Whats the science behind a tour pitch

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Bmanz

With all this science based teaching info going down, whats the deal with the tour pitch. To me it "Feels like" the ball is sliding up the face of the club and staying in contact with the face longer to produce more spin. But what is really happening?
 
Bmanz

With all this science based teaching info going down, whats the deal with the tour pitch. To me it "Feels like" the ball is sliding up the face of the club and staying in contact with the face longer to produce more spin. But what is really happening?

use the sole of the club, instead of the leading edge.
 

Jim Kobylinski

Super Moderator
i believe it is a soft impact shot, meaning you still get a lot of spin but becuase the ball to club llision wasnt optimized (smash factor) you dont get all the ball speed and thus can control it better.
 
use the sole of the club, instead of the leading edge.

What do you mean by using the sole of the club and not the leading edge for this type of shot? I understand your statement in the context of a sand shot and that the leading edge must hit below the equator of the ball. Maybe there is some slow motion video out there that could explain your statement in better detail.
 
What do you mean by using the sole of the club and not the leading edge for this type of shot? I understand your statement in the context of a sand shot and that the leading edge must hit below the equator of the ball. Maybe there is some slow motion video out there that could explain your statement in better detail.

like the leading edge never htis the ground. The sole is sliding on the ground....:eek:
 

Brian Manzella

Administrator
The Science

Parametric Acceleration.

It provides for a steep enough angle to get to the ball, and a shallow enough "flat spot" to keep the clubhead level-ish to the ground so the club doesn't dig, or tilt the D-Plane down too much.

This Parametric Acceleration, a pulling up on the grip so that the grip end stays very close to the belt line to and through impact, speed the club up to get the ball to go far enough when contact is very low on the face (which makes the ball launch lower and spin more).

The golfer as he is applying this Parametric Acceleration, is cutting across the ball hard, probably with a path in the neighborhood of 4 or 5° outside-in, with a face a decent amount open to that.

More friction, more spin, less divot, less chance of skulling, pretty much the cast's arse.

Tour players are stupid good at it.
 
Why use this shot and under what optimal lie?

Bman -

Are you ever going to come out with a video just on wedge play around the green and 100 yards in (excluding you Over and Out video which is on sand play)? You have the swing down pat and I would love to have see your knowledge specifically applied to wedge play. The wedge sets up great putting and hitting great wedge shots takes experience about many variables and technique. I believe this is the club that makes the tour players so great because they put the ball on the green for a makeable putt and not a bunch of 15 foot curlers at 9:00 or 3:00 on planar greens.
 
[...] when contact is very low on the face (which makes the ball launch lower and spin more).

[...]

That's the crux of it, isn't it? Still not sure I understand why the contact low on the clubface results in more spin. Some people argue the ball is compressed or squeezed against the ground - and thus spins more.
Pelz (I think) thinks the cover is stretched and then snaps back - and thus spins more.
Vertical gear effect?
Grooves?
Balls?

All sound like guesses to me, rather than knowledge.

I genuinely wonder whether anyone really knows why some pitch shots spin as much as they do.

It also worries me that Kevin has already made the best point possible to make on a thread like this.
 
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Brian Manzella

Administrator
That's the crux of it, isn't it? Still not sure I understand why the contact low on the clubface results in more spin. Some people argue the ball is compressed or squeezed against the ground - and thus spins more.
Pelz (I think) thinks the cover is stretched and then snaps back - and thus spins more.
Vertical gear effect?
Grooves?
Balls?

All sound like guesses to me, rather than knowledge.

I genuinely wonder whether anyone really knows why some pitch shots spin as much as they do.

It also worries me that Kevin has already made the best point possible to make on a thread like this.

Do you want me to film myself hitting the shot for crying out loud?????
 
Why is there not lots to learn (mechanically) in the short game?

I will say...that it surely must be miles easier to be a good pitcher if you are already a good iron player...and maybe even vice-versa...

Especially for execution, I can see where 'feel' can become super relevant.
 
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