One of my favorite things to watch on SportsCenter is Sport
Science. I loved Physics in undergrad so
using physics in relation to sports intrigues me. I was sitting on my couch the other day
checking out old Sports Sciences on the internet and I came about a golf one:
New Technology vs. Old.
In this class we
talk about the new media and technology and new technology during games such as
instant replay. This talks about the
advances of technology in reference to the equipment. In this episode of Sports Science, the host,
John Brenkus, invites Rory McIlroy in to demonstrate the difference between
today’s modern equipment and three-decade old equipment. The results are amazing.
Technology has changed golf
dramatically. First, Rory McIlroy used
his current driver to hit some tee shots.
His current driver produces speeds over 120 MPH. His drives average over 300 yards. First off, that in itself amazes me,
regardless of technology or not. Then he
took some tee shots with an old, wood driver.
The results were very different.
The one number they discussed was the energy transfer efficiency. The modern clubs ETE was 83% while the old
clubs was only 78%. With less energy
transfer, the ball is in contact with the club for a shorter amount of time
which produces less speed. While the new
driver’s ball speed at contact is 177.6 MPH, the old driver’s ball speed is
significantly less at 164.8 MPH. This
causes the ball to travel 45 yards shorter than the new driver. That the difference between about 3
clubs!
Next, he compared new balls to
old balls. This is the part that intrigued
me the most. I didn’t think a certain
type of ball could make that big of difference in golf but I was wrong. While the new ball left Rory’s club at an
average speed of 177.6 MPH, the old ball left at a slower speed of 169.2
MPH. Compared to the new ball, the old
ball carries about 16 yards shorter and rolls out about 6 yards less.
No matter what sport, it is amazing to see how new advances
in technology have changed the
games. Whether it is social media,
equipment, facilities, or advances within the game, technology will continue to
change sports over the years.
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=10737949
Wow, as a hobby golfer I found your blog very interesting. In class we are discussing so much about technology advances such the instant reply, video screening, wifi. Advances that make viewing the game more enjoyable. We often forget about advances that enhance the actual performance of the game. The difference between modern clubs and old clubs is ridiculous, but not surprising. I think the advances can be tied into other sports as well. For example, look at football helmets. What use to be a leather hat has turned into a plastic shell with a metal face mask and its not stopping there. Technology advances in the football helmets are becoming a popular thing. In the equipment room at USD we received sensors from Riddell that actually relay messages to trainers about how hard a player has hit its head and how many times he has hit his head. Overall, technical advances are not just in social networking or media coverage, but in the actual game itself.
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