Physics of Golf

Since The Masters seems to be the only TV program on in my house these past few days, it seems fit to talk about the physics of golf.

The angle of the golf club head helps to determine the distance the ball travels in the air and once it hits the ground. The greater the club speed hitting the ball, the lower you want the club face loft angle. This is because you want the golf ball to go farther and not higher. When you are closer to the green, you are more likely to use a higher numbered iron because it has a greater angle and won’t send the ball as far.

The dimples on a golf ball also impact the flight path and distance of the ball. The dimples on the ball cause it to have a lower pressure and increase the Magnus effect (previous blog post). If the ball did not have any dimples and was completely smooth, it would have more drag force causing it to not travel as far.