mes into contact with the ball and they move together for about of an inch. Then, after half a thousandth of a second, the ball shoots off into the distance at about 160-mph. There are two components of force acted between the golf ball and the lofted club: one normal to the face of the club and one parallel to it. Another worthy way of putting all this is “hitting the sweet spot” with the perfect club.Obviously, the club affects the way the ball flies through the air. The loft of the club determines the angle at which the ball is launched. Smaller lofts, 10 degrees or so, are what golfers use to drive the ball to achieve great distances. On the other hand, a higher loft of 45 degrees and above launch the ball more steeply and does not travel as far. Interestingly enough, not only does the loft of the club affect the launch angle; it also influences the velocity of the ball and the spin with which it leaves. This is where the two influent forces are affected: by the loft of the club. The force normal to the club generally affects the velocity (speed and direction), while the parallel (or tangential) force rotates the ball or gives what we call backspin. The normal force rises to approximately 2,000 lbs. (9 kN) during the half-millisecond of impact. The tangential force is a little more complicated, acting downwards on the ball before briefly reversing direction and acting upwards just at the end of impact. The clubs also have grooves that act to grip the ball and increase the ability to create backspins.As previously stated, when a golf ball is struck it administers it’s own backspin, which makes it act like an airplane wing. Now things start to happen when the golf ball is inclined to create an angle of attack from the lofted club. The ball deflects the airflow downward creating an upward reaction force (Newton’s 3rd Law). And this is lift! The same Bernouilli principal that governs the airplane ...
