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Physics of Golf |
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Trajectory
The loft on a driver varies from 8-12 degrees. This seems extremely low due to the fact that the best angle of a projectile for maximum distance is 45 degrees when neglecting air resistance. There are 3 factors that affect the angle of projection:
1. Gravity, which remains constant throughout the flight.
2. Drag, which increases in proportion to the square of the velocity.
3. Lift, caused by backspin on the ball.
The lift on a ball due to the spin is the reason maximum distance is achieved at such a low angle of projection. Dimples on a golf ball are what cause such a strong Magnus lift force throughout the flight. Magnus lift is the lift force experienced by rotating bodies traveling through a medium. The dimples cause a degree or drag but the force of lift is greater than the drag they cause. "The dimples aid the rapid formation of a turbulent boundary layer around the golf ball in flight, giving more lift. Without them the ball would travel in more of a parabolic trajectory, hitting the ground sooner. This was discovered by accident in the early days of golf when golfers noticed that old roughened golf balls went farther."(math.ucr.edu)
