The Physics of Golf (2d Edition)
Forty years ago Charles Percy Snow wrote a fascinating book of lectures, still in print, called The Two Cultures. The English baron and novelist, trained as a chemist and physicist, discussed the cultural, social, and language divisions between those trained in the sciences and those trained in the arts. Snow argued for better communication among those working in either field.
The Two Cultures had a significant impact on curriculum choices in many American universities. It supported the principle that college students should not concentrate solely upon their chosen major, but should instead broaden their perspective.
It appears that Professor Jorgensen took Baron Snow’s arguments to heart. The Physics of Golf introduces its readers to some basic physics principles and applies them to golf. It is worth the intellectual effort.
I can’t say that this was the easiest golf book I’ve ever read. On a few occasions, my hair hurt. Nonetheless, I learned quite a bit.
For those who did not major in physics in college, I strongly recommend beginning the book by reading Section 9 of the Technical Appendix. Jorgensen noted that after the first edition came out, readers’ comments made him realize the need for a short course in basic physics principles. He wrote this new section for that purpose.
I started the book without first reading Section 9. Shortly thereafter I came upon this passage:
The system rotates about a center at O, which has a horizontal acceleration a. At the beginning of the downswing, rod A is at an angle gamma with the downward direction, and the wrist-cock angle beta (ß) has the value ß(0). At any time in the downswing, rod A is at angle theta from the downward direction having moved through the downswing angle alpha (a) from its initial value a = 0, and the wrist cock angle has the value ß.
I knew every word in this segment was in English, except for the Greek symbols. Nonetheless, I had no clue what Jorgensen was saying. I then read through Section 9, twice. It was a great help.
As with many other specialized areas, such as engineering or law, physics uses its own terms of art. Jorgensen did good work in making these terms understandable to the general reader with this special section.
In the main text, Jorgensen devotes most chapters to the elements of the golf swing. Experimental work with stroboscopic photography enabled him to calculate the benefits of crucial elements of a good swing, and the detriments of certain common swing faults.
For example, Jorgensen demolishes the argument that a good swing involves a stationary pivot on the spine’s axis. A fully effective swing also includes a noticeable horizontal shift of the entire axis.
His analysis of rotational motion also shows why casting the club from the top of the backswing leads to inefficient results. He also proves that a short backswing is far better than a long backswing for most golfers.
The best mental image he produced for me was to think of the golf swing as akin to the action of a bullwhip. That image, combined with the description of the physics principles involved in using a whip, made the rest of his suggestions easier to understand and accept.
Jorgensen also demostrates with physics principles what Dave Pelz argued on the basis of extended experimentation—for the best results, short putt attempts should be made with sufficient force to go beyond the hole by 17 inches to 2 feet if they miss. Babying a putt of this length actually produces worse results.
The professor also veered away from physics for a short chapter on statistical probability and handicapping. Given my professional interest in that field, I found his comments very interesting. His analysis supports my view that handicap stroke allocations should be updated and recalculated on a routine basis.
While no one will confuse the professor’s writing style with John Updike, there is much to recommend this short study.
Golfing physicists will love this book. It should also appeal to the liberal arts graduate open to an intellectual challenge or two from the other culture.
Review date: February 12, 2000