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Correct Golf Answer The angle of attack

The trajectory of the ball flight gives one over-riding indication – the angle of attack.


A players angle of attack is the steepness or shallowness of the club heads approach into the ball. If the angle of attack becomes very steep the club will travel on a more vertical path into impact, hitting down on the ball. When the angle of attack becomes too shallow the club will take a shallow path into the ball and hit up through impact.

These different angles of attack will produce quite distinct ball flights. A steep angle of attack will send the ball out very low but loaded with back spin. The initial starting trajectory will track close to the ground before rising later in flight. A shallow angle of attack will send the ball very high into the air. The initial starting trajectory will be high and the ball will continue to rise as it climbs before dropping down almost vertically (depending on the loft of the club). A correct angle of attack into the ball with an iron should produce a ball flight which starts at a medium height before rising into the air as the back spin impacted by a slightly descending blow lifts it into the air.

The trajectory of the ball will also give some indication of what loft is on the club. This can become very evident with the longer clubs. Most golfers use a driver which doesnt feature enough loft. Many players find they hit the driver very low and this could have little to do with their angle of attack but rather the lack of loft they use on the driver. Golfers should always consult with their professional to ensure they are paying a driver with enough loft.

Golfers can learn much about the angle of attack they produce into impact by studying the trajectory of the ball flight.

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Swing path and angle of attack are two of the impact factors which come together in order to determine what will happen to a ball. The angle of attack will determine the trajectory whilst the path will often determine the shape of the shot (left to right, right to left etc.).

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Shots from off the centre of the club cannot be relied upon to give accurate feedback on the overall trajectory of your ball flight. If you are practicing your ball flight, note down the good strikes and how they flew.

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Club face aim could have an effect on the trajectory if it is closed or open at impact (closed usually sends the ball lower, open higher). However, the truest indicator of trajectory is angle of attack.