Different lofts further up the face

[scubascuba3]

On irons, i would have thought on any club the loft will be consistent on the bottom or further up the face. The basis of my thinking is the angle is the same, kinda like a triangle the angle is the same right up one of the lines.

So, everyone seems to say the loft increases further up the face, why? Its probably a simple physics class i missed.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I've never heard this theory before, where are you getting this from? If true, I must have missed the same physics class.

 

[Deleted member 15717]

add another one to the missed physics class. The 'loft' of the club is the angle the face sits at, not measured at the bottom of the club or the top of the club. Intrigued as to where you have heard this from not heard it myself!

 

[scubascuba3]

I'm pretty sure I've heard it mentioned on Golf Channel, Sky Sports and YouTube. You hit the ball further up the face and the ball doesn't travel as far as the loft is higher, thats what has been mentioned. So no one agrees with that?

 

[guest100718]

Please not another thread of wannabe physics teachers...

 

[ger147]

I'm pretty sure I've heard it mentioned on Golf Channel, Sky Sports and YouTube. You hit the ball further up the face and the ball doesn't travel as far as the loft is higher, thats what has been mentioned. So no one agrees with that?

Drivers don't have flat faces so the static loft is different on different parts of the face, but that's modern drivers not irons.

 

[louise_a]

What has physics got to do with it, surely its simple geometry, if the face is flat the angle to the horizontal will be the same at any point on the face.

 

[scubascuba3]

When you hit using a 56 degree iron and you get under the ball i.e. hit the ball nearer the top, the ball does seem to lose distance. So if it isn't a change in loft (which i thought anyway) it must be another reason, maybe contact just isn't as good.

 

[scubascuba3]

Please not another thread of wannabe physics teachers...

Yes it's better to not try to work things out, it can get complicated.

 

[Region3]

When you hit using a 56 degree iron and you get under the ball i.e. hit the ball nearer the top, the ball does seem to lose distance. So if it isn't a change in loft (which i thought anyway) it must be another reason, maybe contact just isn't as good.

You've missed the sweet spot, and also less 'meat' behind the ball further up the face. Nothing more complicated than that.

 

[UlyssesSky]

You've missed the sweet spot, and also less 'meat' behind the ball further up the face. Nothing more complicated than that.

Objection, your honor

The important point is the vertical impact position on the clubface, relative to the center of gravity. Hitting the ball above the CoG will lead to higher launch in combination with lower spin (this effect is used intentionally in game improvement irons, which have a low CoG to make them easier to launch).

I could see how some people attribute the higher launch from impact positions higher up the clubface to "more loft" even though it's not right.

To a certain extent this leads not only to higher launch, but also to longer distances (more carry due to higher launch, more roll due to less spin), but if you go too far up the clubface the ball will just fly really high but not go anywhere.

If you want to try that out (and aren't afraid of skymarks...) you can use your driver, tee a ball really high and try to catch it with the top 1/2" of the clubface....

 

[Alex1975]

Please not another thread of wannabe physics teachers...

Can you give us a list of things it is ok to talk about?.... Or you could just not comment in posts your not interested in... :thup:

 

[scubascuba3]

Objection, your honor

The important point is the vertical impact position on the clubface, relative to the center of gravity. Hitting the ball above the CoG will lead to higher launch in combination with lower spin (this effect is used intentionally in game improvement irons, which have a low CoG to make them easier to launch).

I could see how some people attribute the higher launch from impact positions higher up the clubface to "more loft" even though it's not right.

To a certain extent this leads not only to higher launch, but also to longer distances (more carry due to higher launch, more roll due to less spin), but if you go too far up the clubface the ball will just fly really high but not go anywhere.

If you want to try that out (and aren't afraid of skymarks...) you can use your driver, tee a ball really high and try to catch it with the top 1/2" of the clubface....

Great post, i knew someone would understand it.

 

[ger147]

Objection, your honor

The important point is the vertical impact position on the clubface, relative to the center of gravity. Hitting the ball above the CoG will lead to higher launch in combination with lower spin (this effect is used intentionally in game improvement irons, which have a low CoG to make them easier to launch).

I could see how some people attribute the higher launch from impact positions higher up the clubface to "more loft" even though it's not right.

To a certain extent this leads not only to higher launch, but also to longer distances (more carry due to higher launch, more roll due to less spin), but if you go too far up the clubface the ball will just fly really high but not go anywhere.

If you want to try that out (and aren't afraid of skymarks...) you can use your driver, tee a ball really high and try to catch it with the top 1/2" of the clubface....

Your driver is a bad example as the static loft on a modern driver's face varies due to the roll and bulge design of the face.

 

[UlyssesSky]

Your driver is a bad example as the static loft on a modern driver's face varies due to the roll and bulge design of the face.

You're right about the loft difference on a driver clubface, however if you try this out you'll probably find the difference in launch angle is bigger than could be explained by the couple of degrees of loft difference. If you hit a drive just below the crown you'll see a flight that looks more like a 9 iron (please don't ask me how I know this... )

 

[ger147]

You're right about the loft difference on a driver clubface, however if you try this out you'll probably find the difference in launch angle is bigger than could be explained by the couple of degrees of loft difference. If you hit a drive just below the crown you'll see a flight that looks more like a 9 iron (please don't ask me how I know this... )

I wasn't arguing with any of the other points, merely the statement that there isn't more loft on the face and then using the driver as an example.

And sadly I also have a lot of experience of hitting lovely 9 iron type shots with my driver...😀😀

 

[Foxholer]

So, everyone seems to say the loft increases further up the face, why? Its probably a simple physics class i missed.

'Everyone' would be wrong then! Except if they were referring to The Controller Driving Iron (I had one many moons ago) that has 'bulge and roll' like Drivers do.

 

[Foxholer]

When you hit using a 56 degree iron and you get under the ball i.e. hit the ball nearer the top, the ball does seem to lose distance. So if it isn't a change in loft (which i thought anyway) it must be another reason, maybe contact just isn't as good.

That's because the 'centredness of strike' attribute has changed - in this case got worse!