Gear Effect Pop Quiz, Where Did This Ball Go?

[mvmac]

Good player, plays for Duke. Where do you think this ball went and why?

Answer here

http://thesandtrap.com/t/83179/gear-effect-pop-quiz-where-did-this-ball-go/18#post_1167824

[Slowcelica]

I'm confused did he hit it with the bottom of the driver?

[Shindig]

I voted fairway. Looks to me like he's trying to hit a high draw, which will start right (hence the club facing right at impact).

[ryan772]

i guessed in the fairway, but i dont think its by means any of us think.

[mvmac]

I'm confused did he hit it with the bottom of the driver?

I don't want to give it away right now but he didn't hit it on the bottom of the club.

[JazzFatCat]

The club looks like he hit the ball off the toe which would make the ball curve to the left, and the ball looks like it is headed for the right trees, so I'm guessing it's a big right to left shot that found the fairway.

[Club Rat]

Looks like he blocked the shot to the right.

Also, guessing the club twisted after impact.

Club Rat

[Abu3baid]

I think he hit the toe and ended up with much more draw than usual and ended in left rough.

[nevets88]

I saw the source and answer and was thinking fairway then thought about it longer and changed it to left rough before seeing the answer. I was wrong on the distance.

[billchao]

I'm going with left rough. Looks like he missed it too much towards the toe, thus the open face. Gear effect will turn the ball left.

[misty_mountainhop]

Fairway. Starting right side, decent draw. Everything (to me) at that position looks decent and he's definitely not casting OTT. Hitting from the inside etc would suggest a nice draw to me. The oddity is the apparent clubface position, which looks waaayyyyyy right. Going to hope that's simply an oddity! Given he's a decent player, I don't think he's likely to be doing anything really hideous or be hitting the ball way out on the toe.

[boogielicious]

I'm going with toe hit and left rough.

[14ledo81]

My first thought was toe hit, left rough. That face is really open though. I would think his grip would be firm enough to stop a toe hit from twisting the club that far.

[rusty35]

i'm going to assume this is some sort of club head malfunction and he very well could have hit it right down the middle.  everything else looks awfully good.

[David in FL]

Toe hook in the left rough.

[iacas]

Toe hook in the left rough.

That's what I voted for and I have no insight. Fairway could be an answer too. I'd bet a lot that it's not right rough.

A driver clubhead can twist open A LOT when struck toward the toe:

@misty_mountainhop , you know the ball starts where the FACE points and curves away from the path, right? Most pull-hooks aren't from OTT moves, and you can easily start the ball left with a path that's outward. (The "ball flight laws" assume centered contact, which this obviously wasn't.)

[vangator]

Parking lot was not one of the options? Neither was "behind him".

[misty_mountainhop]

@misty_mountainhop , you know the ball starts where the FACE points and curves away from the path, right? Most pull-hooks aren't from OTT moves, and you can easily start the ball left with a path that's outward. (The "ball flight laws" assume centered contact, which this obviously wasn't.)

@iacas I get that. Would be a bit disappointed if this was an extreme toe strike and hook into left rough - the clubhead image seemed a bit obvious. Maybe not - doh.