Center of Mass Golf Club Toss
Physics, mechanics, etc…can play havoc with our golf game if we think about it while we play, but it happens behind the scenes during every shot. Lately I’ve been seeing golfers actively raise the handle of the club at impact. Another example of the handle raise is Foresight club data when the club face displays a severe toe down action at impact. All of a sudden I thought about an object rotating about the center of mass, physics. We can find formulas and equations to find the center of mass of an object, but I think we can get a rough idea by just looking at the shape of the club. In the example, I have an orange training shaft with a center of mass along the shaft itself. In the left hand I have a large training club with a center of mass off the shaft. When the club head speed increases so does centrifugal force and the center of mass tries to align with the grip point of the club. Check out the video and see how the two objets rotate when I toss them at the screen. Can you imagine how you need to force the grip of the club, let’s say, in a down direction during the impact zone (or earlier) of a shot? And while we’re thinking about it, can you imagine where your center of mass is located on you body, and how you may rotate around it?
