Physics of Golf

No sport involves as much physics as the game of golf. From the design of the clubs to the flight of the golf ball and the swing of the golfer the sport is full of applications of physics. My publications dealing with several aspects of the physics of golf are as follows:


The physics of golf; A.R. Penner, 2003, Rep. Prog. Phys. 66, 131

The run of a golf ball; A.R. Penner, 2002, Can. J. Phys., 80, 931

The physics of putting; A.R. Penner, 2002, Can. J. Phys., 80, 1

The physics of golf: The convex face of a driver; A.R. Penner, 2001, Amer. J. Phys., 69, 1073

The physics of golf: The optimum loft of a driver; A.R. Penner, 2001, Amer. J. Phys., 69, 563

I also provided the physics for AimPoint, a feature seen on the golf channel. With AimPoint the point on the green that the golfer should be aiming at is provided in real time, along with the resulting optimal putted path. As part of the team that developed the AimPoint technology I won an Emmy for Innovative Technical Achievement.