Scigolf Presents Jack Kuykendall's Myths of Golf - #5 - What Really Produces club head Speed

What Really Produces club head speed - Work!

In the last four articles, physics has proven the following:

The inside does not move the outside.
Big muscles theories are incorrect.
Centrifugal force is a reaction force and therefore is not a real force.
Body mass (weight) contributes less than 1% toward club head speed.

2. Arm speed produces approximately 85% toward club head speed.

3. It takes muscles and strength to move the arms.

Now, lets look at the prediction of the kinetic energy equation.

Strength
club head speed is produced by strength of the muscles that move the arms.

Work = Kinetic energy (KE) = 1/2mv^2 .

Kinetic energy is the work required to accelerate a mass to final velocity.

The work performed on a club head from the top of the stroke to impact determines the kinetic energy of the club head at impact. How much additional work would be required to increase a club head's velocity from 80 to 90mph, from 80 to 100 mph, from 80 to 110 mph, etc.?

Since the mass remains the same, squaring the velocity is all that is necessary:

v	v^2	Ratio of 80 mph to the others
80	6,400	-
90	8,100	1.3 times more work
100	10,000	1.6
110	12,100	1.9
120	14,400	2.25
130	16,900	2.6
140	19,600	3.0

What the kinetic energy equation (KE = 1/2 mv^2 ) shows is that it takes 2.25 times the work to go from 80 to 120 mph. The reason it is so difficult to increase club head velocity is that it takes a large increase in work. The work is a "v" squared term.

It takes strength to increase work. To produce more work, you must have the strength. This is where body mass or weight can play a major role. As we've shown body mass contributes about 1%, but there is a correlation between muscle mass or size and strength. This is why women, in general, will not hit golf balls as far as men. I said in general for women because Laura Davies can hit a golf ball farther than most men. Is she an exception? No, Laura Davies is 5'11" and weights 185 pounds. She is bigger and stronger than the average man.

Most long drivers, the guys who generate between 130 and 160 mph, who drive the ball consistently over 350 yards, are between 6' and 6'6" and weigh between 200 and 250 pounds. You must have the strength to increase the club head's velocity.

Summary:

You transfer club head momentum (mass times velocity) into the ball. You do not transfer club head velocity squared into the ball.
It takes forearm strength applied 0.06 seconds before impact to produce maximum club head velocity. It takes work to increase the club head's velocity!