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The effect of dimple error on the horizontal launch angle and side spin of the golf ball during putting

  • Ashley K. Richardson(corresponding author)
    ,
  • Andrew C.S. Mitchell
    ,
  • Gerwyn Hughes
*Corresponding author for this work
  • Abertay University
    ,
  • University of Hertfordshire
Research Output:
Contribution to journal
Article
 Peer-review

Open access

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the effect of the impact point on the golf ball on the horizontal launch angle and side spin during putting with a mechanical putting arm and human participants. Putts of 3.2m were completed with a mechanical putting arm (four putter-ball combinations, total of 160 trials) and human participants (two putter-ball combinations, total of 337 trials). The centre of the dimple pattern (centroid) was located and the following variables were measured: distance and angle of the impact point from the centroid and surface area of the impact zone. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify whether impact variables had significant associations with ball roll variables, horizontal launch angle and side spin. Significant associations were identified between impact variables and horizontal launch angle with the mechanical putting arm but this was not replicated with human participants. The variability caused by dimple error was minimal with the mechanical putting arm and not evident with human participants. Differences between the mechanical putting arm and human participants may be due to the way impulse is imparted on the ball. Therefore it is concluded that variability of impact point on the golf ball has a minimal effect on putting performance.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output:
Contribution to journal
Article
 Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 224-230 (7 pages)

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

Journal of Sports Sciences (Volume 35, Issue 3)

Publication milestones

  • Accepted/In press - 26/02/2016
  • Published - 16/03/2016

Publication status

Published - 16/03/2016

ISSN

0264-0414

Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/622504
  • Scopus: 84962570609
  • PubMed: 26982533

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