Here's a simple little experiment anyone can do (maybe not in the dead of winter though Next time you're cruising down the highway roll your window down. Stick your hand out holding it parallel to the highway. Now rotate it (slowly lest you break something) so your palm faces forward. Notice any difference? Of course you do.
In the golf swing with the club head goes from zero to 100+ (mph) in milliseconds. Do you realize what kind of drag an ordinary clubface experiences at 100+ mph? It ain't insignificant.
When its moving so darn fast why in the heck would the clubface want to turn into the wind? It wouldn't people... it would fall in line behind the shaft/hossel presenting the smallest possible frontal area to the wind (minimizing drag and maximizing entropy). Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on one's perspective) the club face has no choice in the matter. It does what the golfer's hands make it do.
BTW... frontal area is something to think about especially in these days of "game improvement" irons and mega-sized driver heads. Fine but you ain't gonna be able to swing-em as fast... because of drag (form and friction). That's just the way it is folks..
Last edited by no_mind_golfer : 01-25-2009 at 03:00 AM.
Next time you're cruising down the highway roll your window down. Stick your hand out holding it parallel to the highway. Now rotate it (slowly lest you break something) so your palm faces forward. Notice any difference? Of course you do. 
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