Arc of Approach

[yodeli]

Yodeli

Venturi? As in Ken Venturi? Surely you're not referring to the aerodynamic venturi effect (a decrease in static pressure_ which occurs in contracting duct flows situations).... which a golf ball is not... ever. Its the Magnus effect... circulation which causes lift just like on an airplane wing that you want to be talking about. And as far as the relative magnitudes are concerned... a 50 - 50 side v. back spin ratio would put the lift vector off a a 45 degree angle, in which case the ball would neither fly very far nor stay on the of the fairway... unless a gale just so happened to be blowing perpendicular the the fairway (at just the right speed) in which case the tournament would be postponed anyway.

Low boring flight on windy days? i.e. tee it low and de-loft accordingly .... yes ... there is less wind (aka graidient) close to earth's surface... makes sense in that situation but attempting to put a "counterbalancin" "english" side-spin on? That's messing with disaster imhop. Did Ken Venturi do that?

Hi no_mind_golfer.

I'm not an aeronautics engineer but I think Homer knew a bit about aerodynamics...
I was just using chapter "2-B TRAJECTORY CONTROL" as a reference. I might be wrong but Homer is talking about the Venturi Effect in there: "A speeding, spinning ball is subject to the Venturi Effect, meaning that an increase in the velocity of a flow of air decreases its cross-sectional pressure" etc...

Anyway, I've never heard about the Magnus effect and you could be right as well.
However, we all agree that a draw is giving the longest possible shot with a lower trajectory than a fade for example.
So it makes sense to use such a shot (a "punched drawing ball") while the wind is facing you (I never sait sideways).
But you are right; the configuration of the fairway should comply with such a shot: Dogleg left or wide enough to accommodate for the right to left ball flight.

Now, the only Ken Venturi effect I found doesn't relate to Trajectory Control but can keep you forever young