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Tom's Featured Tip: Gear Effect and The Secret Sweet Spot
For simplicity, all advice on actual swings or drills is provided from a right handed perspective.
Gear effect is not an intuitive concept, but it's one that can be used to your benefit - so read on and be informed.
I have talked about gear effect before in this newsletter, and when I was doing more research on it this week I came across this brief three and a half minute video that shows what it is and how it affects ball flight: Gear Effect Video
Here's a little more detail, as well as how you can use gear effect to your advantage by taking advantage of the gear effect secret sweet spot.
"Gear effect" is the term used to describe the action of the clubhead during impact with the ball, that causes a shot hit off the toe to curve in a draw or hooking motion, and a shot hit off the heel to curve in a fade or slicing motion.
These actions of sidespin and shot curvature happen because the clubhead rotates around its vertical center-of-gravity axis whenever the ball is hit off the toe or heel.
How Gear Effect Works
When the head rotates in response to a toe-hit, the ball slides and rolls sideways across the face from the toe toward the center of the face. This causes the ball to leave the face with a hooking or draw sidespin. Conversely, when the head rotates the other direction in response a shot hit off the heel, the ball slides and rolls sideways across the face from the heel toward the center of the face, which causes the ball to leave the face with a slicing or fade sidespin.
The reason all driver and wood heads are designed with a horizontal (bulge) curvature and a vertical ("roll") curvature is because of the gear effect.
If shots hit off the toe generate hook or draw curvature, the face needs to be curved horizontally to compensate for it. Thus the bulge radius causes the ball to start off more to the right, after which the hook spin generated by the gear effect takes over to bring the shot back toward the center of the fairway.
For shots off the heel, the bulge radius across the face of the clubface causes the ball to take off to the left, after which the fade spin generated by the gear effect takes over to bring the shot back toward the center of the fairway.
Roll causes a ball struck high on the face to launch higher and spin less, and a ball struck lower on the face to launch lower and spin more.
The Secret Sweet Spot
These clubface design elements of bulge and roll help to auto correct ball flight on off-center hits. We can also use these principles to engineer longer flying drives with more rollout if we know where to strike the ball on the face of the driver.
For more carry distance on your drives, striking the ball slightly higher on the face will give you less spin and thus more carry.
Combine that with draw curvature and you'll also get more forward roll on the ground.
Here's the secret: use the principles of gear effect by intentionally hitting the ball slightly on the upper and outer side of the driver face, not dead center, to enhance your chances of hitting a high draw on the tee. I say "enhance" because there are also elements of path and face angle (the face must be closed to the path at impact) that apply for hitting a draw.
If you can execute the path and face angle necessary to hit a draw, and then add the gear effect secret sweet spot, you'll max out your driving distance. And it will be significant.
X marks The Secret Sweet Spot for hitting a high draw
Experiment with where you are striking the driver face to gauge the different spin results, and you'll take a giant step forward in understanding and engineering your ball flight.
Try this, you'll love it
Comments: ttucker@rochester.rr.com
Love your practice, own your swing, own your health,
Tom
Golf Lessons
I conduct lessons at The Plum Creek Driving Range & Practice Facility
there's a link for Plum Creek info here: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/
Lessons are available for all ages and skill levels, please contact
me - Tom Tucker - at (716) 474 3005 or email me at ttucker@rochester.rr.com
for more information.
Outdoor Lessons Details and Rates:
http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/lessonrates.html
Indoor Lessons Details and Rates:
http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/indoor.html
Testimonials:
http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/testimonials.html
Sponsors
Plum Creek Driving Range and Simulator Outdoor range and play indoor golf on any of our 40 Simulator Courses. Call 585-993-0930 or email Mark at plumcreek4@rochester.rr.com to reserve time for simulator play or practice!
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Great rates, the best greens in WNY. Golf Digest Four Star rating for public courses to play in New York State.
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THE WESTERN NEW YORK LEADER IN GOLF OUTINGS!
Only minutes from Buffalo, open to the public.
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All the best,
Tom Tucker
Teaching Pro, Plum Creek Driving Range & Practice Facility
WGTF ' "Top 100 Golf Teacher"
USGTF Class "A" Teaching Professional
IGPA Certified Golf Psychology Coach
Cell: (716) 474-3005
Email: ttucker@rochester.rr.com
http://www.TomTuckerGolf.com
"There are no substitutes in the quest for perfection!"
~ Ben Hogan