Foley Discusses Ball Flight Laws on PGA Tour.com

[The_Pharaoh]

It only got so many posts because somebody picked up on one of his infamous throwaway comments without explanation. Tbh, I was so surprised at how good the video was I failed to pick up on it during my first viewing. Even then I was quick to defend him because of reason 2) below and because I was wrong about 1).

Originally Posted by iacas

I'm surprised this would get this many posts.

FWIW:

1) There's nothing inherent in an in-to-out path that gives the ball more energy or speed than an out-to-in path. None at all.

2) That said, what I'm 99% sure Foley is saying is that swinging on the proper plane, and contacting the ball while the clubhead is still traveling down, out, and forward will typically result in a higher swing speed and whatnot than someone swinging out to in.

If you want to be super duper picky, you find fault with what he said because #1 is true.

If you realize he was probably just saying #2, then what he said is fine.

I'm in camp #2 here. Which is why I didn't post until just now. C'mon, guys, he didn't get them WRONG at least... he just said something which takes a little inference or which implies other things he doesn't have time to get into.

[TheGeekGolfer]

Originally Posted by Missouri Swede

He lost me with "when you hit a golf ball from in to out, you transfer more energy into the proper part of the golf ball."

So the kinetic energy transfer from the face of the club is changed with a change in the swing path?  Or is he assuming that this will also change the clubface angle, maybe swingspeed, etc.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

I might not explain this correctly or with the correct physics terms, but here is how I see it.  While, yes...100 MPH = 100 MPH, I still think there is a difference.  You can apply a greater force to the ball with the same swingspeed from inside-out than out-in because the leverage is coming directly into the ball on the same plane as the swing and rotation of the body/arms.  If you swing out-in, you are normally pulling the clubface across the ball and not really connecting as directly to the ball.  I would argue that the swing with the most transfer of power is either a slight push or a push-draw, although the 'draw' portion of that would suggest that some part of the transfer was spin, so a straight push would seem to be the most transfer of power.  You could do it with a straight pull, but I would expect it would be harder and still wouldn't transfer as much power since it's not inline with your swing plane/rotation.

This is my opinion and not based at all on any science or stuff like that.

[2bGood]

Originally Posted by Missouri Swede

He lost me with "when you hit a golf ball from in to out, you transfer more energy into the proper part of the golf ball."

So the kinetic energy transfer from the face of the club is changed with a change in the swing path?  Or is he assuming that this will also change the clubface angle, maybe swingspeed, etc.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

If you hit the ball on the very top of the ball you transfer energy to the wrong part of the ball and the result could be very crappy (like a topped ball). Swing speed doesn't matter with bad contact, out to in swing tend to produce bad contact, in-out swing tend to produce good contact.

close thread please. ;)

BTY these video are the best I have seen from Foley - good stuff.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by TheGeekGolfer

I might not explain this correctly or with the correct physics terms, but here is how I see it.  While, yes...100 MPH = 100 MPH, I still think there is a difference.  You can apply a greater force to the ball with the same swingspeed from inside-out than out-in because the leverage is coming directly into the ball on the same plane as the swing and rotation of the body/arms.  If you swing out-in, you are normally pulling the clubface across the ball and not really connecting as directly to the ball.  I would argue that the swing with the most transfer of power is either a slight push or a push-draw, although the 'draw' portion of that would suggest that some part of the transfer was spin, so a straight push would seem to be the most transfer of power.  You could do it with a straight pull, but I would expect it would be harder and still wouldn't transfer as much power since it's not inline with your swing plane/rotation.

This is my opinion and not based at all on any science or stuff like that.

It sounds like science. The ball is on the clubface for a very short time and distance and the path the club takes before and after that time is irrelevant. It's very possible to contact the ball in the same place (just left side of the ball v. right side if standing directly behind the ball facing the target) with the same point of the club face with either path. What slicers or hookers are likely to do, which swing is more efficient, and what identical contact does with two differenent swing paths sounds to me like 3 separate questions.