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Golf Tips For Beginners
The Flight Of A Golf Ball
When you hit your golf ball from the tee and send it on its way down high up over the fairway and on its way to its target there is far more to its flight than simply moving in a straight line up in the air from the tee and back down again to the ground. During its flight the ball will also spin about its own axis just at the earth spins on its axis as it travels around the sun. But this is not merely a simple case of spinning around a single axis like the earth, but is a complex spin which involves both a backwards and a sideways swing.
The Backspin
The mechanics of getting a golf ball into the air means that it inevitably has a degree of backspin and, when this is combined with the 'dimpled' construction of the surface of the ball, lift is created which helps the ball to gain height as it flies. Indeed, without this lift your golf ball would never get more than a few feet off the ground.
The amount of backspin which will be put on your golf ball will depend to a large extent on the club which you use and the less loft on your club the less backspin will be imparted to the ball. For example, a driver with just 7 degrees to 12 degrees of loft will produce relatively little backspin, but a pitching wedge with some 48 degrees of loft will produce considerable backspin.
The Sidespin
The sidespin on your golf ball is much less a matter of the club you use than it is a matter of just how you strike the ball. Sidespin can be a considerable problem for the novice golfer because it can have a considerable effect upon the direction which your ball takes and can easily result in those all too frequent and unwanted sliced or hooked shots.
However, as you gain experience and learn how to control the degree of sidespin placed on your ball it can allow you to not only place your ball with far greater accuracy but also to maneuver your ball around some awkward obstructions.
As the loft of your golf club increases so your ability to put sidespin on your ball will decrease and with more highly lofted clubs the additional backspin will also influence the degree of sidespin.
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