Question:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I know a lot has been made of hitting the golf ball on the seam to achieve better distance and/or a different trajectory, particularly with the Pro V1. I was wondering how the seam is supposed to be lined up for each result. I am thinking that for distance, you would hit the ball with the seam perpendicular to the ground and to hit a high trajectory you would line the seam up horizontally to the ground. Is this correct? Chris That’s it, Chris. It’s the same effect that seams have on a baseball. When spinning crossways to the direction of travel, the wide seams create lift. When they spin along the direction of travel, the narrow seams are spinning crossways to to the direction of travel, which creates less lift. That’s what you do to get a sinking fastball: there’s less lift, ergo, it drops more. I don’t know how much of this with the ProV1 is true; I’ve never been able to show it consistently with my own drives. But I seam it anyway, for luck more than anything else. A baseball has external seams, and these interact with the air streams passing over the ball, and that’s what causes it’s flight. but a golfball is as perfectly balanced as possible and the surface is regular (dimples aside). That makes me ask: how does the seam make a difference? the air passing over it won’t know about what’s INSIDE the ball (shakes head in wonderment) I guess for players with sound, repeatable swings, the proV1 is worthwhile. but i just describe my game, so i’ll stick to lake balls thankyouverymuch T On the ProV1, the ball isn’t perfectly symmetrical in all dimensions, not perfectly regular (though it is at certain angles). There’s a very visible seam that runs around the ball, where the two halves are connected. I don’t say that it has a great effect, frankly, but it appears as if it were a raised seam even though you can’t feel it. Presumably, it interferes with airflow, creating the same effect as raised seams. It certainly doesn’t have as much influence as raised seams have on a baseball. That’s the theory, anyway. I don’t notice any real difference myself. I play it because I like the other combination of characteristics. Every time last fall I broke 80, I was playing a ProV1. I never broke 80 playing a Callaway Red or Blue. I’m still trying to decide if the ball was the reason. :) Mike
If you look you will notice that most, if not all, golf balls have seams. Titleist is the only company I know of that aligns their logo with the seam on their high-end balls. They did it for the professional, and now the pro-v1. I haven’t checked what other balls they do it on, but I know they don’t align it for the DT, etc. The main benefit is for putting. If you hit the putt on the seam, you aren’t hitting a dimple. Plus rolling along the seam holds the line better, provided the ball is balanced. The benefits to driving are also theoretically real, but only if you are extremely precise when you hit the ball. If you have any curve at all on your drives, it is very doubtful that you will notice any effect.
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If it’s correct, then wouldn’t such a ball be illegal? (Rules Appendix III, para 3)
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I know a lot has been made of hitting the golf ball on the seam to achieve better distance and/or a different trajectory, particularly with the Pro V1. I was wondering how the seam is supposed to be lined up for each result. I am thinking that for distance, you would hit the ball with the seam perpendicular to the ground and to hit a high trajectory you would line the seam up horizontally to the ground. Is this correct? Chris
Titleist was on TGC and said they had corrected any seaming issues.
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I know a lot has been made of hitting the golf ball on the seam to achieve better distance and/or a different trajectory, particularly with the Pro V1. I was wondering how the seam is supposed to be lined up for each result. I am thinking that for distance, you would hit the ball with the seam perpendicular to the ground and to hit a high trajectory you would line the seam up horizontally to the ground. Is this correct? Chris That’s it, Chris. It’s the same effect that seams have on a baseball. When spinning crossways to the direction of travel, the wide seams create lift. When they spin along the direction of travel, the narrow seams are spinning crossways to to the direction of travel, which creates less lift. That’s what you do to get a sinking fastball: there’s less lift, ergo, it drops more. I don’t know how much of this with the ProV1 is true; I’ve never been able to show it consistently with my own drives. But I seam it anyway, for luck more than anything else. Mike
I thought it was because the seam was harder & flatter
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I know a lot has been made of hitting the golf ball on the seam to achieve better distance and/or a different trajectory, particularly with the Pro V1. I was wondering how the seam is supposed to be lined up for each result. I am thinking that for distance, you would hit the ball with the seam perpendicular to the ground and to hit a high trajectory you would line the seam up horizontally to the ground. Is this correct? Chris That’s it, Chris. It’s the same effect that seams have on a baseball. When spinning crossways to the direction of travel, the wide seams create lift. When they spin along the direction of travel, the narrow seams are spinning crossways to to the direction of travel, which creates less lift. That’s what you do to get a sinking fastball: there’s less lift, ergo, it drops more. I don’t know how much of this with the ProV1 is true; I’ve never been able to show it consistently with my own drives. But I seam it anyway, for luck more than anything else.
A baseball has external seams, and these interact with the air streams passing over the ball, and that’s what causes it’s flight. but a golfball is as perfectly balanced as possible and the surface is regular (dimples aside). That makes me ask: how does the seam make a difference? the air passing over it won’t know about what’s INSIDE the ball (shakes head in wonderment) I guess for players with sound, repeatable swings, the proV1 is worthwhile. but i just describe my game, so i’ll stick to lake balls thankyouverymuch T
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I know a lot has been made of hitting the golf ball on the seam to achieve better distance and/or a different trajectory, particularly with the Pro V1. I was wondering how the seam is supposed to be lined up for each result. I am thinking that for distance, you would hit the ball with the seam perpendicular to the ground and to hit a high trajectory you would line the seam up horizontally to the ground. Is this correct? Chris That’s it, Chris. It’s the same effect that seams have on a baseball. When spinning crossways to the direction of travel, the wide seams create lift. When they spin along the direction of travel, the narrow seams are spinning crossways to to the direction of travel, which creates less lift. That’s what you do to get a sinking fastball: there’s less lift, ergo, it drops more. I don’t know how much of this with the ProV1 is true; I’ve never been able to show it consistently with my own drives. But I seam it anyway, for luck more than anything else. A baseball has external seams, and these interact with the air streams passing over the ball, and that’s what causes it’s flight. but a golfball is as perfectly balanced as possible and the surface is regular (dimples aside). That makes me ask: how does the seam make a difference? the air passing over it won’t know about what’s INSIDE the ball (shakes head in wonderment) I guess for players with sound, repeatable swings, the proV1 is worthwhile. but i just describe my game, so i’ll stick to lake balls thankyouverymuch T
On the ProV1, the ball isn’t perfectly symmetrical in all dimensions, not perfectly regular (though it is at certain angles). There’s a very visible seam that runs around the ball, where the two halves are connected. I don’t say that it has a great effect, frankly, but it appears as if it were a raised seam even though you can’t feel it. Presumably, it interferes with airflow, creating the same effect as raised seams. It certainly doesn’t have as much influence as raised seams have on a baseball. That’s the theory, anyway. I don’t notice any real difference myself. I play it because I like the other combination of characteristics. Every time last fall I broke 80, I was playing a ProV1. I never broke 80 playing a Callaway Red or Blue. I’m still trying to decide if the ball was the reason. :) Mike — Mike Dalecki RSG-Wisconsin 2002 Info http://dalecki.net/rsgwis2002 I do not patronize spammers. Help keep RSG clean! Web Site: http://www.dalecki.net/clubdoctor/ RSG Roll Call: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/daleckim.htm
Response:
I know a lot has been made of hitting the golf ball on the seam to achieve better distance and/or a different trajectory, particularly with the Pro V1. I was wondering how the seam is supposed to be lined up for each result. I am thinking that for distance, you would hit the ball with the seam perpendicular to the ground and to hit a high trajectory you would line the seam up horizontally to the ground. Is this correct? Chris
Response:
I know a lot has been made of hitting the golf ball on the seam to achieve better distance and/or a different trajectory, particularly with the Pro V1. I was wondering how the seam is supposed to be lined up for each result. I am thinking that for distance, you would hit the ball with the seam perpendicular to the ground and to hit a high trajectory you would line the seam up horizontally to the ground. Is this correct? Chris
That’s it, Chris. It’s the same effect that seams have on a baseball. When spinning crossways to the direction of travel, the wide seams create lift. When they spin along the direction of travel, the narrow seams are spinning crossways to to the direction of travel, which creates less lift. That’s what you do to get a sinking fastball: there’s less lift, ergo, it drops more. I don’t know how much of this with the ProV1 is true; I’ve never been able to show it consistently with my own drives. But I seam it anyway, for luck more than anything else. Mike — Mike Dalecki RSG-Wisconsin 2002 Info http://dalecki.net/rsgwis2002 I do not patronize spammers. Help keep RSG clean! Web Site: http://www.dalecki.net/clubdoctor/ RSG Roll Call: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/daleckim.htm