Shaft Flex as Seen on Camera (Photos or Video) - Rolling Shutter Illusion

[Master Pickles]

Thanks, I figured it had to be something like that

[mchepp]

Originally Posted by iacas

Camera illusion based on the way the camera films. It exposes rows of pixels at a time and since the club shaft is moving at a fast rate of speed, and the pixels are exposed over a period of time (albeit a short one), this is caused.

In some instances it's called the jell-o effect or something like that (that's with movies).

The true name in the camera industry is rolling shutter. If you want to do research on it use rolling shutter. Jell-o effect is a youtube name that has been used to describe the effect when the camera is running in video mode.

I could go into a long description of what rolling shutter is, but the web does a MUCH better job.

[iziah01]

I saw some slow motion video of my golf swing and I noticed my golf shaft was looking like a rubber band. In the pic below, I'm using a 5 iron, with a Dynamic Gold, True Temper S300 shaft, that has been spined. My ball flight is a bit inconsistent at times, but more often than not, I hit a low to medium-low- trajectory. Is this level of shaft flex normal or should I be playing something stiffer?

[iacas]

We've discussed this in the past. It's how the camera shutter works. It reads from the top down, so the ones farther down are taken a fraction of a second later, which allowed the shaft to move that much farther forward.

In other words, your clubs aren't actually flexed like that.

[iziah01]

Thanks for the reply.

Does it matter that this is a screen shot from actual video footage as opposed to a basic camera pic? I've looked at many online videos of the pros and I never see THIS level of shaft flex in their clubs, below is a freeze frame pic of Tiger also hitting a 5 iron.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by iziah01

Thanks for the reply.

Does it matter that this is a screen shot from actual video footage as opposed to a basic camera pic? I've looked at many online videos of the pros and I never see THIS level of shaft flex in their clubs, below is a freeze frame pic of Tiger also hitting a 5 iron.

The higher the shutter speed, the less distortion you will tend to get. If a camera only needs to shoot 60 FPS, it could take 1/60th of a second to read from top to bottom. That's an eternity.

And you can see even in the Tiger picture his shaft is flexed forward. If anything the shaft would be flexed slightly the other way.

[iziah01]

Originally Posted by iacas

When say "If anything the shaft would be flexed slightly the other way.".....I agree with you that it should, but its not and this is not the first time that I've pics of shafts bending towards the target.

I want to make sure that we're talking about the same thing. I understand what you're saying about the "distortion" issue and the FPS, my question is wouldn't a stiffer flex shaft show less distortion on camera?

[BuckeyeNut]

You bastard.......if only for playing golf in December in warm weather.

Aside from possible camera tricks, a club bent that far forward at impact may suggest the possibility of casting and releasing the energy and speed well before impact............

Have you had your driver clubhead speed accurately measured?  Tempo matters, but you probably wont require X-stiff unless you are 110+.....

[iziah01]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNut

You bastard.......if only for playing golf in December in warm weather.

Aside from possible camera tricks, a club bent that far forward at impact may suggest the possibility of casting and releasing the energy and speed well before impact............

If it was a casting issue, the shaft angle would've been lost a lot earlier in the downswing...  The hands are already at the ball with lag still visible. Clubhead speed is between 107-111

[BuckeyeNut]

Lookin' solid Iziah....

The shaft is still bent forward well before impact.  Maybe that's what separates us AMs from the pro's?.....maybe it's due to the camera......maybe it's a slight timing issue with the release?  Pro's miss big too.....if you see a pro with a shaft bent that far forward, that shot may have ended up in the trees.

this is ultimately what you want to strive for....

A club that is bent severely leading to the ball.......and lagging/ whipping it's way to a straight shaft at impact= big power. An early release will send the ball offline and lose distance.

[iziah01]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNut

Lookin' solid Iziah....

The shaft is still bent forward well before impact.  Maybe that's what separates us AMs from the pro's?.....maybe it's due to the camera......maybe it's a slight timing issue with the release?  Pro's miss big too.....if you see a pro with a shaft bent that far forward, that shot may have ended up in the trees.

Do you hook the ball?

this is ultimately what you want to strive for....

A club that is bent severely leading to the ball.......and lagging/ whipping it's way to a straight shaft at impact= big power. An early release may lead to a big hook.....

That is definitely an ideal looking shaft at impact....is that Jack? I may need to sample some different shafts and pay my instructor a visit, thanks for your input

[BuckeyeNut]

On the other hand...I found this picture of Dustin Johnson......

Maybe this tee shot went out of bounds?...................hell...I don't know. LOL

[BuckeyeNut]

Originally Posted by iziah01

That is definitely an ideal looking shaft at impact....is that Jack? I may need to sample some different shafts and pay my instructor a visit, thanks for your input

Yea..that is jack.

[iziah01]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNut

On the other hand...I found this picture of Dustin Johnson......

Maybe this tee shot went out of bounds...................hell...I don't know. LOL

Wow.....so maybe I'm in good company after all

[Maverick]

Here's a great explanation and visual on this:

[k-troop]

Informative video.  I had no idea that shaft was actually straight.  So I guess we've found yet another difference between us and the pros:  better cameras.

[poser]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNut

On the other hand...I found this picture of Dustin Johnson......

Maybe this tee shot went out of bounds?...................hell...I don't know. LOL

Erik was right its the shutter speed of the camera.  In those photos the camera had a low shutter speed.  Watch some youtube videos of pros with the high speed cameras you won't see that.  It's an illusion not really happening and nothing wrong with the shaft or the swing to cause it. Also if you are hitting the s300 low an x100 woiuld go even lower so that wouldn't help your ball flight.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by iziah01

I want to make sure that we're talking about the same thing. I understand what you're saying about the "distortion" issue and the FPS, my question is wouldn't a stiffer flex shaft show less distortion on camera?

No.

A slower swing speed would show less distortion.

Originally Posted by poser

Erik was right its the shutter speed of the camera.  In those photos the camera had a low shutter speed.  Watch some youtube videos of pros with the high speed cameras you won't see that.  It's an illusion not really happening and nothing wrong with the shaft or the swing to cause it. Also if you are hitting the s300 low an x100 woiuld go even lower so that wouldn't help your ball flight.

Thanks.