Physics of the Golf Drive Essay - 1752 Words

This paper examines the physics involved in driving a golf ball off the tee. The objective of a drive is to achieve the greatest distance while leaving the golf ball in the middle of the fairway. Several factors will be considered in achieving the longest, and most accurate drive. The factors include calculating the velocity of the golf ball after the club and ball collide, the mass of the club head, launch angle, the shape of the club face, and finding the optimal golf ball. Intuition tells us that the larger the velocity of the club head at impact with the golf ball, the larger the velocity of the golf ball after the impact. To calculate the velocity of the golf ball we need to consider the relationship between the velocity of†¦show more content†¦Using the principle of conservation of momentum: 2) MVi + mvi = MVf + mvf where M is the mass of the club head, and m is the mass of the golf ball. The unknowns in the equations will be the final velocities of the golf ball and club head, so first eliminate one of the final velocities in equation 1 and substitute into equation 2. 3) Vf = vf - e(Vi - vi) sub into equation 2 4) MVi + mvi = M[vf - e(Vi - vi)] + mvf Since the golf ball is originally at rest, vi = 0, solving for final velocity of golf ball yields: 5) vf = [MVi(1 + e)] / (M + m) Using similar algebra steps to solve for the final velocity of the club head yields: 6) Vf = Vi(M - me) / (M + m) You can use these results and the fact that potential energy at the collision point is equal to zero to calculate the energy lost in the collision. 7) W = -(0.5MVf2 + 0.5mvf2 - 0.5MVi2) Our objective in driving a golf ball down the fairway is to keep it as straight as possible and to drive it as far as possible. It is therefore logical to ask what mass of a club head would give the longest drive? From equation 5 we found that the velocity of the ball after impact is given by: 5) vf = [MVi(1 + e)] / (M + m) From this equation, we can see that the velocity of the ball should increase if we increase the velocity of our swing, the elasticity of the ball, or the mass of the club head. We should also recognize that increasingShow MoreRelatedPhysics Roles in Golf634 Words   |  3 PagesPhysics is in everything around us. It is in us driving a car, walking down the street, and pushing a child on a swing. Physics is also in every sport you have ever played, or watched someone play. It is involved in a baseball player swinging his bat, or a swimmer cutting through the water. It is also in golf. In this paper I will discuss three different ways that physics plays a role in the game of golf. The first is the motion of hitting the ball, or the swing, the second is the spin of the ballRead MoreThe Physics of a Golf Ball Essay1277 Words   |  6 PagesThe Physics of a Golf Ball The first written reference of golf was in 1457. Golf balls have had extraordinary changes since that time; theyve gone from leather pouches to dried gum to todays dimpled balls. These dimples help decrease the drag and increase the lift. Different forces are applied to the golf ball when struck by the club. Golf clubs have grooves to create backspin. And then there are different variables that affect how a golf ball will travel, these include: lie angle andRead MoreThe Physics Of Golf Ball3380 Words   |  14 Pages Fore! A Newtonian and Projectile Motion Study of the Golf Swing Physics Around Campus Tim Stoddard Physics 102 Spring 2015 Figure 1 below depicts a snap shot of the compact and physics-ridden entity known as a golf swing. Taken at my home in Olympia, WA, this picture was taken moments before the impact between my driver and the Titleist Pro V1 golf ball. The game of golf is riddled with physics concepts governing everything from the power generated in the swingRead More Physics of Golf Essay3710 Words   |  15 PagesMany golf equipment companies are constantly trying to improve the different â€Å"tools† used during the game. And with the incredible rate of technology, golf equipment is constantly being taken to higher and higher levels. In fact, technology now allows golf equipment so precise and accurate, that many people believe it requires less skill to be a really exceptional golfer. As technology and the study of physics progresses, only newer and better equipment will be produced. This is why a lineRead MoreThe Physics of Golf Essay3575 Words   |  15 PagesThe Physics of Golf As anyone who has played a round of golf will attest to, the sport is based around many fundamental principals of physics. These basic laws are involved with every aspect of the game from how a player swings the club to how the ball moves through the air on its way toward the pin. It is the challenge that physics presents to the golfer that has allowed the game, and equipment used, to develop so drastically over the past one hundred years. The first golf balls used were calledRead MoreEssay on The Game of Golf and Physics2320 Words   |  10 PagesThe Game of Golf and Physics A famous saying for many golfers is, â€Å"golf is the most enjoyable walk that can be had in two hours†; even though many people disagree with this and say it is, â€Å"the worst walk in two hours.† Still, over time many people have had the opportunity to play, learn, and enjoy the beauty of golf courses around the world. Many golfers know that the game of golf requires mental and physical aptitude with hours of practice in order to be proficient at the game. FurthermoreRead MoreWhat Are Your Interests?1364 Words   |  6 Pagescommon questions asked of me is, â€Å"what are your interests?† and to this, I have varying answers. I am always intrigued at different times to different phenomena. However, I have some interests that have been practically life long, for example, my drive to be a lawyer and the attraction towards laws and the different classifications. I have long been exposed to the actions of law without really realizing it until this year. I recently took a legal terminology based class and it truly exposed me toRead MoreEffect of Spin on the Trajectory of a Kicked Soccer Ball Essay1094 Words   |  5 Pagesabout 30 meters from the net and a tiny bit to the right. He hit the ball so hard that it cleared the wall by a meter. It then suddenly curved to the left and went into the right upper 90. When watching soccer most people dont think about the physics behind the flight of a struck soccer ball. That is why I am doing this project to see if the different ways the ball spins effects the trajectory of the ball. I will be focusing on three different spins of the ball using my dominant foot for allRead MoreThe Riddles of Existence by Earl Conee and Theodore Sider894 Words   |  4 Pageson the tee-box of the 12th hole and it’s a par five. My friends hit there drives and goes straight, but then I hit my tee shot and it goes way left and I strike a house causing the golf ball to go through a window. I go over there to look for my ball and the home owners are standing outside holding my ball. Now some golf courses live by the rule that if you damage a house you have to pay for it, but some don’t. But this golf course says I have to pay for the damage. So I go over there and they sayRead MoreThe Radioactive Boy Scout By Ken Silverstein Recreates-1508 Words   |   7 Pagesbrilliant detail-the months of David s improbable nuclear quest. Acting as a physics professor, David solicited information on reactor design from the United States government and from industry experts. Shopping antiques stores and looking through junkyards for old-fashioned smoke detectors and gas lanterns-both of which contain small amounts of radioactive material and following blueprints he discovered in an outdated physics textbook, David brought together a device that threw off the toxic levels