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October 6, 2006

Strange But True!

Q. In what sport are manufacturers actually being asked to degrade the next generation of equipment?

A. Golf, constituting possibly a first in the sporting world, says David Gould in “Popular Mechanics.” At issue is how well the modern golfball does its job — too well, say the Augusta National Golf Club, golf course architects and others, including the U.S. Golf Association. Because better and better balls have contributed to longer and longer drives, courses need to keep making renovations, an expensive proposition. At Augusta National, for example, yards have been increased from 6,985 in 1999 to 7,445 for the 2006 Masters Tournament, the equivalent of one hole! So golfball makers have been asked to submit prototypes that fly 15-25 yards shorter than current balls when driven at 120 mph. Three key steps to help “clip a golf ball's wings”: 1. Change the polybutadiene-based core to effect less efficient energy transfer and reduce velocity. 2. Soften the mantle so the ball regains its round shape less quickly, altering acceleration and spin. 3. Revert to prior dimple shapes and geometry, thus increasing ball drag. In other words, golf technology in “reverse drive.”


 
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