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
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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 increasing
Let the mass of the fired bullet be Mb. It is fired at an initial velocity of v. The momentum
A closed clubface creates a slice (curves hard left) (right for lefties) (Transition) After you make contact with the ball, you swing through it. Remember, you do not hit the golf ball. You hit through it. V. The club head should continue on plane, with the club shaft going up and in.
The loft, θ, used in the theoretical model of the impact and in the graphs, is the angle the clubface creates with the vertical when the club head strikes the golf ball. This angle is accurately referred to as the dynamic loft of the club head. The dynamic loft, as a general rule, is not equal to the club face loft which is conventionally mentioned on the golf club. The loft, θ, is the angle the clubface creates with the vertical when the foot of the club head is at rest on the ground. There is a difference between the clubface loft and the dynamic loft as a result of the golf club shaft flexing. Initially, at the highest point of the swing, as a result of the inertia possessed by the club head, the shaft will bend back and leave the club head
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