Ballooning
Ballooning is when a shot — typically a driver — climbs steeply into the air and stalls, losing distance because of excessive spin rate and too-high launch angle.
A driver that balloons has too much spin loft (high dynamic loft + descending attack angle), which creates high spin and a ballooning arc that is punished even more severely into the wind. It often happens with a steep, descending attack angle, forward ball position that has been abandoned, or excessive dynamic loft from hanging back and scooping. Adding shaft flex or reducing dynamic loft through more shaft lean reduces ballooning. A low-spinning driver in a wind can gain 15–20 yards on the same ball speed.
Example
A player who hits it "high as a kite" and loses 30 yards into a breeze is ballooning — too much spin, not too little clubhead speed.
Related terms
- Spin RateSpin rate is how fast the ball spins after impact, in revolutions per minute. It controls how the ball climbs, holds the air, and stops on landing.
- Launch AngleLaunch angle is the vertical angle, in degrees above horizontal, at which the ball leaves the face. Together with spin it determines how high and far the ball flies.
- Attack AngleAttack angle is the vertical direction the clubhead is moving at impact. Negative means hitting down on the ball; positive means hitting up.
- Spin LoftSpin loft is the angle between the dynamic loft of the face and the attack angle at impact. It is the primary driver of spin and a key lever for controlling distance and flight.
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