Flyers

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By Fred Closs

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  1. Fred Closs

    Fred Closs
    Denton, TX

    For years, I've been told that "flyers" are caused by grass getting between the ball, causing the ball to jump out with little spin. It seems to me the grass would cause the ball to have less spin, but also less velocity. To wit, I've often wondered if in the case of a flyer, the grass suspends the ball above the ground (much like a ball in a tee) and doesn't decelerate the clubhead through impact as much as a lie on the ground. This would account for the jumping and the grass would reduce the spin resulting in a hot, lower flight. Do you know of any definitive study on flyers?

  2. Quintin H

    Quintin H
    Morehead, KY

    "thru impact", the club has not touched the ground until after the ball has left the clubface.

    If there is enough grass to significantly slow the clubhead before impact, then you don't have a flier lie.

    This is one of those rare occasions when the commentators are telling you correctly.

  3. Fred Closs

    Fred Closs
    Denton, TX

    Then, how do you account for the increased ball speed over a lie in the fairway? I'd love to see high speed video to measure the variables of club deceleration, ball acceleration and ball spin.

  4. Quintin H

    Quintin H
    Morehead, KY

    There is no increase of ball speed from the fairway vs flier lie.......there is spin increase

    as I said before, if there is enough grass to slow the clubhead then it is not a flier lie........a flier lie is where there is just enough grass between the clubface and the ball to reduce the spin.

  5. Pete D

    Pete D
    Plaistow, NH / Ft. Myers, FL

    My understanding is the ball is sitting up in the rough, as you describe, but the grass is a bit dry, offering little to no resistance to the club. I definitely hit a mid iron farther off a tee than off a tight lie on the fairway, so that makes sense in my mind. Could it also be that sometimes when we're in the rough and think we need to "give it a little extra" and it turns out to be a flyer, the ball ends up going even farther?

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