HOW GOLF CLUBS REALLY WORK AND HOW TO OPTIMIZE THEIR DESIGNS

by Frank D. Werner and Richard C. Greig

This book has 37 short chapters each with a section written for the serious golfer and most have a second section written for those interested in the science and optimal design of golf clubs. As such, it is 2 books in one. There are 28 tables and 76 figures to illustrate details. Much of this book was adapted from 66 articles which we have written for monthly publication in Japan, starting in 1995, in "Golf Equipment World", Tokyo. Refer to Better Golf from New Research for a condensed, less technical presentation of this information.

WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK

by Roger P. Ganem

Do you think your swing is always to blame for the erratic flight of that white sphere that measures only 1.68 inches in diameter and is no heavier than 1.620 ounces? Have you ever borrowed a friend's club and hit a sensational shot, making you wonder what is wrong with yours? A Ph.D. and a near-Ph.D. in aerospace engineering have dedicated themselves and more than a decade of experimental research and design of golf clubs. They are now offering to you their intriguing analysis based on fundamental physics and mathematics, as well as their extensive and amazing new kinds of tests. You will be able to read, perhaps for the very first time, about the why and wherefore of the flight of the ball and how to maneuver it, as well as the definitive part your clubs play in this often frustrating but fascinating sport.

Dr. Frank Werner and Richard Greig of Tech Line have gone to great lengths to de-mystify the factors that play a part in your efforts, whether you are the gifted professional, a golf instructor or the beleaguered amateur, male or female.

Much of this information has never before been published, and much is unknown to most of us. The extensive "Technical Notes" at the end of most chapters will be of much interest to club designers, researchers and golfers with some scientific background. Their findings are consistent with the experience of golfers and their studies and conclusions qualitatively confirm their research.

This book also discusses Tech Line's research on the mechanical properties of the ground over which the game is played, i.e. the grass on greens, fairways and tees; their experimental laboratory research and specific results of explorations of the effects of variables such as golfer characteristics, design variables, wind, temperature, humidity, altitude, elevation or depression of the landing area, the statistical combination of errors, and more.

The book is not intended as a guidebook for the design of clubs, but as an introduction to the fundamentals of how golf club design may be optimized for best performance. The reader will be hypnotized, especially with the abbreviations. Some will prefer to use this book as a reference, educating themselves so as to increase their enjoyment of the game, rather than completely reading all parts.

The serious golfer will find useful information about the behavior of shots under various conditions, confirming information he may already know.

The book is also not intended for promotional purposes, but in a few instances some of Tech Lines' own patented designs have been used to illustrate results. Here are some of the common situations contained the book:

1. Characteristics of the scatter of hits on the faces of clubs and those partly off the face
2. Factors that affect distance
3. Full and partial shots with irons
4. Effects of moving the ball back in the stance
5. Greens that are above or below the golfer
6. Estimating wind velocity and its effects
7. Errors due to hits which are too low or too high on the face
8. Suggestions for best aiming
9. Suggestions for causing or avoiding hooks and slices
10. Undetected scuffing with the putter
11. How far past the hole one should putt
12. A discussion of unnecessary putting errors

You will be pleased to know that Werner and Greig are much better at engineering than at golf. (They work too hard and too long to have low handicaps.)

This book will lead to much new thinking about golf. It is different from any book you have ever read about golf, in format, style, and content, as you will see in all the other chapters.

You will find that Appendix 3 is a fascinating view of the technical outlook for golf and golf clubs 100 years ago. Times have changed!

Now, read on for enlightening and incredible discoveries and conclusions by two dedicated scientists of the tools of your business or favorite pastime - GOLF.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

PART 1 OUR MODEL OF A GOLF HIT

1. Why you should read this book
2. Our technical model
3. Some examples of driver shots with our model
4. Golfer errors
5. Scatter of stop points

6. The need for a performance rating
7. Variables which affect shot distance
8. Effects of LA and cg location on drives
9. Ball speed, launch angle, and backspin
10. Full shots with irons
11. Partial shots with irons
12. Iron shots when the ball position is moved back
13. Greens above or below the golfer
14. The effects of wind on golf shots
15. Estimating wind speed and correcting for it
16. Loss of distance caused by air drag on head and shaft

17. Hits partly off the face (POF hits)
18. Optimum face curvature for golf clubs
19. Behavior of golf club shafts
20. Selection of a club shaft and grip
21. Performance and CHD rating for drivers
22. Fairway woods and irons
23. Pitch and chip shots
24. Span, the up-down range for good hits
25. Aiming, hooks, and slices
26. Effects of ball design variables

27. The model and our research on putters
28. Hit pattern errors in putting
29. Head speed, alignment, the green, and other putting errors
30. Effective hole diameter and the hole zone
31. Travel of the ball and the stop zone
32. Putter aiming and the aim distance
33. Sweet spot, inertia, and cg of the head
34. Unnecessary putting errors
35. Effects of scuffing the grass
36. Performance rating of putters

37. New and Useful Results of Our Research

© 2001 TECH LINE CORP