Swing is a major factor determining a player’s quality in golf. Physics, physics and more physics is what a golf swing is all about. Based on the concept of impact and angular motion from mechanical physics, a golf swing is fully scientific and loaded with concepts from physics. Torque is generated by the twisting swing the golf club. This torque causes rotation by impacting the angular velocity of the golf club. The momentum generated at any point is a product of the mass and the velocity of the moving object and with almost all club heads weighing just about equally, the impact on the long ball and hence the distance traveled by the long ball depends on the velocity of the club head. The speed at which the club head collides on the golf ball is directly proportional to the kinetic energy transferred from the golf club head to the golf ball since kinetic energy is directly proportional to mass of the object (here the golf club head) and the square of its velocity.

Expert golf players generally achieve a velocity of 100 miles per during the impact. It is noted that Tiger Woods reaches a velocity of up to 125 miles per hour demonstrating the importance of the swing and applying physics in the swing. Further angular velocity as defined in mechanical physics depends on the angle of the rotating object and it has been found that there is an optimum angle between the club face and the club shaft and that this angle varies depending on the speed of the swing generated by the golf player. In other words a fast paced swing will have a better result in one angle while a slow paced swing will have a better impact in some other.

A common mistake done during a swing is the flicking of wrists which although provides an illusion a perfect swing; slows it down a lot as per the rules of mechanical physics. Conserving the kinetic energy and the impact in the swing is the only way to a successful swing and that is how players like Tiger woods achieve very long drives.

There are four key elements of a good swing – extending the range of motion, maintaining the speed of the club head, concentrating the force on the impact by synchronized action of hips, wrists and shoulders, ensuring smooth club head rotation that prevents the reduction of impact and momentum on the golf ball.

Spoken generally, the golf club head should have a speed of about 100 miles per hour and the ball should leave the tee at about 140 miles per hour with a backspin of fifty to sixty rotations per second. This maximizes the distance of the drive.

The physics applied in the swing also depends on where the shot is being played. A swing in a sand trap and a swing in a fairway are far from equivalent. During a chip shot out of a sand trap, the sand behind the golf ball should be hit with the club head. The greater the distance between the club and the ball, the lesser is the distance traveled by the golf ball as the sand in between acts as the impact absorber.

Weather also decides the physics adopted for a swing. If 12 degrees in an optimum ‘lie’ angle normally, it may not be constant for a windy situation. If there is headwind, slightly increasing the ‘lie’ angle and lofting the ball is the best way to use the wind to our favor while if it is the other way round, reducing the angle helps accelerating the ball better.

Ultimately a golf swing is filled with physics and the greater a golfer uses concepts from physics, the better is the success rate.