Effect of sidespin and wind on projectile trajectory, with particular application to golf

Abstract

This article describes the computer simulation of the three-dimensional projectile motion of a spinning golf ball subjected to aerodynamic effects. Linear lift and drag forces are employed in the mathematical model and shown to be physically valid for launch conditions typical of a drive with a 1-wood. The effects of sidespin and wind are also included in the model, and an analytical solution of the dynamic equations of motion is obtained. This solution has been encoded in a fortran-77 program to provide rapid computation of trajectories, and graphical plots are presented that clearly illustrate the resulting ‘‘slicing’’ or ‘‘hooking’’ motion. Finally, the effects of various combinations of sidespin and crosswind on the final ball position are presented. Specifically, it is shown that a ball hit with sidespin into a crosswind can fly farther than it could in conditions of no wind.