Launch monitor data of fliers?

[McLovin]

I’m gaming a set of irons that seem to be on the lower side of spin for their category. But I also have a set that is higher spin than my gamers.

I recently took both out to the range, and I saw distance dispersions issues with both. Not just on mishits, but also on decent strikes.

It got me thinking about “fliers” and “hot spots” in irons.

Does anyone have launch monitor data to show similar strike and launch conditions in one iron category with “flier” tendencies or “hot spots” that resulted in distance dispersion issues, vs similar strike and launch conditions with an that boasts a more “consistent” spin profile that also produced more consistent results?

I guess what I’m chewing on is whether anyone has launch monitor data to prove whether the club produced the “flier” or whether they just made a different swing.

 

[bombs]

Fliers are real.

The significance of the long miss comes down to how much spin was dropped and how much ball speed was retained.

The faster the face the more likely it is to occur.

 

[mpeterson]

One thing that I've seen on the monitor - mostly in lessons, but also now that I've got one at home - is that the ball that goes an extra 10 yards is almost always a left miss. A mistake in aim, or something like that could mask that on the course. When I've hit a ball that goes dead straight and longer on the GC quad during a lesson, I'm almost always delivering either more speed, less loft, or both.

I think fliers, historically, have been more of a problem than they are these days. The Apex '19 I can't say I've seen a ball that inexplicably went way past what I'd expect. The '16 I had some examples from the middle of the fairway. I know that was something DNevs specifically mentioned in the teach talk, and the variable face tech was targeting to fix.

 

[McLovin]

One thing that I've seen on the monitor - mostly in lessons, but also now that I've got one at home - is that the ball that goes an extra 10 yards is almost always a left miss. A mistake in aim, or something like that could mask that on the course. When I've hit a ball that goes dead straight and longer on the GC quad during a lesson, I'm almost always delivering either more speed, less loft, or both.

I think fliers, historically, have been more of a problem than they are these days. The Apex '19 I can't say I've seen a ball that inexplicably went way past what I'd expect. The '16 I had some examples from the middle of the fairway. I know that was something DNevs specifically mentioned in the teach talk, and the variable face tech was targeting to fix.

this is EXACTLY what i see, and why i honestly haven’t experienced anything i would say is a flier (off the fairway).

take today. i hit some nice 9i shots off a mat. i don’t know how far they went, but they were straight. then i hit a few with a bit of a closed face, more in to out, and they went forEVER.

i also hit the apex pro, and saw the same thing as the mav pro. but in a short little session hitting different irons recently on gc4 i saw the same thing with miura tc201, honma tr20v and mizuno jpx 921t. all of them had a “flier” in them, but it was always because i did something different. i don’t understand how someone says that’s the club producing a flier when i’m the one who made a different swing, and when multiple clubs have shown the same tendency (for me).

what i would love to know is if anyone has cherrypicked their numbers to find those lower spin draw swings and show that are close to identical, but one iron went that much farther (relative to a “standard” swing) than another.

 

[rogt]

this is EXACTLY what i see, and why i honestly haven’t experienced anything i would say is a flier (off the fairway).

take today. i hit some nice 9i shots off a mat. i don’t know how far they went, but they were straight. then i hit a few with a bit of a closed face, more in to out, and they went forEVER.

i also hit the apex pro, and saw the same thing as the mav pro. but in a short little session hitting different irons recently on gc4 i saw the same thing with miura tc201, honma tr20v and mizuno jpx 921t. all of them had a “flier” in them, but it was always because i did something different. i don’t understand how someone says that’s the club producing a flier when i’m the one who made a different swing, and when multiple clubs have shown the same tendency (for me).

what i would love to know is if anyone has cherrypicked their numbers to find those lower spin draw swings and show that are close to identical, but one iron went that much farther (relative to a “standard” swing) than another.

Interesting. Are you creating a little more side spin with with closing it and changing path? A playing partner I know hoods it every time no matter the shot and he gets very inconsistent distances and some Flyers as he looks at me and says what the heck, one time perfect other times short or long, He’s playing a combo set Apex19. I play a normal cut shot so pretty consistent, but if I set up to draw, book distance.

 

[McLovin]

Interesting. Are you creating a little more side spin with with closing it and changing path? A playing partner I know hoods it every time no matter the shot and he gets very inconsistent distances and some Flyers as he looks at me and says what the heck, one time perfect other times short or long, He’s playing a combo set Apex19. I play a normal cut shot so pretty consistent, but if I set up to draw, book distance.

but is it a flier for me if i hit a straight shot regularly, but every now and then get the face too closed to path? i suppose the result could be a flier, but ive always understood flier to be a similar swing input by the golfer but a dissimilar result output by the club.

has anyone experienced a flier cut shot (to @mpeterson’s point)? or are the fliers always from draws?

 

[rogt]

That’s all I play is a cut or a straight shot and On a rare occasion, rare I might get a flyer on a straight shot but never on a cut. It would be really interesting to see what those numbers are on a launch monitor.

 

[-CRW-]

A flier is a shot out of the rough where the rough drops the spin making the ball carry farther than normal. I think using the term for hotspots could cause confusion.

I don’t know of any tests confirming hot spots on the face of irons and/or if it’s more likely to occur on various types of irons (I.e., a GI versus an MB).

 

[ArmyGolf]

Fliers are real IMO, but they require variables. Launch monitors and indoor setups are mostly set up to eliminate variables. Can you have a flier from a dry lie middle fairway? Probably not.
But add water (rain/dew), add soft ground, add longer uncut grass...and spin drops - combined with a fast face iron that ball is going to go further.

 

[GoldenBuff]

I have hit shots on a launch monitor with carry distances longer than normal. For me they are mostly lower spin right to left shots where I caught the ball with a slightly closed face. I have also hit shots where I crushed the ball with what felt like an easy swing. But looking at the data I simply added an extra swing 4-5 mph. My timing was better on that swing. I don’t think of either as fliers, but on the course either could have seemed like it. The swing and impact feel differences can be subtle. I don’t doubt that fliers are real. I just have seen the data on how my own swing variability can change distances in a way I might not pick up on on the course.

 

[mjkladis]

It could be your dynamic loft at impact causing these low spinning shots. I think hitting off a mat drops some spin as well.

 

[bombs]

I think fliers, historically, have been more of a problem than they are these days. The Apex '19 I can't say I've seen a ball that inexplicably went way past what I'd expect.

I used to hit some HUGE fliers with my Apex 19's and that's the main reason I got rid of them.

Too many well struck shots sailing way past over the green. Pin high or short is the only place I ever want to be.

 

[TCB2010]

A flier is a shot out of the rough where the rough drops the spin making the ball carry farther than normal. I think using the term for hotspots could cause confusion.

I don’t know of any tests confirming hot spots on the face of irons and/or if it’s more likely to occur on various types of irons (I.e., a GI versus an MB).

That‘s what I thought a flier was also. I was confused as to what was being said. Can you produce a flier off a mat or fairway?

 

[-CRW-]

Maybe this will help. It’s a newer video and shows that there is something going on with consistency with some “techy” irons over classic solid chunks of metal on the end of a stick: