How would you teach new ball flight laws to a junior?

[texagjosh]

Let's say for a junior in the 12-15 age group, playing a couple of years and doesn't understand why the ball flies the way it does.

Will teaching a kid at this age the nuts and bolts of ball flight benefit them? If so, what's the best approach as to not overwhelm them?

 

[dannyc]

i wish i had known when i was that age...

i would just say that the ball starts pretty much where the ("true") face is pointing, and you get curve if the face is pointing in a different direction than the clubhead is moving.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

only if they REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY want to know. Otherwise i'd just teach them the d-plane without them knowing it.

 

[Jay845]

Okay.....

only if they REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY want to know. Otherwise i'd just teach them the d-plane without them knowing it.

Any insight on how to do that?

 

[jeffgladchun]

Any insight on how to do that?

Ball starts on or near where the face is pointing, and curves away from where it is swinging.

So if you hit a straight push, face is open and path to the right.
If you hit a straight pull, face closed path left.

Push hook, face right but less right than the path.

Etc.

Maybe explain the U-Plane in the sense that the more down you hit on the ball, the more right your path will be automatically.

 

[trickyric67]

Jeff,
great explanation!

 

[Richie3Jack]

Ain't a day that goes by that I wish somebody taught me D-Plane when I first started, or when I was a freshman in high school or when I was a senior in high school or when I was a senior in college, etc.

I'll repeat that.

NOT ONE DAY goes by that I wish somebody had taught me D-Plane earlier.

It explains away a lot of things. And it explains why so many greats swung the club so differently.

To me, D-Plane is THE fundamental of golf. And while guys like Nicklaus and Couples wouldn't know the difference between D-Plane and D.D. Lewis, most of us are not Jack or Couples. And I don't think if Jack or Couples were taught D-Plane at an early age that they would not have been great. It may not have benefited them much, but for the rest of us I think it's a great benefit to understand.





3JACK

 

[Steve Khatib]

Challenge them to hit shots in different directions by using the club face only as the source. Later you can give them some path and then they have learnt d-plane by default.