BIZARRE ball flight at the range tonight

[sixonezero]

So I was out after dark, it was a warm night (about 100 degrees today) and a slight breeze.  My shots with the driver looked like Tim Wakefield knuckleballs.  Weird dips, dives, side-to-side wobbles, it was crazy. But even weirder was that ball flight from irons and wedges was perfectly normal.  The range balls were old and really beat up, some the markings were almost completely worn off and dimples seemed rounded off.

My theory - Lower spin coming off the driver created the knuckleball effect that was exacerbated by breeze, updrafts, etc...and higher spin off irons/wedges stabilized ball flight.  Does this sound plausible?  Has anyone ever had this happen?

[JetFan1983]

Originally Posted by sixonezero

The range balls were old and really beat up, some the markings were almost completely worn off and dimples seemed rounded off.

This.

Happens all the time to me with really beat up golf balls. I've seen some borderline physically impossible ball flights with really old range balls.

[BioGolfNebraska]

Originally Posted by sixonezero

My shots with the driver looked like Tim Wakefield knuckleballs.  Weird dips, dives, side-to-side wobbles, it was crazy.

I have hit drives before where they take off at a normal trajectory and then seem to hit a bump.  They bump up slightly and dive into the ground.  I have also had them where they bump to the left/right slight and then dive the other direction.  It seems like this has only happened to me when hitting into the wind.  I always thought it was from a weird spin that I put on it that caught the breeze in a strange way.  I can tell they are not a solid hit when I make them, but the motion of the ball seems physically impossible.  I think this might be the same thing you have seen.

[robrey85]

Not sure of any of the physics behind it but I have hit some erratic ball flights while having my lesson and my instructor will always say something like, "Good contact, old ball". Never really asked him why that happens but apparently it does.

[boogielicious]

Quote:

I have hit drives before where they take off at a normal trajectory and then seem to hit a bump.  They bump up slightly and dive into the ground.

I've seen that a lot.  This is why I don't use the range to check my distances with clubs.  It is just really swing practice.

[Audaxi]

It happens quite frequently at some courses near me. I've had a driver S-Curve from a hook to a slice when I was working on turning the face over. The same thing happens to balls that have been in a lake for a while.

[dtambo]

I had that same thing happen to me today with brand new golf balls.  It was very odd and happened so quickly but the ball just looked like it made a (and this may sound stupidly impossible) quick circle went right, dipped down then back left.  I've never had this happen and figured it to be the ball as I had bought some super cheap Wilson FLI's... but later was hitting a Callaway tour ix and the same exact thing happened.  Only thing i could figure is maybe I was hitting a crosswind off the lake and that was causing it.  Just not sure why it's never happened before as I play this course 95% of the time and there is usually wind coming off the lake.

[McFarlane]

Just yesterday this really strange ball flight happens to me when I hit a brand new ladies ball from the tee, ball event strait for around 175 then dipped down and flew up to the right,wind was into me strait so in the name of science I grabbed another ball brand new callaway and it happend again ,at first I thought it was the ball but now I'm thinking it was my swing as I tried to smash it

[saevel25]

Just yesterday this really strange ball flight happens to me when I hit a brand new ladies ball from the tee, ball event strait for around 175 then dipped down and flew up to the right,wind was into me strait so in the name of science I grabbed another ball brand new callaway and it happend again ,at first I thought it was the ball but now I'm thinking it was my swing as I tried to smash it

My best guess would be you hit down with the driver. That sounds like a ballooning ball flight. The ball starts off low and then rises up very quickly because of the backspin, especially into the wind.

I doubt the ball actually dipped down before rising up. It is hard to tell actual height of the ball because it is moving away from you, and depth perception isn't perfect. Also the way the foreground looks can make things look different.

Think of it this way. PGA Tour players basically hit every club nearly the same height. The reason wedges look higher is because you are just standing closer to them. Most full shots go about 27-33 yards in the air.

So I was out after dark, it was a warm night (about 100 degrees today) and a slight breeze.  My shots with the driver looked like Tim Wakefield knuckleballs.  Weird dips, dives, side-to-side wobbles, it was crazy. But even weirder was that ball flight from irons and wedges was perfectly normal.  The range balls were old and really beat up, some the markings were almost completely worn off and dimples seemed rounded off.

My theory - Lower spin coming off the driver created the knuckleball effect that was exacerbated by breeze, updrafts, etc...and higher spin off irons/wedges stabilized ball flight.  Does this sound plausible?  Has anyone ever had this happen?

Being form Ohio, never had that happen. I think it might be possible if you really did produce very very low spin. If the dimples were worn down then I could see it work even more.

I could see with low spin and a smoother golf ball there might be higher separation at the boundary. That would dramatically increase drag and in effect probably cause the ball to do strange stuff.