big bad lindz Posted August 17, 2016 Report Share Posted August 17, 2016 Having a debate with work mates about the speed of a golf ball when it is hit from the tee with a driver and whither you can see it or not.. I haven't played golf in years and I found it very hard to follow the ball directly after it was hit but could some times pick it up in flight before it hit the fairway. My golf playing work mate who has a vary low handicap (+3) and has been playing for years, says that he can see the ball of another player being hit and moving off the tee. Is the reaction of the human eye quick enough to be able to do this ?? I know if the weather conditions are right you can some times see the shot pattern of the shot a good bit after it has left the shotgun but not immediately out the barrel and only if you are either firing the gun or standing behind it. Cheers, there is a small wager on this. BBL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iano Posted August 17, 2016 Report Share Posted August 17, 2016 Golfballs don't move the quickly, you can see them. Its often easier to see them if it isn't your shot but I've never not being able to track a ball in flight. Tracking exactly where the little ****** rolled to however... is a very different matter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted August 17, 2016 Report Share Posted August 17, 2016 It depends on the persons swing speed and club. Sometimes I can see the entire ball flight (straight off the tee) when playing with people with slow swing speeds, or old clunky clubs. Most times you catch a flash of the general direction of the ball coming off the tee, but only after a couple of meters or so, where you can then follow the flight path. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbiep Posted August 17, 2016 Report Share Posted August 17, 2016 (edited) Somewhat amusingly (or insanely, depending on how you look at it), a badminton shuttlecock can reach over 200mph in a smash, and well over 150mph at club level. Golf balls driven off the tee rarely go over 200mph, even in the PGA tour. Max shuttlecock speed ever (world record) : 421 kph (262 mph) Max golf ball driven speed (world record) : 349 kph (217mph) And yet us badminton players stand a few feet in front of the smash, and attempt to return it ! Edited August 17, 2016 by robbiep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted August 17, 2016 Report Share Posted August 17, 2016 I would rather be hit by the shuttlecock than a golf ball. You might stand a few feet from a smash and try and return it but I would think no one would stand in front of a golfer and try and hit his ball back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVB Posted August 17, 2016 Report Share Posted August 17, 2016 Somewhat amusingly (or insanely, depending on how you look at it), a badminton shuttlecock can reach over 200mph in a smash, and well over 150mph at club level. Golf balls driven off the tee rarely go over 200mph, even in the PGA tour. Max shuttlecock speed ever (world record) : 421 kph (262 mph) Max golf ball driven speed (world record) : 349 kph (217mph) And yet us badminton players stand a few feet in front of the smash, and attempt to return it ! How quickly does a shuttlecock decelerate though? It might be travelling quickly when it leaves the racquet but it slows down pretty quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbiep Posted August 17, 2016 Report Share Posted August 17, 2016 How quickly does a shuttlecock decelerate though? It might be travelling quickly when it leaves the racquet but it slows down pretty quickly. I'm sure it does too. But you can be just a couple of feet from the smash. As to retained energy, ever seen the footage of shuttlecocks being smashed at watermelons ? They don't slow down that much ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danger-Mouse Posted August 17, 2016 Report Share Posted August 17, 2016 (edited) How quickly does a shuttlecock decelerate though? It might be travelling quickly when it leaves the racquet but it slows down pretty quickly. I'm sure it does too. But you can be just a couple of feet from the smash. As to retained energy, ever seen the footage of shuttlecocks being smashed at watermelons ? They don't slow down that much ! I remember once smashing a shuttlecock at my opponent and hitting him in the nuts. It carried enough power to drop him to the floor in agony. I was only a schoolboy at the time so it wouldn`t have been travelling anywhere near the speeds listed above. Just looked up the watermelon clip. That`s impressive. Edit: had to add this one too. Edited August 17, 2016 by Danger-Mouse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big bad lindz Posted August 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2016 Cheers guys, Having played serious badminton when I was in 20`s I have been on the receiving end a couple of times both from my opponents and from my partners when playing doubles and I think the worst was my partner returning a shot and hit me right in the nape of my neck boy did that hurt. it took a couple of days for the bruising to come out, initially it was just a rather red spot. Still debating it though but I think I may just win the wager. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbiep Posted August 17, 2016 Report Share Posted August 17, 2016 Agreed, the worst ones are when your partner gets it wrong - you're not expecting the strike, really hurts ! Then again, I saw someone get a follow-through a bit strong a couple of years ago in a match, along with their partner moving back at the same time ... and the blade of the racquet came down on their partner's head. Blood everywhere. For those who've never played, the golden rule is that if the shuttle has gone behind you to your partner, you NEVER look round. League matches start in 5 weeks for us ... always fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inthedark Posted August 17, 2016 Report Share Posted August 17, 2016 If it's dark enough full bore bullets can be seen heading down range until they cool down, and they're doing over 2,000 mph. A golf ball should be visible in favourable conditions, maybe try it with a dayglo orange one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougall Posted August 17, 2016 Report Share Posted August 17, 2016 golf ball easy to see.a pro hits a golf ball with driver at @ 160-180 mph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bb Posted August 18, 2016 Report Share Posted August 18, 2016 Not as fast as 28g #8! Allegedly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mighty Prawn Posted August 18, 2016 Report Share Posted August 18, 2016 Just depends where you stand, if you are sideways to the flight your head and eyes are moving too and it's hard to follow, if you stand behind the player looking down the flight you'll see it clear as day The camera guys who do the golf are all evil wizards as how the hell they track, zoom and focus is a work of genius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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