[en] Scattering of molecular beams of Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe from the (111) plane of silver was studied experimentally. The full width at half-maximum (FWHM) in the lobular spatial distribution of scattered atoms in the incident plane is found to increase with incident angle, followed by levelling off or decreasing, while the FWHM in the transverse plane through the peak decreases monotonically with increasing incident angle. The results are discussed on the basis of dynamical interaction between the gas atom and the surface by the help of a model of a soft repulsive potential wall. (author)