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A golf ball is said to be "compressed" when hit by a golf club and makes a characteristic "thwack-hiss" sound coming off of the club when impacted by professional golfers (whose impact conditions have been optimized). My question is, what changes between an amateur golfer's impact and a professional golfers impact to produce these characteristic sounds? I understand this is a complex question with multiple factors (different forces acting on a ball at different speeds) but I am very curious what physics experts would say about this?

Thanks!

Chris L
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  • Good question! I'm guessing the speed and the backspin as from my experience it's the stinger/punch with a 3 wood that really makes the most hiss. Directionality and wind, too, probably play a role. – alarge Feb 14 '15 at 01:22
  • Disclaimer: I'm just thinking out loud here, but I'll lay out a few ideas. I think the main factors are the club-head speed (much higher for professionals than amateurs) and the location on the face of the club where impact is made. The nice "ping" is produced when the ball is impacted by the club's sweet spot (center of percussion), it reduces the number of extra vibration modes of the club, producing a much nicer feel and sound. – Tyler Olsen Feb 15 '15 at 15:26

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