Weird ball flight... Explain

[binga7]

I used to occasionally get this flight where the ball would start off drawing straight off the club then as it reaches the top of the flight start fading. Has anyone else experienced this. This has happened more than once in quiet and windy conditions.

[iacas]

  binga7 said:

I used to occasionally get this flight where the ball would start off drawing straight off the club then as it reaches the top of the flight start fading. Has anyone else experienced this. This has happened more than once in quiet and windy conditions.

Yeah, it's not possible. Not with a round ball sans cuts, etc.

Either your perspective is changing and the ball isn't actually drawing (or it isn't actually fading), the ball is not normal, or something is awry. It's simply not possible otherwise.

[halcon]

Maybe the wind is being blocked at floor level by some obstruction (trees, mounds, ...), but there's wind when the ball gains altitude.

[SouthernILGolfer]

Wind can do strange things to ball flight. Im guessing that you aimed left to compensate for the wind and your natural shot is a fade which might have been exaggerated by the wind. So it probably was a fade all along, the wind simply made the shot fade more than normal.

[stealthduffer]

Something isn't right. Ball flight direction, unless acted upon by an outside force (wind or in my case a random tree!) is determined by the spin on the ball. Hard to imagine a scenario where the spin changes so either an optical illusion or something funky with the ball (out of round?) - and can't imagine this happening on more than one occasion. Would be a cool trick if it were possible - I'll fade it around this tree and then draw it into the green!

[saevel25]

Its not a draw, it might be a pull, line up some alignment sticks or get a few clubs and put them parallel on the ground and check your alignment. I once thought i was aiming straight and i was aiming 20 yards right of my target with my driver. I was pulling the ball straight down the middle.

[TheGeekGolfer]

  halcon said:

Maybe the wind is being blocked at floor level by some obstruction (trees, mounds, ...), but there's wind when the ball gains altitude.

+1 - that's the scenario I would imagine would make this ball flight happen.

[bigoak]

I've had it happen and when I checked the ball, it was out of round. It could be possible for your situation. I would more expect that the winds aloft are different than closer to the ground.

[chef35ca]

I used to call that flight 'the corkscrew.' That's usually when i knew there was something seriously wrong with the old swing that day.
It goes left like it's drawing then the insane amount of sidespin takes over & it fades. That's my working theory anyways.

[wrx_junki]

It's most likely the wind and if it ain't that it's the ball. I'm sure a fairly large scuff can catch air underneath while spinning through the air to make it react the way you described. Might even be a factory defect that got past quality control which wouldn't surprise me either.

[Zeph]

Wind or wrong perspective are the two most plausible causes. I've experienced it myself on a day with absolutely no wind. Tree tops around the range was dead still. I attributed it to my perspective of the ball.

[imtomtomim]

I can hit that shot! it's not really useful on the course as it's not exactly reliable, but when I play around at the range with the pro, we'll hit shots that turn the ball over. Like a slice that flips over and draws fast and to the ground like a curveball.

[saevel25]

Its not really possible unless you specifically using it in a certain wind. Because the spin on the ball dictates how the ball moves. When the direction of the spin will create a high and low pressure on eitherside of the golf ball due to friction with the air, and the ball will travel along the low pressure, its least resistance. But its impossible to have the ball switch spin in the sky with out something acting on it, like a high wind. Now i can see something like a wedge being hit with a small draw, and the wind blows it back right when it drops because the spin has decreased enough to be affected by the wind.

But under physics, unless you have a trick ball, its impossible.

[newtogolf]

Either a trick ball or one that is really out of balance might cause such an effect.

[chuckanderson]

ive had this happen before too. my only though is that it's a knuckleball

[ohiolefty]

You are obviously posessed by the Devil.

[Joeyvee]

  iacas said:

Yeah, it's not possible. Not with a round ball sans cuts, etc.

Wait a minute. You're telling me I cant hit a corkscrew shot? Cuz I have. Rare, and they usually start out looking ok like the OP but I've seen them definitely corkscrew. Most of the time I'll push one out left and it'll rise and fade then on the way down it'll come back to the left some. No wind.

What about pitchers who can throw a screwball? The balls giong a lot slower with a lot less distance too and they get it to "corkscrew". I WISH I could work them the other way, or hit it repeatedly on purpose but I cant. Shoot I wish I could hit any shot repeatedly with some shape to it on purpose.

[wrx_junki]

  Joeyvee said:

Wait a minute. You're telling me I cant hit a corkscrew shot? Cuz I have. Rare, and they usually start out looking ok like the OP but I've seen them definitely corkscrew. Most of the time I'll push one out left and it'll rise and fade then on the way down it'll come back to the left some. No wind.

A "screwball" goes one way and has no relevance to this thread.