Year end musings

[mandrin]

Originally Posted by jake2

I'll take another stab at it:
~23% higher speed with the bigger mass.
Dropping the weight to 100kg would still do the same.

jake2,

Intuition is gradually retreating to make place for more precise facts and arguments.

[mandrin]

Originally Posted by mjstrong

Yeah, well, I still didn't solve the problem. Good thing they give me golf balls for free.

mjstrong,

Solving the problem is not really so important but the road traveled is !
I appreciate your active participation.

[jpeck]

Originally Posted by mandrin

jpeck,

Is it hence correct to assume that you expect, with a extremely heavy clubhead, there to be a reasonable significant increase in departure velocity?

I don't expect there would be a reaonably significant increase in departure velocity with an extremely heavy clubhead; a measureable difference perhaps, just not enough to be significant to the golfer.

I recall testing a 'heavy club' back in the early 1990s. The marketing hype suggested the heavier-than-standard clubhead would hit the ball further than a standard clubhead. I didn't measure the drives I hit with the club, but I saw no increase in distance over my usual driver.

[jake2]

Originally Posted by jpeck

I don't expect there would be a reaonably significant increase in departure velocity with an extremely heavy clubhead; a measureable difference perhaps, just not enough to be significant to the golfer.

I recall testing a 'heavy club' back in the early 1990s. The marketing hype suggested the heavier-than-standard clubhead would hit the ball further than a standard clubhead. I didn't measure the drives I hit with the club, but I saw no increase in distance over my usual driver.

The equations I was using would give about 10% increase in ball velocity with double club head mass. But you'd have to be able to still achieve the same club head speed to get the increase, which I guess is the problem in real life.

[JonWil]

Originally Posted by mandrin

ggsjpc,

Are you quite sure?

If I had you strung up about 50 ft in the air and you had the choice of either 100 lbs of feather or 100 lbs of brick to cushion the inevitable fall since I am going to let go, what would be your preference?

Delicious!

[burners]

It's been 25 years since my last physics course, but how about KE=1/2MV (squared)? In Mandrin's case everything is constant but the mass. However, the mass of the "heavy" object is considerably larger. Not sure I want to solve for Delta KE in this case, but gotta believe that if I have a clubhead on the front of a freight train going the the same velocity as say a javelin with a clubhead on the front, that the train wins the KE prize.

[shortgamer]

If my memory serves me correct I thought I remembered hearing some touring pro's saying they wanted heavy putters for fast greens and light putters for slow greens. Seemed bass ackwards to me at the time. Could this apply to Mandrins question?

[mandrin]

Originally Posted by burners

It's been 25 years since my last physics course, but how about KE=1/2MV (squared)? In Mandrin's case everything is constant but the mass. However, the mass of the "heavy" object is considerably larger. Not sure I want to solve for Delta KE in this case, but gotta believe that if I have a clubhead on the front of a freight train going the the same velocity as say a javelin with a clubhead on the front, that the train wins the KE prize.

burners,

It is indeed very difficult to escape that very strong intuitive feeling when evoking the image of the vehicle or train playing golf.

[ggsjpc]

Originally Posted by mandrin

ggsjpc,

Are you quite sure?

If I had you strung up about 50 ft in the air and you had the choice of either 100 lbs of feather or 100 lbs of brick to cushion the inevitable fall since I am going to let go, what would be your preference?

that won't sway me. we're talking about equal speeds and ball velocity. not feathers and bricks

[mandrin]

I have put the various opinions, posted so far, conveniently together in a bar chart. An interesting wide opinion range.