A draw hits 20 yds further

A new one on me. Ive just read that driving with a draw will ( can ) hit the ball 20 yds further. Ive only been playing 16 years so I may have missed this bit of info so is it true? Has the ball just got more topspin so you may just get a bit more roll? Im not a big hitter but play straightish fade. Will this promote backspin so not much roll? DOH! Dave CAC handed Geordie.

Dave, it is true that a drawn ball will run further and it is also true that a fading ball will stop quicker.

Any ball will react to the spin imparted on it, be it a cricket ball, a tennis ball, a table tennis ball, a football and most certainly a golf ball.

Spin in golf can be your friend, but if not applied correctly will most certainly be your enemy as the amount of spin applied and the direction in which it is applied requires knowledge and skill.

Dave, a ball that draws generally has overspin which will make it travel further and roll more. A fade usually has side spin which doesn't aid in distance travel through the air or on the ground..

Simple physics really, but tricky to explain without diagrams - but in theory a drawn ball will go further/ So here goes

Imagine a ball hit straight with no backspin at all. It will describe the classic projectile trajectory. Now add a bit of backspin and the ball acts as an aerofoil - the upper surface is travelling relatively faster than the lower, and because air is a sticky fluid this creates a boundary layer of varying thickness. The pressure is lower on the top of the ball and it will generate lift - and therefore a longer flight. Things then get slightly more complex when a bit of side spin is added, although it's not really side spin, the axis of rotation is just skewed. This skewed angle together with the backspin means that a drawn ball has a lower lift component to it's flight than a similarly struck fade so the ball goes further. Simple really....

Excellently explained, Tim.

Excellent description of the physics Tim. For those without and engineering or scientific background, let me put it this way

Yes, a ball hit with draw will go further