The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-05-29
How a Golf Ball Flies.

1
length Professor Tait's theories of the
flight of a golf ball. The great inter-
est in this subject is shown by the let
| ters 1 continue to receive even afte-
this lapse of time. 1 have several re-
quests to elaborate on this subject and
1 shall do so.
| All golfers of experience know that
balls fly differently at different times
and some have thought the results
must be due to the way they have
I CHANGED to hit the ball, but it has re-
manned for Professor TAFT to establish
the laws of flight for golf balls. The
golfer who knows them can surely bet
ter his game.
/ DANES Braid has interpreted the
scientific data collected by Professor
TAFT ami Braid's article is most inter-
esting.
| This article explains how distance
may be secured thru the flight of the
ball and makes clear the reasons why
one frequently sees a player of inferior
physique consistently outdrive a much
more muscular opponent. 1 believe,
| that any golfer who will understand
the principles Professor TAFT lays
down, cannot help improve his gam
when he has learned to apply them
/ While most players understand such
| things as the proper distance. swing,
! etc, few of US understand the prin-
ciples of flight, and it is in this very
knowledge that 1 believe the greatest
delight in the game of golf lies. 1t is
in comparative recent times that most
players suspected that spin was inn
parted to a golf ball when it was hit.
The scientific calculations underlying
| Professor Tait's conclusions, as inter-
| preted by Braio, are SO intricate that
none but A scientist can follow them
clearly, but most of us will readily ao-
| cept the conclusions. since they have
been demonstrated in practice by noted
players.
| From Professor Tait's explanation 1t
! is shown that lit is the proper regula-
ton of the 'underspin' given to the ball
when playing that is most required,
| that makes success; and it is in this
way that players of inferior physical
| power must make up for their de-
| ficiency and drive long balls Some
very hard hitters get long balls in
spite of their disregard of some of the
well understood principles of driving;
but they do not get them much longer
| than others who drive properly, altho
they hit much harder.
| 1.-The chief differences as they may
| often be observed between the two
kinds of drivers. is that in the case of
the hard hitter the ball leaves the club
at a greater velocity. that it rises more
quickly at the beginning of it's flight
and that it's carry IS completed much
sooner; in fact, it has been calculated
that while the flight of the ball in this
case often occupies no more than OF
5 seconds, it is as much as or when
properly driven-that is with the aid
of 'underspin.'
| Professor TAFT pointed out that what
is wanted in order to make the ball fly
a long way when hit with reasonable
force is time to travel that is some
means by which the force of gravity
might be discounted for the time being
and it is the underspin that does this
and gives the ball longer time in the
air for its velocity or forward motion
to act
Professor TAFT explained that the re-
sistance of the air to the flying ball is
greater proportionately than any in
creases in the speed of its flight. Hence
he points out that it takes more thar
half as much extra strength in the
drive in order to increase the gain ir
distance by one-half.
| To gain as much as ten yards ir
your drive without the use of under
spin" means a tremendous extra ex-
J penditure of physical effort Obvi-
ously, if the extra distance can be OBJ
tanned by other means than an exper.-
diture of strength il is good golf tc
get the distance that way. And the
point is doubly valuable to the mar
|
In my next article I shall explain
''underspin" and what it does as out
lined in Braids article by Professor
TAFT. l regard the subject as so i'm
portant that 1 want to ask every one oil
my readers to watch for this mex
article particularly.
Speaking of ''underspin" James
CATION made by Professor TAFT as
stated by himself is an old scientific
law, that when an object is poised in
still air the atmospheric pressure upon
it is equal at all points; and further
that-when ball is made to rotate in
a current of air that side of the ball
which is adva ncing to meet the cur
rent is subjected to a greater atmos-
pheric pressure than the side which
is moving in the direction of the cur
rent
''Simplified and applied to golf this
means that when a ball is sliced il
spins from left to right and that there
is then a greater atmospheric pres
sure which forces the ball towards the
right. But when the ball has been
pulled from the tee the spin is in the
opposite direction, and therefore, the
extra pressure of the atmosphere is
also from the opposite side with the
result that the ball is pressed to the
left. When the ball has been topped
the spin on its front side is in a
downward direction so the extra air
pressure is downward also and as in
this case the force of gravity is pull
ing in the same direction the down
ward movement of the ball is very
quick and sudden. Lastly when the
spin given to the ball on the tee is the
/. kind that makes the front side move
in an upward direction that is to say
; 'underspin' the balance of the atmos-
. pheric pressure tends to lift the ball
upward and in contrary direction to
J the force of gravity.
"A very little thought will show