Re: Cool site for driver and ball selection

I love that site.

I find it interesting that until you hit 170 MPH ball speed (117 MPH clubhead speed with a 1.45 PTR - slightly above average for an amateur) the 'ideal' LA is 16° with more spin the slower you swing.

My ball speed is a little shy of 160 using the same PTR. I'm far, far away from my potential (but my LA is far, far away from 16°).

But if you know your LA and your ball speed, you can figure out what spin range you're looking for to maximize your distance.

Re: Cool site for driver and ball selection

I think it is really helpful even for a beginning golfer.

Shaft selection, driver loft combined with the type of ball lets you dial in all of these variables into your swing speed (which is typically fixed). Ever tried to smash a shot on a launch monitor and watch your swing speed actually drop or only slightly increase??? I have. It seems if I hit shots that feel like 75% and in control that I am actually hitting at my peak speed. I have also noted that many seem to think that strength training will increase swing speed—I don’t believe this to be the case at all. I am willing to bet money that I can out bench most of the players on the PGA and I am no where near as fast swinging a golf club.

It is a bit of an eye opener as well, because I have always thought my driver was longer than it really is… I found out recently that my old driver was putting about 4300RPM spin on the ball. I got on a launch monitor and tried out new drivers and different shaft combinations combined with different ball types and saw huge “free” distance improvements. I had always thought that if I teed the ball higher to catch it higher on the club face that I would get less spin on the ball and more distance. But the launch monitor showed that I did get lower spin, but also lost ball speed.

Basically it boiled down to finding the right driver with the right loft and shaft flex combined with the right type of ball to maximize the distance. I am now hitting my shots in the centre of the sweet spot but I am able to get about 2800-3000 RPM spin on the ball. It all sounds a bit technical and a waist of time, but if you ever wondered why your playing partner who has the same swing speed as you is out driving you, this is the answer.

My new numbers are 100-104 club head speed. Combined with a smash factor of about 1.4 to 1.5 I am seeing ball speeds of 150-160 ball speed. Ball spin of 2800-3000 on a NXT tour ball off a Callaway FT-5 and I am getting 280 yards max… I really need to stop trying to carry off shots were I think I am carrying 270 yards, at the end of the day. Another interesting tid-bit, I tried a cheap Top Fight and was getting similar numbers. Distance seems to be a numbers game not “if I buy a really expensive ball I will hit farther…” I choose the NXT tour ball for feel, but I also like the Callaway HX balls because of the feel. But if I were going for distance I might as well choose a cheap ball and save my money.

Re: Cool site for driver and ball selection

Yaaaaaawwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnn.........

Usual number crunching nonsense that proves the old adage of 'theres none so gullible as a golfer'.......

How anyone can claim reliable numbers without ever seeing or measuring you hit a ball, I have no idea. And as for factoring in the spin......crazy.....

An hour on a launch monitor with a box of heads and a rack of shafts will tell you everything you need to know, then maybe this site would be helpful.

Still, if you all think it helps..........far be it from me etc etc

D.

Re: Cool site for driver and ball selection

Perhaps a moment of “Lost in Translation” due to the length of the post sorry about that... I was talking about hitting real balls, with real clubs, on a real range, trying different shafts and ball combinations. This site was referenced simply to let people get more informed before a fitting. As far as ball spin, I am not physicist, but I am pretty sure that aerodynamics of ball flight and spin rates and launch angles have been extensively researched by "crazy" boffins..

Re: Cool site for driver and ball selection

I would hope a club fitter would be explaining these concepts to you during the fitting. This site will fill peoples heads with a false sense of what they need, after all no one is ever truly honest about their game, a 250 hitter will always claim 265!!!!

This is the kind of site that panders to the kind of player that would rather use a mens stiff shaft and hit the ball 200 yards in a different direction every time than take a clubfitters recommendation on a womens regular shaft that let him hit it 240 yards in the fairway.

Mind you, some of the fitters arent exactly exempt from blame, even the ones in this country seem to forget we have winds here and keep fitting people for high hitting drivers!!!

D.

Re: Cool site for driver and ball selection

This site or that site?

Re: Cool site for driver and ball selection

ho
one thing no one has said is how diffrent balls have an effect on ball flight, distant balls and spin balls and a mix of them both have a big effect on standard clubs and the same clubs that can be called high flight clubs like Mizunoman spoke about can with a diffrent ball hit the ball lower and more to the taste of us Uk golfers.
low spin balls and high spin balls do change your clubs in a big way and your distance and how often your on the fairway.
you have to take that into it when working out spin and ball flight just as much as using different shafts and club heads.
i would be interested to find what lowpost thinks about diffrent balls when fitting someone for new clubs.
cheers
bill

Re: Cool site for driver and ball selection

The other site Lowpost!!!! does get kind of confusing lol!!!!

D.