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Golf Club Angles and Momentum
Name: Josh
Status: student
Grade: 9-12
Location: CT
Country: N/A
Date: 4/18/2005
Question:
In golf, how is momentum affected by different angles
of different clubs?
Replies:
Hi, Josh,
If you use a club with a larger angle so the ball starts out moving a larger
angle above the horizontal, the force the club exerted on the ball is
clearly at a larger angle above the horizontal. Then, by Newton's second
law (For every action (force), there is an equal and opposite reaction) the
ball exerts a more downward force back on the club. Since the club cannot
move much vertically (if it is held firmly in the hands of the golfer), the
effective horizontal component of the force of the ball back on the club
will be reduced so the momentum of the club is reduced by a smaller amount.
The ball also receives a smaller component of momentum forward and so does
not travel as far.
Does this answer your question? I'm not sure which momentum you are asking
about, If you still have questions, please try again,
Best, Dick Plano, Professor of Physics emeritus, Rutgers University
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Update: June 2012
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