Science of Golf: Newton's Third Law of Motion

[golfprochen]

The clubhead decelerates, and the ball accelerates, twice during an impact. For example, the approaching clubhead loses its speed firstly while colliding with and deforming the ball (Newton's First and Second Laws of Motion), which gets carried and gains its first speed. The ball then reforms and bounces off the clubhead and gains its second speed, which exerts a counter force to the clubhead and decelerates it the second time (Newton's Third Law of Motion). Therefore, both the approaching speed and the ability of the clubhead to resist that counter force are equally important to the ball's launching speed. Snapping- (or whipping-)releasing a lagging clubhead through impact by the pivot takes care of both issues!

[halldorkarvel]

This is such a brilliant little series.

[trythinkingforachange]

information overload for most players (like me)

[happyrooster]

There is an error, the ball is not in contact with the club "for the same 500 microseconds" its in contact for a 500th of a second. 500 microseconds is half a second.