Simulating the Contact of Golf Club to Ball for Improved Performance

Abstract:

Long before FEA was developed, people were participating in sports and as competition intensified is became clear that for many sports, the equipment plays as important a part in performance as does the athlete. With the use of modern materials and manufacturing processes there is always scope for maximizing the performance of sporting equipment. Traditionally improvements were incremental, as athletes fed-back suggestions to manufacturers and new prototypes were built and tested. Given the cost of tooling for many of the current manufacturing methods, carbon fibre with resin infusion to mention one, it is clear that such build and test iterations are not as preferable given the potential of limited success and high cost.Modern simulation techniques are capable of examining a “day–in–the-life” of an object and from an examination of the envelope of response the most sensitive regions can be detected. Iteration on the design variables, provided they remain within any constraints, be they physical or otherwise, can be incorporated to investigate their effect on performance.In this paper non-linear transient dynamic (NLTD) FEA is undertaken on a 3 iron golf club impacting a golf ball. During the less than 0.5 millisecond impact the whole outcome of the shit is established. Design changes that can lead to improved performance are studied. From the FEA simulation information on ball top spin, side spin, take off velocity are investigated.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 846)
• Pages: 294-299
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.846.294
• Online since: July 2016
• Authors: Grant P. Steven*, Jacob Celermajer
• Keywords: Finite Element Analysis, Golf, Impact, Non-Linear Transient Dynamics, Optimization

References

[1] Pugh, A., Hamilton, R., Nash, D. and Otto, S. 2010, Characterization of the materials in golf ball construction for use in finite element analysis. Procedia Engineering, 2(2), pp.2331-3236.

DOI: 10.1016/j.proeng.2010.04.137

[2] G+D Computing, STRAND7 User Guide, Sydney, (2003).

[3] KJ Bathe Numerical Methods in Finite Element Analysis Prentice-Hall, (1976).

[4] RR Craig Structural Dynamics: An Introduction to Computer Methods Wiley (1981).

[5] Barber, R. 2007, Golf Ball Flight Dynamics, Cornell University, New York, USA.

[6] Bowden, J. 2013, Carry Distance vs. Swing Speed Chart, Golf WRX, [online]. Available at: <http: /www. golfwrx. com/64715/carry-distance-vs-swing-speed-chart/> [Accessed 30 April 2015].

[7] Iwatsubo, T., Kawamura, S., Miyamoto, K. & Yamaguchi, T. 2000, Numerical analysis of golf club head and ball at various impact points. Sports Engineering, 3(4), pp.195-204.

DOI: 10.1046/j.1460-2687.2000.00055.x

[8] Mase, T. undated, Experimental Benchmarking Gold Ball Mechanical Properties. http: /sem-proceedings. com/04s/sem. org-SEM-X-Int-Cong-s113p03-Experimental-Benchmarking-Golf-Ball-Mechanical-Properties. pdf.

[9] Penner, A. 2002, The Physics of Golf. Reports on Progress in Physics, 66, pp.131-171.

[10] Tavares, G., Sullivan, M. and Nesbitt, D. 1999, Use of Finite Element Analysis in Design of Multilayer Golf Balls. Science and Golf III: Proceedings of the 1998 World Scientific Congress of Golf. Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL, USA, pp.473-480.

[11] USGA, 2006, Interim Report on Study of Spin Generation, Far Hills, New Jersey: USGA.