The "stinger"

[cwdlaw223]

Frans said launch angle, not angle of attack. I too think Tiger is hitting at least -6AoA.

Whenever I'm hitting into the wind, ball back in stance and get steep, I always get too much spin and the ball launches low, but balloons quickly.

I like Lindsey's #1 above.

Sorry. Attack angle on the brain lately.

 

[Lindsey Newman]

I think Tiger has a number 3. You can't get much less lofted than a 2 iron and the 2 iron is definitely not a short iron. He plays it for roll, yea? Maybe it has something to do with spin as well? Just guessing here, obviously.

Yeah, like I said, I have no idea what a stinger is.

 

[birly-shirly]

they did measure his stinger with the orange box, so he knows the answer. Part of it is that the launch angle is less then 2degree

if you launch a ball at less than 2*, is there ANY risk of that ball ballooning?

I don't know for sure, but my guess would be that you're not worried about creating too much spin.

 

[Kevin Shields]

The first time I played with Bubba Watson, I absolutely couldn't believe how low he launched, say, his five iron. He speared it low until about 190 and then started to rise and appear to balloon. Then it curved a lot one way or the other. Most amazing ball flight I had ever seen to this day.

 

[savydan]

if you launch a ball at less than 2*, is there ANY risk of that ball ballooning?

I don't know for sure, but my guess would be that you're not worried about creating too much spin.

I'd guess that ballooning is a function of spin rate and the angle of ball into the wind. So lower launch would lessen the ballooning effect.

Of course, to go much further, it would be wise to define "ballooning". Any, non-parabolic ball flight?

All well struck shots balloon to a certain extent. When it gets excessive, golfers call it balooning.

 

[Todd Dugan]

For two identical collisions, the vertical launch angle will be reduced to the same degree that the Attack Angle is reduced. So for example, hitting down -8* from -3* will reduce vertical launch by 5*. In theory, you could reduce the spinloft and keep the same AA and get the same result (but of course, different spin rate, ball speed). The data would show that great ball-strikers are hitting the "knock down" with a combination of the two. Because you when you delay the release into impact for more forward lean, you will tend strongly to increase the negative AA. All the low ball hitters took big divots....Trevino, Azinger. And when Tiger hits the so-called stinger, the divot is always bigger than you would expect from the club being used. So, the greats have, at lease in part, hit the ball lower by hitting down more.

By the way, I was saying this 20 years ago, way before TrackMan showed that hitting down more made the ball go lower and did not increase spin. Back then, pretty much every pro/book said that a "steeper" swing made the ball go higher and to keep it low you wanted to be "shallow" through the ball. Dinasour announcers are still saying it.

 

[savydan]

For two identical collisions, the vertical launch angle will be reduced to the same degree that the Attack Angle is reduced. So for example, hitting down -8* from -3* will reduce vertical launch by 5*. In theory, you could reduce the spinloft and keep the same AA and get the same result (but of course, different spin rate, ball speed). The data would show that great ball-strikers are hitting the "knock down" with a combination of the two. Because you when you delay the release into impact for more forward lean, you will tend strongly to increase the negative AA. All the low ball hitters took big divots....Trevino, Azinger. And when Tiger hits the so-called stinger, the divot is always bigger than you would expect from the club being used. So, the greats have, at lease in part, hit the ball lower by hitting down more.

By the way, I was saying this 20 years ago, way before TrackMan showed that hitting down more made the ball go lower and did not increase spin. Back then, pretty much every pro/book said that a "steeper" swing made the ball go higher and to keep it low you wanted to be "shallow" through the ball. Dinasour announcers are still saying it.

These assume that a change in AoA is matched with an identical change in DL, which is a big assumption not to state, and, frankly, goes against one of the main principals discussed on this board for the last year or so.

 

[wulsy]

Wakey, wakey! Open dem eyes, drink some coffee and get yer brains into gear!

A shot with a 2* launch angle NEEDS to balloon, otherwise it would be a PUTT!!

 

[birly-shirly]

Right. A 150mph putt.

Talk about taking the borrow out...

 

[wulsy]

You got big greens at your course birls?

 

[birly-shirly]

just a bit slow at this end of the year.

and we got our first snow today - not good for golf.

 

[Lifter]

By the way, I was saying this 20 years ago, way before TrackMan showed that hitting down more made the ball go lower and did not increase spin. Back then, pretty much every pro/book said that a "steeper" swing made the ball go higher and to keep it low you wanted to be "shallow" through the ball. Dinasour announcers are still saying it.

This is making my brain hurt. Hitting down with the driver doesn't result in more backspin? Whaaaaaaat?????