GD: The Short Game Explained - With radar numbers

[nevets88]

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/2014-12/short-game-explained-cameron-mccormick

Quote:

That said, at the moment of truth—impact—well-struck short-game shots are not mysterious, at least when viewed through the realm of physics. Using a TrackMan launch monitor and my best students, I recorded data on three essential shots: a greenside bunker shot, a low-flying "skid-spinner" chip and a flop shot.

[k-troop]

So much wrong with this article.  Ball compresses and rolls up the club face on the low spinner?  Lob comes out with similar ball speed despite faster swing because the club transfers energy to the ground??  Umm, no.  On both shots, the ball should be struck first (or in the case of the lob, the ball should lie at the exact low point of the swing arc).  The lob has less ball speed because it is hit with a more glancing blow, so less energy is transferred to the ball.

[iacas]

So much wrong with this article.  Ball compresses and rolls up the club face on the low spinner?  Lob comes out with similar ball speed despite faster swing because the club transfers energy to the ground??  Umm, no.  On both shots, the ball should be struck first (or in the case of the lob, the ball should lie at the exact low point of the swing arc).  The lob has less ball speed because it is hit with a more glancing blow, so less energy is transferred to the ball.

I'll just comment on the flop shot part…

I agree that it's not because the energy is going into the ground. It has to do with the fact that past about 45° spin loft, spin decreases dramatically, despite the blow being more glancing. The whole idea of "the same speeds produce more spin with higher spin loft" only applies to about 45° or so, at which point in time spin begins decreasing (consider that if you could hit a ball with 89° spin loft you'd barely get any spin or ball speed).

I suspect he may have been caught up in thinking that since the spin loft was so high yet the spin was so low, the energy had to go somewhere. Maybe.