much spin. Wouldn't someone notice this? I was also fitted at a course in Alpharetta for the same specs on a driver using real world conditions and a launch monitor so unless everyone is in cahoots, I am inclined to go with what the monitor says and balance it with what my eyes see on the course. Of course misfitting will always happen, but that is the beauty of their 30 day playability guarantee. If it doesn't work, you simply take it back and get 100% of your money back.

E.

Pulling for Bubba
 

There was a long hitter who used to play the european tour that once told me that positioning the ball forward of low point is a good idea for extra distance as long as it is placed slightly inside the base of the plane line. I think it adds up to a controlled pull. You have to set up right to get it going "straight." Bubba has it way forward. Do you think these guys are utilizing that particular pull technique? They all look as though the are coming over the top of it...but NOT! The long hitter: Wayne Westner. I once saw him hit a ping one iron about 265 on the fly (that would be meters) He was longer than Daly.

There's a good discussion going on over on Golf Discussions regarding the Wishon's latest Feb 2008 eTech article: A New Visit to High Launch/Low Spin Driver Fitting.

I am taking a closer look what the numbers mean. Are they optimal for carry? Are they optimal for total distance?

Regards,
Todd
All4Golf