Acceleration of a golf club hitting a ball

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the impact of a golf club's acceleration on the distance a golf ball travels when struck. Participants explore the differences between a club hitting a ball at a constant velocity versus one that is accelerating at the moment of impact, considering factors such as contact time and the nature of acceleration.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants inquire about the difference in distance a golf ball would travel when hit by a club at a constant velocity of 120 mph compared to one that is accelerating at impact.
  • There is a suggestion that the contact time between the club head and the ball during impact is crucial, with an estimate of around 0.5 milliseconds mentioned.
  • One participant posits that the rate of acceleration may influence the distance more than the velocity itself, expressing interest in practical examples, such as those from a robotic swing machine.
  • Questions are raised about how much the ball's velocity could change over the brief contact time and what realistic acceleration values could lead to significant differences in impact.
  • Concerns are expressed regarding the direction of acceleration, noting that in reality, the club may decelerate during impact, which could affect the overall dynamics.
  • Another participant suggests that if the club accelerates in the direction of its velocity, it could increase contact time, resulting in greater impulse and potentially higher ball velocity.
  • There is a discussion about the possibility of applying torque during impact and how that might affect the acceleration transferred to the ball, with emphasis on the importance of speed, momentum, and energy over acceleration itself.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the effects of acceleration versus constant velocity, and the discussion remains unresolved regarding the specific impacts of these factors on the ball's distance traveled.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include assumptions about the nature of acceleration, the flexibility of the club shaft, and the complexities of real-world physics during impact, which may not be fully addressed in the discussion.

Mike10724
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What will be the difference in distance of the ball if it is hit by a club traveling 120 mph at impact (constant velocity) versus a ball hit by a club traveling at 120 mph but accelerating at the point of initial impact?
 
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Mike10724 said:
What will be the difference in distance of the ball if it is hit by a club traveling 120 mph at impact (constant velocity) versus a ball hit by a club traveling at 120 mph but accelerating at the point of initial impact?
Excellent question. I see where you're headed with this. Of course then next question is "what is the contact time between the club head and the ball during impact?"
 
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I think it is around 0.5 milliseconds. It must be the rate of acceleration that influences distance more than velocity, but I would be interested to see a practical example. Maybe on a robotic swing machine.
 
Mike10724 said:
I think it is around 0.5 milliseconds. It must be the rate of acceleration that influences distance more than velocity, but I would be interested to see a practical example. Maybe on a robotic swing machine.
How much could the ball velocity possibly change over 0.5 milliseconds between a club head traveling at constant velocity and a club heat that is accelerating? What kind of acceleration could the club head realistically have (just prior to making contact) in order for the impact to substantially change?
 
Mike10724 said:
...club traveling at 120 mph but accelerating at the point of initial impact...
Accelerating how much, and in which diraction? Note that in real life the club is accelerated opposite to its motion during the impact, so it slows down.
 
If the club accelerates in the direction of the velocity, contact time will be increased. This will result in a greater impulse and higher resulting velocity for the ball.
 
A.T. said:
Accelerating how much, and in which diraction? Note that in real life the club is accelerated opposite to its motion during the impact, so it slows down.
While that's true in net, if you're applying a constant torque through impact, the deceleration is lower by whatever that acceleration was...

...If it is possible to apply a torque through impact, which it may not be due to the flexibility of the shaft.

@Mike10724 hopefully you are getting that acceleration is not transferred to the ball, speed (actually, momentum and energy) is. So only the change in speed during the impact will affect the flight, not the acceleration itself.
 
Ahh, golf questions - the first sign of springtime!
 

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