Sadly, as the semester is approaching its end along with my communicating science blog project this will be my final blog post. I have attempted to engage the readers with short stories about my experiences with sports and the knowledge I have attained from them. I hope that by relating materials engineering to the popular world of athletics that I have piqued your interest. I had a good time recalling some of my fondest memories as a kid on the golf course, ball diamond and hockey rink. I hope that my posts were entertaining and somewhat informative.
Thank-you for tuning in.
So long,
Sean
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
World Long Drive Champion
Many of my posts have centered around the golf world. In my introduction I laid out some of my experience that has increased my knowledge, in this post I will go a little deeper into this experience. I began golfing at the age of 10. This was just after I watched the 1997 Masters tournament where a young Tiger Woods took the golf world by storm winning the prestigious tournament in his first season as a professional. My first year of golf was purely recreational, a couple of friends of mine played on the weekends with their dads and I would join them the odd time. I became slightly more serious about the game the next summer as I bought my first membership and spent the summer biking to the golf course in the morning and spending the rest of the day there. A couple of my good friends from hockey were also getting pretty serious about the game. One of them was local rising junior golfer who often won the local junior tournaments. I remember many rainy days in the clubhouse spent watching the Golf Channel's Drive, Chip and Putt. A competition where junior golfers competed nationally and were awarded points on driving distance and chipping and putting accuracy. I remember always thinking that if my friend were to enter one of these competitions he would win easily. You see he grew up in a hockey family, his dad and both older brothers played some seriously good hockey and he grew up looking up to them. As a kid he had a very frightening slapshot and this transferred very well to his golf game. At the age of twelve he could outdrive most of the adults at our club. As we grew older I honed in on my short game and although I could never outdrive him my touch around the greens allowed our matches to become quite competitive.
At 14 we both began working at the golf course, whether it was picking driving range balls or attending to the proshop. The lack of any club fixing and regripping services at the course allowed us to experiment with the trade. At a very young age we began regripping, reshafting, and customizing customers golf clubs. We became very good at the art and gained a very strong knowledge of golf equipment. Once we got in to high school I started playing some very competitive golf at the provincial and national level which eventually led to my scholarship at the Colorado School of Mines. My friend, instead, took the hockey root. He played Junior A (the top junior league in Canada under the CHL) and moved to a new town focusing on hockey instead of golf.
The hockey career didn't last long for him however, as he soon after received his big break in golf. He entered a long drive contest at a local course winning easily. He then moved on through more qualifiers to eventually reach the World Junior Long Drive Championship in Mesquite, Nevada. He placed 4th in his first year but would go on to win the junior title the following 2 years all the while setting the junior world record at 434 yards. As soon as he was eligible to compete in the men's category he made his mark in the Long Drive world by winning consecutive world championships in his 2nd and 3rd years of eligibility. He now makes a very lucrative living traveling around the country putting on shows at PGA tour events.
Having signed numerous endorsement deals he now spends time with golf club manufacturers customizing and designing his own golf clubs. Apparently all of that fooling around as a kid has really paid off for him. We still often talk about the manufacturing of clubs and I've been able to learn a lot from him in recent years. If you ever get the chance to watch one of his shows I highly recommend it. The things this guy does with a golf club are truly amazing and even manage to drop the jaws of the top touring professionals.
My friends name is Jamie Sadlowski and I have a learned a lot about the golf club from him. Here's a couple videos of him. The first his of his first World Championship win and the second is a show he did at Gary McCord's (famous golf announcer) home course in Vail, CO.
Sean
At 14 we both began working at the golf course, whether it was picking driving range balls or attending to the proshop. The lack of any club fixing and regripping services at the course allowed us to experiment with the trade. At a very young age we began regripping, reshafting, and customizing customers golf clubs. We became very good at the art and gained a very strong knowledge of golf equipment. Once we got in to high school I started playing some very competitive golf at the provincial and national level which eventually led to my scholarship at the Colorado School of Mines. My friend, instead, took the hockey root. He played Junior A (the top junior league in Canada under the CHL) and moved to a new town focusing on hockey instead of golf.
The hockey career didn't last long for him however, as he soon after received his big break in golf. He entered a long drive contest at a local course winning easily. He then moved on through more qualifiers to eventually reach the World Junior Long Drive Championship in Mesquite, Nevada. He placed 4th in his first year but would go on to win the junior title the following 2 years all the while setting the junior world record at 434 yards. As soon as he was eligible to compete in the men's category he made his mark in the Long Drive world by winning consecutive world championships in his 2nd and 3rd years of eligibility. He now makes a very lucrative living traveling around the country putting on shows at PGA tour events.
Having signed numerous endorsement deals he now spends time with golf club manufacturers customizing and designing his own golf clubs. Apparently all of that fooling around as a kid has really paid off for him. We still often talk about the manufacturing of clubs and I've been able to learn a lot from him in recent years. If you ever get the chance to watch one of his shows I highly recommend it. The things this guy does with a golf club are truly amazing and even manage to drop the jaws of the top touring professionals.
My friends name is Jamie Sadlowski and I have a learned a lot about the golf club from him. Here's a couple videos of him. The first his of his first World Championship win and the second is a show he did at Gary McCord's (famous golf announcer) home course in Vail, CO.
Sean
Wheel You Marry Me?
Summertime may have meant baseball in my younger years and golf in my older years but winter always meant one thing: HOCKEY! I mean come on I'm Canadian. I spent much of my time traveling around the province of Alberta, going to hockey tournaments. When I wasn't practicing or playing organized hockey we would often get a game of "shinny" (pick-up hockey) going at the local outdoor rink or even by shoveling off a frozen pond at someone's family farm. In the summer when other sports just wouldn't cut it we would get a game of road hockey going within the neighborhood. Having moved to the US the thing I missed most was hockey. There just wasn't the same amount of interest from people my age to get a game going. Recently I found a cure to my craving. This last year I have been playing in a roller hockey league once a week. This was fairly new to me. Although we often rollerbladed back home to stay in shape during the offseason or to have a good time and get some ice cream on a date, we never played roller hockey. There was no need. There was always plenty of ice available in the winter and the summer was either spent on other sports or playing the odd game of road hockey.
I am still getting the hang of roller hockey. I'm still a very good skater and good at handling the puck but I still haven't figured out stopping on wheels. They say you're supposed to mimic a hockey stop but although I manage to turn my skates perpendicular to my direction of motion I still don't seem to stop. When I started shopping for rollerblades I wasn't expecting it to be too hard. I spent my whole life buying hockey skates how could it be much different. Boy was I wrong!
The boot of a roller hockey skate is nearly identical to an ice skate. The frame is pretty simple as well. It is generally made out of carbon fiber, extruded aluminum, or magnesium. It gets complicated when you get to the wheels and bearings. When I first bought m rollerblades they were fitted with outdoor wheels (I didn't know this at the time). They are made of a hard plastic that is meant to withstand the rigors of the uneven asphalt that you skate on. When I began playing in an indoor arena my skates did not perform very well. The outdoor wheels are too hard to grip the relatively smooth tile surface of an indoor rink. I set out to learn as much as I could in a short period of time about indoor wheels.
The first thing about roller wheels is the setup. The simplest of setups is 4 wheels all of the same size. However more advanced skaters will often manipulate the sizes of the wheels in order to increase performance. Sometimes the front and back wheels are slightly smaller than the middle two in order to imitate the curved surface of an ice skate blade. Another setup, and the one that I chose, gradually decreases the size of the wheels from front to back. This setup allows the weight of the skater to be pushed forward increasing speed and acceleration. These different setups can often increase maneuverability but decreases stability at high speeds. The other disadvantage to these setups is that you must purchase each wheel individually and not in sets making them much more costly.
The indoor wheels are comprised of polyurethane. The inner layer of the wheel is fairly soft, while the outer layer is harder. The combination of the two allows the wheel to deform slightly and grip the tile floor while the harder outer layer increases durability so that the wheels do not need to be changed very often. The combination of plastics needed to construct the indoor wheel also make them considerably more expensive than outdoor wheels. For my full setup of indoor wheels I payed roughly $80, a fairly steep amount to pay considering the skates only cost around $130. With my indoor wheels I have much more control and have grown to enjoy the game much more. If you plan on buying rollerblades and perhaps playing some roller hockey I suggest educating yourself on wheels and setups and tailoring them both to your specific needs.
Sean
I am still getting the hang of roller hockey. I'm still a very good skater and good at handling the puck but I still haven't figured out stopping on wheels. They say you're supposed to mimic a hockey stop but although I manage to turn my skates perpendicular to my direction of motion I still don't seem to stop. When I started shopping for rollerblades I wasn't expecting it to be too hard. I spent my whole life buying hockey skates how could it be much different. Boy was I wrong!
The boot of a roller hockey skate is nearly identical to an ice skate. The frame is pretty simple as well. It is generally made out of carbon fiber, extruded aluminum, or magnesium. It gets complicated when you get to the wheels and bearings. When I first bought m rollerblades they were fitted with outdoor wheels (I didn't know this at the time). They are made of a hard plastic that is meant to withstand the rigors of the uneven asphalt that you skate on. When I began playing in an indoor arena my skates did not perform very well. The outdoor wheels are too hard to grip the relatively smooth tile surface of an indoor rink. I set out to learn as much as I could in a short period of time about indoor wheels.
The first thing about roller wheels is the setup. The simplest of setups is 4 wheels all of the same size. However more advanced skaters will often manipulate the sizes of the wheels in order to increase performance. Sometimes the front and back wheels are slightly smaller than the middle two in order to imitate the curved surface of an ice skate blade. Another setup, and the one that I chose, gradually decreases the size of the wheels from front to back. This setup allows the weight of the skater to be pushed forward increasing speed and acceleration. These different setups can often increase maneuverability but decreases stability at high speeds. The other disadvantage to these setups is that you must purchase each wheel individually and not in sets making them much more costly.
The indoor wheels are comprised of polyurethane. The inner layer of the wheel is fairly soft, while the outer layer is harder. The combination of the two allows the wheel to deform slightly and grip the tile floor while the harder outer layer increases durability so that the wheels do not need to be changed very often. The combination of plastics needed to construct the indoor wheel also make them considerably more expensive than outdoor wheels. For my full setup of indoor wheels I payed roughly $80, a fairly steep amount to pay considering the skates only cost around $130. With my indoor wheels I have much more control and have grown to enjoy the game much more. If you plan on buying rollerblades and perhaps playing some roller hockey I suggest educating yourself on wheels and setups and tailoring them both to your specific needs.
Sean
Wanna have a catch?
Long before I was a golfer, summertime meant baseball season. As a young kid my parents first enrolled me in soccer. What were they thinking? Not for me. The next year I played t-ball and that was more like it. I moved up to baseball underage and played with the older kids. I am not the tallest of people now and at that age I wasn't either. As a youngster I was pretty easy to spot on the diamond. I was the kid with his uniform passed his knees playing with kids 2-3 years older and nearly a foot taller. My parents spent weekends playing slow-pitch. You may have noticed in my last post that they passed that down to me. As a kid some of my fondest memories are running after foul balls at slow-pitch tournaments with the other kids. The kid who brought back the foul ball was often given a quarter to spend on candy at the concession stand. My first after school job was taking care of the town ball diamonds. One of my most embarrassing moments as a young teenager was when I crashed the tractor as I was floating the infield. There was a girls softball tournament in town and a particularly good looking team was changing in the dougout. I may have gotten slightly distracted :P.
Well now that I have ranted on about my childhood, on to the technical part. You see similar to my previous golf ball story, one of the best parts as a kid growing up at the ball diamonds was finding a ball with the cover partially ripped off. Similar to a golf ball the inside of a baseball is composed of a rubber ball type core and covered with wound up wool material. The cover is made from cowhide. Similar to baseball bats the baseball hasn't gone through many changes throughout history. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that baseball is considered America's pastime and such a nostalgic sport; the game hasn't changed much over the years.
A major league baseball consists of a rubber/cork core called a "pill". The pill is is composed of an inner cushioned cork ball with a 13/16" diameter. The cork is encased by a two layers of rubber, a black inner layer and a red outer layer. The entire pill measures 4 1/8" in circumference. There are four layers of wool and poly/cotton wound threads that surround the inner "pill". Wool is selected as the material for this layer due to its natural resiliency and memory. This allows the ball to regain its perfectly round shape shortly after being hit and compressed by the bat.
Finally the outer cover is made from Number One Grade, alum-tanned full grain cow hide. This is the only significant change in the ball over the years. In 1974 due to a shortage of horses, the outer layer changed from horsehide to cowhide. The cover is stitched together with 88 inches of waxed red thread.
If you're like me and grew up around the baseball diamonds then you most likely ripped apart an old baseball and got down to the inner core. If you haven't then at least you now know what's inside.
In the last post I showed a clip from one of my favorite baseball movies The Natural. This time I show a clip from my favorite baseball movie and one of my favorite movies of all time Field of Dreams:
Sean
Well now that I have ranted on about my childhood, on to the technical part. You see similar to my previous golf ball story, one of the best parts as a kid growing up at the ball diamonds was finding a ball with the cover partially ripped off. Similar to a golf ball the inside of a baseball is composed of a rubber ball type core and covered with wound up wool material. The cover is made from cowhide. Similar to baseball bats the baseball hasn't gone through many changes throughout history. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that baseball is considered America's pastime and such a nostalgic sport; the game hasn't changed much over the years.
A major league baseball consists of a rubber/cork core called a "pill". The pill is is composed of an inner cushioned cork ball with a 13/16" diameter. The cork is encased by a two layers of rubber, a black inner layer and a red outer layer. The entire pill measures 4 1/8" in circumference. There are four layers of wool and poly/cotton wound threads that surround the inner "pill". Wool is selected as the material for this layer due to its natural resiliency and memory. This allows the ball to regain its perfectly round shape shortly after being hit and compressed by the bat.
Finally the outer cover is made from Number One Grade, alum-tanned full grain cow hide. This is the only significant change in the ball over the years. In 1974 due to a shortage of horses, the outer layer changed from horsehide to cowhide. The cover is stitched together with 88 inches of waxed red thread.
If you're like me and grew up around the baseball diamonds then you most likely ripped apart an old baseball and got down to the inner core. If you haven't then at least you now know what's inside.
In the last post I showed a clip from one of my favorite baseball movies The Natural. This time I show a clip from my favorite baseball movie and one of my favorite movies of all time Field of Dreams:
Sean
The Wonderboy!
Well summer is fast approaching and I can't wait! My favorite thing about summer, other than golf obviously, is slow-pitch, the lazier, drunker, version of baseball or softball. Back home most of the teenagers and young adults travel to slow-pitch tournaments around the area nearly every weekend. We bring tents, sleeping bags, RV's or basically anything you can sleep in, on, or under. The weekend is filled with playing ball, relaxing and partying with friends. This year I figured it was time for a new bat. Slow pitch bats are the same as softball bats as the barrel is a consistent size towards the end of the bat. Baseball bats differ in that they increase in diameter nearly the entire length of the bat. Baseball and softball bats are made of many different alloys these days other than the wood bats used in the MLB. Aluminum is the most common metal bat. Worth began manufacturing aluminum bats in the 1970's. Because these bats were able to be made stronger and lighter they were ideal for young kids who weren't strong enough to swing a wood bat. The MLB has never allowed anything but wood baseball bats due to safety reasons. This is good thing...Have you ever been to a baseball game?....There's nothing like the "crack" from a wooden bat.
Wooden bats haven't gone through nearly as much change as you might thing. For almost their entire history the bats have been made generally of white ash. Louisville Slugger was one of the first companies to manufacture baseball bats. It started in 1884 when a young 17-year-old boy was watching his favorite professional player in Louisville. The player was frustrated that he had just broken his favorite bat so the boy asked if he could make him a new bat. Well he did and the next game the player went 3 for 3. Word spread quickly and soon after a brand name was born. The only other major change in baseball bat manufacturing came in 2001. When Barry Bonds had his magical season hitting 73 home runs, he was using a maple bat. Well people try and copy success so since then the maple baseball bat has become a very popular option in the pro leagues.
What is the best baseball bat of all time? In my opinion it's the Wonderboy! Not sure if anyone else has seen the classic baseball movie The Natural but it's one of my favorites. Check out this small clip of the movie:
Sean
Wooden bats haven't gone through nearly as much change as you might thing. For almost their entire history the bats have been made generally of white ash. Louisville Slugger was one of the first companies to manufacture baseball bats. It started in 1884 when a young 17-year-old boy was watching his favorite professional player in Louisville. The player was frustrated that he had just broken his favorite bat so the boy asked if he could make him a new bat. Well he did and the next game the player went 3 for 3. Word spread quickly and soon after a brand name was born. The only other major change in baseball bat manufacturing came in 2001. When Barry Bonds had his magical season hitting 73 home runs, he was using a maple bat. Well people try and copy success so since then the maple baseball bat has become a very popular option in the pro leagues.
What is the best baseball bat of all time? In my opinion it's the Wonderboy! Not sure if anyone else has seen the classic baseball movie The Natural but it's one of my favorites. Check out this small clip of the movie:
Sean
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Holy Puck!
A hockey puck is about as simple as it gets. A hunk of vulcanized rubber 3 inches in diameter, 1 inch think and approximately 6 ounces. The pucks are frozen before each game and in an ice-cooler in the penalty box during the game. By lowering the temperature of the pucks glide is increased and the amount of bounce is decreased. A puck is an extremely durable piece of equipment but earlier this year someone managed the unthinkable. Check out this video:
Check out this video to see how it worked:
In 1996 Fox Sports attempted to revolutionize the game of hockey for viewers by introducing a new puck. Inside the puck was a computer board as well as several infrared emitters. Pin-sized holes are drilled though the puck to allow the infrared waves to be emitted. Several receptors were placed around the rink and connected to the "Puck Truck" outside of the arena by fiberoptics. Using the read-outs of the receptors and linking them with the broadcast Fox was able to show the game on tv with a neon blue halo highlighting the puck. When the puck was shot a red tail was shown coming from the puck. A read-out of the speed of the shot was also shown throughout the broadcast. The idea was that newcomers to the sport were anable to follow the small, speedy puck on tv and this would increase enjoyment in watching the game. The FoxTrax puck was only around for a year or two before dying out.
Check out this video to see how it worked:
Sean
Snapped Twigs
It's playoff season baby! As many of you may have realized by now I am a huge hockey fan. At this time of the year the TV at our place is generally frozen on Versus in the evening in order to watch the back-to-back playoff action. When there isn't a game on, the TV lends its screen to the Xbox where we battle over friendly games of NHL '11. Any of you who follow hockey or perhaps have played the recent EA Sports video games may have noticed that the frequency of broken sticks has risen greatly in the recent decade. The hockey stick has gone through many changes throughout the 150 odd years that organized hockey has been played.
In the early years hockey players generally crafted their own sticks by cutting down a hickory or alder sapling with the branches attached and then filing down the wood to create the desired shape. In the 1880's a Montreal company began fabricating wooden hockey sticks. These preliminary sticks were short with a rounded blade. As the game evolved the blade became longer and straighter to increase control of the puck and the shaft became longer eliminating the need to hunch over. The biggest jump in hockey stick technology came in the 1920's when a company started producing the first two piece hockey sticks. By separating the blade and shaft during manufacturing the company was able to experiment with blade designs making them thinner and longer greatly increasing puck control. The next step was adding the curve in the blade. The tale goes that professional hockey player Stan Mikita, frustrated at a practice, attempted to break his stick in the door of the bench. Instead of shattering the blade, the wood bent and what resulted was an un-before seen increase in shot power and accuracy. In the late 70's to early 80's manufactures investigated using aluminum as a material. The sticks were very heavy and didn't have the "feel" that hockey players wanted. Instead of a one-piece aluminum stick a two-piece stick with an aluminum shaft and a wooden blade was introduced. This stick became very popular in the late 80's and early 90's. In fact my very first hockey stick was an aluminum shafted "Wayne Gretzky" edition. Moving toward the new millennium several companies introduced a one-piece carbon composite stick. The main material involved is graphite but plenty of materials including binders and epoxy are used.
These new one-piece composite sticks have increased velocity as well as accuracy and have taken over the hockey world. The wooden stick is all but an antique these days in the NHL. I can probably count the amount of players that still use a wooden stick on one hand. If anyone caught the San Jose - L.A series they may have noticed that Ryan Smyth of the Kings using a wooden stick. Up until the last year Colorado's own Paul Statsny used a wooden stick. The biggest disadvantage of the composite one-piece stick is that they seem to break more often. A guy like Ryan Smyth, who spends most of his time in front of the opposition's net harassing the goalie, takes a lot of punishment from opposing defenseman. A stick that won't break is vital to this type of player. Although they seem to have been phased out I personally feel that wooden sticks should still have a place in the NHL. There have been countless time where I have seen a defensemen wind up for a shot in the attacking zone only to have his stick shatter all the while sending an opposing player on a breakaway. I think that it would be wise for gritty players like Ryan Smyth and perhaps stay-at-home type defensemen to use wooden sticks. Although they may lose a small amount of velocity and accuracy on their shots these type of players do not rely on the big shot nearly as often and a broken stick can often be detrimental in giving up an important goal.
Sean
In the early years hockey players generally crafted their own sticks by cutting down a hickory or alder sapling with the branches attached and then filing down the wood to create the desired shape. In the 1880's a Montreal company began fabricating wooden hockey sticks. These preliminary sticks were short with a rounded blade. As the game evolved the blade became longer and straighter to increase control of the puck and the shaft became longer eliminating the need to hunch over. The biggest jump in hockey stick technology came in the 1920's when a company started producing the first two piece hockey sticks. By separating the blade and shaft during manufacturing the company was able to experiment with blade designs making them thinner and longer greatly increasing puck control. The next step was adding the curve in the blade. The tale goes that professional hockey player Stan Mikita, frustrated at a practice, attempted to break his stick in the door of the bench. Instead of shattering the blade, the wood bent and what resulted was an un-before seen increase in shot power and accuracy. In the late 70's to early 80's manufactures investigated using aluminum as a material. The sticks were very heavy and didn't have the "feel" that hockey players wanted. Instead of a one-piece aluminum stick a two-piece stick with an aluminum shaft and a wooden blade was introduced. This stick became very popular in the late 80's and early 90's. In fact my very first hockey stick was an aluminum shafted "Wayne Gretzky" edition. Moving toward the new millennium several companies introduced a one-piece carbon composite stick. The main material involved is graphite but plenty of materials including binders and epoxy are used.
These new one-piece composite sticks have increased velocity as well as accuracy and have taken over the hockey world. The wooden stick is all but an antique these days in the NHL. I can probably count the amount of players that still use a wooden stick on one hand. If anyone caught the San Jose - L.A series they may have noticed that Ryan Smyth of the Kings using a wooden stick. Up until the last year Colorado's own Paul Statsny used a wooden stick. The biggest disadvantage of the composite one-piece stick is that they seem to break more often. A guy like Ryan Smyth, who spends most of his time in front of the opposition's net harassing the goalie, takes a lot of punishment from opposing defenseman. A stick that won't break is vital to this type of player. Although they seem to have been phased out I personally feel that wooden sticks should still have a place in the NHL. There have been countless time where I have seen a defensemen wind up for a shot in the attacking zone only to have his stick shatter all the while sending an opposing player on a breakaway. I think that it would be wise for gritty players like Ryan Smyth and perhaps stay-at-home type defensemen to use wooden sticks. Although they may lose a small amount of velocity and accuracy on their shots these type of players do not rely on the big shot nearly as often and a broken stick can often be detrimental in giving up an important goal.
Sean
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
A Swimsuit That's Scared of Water?
Hydrophobic is a word derived from the latin words hydro (water) and phobos (fear). Scientists from the Hohenstein Institute in Germany have recently released a swimsuit that uses microbubble technology rendering the fabric hydrophobic. Basically what this means is that tiny air bubbles are trapped between the threads of the material. These tiny air bubbles create a protective layer that does not allow the water to penetrate the suit and effectively lowers the friction between the suit and the water. The following diagram explains how this is achieved.
Although I am more of a physical metallurgy student I have also taken classes with Hydrometallurgy. A common separation method in hydrometallurgy is flotation. The way this works is that hydrophobic material attaches to air bubbles and floats to the top while the hydrophilic material sinks to the bottom. The reason I bring this up is I was thinking.... If I bought a pair of these swim trunks would I float better. I really think that it would be more fashionable than the water wings I currently must wear to go in the deep end. I'm just kidding. But seriously...I swim like a rock!
Sean
Although I am more of a physical metallurgy student I have also taken classes with Hydrometallurgy. A common separation method in hydrometallurgy is flotation. The way this works is that hydrophobic material attaches to air bubbles and floats to the top while the hydrophilic material sinks to the bottom. The reason I bring this up is I was thinking.... If I bought a pair of these swim trunks would I float better. I really think that it would be more fashionable than the water wings I currently must wear to go in the deep end. I'm just kidding. But seriously...I swim like a rock!
Sean
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Bag of Chips
As all of you who have read my blogs should know, golf is one of my favorite sports and pastimes. I spend a lot of time golfing throughout the year being on the varsity team. What most of you probably don't know is that I have a pastime that i enjoy more and spend equal if not more time doing it. You could almost call it an addiction, although I myself would like to think that if it really came down to it I could quit. What I am talking about is poker. I spend roughly 40-50 hours a week playing poker, mostly live, in Blackhawk and Vegas. I do realize that many people would not consider poker a sport but I am not going to get into that argument. My blog is about materials and metallurgy in SPORTS and for the purpose of this blog I am going to take the stance that poker is shown on ESPN so that is good enough for me. Like most avid poker players I spend countless hours playing with the poker chips, flipping, spinning, twirling and shuffling them. The other day while sitting in front of the t.v. practicing my chip tricks (yeah, ok maybe it is becoming an addiction) I got to wondering how poker chips are manufactured. If you've ever thought about a casino poker chip you may have realized how much of a beating they go through. Most chips stay in circulation for 10 years or so. Throughout their lifetime they must withstand a considerable amount of wear and tear. After doing a little research I was able to find out from several sources the general procedure used in making the poker chips. The exact details are not entirely made public as it would be similar to releasing the exact procedure on manufacturing bills and coins.
A combination consisting of mainly clay but incorporating other earthen materials such as sand, calcium carbonate, and/or chalk are formed into a long cylinder that is the diameter of a poker chip. Long strips are removed from the edge of the cylinder and replaced by a "clay" of a different color. The cylinder is then divided into smaller pieces, chips, that are just slightly larger than the size of a poker chip. An inlay consisting of paper and plastic with a unique design is then placed on each of the "chips". The single chip is placed in a mold and heated at around 300 F and compressed with a pressure nearing 10,000 psi. The heat and pressure fuses all of the materials together and creates a very hard chip. The process is actually quite costly but it ensures that the chips are made very durable and difficult to replicate.
Sean
A combination consisting of mainly clay but incorporating other earthen materials such as sand, calcium carbonate, and/or chalk are formed into a long cylinder that is the diameter of a poker chip. Long strips are removed from the edge of the cylinder and replaced by a "clay" of a different color. The cylinder is then divided into smaller pieces, chips, that are just slightly larger than the size of a poker chip. An inlay consisting of paper and plastic with a unique design is then placed on each of the "chips". The single chip is placed in a mold and heated at around 300 F and compressed with a pressure nearing 10,000 psi. The heat and pressure fuses all of the materials together and creates a very hard chip. The process is actually quite costly but it ensures that the chips are made very durable and difficult to replicate.
Sean
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
A Cornflour and Water Suit????
As a kid did you ever try the simple experiment of mixing cornflour and water? What results is an extremely cool combination of a liquid and a solid type material. If you pour the substance out of a glass it flows similar to a liquid but when it hits a solid surface it bounces and acts as a solid. A company called D30 has synthetically produced a material that is very similar to this. Although it does not flow like a liquid it is very foamy and flexible until impacted when it becomes much more solid and disperses the energy involved in the impact. This material is now being implemented into protective gear. The science behind this material is very complicated however the best way I can describe it is that it is an elastomeric polymer that distributes energy very efficiently throughout the complex matrix that makes up its crystal structure. Basically it is like a chain-link fence. When a certain area of the "fence" is impacted the energy is dispersed throughout each of the "links" and the blow is softened.
You may have seen this technology being used during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Both the US and the Canadian ski teams wore suits that incorporated the D03 material.
Maybe the American hockey team should of used this material to soften the blow of losing in the gold medal game ;) Go Canada! :)
Sean
You may have seen this technology being used during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Both the US and the Canadian ski teams wore suits that incorporated the D03 material.
Sean
Nike Has Balls
In 2000 Titleist introduced its new golf ball the Pro V1. The very first week that it was available to professionals, Billy Andrade won using the ball. A few months later it was available to the public and soon after became the #1 ball in golf. It has since held its spot at the top comfortably only experiencing a slight dip in popularity due to the 2008 Callaway lawsuit debacle. However, as of February 15th all of this may have changed. You see the new technology introduced into the Pro V1 in 2000 has long been thought to be the top rung on the ladder with no where higher to climb. Nike has just released a new golf ball bolstering innovative technology that may very well have extended the golf ball ladder.
The new ball is comprised of an extremely light resin core rather than the traditional rubber core. In order to keep the overall weight constant, the outer layers are replaced by heavier ones. How is this beneficial? It's all about MOI baby! MOI, or moment of inertia is the tendency of an object to resist rotation. It is the rotational equivalent to momentum. This increases golf ball performance in two ways. First of all, off the tee, using the driver, a golfer attempts to minimize the amount of spin imparted on the golf ball. High spin rates off the tee create shorter, less accurate tee shots. An increase in MOI makes it more difficult for a flat club such as a driver or 3-wood to create spin on the golf ball. The second area of improvement is the response of the ball around the green. Golfers are always attempting to increase the spin around the green. Although the increase in MOI will not increase the actual spin rate of the ball, it will help the ball keep its spin once contacting the green. This equates to more accuracy and the "drop and stop" effect that golfers are looking for in their approach shots.
The name of the new golf ball is the Nike 20XI and will be available to the public on April 29, 2011. The MSRP is $58/box of 12.
Personally, I have always been a "Titleist" guy and have always stayed clear of the Nike brand as I feel that it is hyped up by the amount of endorsement deals it creates by being arguably the biggest sporting company in the world. However this new ball appears to be technologically superior to any ball currently on the market and I will be sure to get my hands on some as soon as I can to see for myself.
Sean
The new ball is comprised of an extremely light resin core rather than the traditional rubber core. In order to keep the overall weight constant, the outer layers are replaced by heavier ones. How is this beneficial? It's all about MOI baby! MOI, or moment of inertia is the tendency of an object to resist rotation. It is the rotational equivalent to momentum. This increases golf ball performance in two ways. First of all, off the tee, using the driver, a golfer attempts to minimize the amount of spin imparted on the golf ball. High spin rates off the tee create shorter, less accurate tee shots. An increase in MOI makes it more difficult for a flat club such as a driver or 3-wood to create spin on the golf ball. The second area of improvement is the response of the ball around the green. Golfers are always attempting to increase the spin around the green. Although the increase in MOI will not increase the actual spin rate of the ball, it will help the ball keep its spin once contacting the green. This equates to more accuracy and the "drop and stop" effect that golfers are looking for in their approach shots.
The name of the new golf ball is the Nike 20XI and will be available to the public on April 29, 2011. The MSRP is $58/box of 12.
Personally, I have always been a "Titleist" guy and have always stayed clear of the Nike brand as I feel that it is hyped up by the amount of endorsement deals it creates by being arguably the biggest sporting company in the world. However this new ball appears to be technologically superior to any ball currently on the market and I will be sure to get my hands on some as soon as I can to see for myself.
Sean
Helmet Follow-up
Here's an interesting article involving some new helmet technology as a follow up to my previous post on helmets and concussions in the NHL. The new technology is being implemented into a race car type helmet, a motorcycle helmet and in the future a football helmet. I will admit that this specific technology is not likely to be implemented to hockey helmets however it is still very interesting. The concept of this design is rubber, skin-like coating applied to the outer shell of the helmet. The reason for this is that often times when a helmet hits the ground the friction between the helmet and ground creates a violent torque that can cause damage to the head, neck and brain. The rubbery coating allows the helmet to slide laterally while minimizing the amount of torque. Of course in hockey this is achieved by the small coefficient of friction that exists between any material and ice. Non the less the technology will likely improve safety in sports such as football and racing (car, motorcycle, etc).
Here is the link to the article: http://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2010-04/straight-ahead
Sean
Here is the link to the article: http://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2010-04/straight-ahead
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Self-Evaluation
My goal in creating this blog was to inform people about advancements and processes in materials and metallurgical engineering. I believe that I have managed to do this by relating it to golf and sports in general. Although I think some of my earlier posts were somewhat boring and followed the deficit model I feel that I have been improving and making my posts a little more interactive. I think that I have met all of the requirements when making my posts.
Sean
Sean
Golf - Not so GROOVY anymore!
If you've followed any professional golf over the last two years it's highly likely that you've heard of the new groove rule. The discussion has been the major news on golf technology since the USGA made the decision to implement the rule in 2008. The decision was made then, but the rule did not take effect until January 1, 2010.
For those of you who don't know, grooves are the long lines of indents on the face of the golf club. The grooves impart backspin on the golf ball at impact allowing the ball to fly higher and straighter as the consistent spin helps stabilize the ball in the air. Particularly important on irons, the grooves, by increasing backspin allow the golfer to hit more accurate shots into the green. The extra spin causes the ball to stop shortly after landing and thus makes it easier to control the distance that the ball is hit. Although these grooves may seem very simple to the naked eye, there are many factors involved that can greatly affect the response of the golf ball. The depth, sharpness, and shape of the groove are the main parameters that can be controlled.
Many recreational golfers wonder why they are unable to get the backspin that professional golfers do. The way to get the most backspin on a ball is to make sure that when striking the ball there is no grass in between the head of the club and the ball. Professional golfers are very accurate when striking the ball and will almost always contact the ball before the ground. Grooves come in especially handy for recreational golfers as their design allows for grass to be trapped inside and an cleaner contact between the club and ball to be made. Recent groove technology has created sharper, deeper, U-grooves that can close the gap between a well struck shot and a poorly struck shot. The USGA (governing body for golf in the United States) felt that these grooves were closing the gap between the elite ball strikers on the PGA tour and the good ones and decided to create a new rule regulating the specifications of the grooves. Grooves now have a maximum depth and the shape must now be a V-groove. This takes away a lot of the efficiency of the groove and puts more emphasis on the quality of the shot.
This new rule as posed some very big questions on how technology is regulated in golf. Although it makes sense on the professional level, the new groove rule will most likely affect recreational golfer's the most. Even if they don't realize it the grooves helped their shots immensely and they will find the game much more difficult when playing these new grooves. Although the rule is only in affect for professional golfers and recreational golfers can use whatever clubs they want, golf club manufacturers will no longer produce the old grooves starting in 2011. As golf club technology increases greatly every year I always suggest to every golfer no matter what skill level to update their golf clubs as much as possible. New technology makes the game easier and more enjoyable for recreational golfers. With the new rule however, there will be a big drop in performance between clubs manufactured after 2011 compared to before.
It makes me really wonder if golf club sales will drop greatly in the next few years and whether the industry will be able to make it through unscathed. I often wonder if perhaps the USGA has shot itself in the foot with this new rule as the golf club industry (very important to the game) may very well be entering some hard times.
Technology is greatly advancing in sports. New golf clubs hit the ball farther and straighter and new hockey sticks shoot the puck harder and faster As the professional levels begin to regulate the technology should the game perhaps look towards professional baseball for advice? The technology between wooden baseball bats, and metal ones is very extreme and therefore metal bats are illegal at the professional level. It makes sense at that level but they have let the amateur players to continue using the better metal bats. This makes a lot of sense to me and I wonder if pressure from golf club manufacturer's will push the USGA in the same direction;
For those of you who don't know, grooves are the long lines of indents on the face of the golf club. The grooves impart backspin on the golf ball at impact allowing the ball to fly higher and straighter as the consistent spin helps stabilize the ball in the air. Particularly important on irons, the grooves, by increasing backspin allow the golfer to hit more accurate shots into the green. The extra spin causes the ball to stop shortly after landing and thus makes it easier to control the distance that the ball is hit. Although these grooves may seem very simple to the naked eye, there are many factors involved that can greatly affect the response of the golf ball. The depth, sharpness, and shape of the groove are the main parameters that can be controlled.
Many recreational golfers wonder why they are unable to get the backspin that professional golfers do. The way to get the most backspin on a ball is to make sure that when striking the ball there is no grass in between the head of the club and the ball. Professional golfers are very accurate when striking the ball and will almost always contact the ball before the ground. Grooves come in especially handy for recreational golfers as their design allows for grass to be trapped inside and an cleaner contact between the club and ball to be made. Recent groove technology has created sharper, deeper, U-grooves that can close the gap between a well struck shot and a poorly struck shot. The USGA (governing body for golf in the United States) felt that these grooves were closing the gap between the elite ball strikers on the PGA tour and the good ones and decided to create a new rule regulating the specifications of the grooves. Grooves now have a maximum depth and the shape must now be a V-groove. This takes away a lot of the efficiency of the groove and puts more emphasis on the quality of the shot.
This new rule as posed some very big questions on how technology is regulated in golf. Although it makes sense on the professional level, the new groove rule will most likely affect recreational golfer's the most. Even if they don't realize it the grooves helped their shots immensely and they will find the game much more difficult when playing these new grooves. Although the rule is only in affect for professional golfers and recreational golfers can use whatever clubs they want, golf club manufacturers will no longer produce the old grooves starting in 2011. As golf club technology increases greatly every year I always suggest to every golfer no matter what skill level to update their golf clubs as much as possible. New technology makes the game easier and more enjoyable for recreational golfers. With the new rule however, there will be a big drop in performance between clubs manufactured after 2011 compared to before.
It makes me really wonder if golf club sales will drop greatly in the next few years and whether the industry will be able to make it through unscathed. I often wonder if perhaps the USGA has shot itself in the foot with this new rule as the golf club industry (very important to the game) may very well be entering some hard times.
Technology is greatly advancing in sports. New golf clubs hit the ball farther and straighter and new hockey sticks shoot the puck harder and faster As the professional levels begin to regulate the technology should the game perhaps look towards professional baseball for advice? The technology between wooden baseball bats, and metal ones is very extreme and therefore metal bats are illegal at the professional level. It makes sense at that level but they have let the amateur players to continue using the better metal bats. This makes a lot of sense to me and I wonder if pressure from golf club manufacturer's will push the USGA in the same direction;
Concussions - Inevitable?
Every week, generally on Wednesday nights I play in a roller hockey league. Last week I took a pretty nasty fall, when someone from the other team clipped my skate as I was skating backwards. Taken totally off guard I fell backwards and my head hit the ground pretty hard. Even though I have a brand new state-of-the-art helmet that most manufacturers these days promote as "concussion-proof" I have been suffering from pretty bad whip-lash and mild concussion symptoms in the last week. This is not new to me as I played very competitive hockey growing up and have suffered concussions before.
If you are a hockey fan and follow the NHL fairly closely as I do you may have noticed that concussions are becoming more and more of a problem. If though the NHL has tried to implement new rules that help differ the chances of concussions the trend in the number of them has continued to increase. The other day as I was checking NHL.com for the scores from the night I noticed a FAQ interview with Gary Bettman, the commissioner an Dr. Reuben Echemendia, the head of the NHL/NHLPA Concussion Working Group, about the trend in concussions. The interview can be found at the following link: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=551900#&navid=nhl-search
The interview touches on the policies that the NHL has regarding concussions, as well as the technology involved in preventing them. The latter is what caught my attention. With my interest in sporting equipment and materials engineering I was somewhat perplexed as to how there has yet to be a great development in concussion preventing protective gear. The interview touched on this subject. In order to prevent a concussion a helmet must be able to absorb a significant amount of energy produced during a blow to the head. Unfortunately with the current technology, for this to be possible helmets would have to be much bulkier and heavier making them much too uncomfortable and awkward to play in. The intention of today's helmets, which are comprised of a hard, polycarbonate shell, is to transfer the energy. The reason for this is to prevent more serious injuries such as depressed skull fractures and lacerations. Although concussions can be very persistent causing players to miss a month or two, such as Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, or even the rest of the season, such Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins, they are not perceived as an extremely dangerous injury. It is also a common belief that a mouthguard is successful prevention to concussions. Echemendia argues that although mouthguards are very important dental and jaw protection, there has been no evidence that they are efficient in the protection against concussions.
It is obvious to me that concussions are becoming much more frequent in the sporting world. This could perhaps just be because they are becoming much better at diagnosing them. I do believe, however, that this is becoming a serious problem and I would expect to see a lot more research and development in the future geared towards protecting athletes from concussions.
Sean
If you are a hockey fan and follow the NHL fairly closely as I do you may have noticed that concussions are becoming more and more of a problem. If though the NHL has tried to implement new rules that help differ the chances of concussions the trend in the number of them has continued to increase. The other day as I was checking NHL.com for the scores from the night I noticed a FAQ interview with Gary Bettman, the commissioner an Dr. Reuben Echemendia, the head of the NHL/NHLPA Concussion Working Group, about the trend in concussions. The interview can be found at the following link: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=551900#&navid=nhl-search
The interview touches on the policies that the NHL has regarding concussions, as well as the technology involved in preventing them. The latter is what caught my attention. With my interest in sporting equipment and materials engineering I was somewhat perplexed as to how there has yet to be a great development in concussion preventing protective gear. The interview touched on this subject. In order to prevent a concussion a helmet must be able to absorb a significant amount of energy produced during a blow to the head. Unfortunately with the current technology, for this to be possible helmets would have to be much bulkier and heavier making them much too uncomfortable and awkward to play in. The intention of today's helmets, which are comprised of a hard, polycarbonate shell, is to transfer the energy. The reason for this is to prevent more serious injuries such as depressed skull fractures and lacerations. Although concussions can be very persistent causing players to miss a month or two, such as Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, or even the rest of the season, such Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins, they are not perceived as an extremely dangerous injury. It is also a common belief that a mouthguard is successful prevention to concussions. Echemendia argues that although mouthguards are very important dental and jaw protection, there has been no evidence that they are efficient in the protection against concussions.
It is obvious to me that concussions are becoming much more frequent in the sporting world. This could perhaps just be because they are becoming much better at diagnosing them. I do believe, however, that this is becoming a serious problem and I would expect to see a lot more research and development in the future geared towards protecting athletes from concussions.
Sean
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Self-Interview
What is the purpose of this blog?
The purpose of this blog is for me, personally, to improve my science communication skills. My goal is also to communicate metallurgical knowledge by relating it to something that is much more popular, SPORTS.
The purpose of this blog is for me, personally, to improve my science communication skills. My goal is also to communicate metallurgical knowledge by relating it to something that is much more popular, SPORTS.
Man, You're Breaking My Balls!
In my last post I mentioned that I would attempt to have a couple of blog posts that everyone can relate to. So I got to thinking: How can I write about golf technology and appeal to the vast majority of people. I somehow got to thinking of my childhood and my fascination with breaking things. As a kid I liked to either take things apart or break them and see what was inside. This included toys, rocks and in my teen years GOLF BALLS. As a teenager I worked in the proshop at the local golf course. On rainy or cold days business was very slow and there wasn't much to keep a guy occupied. I often spent these days repairing and re-gripping golf clubs. However when I no longer had any clubs left to repair I would use my trusty torch for something else. Myself and couple of friends who also worked there would go out on the deck and burn the hard outer layer of golf balls off to get to the inside. This created quite a bit of entertainment as some of the golf balls were either comprised of a wound rubber band inner core or a liquid core. If we were lucky enough to choose one of these balls, we were in for quite a surprise. As the flame of the torch melted through the outer layer of the ball and contacted either the rubber bands or the liquid the insides would explode and shoot out of the ball. One of my favorite stories to tell people is that if you were very careful, and only removed the outer layer of a Titleist Professional golf ball (a rubber band wound type) you could remove the inner wound core without breaking the rubber band. If you were successful it was possible to unwind the entire rubber band and when stretched out this band covered a span of nearly 300 yards. As much entertainment as these "shinanigans" provided it got me interested in golf ball technology at an early age.
The golf ball has gone through many changes throughout the years. In the very first stages golf balls were made out of wood. These balls were very easily manufactured however they could not fly very far, averaging about 100 yards. Later on someone came up with the crazy idea that if feathers could help birds fly why not golf balls? The result was a ball made out of boiled duck or goose feathers encased in a leather coating. This introduced a ball that was capable of flying 200 yards. The problem with this was the manufacturing process was very slow as only a couple of balls could be made in a day. Later on the balls were made out of tree sap from Malaysia. And finally the technology of dimples which as stuck around until now was introduced. Someone noticed that a ball that was scuffed up after taking numerous of blows flew further. The result was a ball with an outer casing comprising of hundreds of indentations.
Today's balls are all very similar on the outside. They consist of a cover with 330-500 dimples. The inside is the important part and can make a big difference in how far the ball flies and how much control the golfer has over its flight. They are divided into two general categories: wound balls and non-wound balls. Wound balls consist of a liquid or solid core surrounded by strips of rubber while non-wound balls have a solid or liquid core surrounded by a pressurized urethane solid material.
Golf ball technology has played a very big part in the evolution of the game. For those golf enthusiasts out there, I seriously suggest breaking open you're favorite ball on a rainy day and exploring the material technology that plays such a big part in you're game. It definitely provided me with hours of entertainment in the past.
Sean
The golf ball has gone through many changes throughout the years. In the very first stages golf balls were made out of wood. These balls were very easily manufactured however they could not fly very far, averaging about 100 yards. Later on someone came up with the crazy idea that if feathers could help birds fly why not golf balls? The result was a ball made out of boiled duck or goose feathers encased in a leather coating. This introduced a ball that was capable of flying 200 yards. The problem with this was the manufacturing process was very slow as only a couple of balls could be made in a day. Later on the balls were made out of tree sap from Malaysia. And finally the technology of dimples which as stuck around until now was introduced. Someone noticed that a ball that was scuffed up after taking numerous of blows flew further. The result was a ball with an outer casing comprising of hundreds of indentations.
Today's balls are all very similar on the outside. They consist of a cover with 330-500 dimples. The inside is the important part and can make a big difference in how far the ball flies and how much control the golfer has over its flight. They are divided into two general categories: wound balls and non-wound balls. Wound balls consist of a liquid or solid core surrounded by strips of rubber while non-wound balls have a solid or liquid core surrounded by a pressurized urethane solid material.
Golf ball technology has played a very big part in the evolution of the game. For those golf enthusiasts out there, I seriously suggest breaking open you're favorite ball on a rainy day and exploring the material technology that plays such a big part in you're game. It definitely provided me with hours of entertainment in the past.
Sean
Framing
In my Communicating Science class last week we talked about framing. Framing is a communication tool where you present an idea in a manor that influences how that idea is perceived. The class looks at the difficulties in communicating science with the general public. A previous comment asked me if my blog will only reach golfers. Like I said in my first post I will attempt to touch on as many sports as possible. However golf is what I know best and there is the greatest amount of metallurgy and material applications in golf. A few of my posts will attempt to reach all readers and not just the golf fanatics. My goal in this blog is to discuss some of the advancements in metallurgical engineering by relating them to sports and more specifically golf. I also recently read a statistic that in 2005 approximately 26 million people in the United States played at least one round of golf that year. That is nearly 10% of the entire population. It is my opinion that if I can find a way to make metallurgical engineering relate-able to one tenth of the entire population of the United States then I have found a pretty decent method. I realize that the majority of these golfers are recreational and perhaps only play a couple times a year, which is why i will attempt to frame my blogs in such a way that will interest the average recreational golfer, or whatever sport I am discussing.
Sean
Sean
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
FORGED Irons - CAST away the misconception
When purchasing a new set of irons consumers generally run into the question of whether they want forged irons or cast irons. In this blog post I will discuss the main difference between the two types of irons and which ones I would suggest. I would first like to say that although I feel that I have a fairly comprehensive knowledge about the subject at hand I am not insinuating that I am an expert in the field. I do however feel that my opinion is quite valid due to 1) My background as a metallurgical engineering student specializing in manufacturing and physical metallurgy 2) The countless hours I have spent on the golf course growing up, using, purchasing, and testing all kinds of golf clubs 3) The years I spent working in the proshop at the local golf course selling golf clubs and advising customers on their purchases.
"Forged" and "Cast" refer to the manor in which the heads of the golf clubs are manufactured. Forging is the process of shaping a metal using localized compressive forces. Although the process is generally done when the metal is hot, all that is required is enough force to cause plastic deformation to the metal. Plastic deformation, unlike elastic deformation is permanent and will remain once the force is removed. Forging is the picture that you get when you think of a blacksmith shaping a piece of glowing red hot metal by hammering it on an anvil.
Casting is the process of heating the metal to the liquid state, pouring it into a mold, and allowing it to solidify into the desired shape.
It is a common view and perhaps misconception that higher quality irons are forged while cheaper, lower-end irons are cast. The reason for this view is due to the fact that forged irons generally take the shape of a blade, or muscle back iron. This shape of iron is the traditional look and has been around for years. A muscle-back iron is generally less forgiving making it difficult for higher-handicapped players to hit. The shape of the iron also allows a player to "work" the ball. Work being the act of hitting a slice, or hook. This is the reason that most professionals play forged irons as they allow the player to shape their shots. However most everyday players are incapable of choosing the shape that their ball flight will take and therefore should look for a "forgiving" iron. That is one that minimizes the amount of side spin induced at impact.
This brings us to cast irons. As golf has grown immensely in popularity in the last decade or two, there are more amateurs playing who may only get out to play once or twice a month. It is no longer limited to the rich and retired who get to practice all day long. This has opened up much research and development in the area of improving the "forgiveness" of irons. The forgiveness of an iron refers to the ability of club to produce higher and straighter shots irregardless of the perfection of the golf swing behind the club. Although they have yet to produce a magic golf club technology has made great advancements and has allowed even the ugliest of swings to produce a competent golf shot. The hotspot in golf technology lately has been the COG or center of gravity. By moving the center of gravity back and lower on the clubhead the iron becomes "easier" to hit. This basically means that the club helps the player get the ball in the air. This introduced the "cavity-back" iron. The cavity back iron allows the center of gravity to be relocated without the addition of any relevant weight. The intricate shape of the iron is what has made the casting process so popular in the club manufacturing business. It is much more difficult and costly to produce a cavity-back iron through forging than casting.
The difference between the quality of the metal produced between the two processes is very minimal. When asked why they prefer forged, many professionals state the feel of the softer metal. However it has been proven that 95% of the time the difference in hardness can not be felt at impact. The major difference between the two manufacturing processes is the cost. Castings can be mass produced much more effectively and therefore the savings are passed on to the consumer. The forged vs cast labels have very little meaning and consumers would be better off to chose a club based on head shape (ie. muscle-back vs cavity-back) As newer, more intricate head shapes are designed it is my opinion that the market will see less and less desire for a forged product. I believe that the only reason that forged clubs have stayed popular is because of the misconception that they are a higher quality.
PS. The clubs that I currently play are a higher-end forged muscle-back from Titleist. I guess I need to learn to practice what I preach. I do however place some of the blame on club manufacturers as they continue to produce higher-end clubs with the forging process. Unfortunately the only reason for this is that they are able to charge more for these clubs and until the misconception is wiped out they will likely continue to take advantage of it.
Check back for my next post which will likely discuss the technology implemented in the manufacturing of woods.
Sean.
"Forged" and "Cast" refer to the manor in which the heads of the golf clubs are manufactured. Forging is the process of shaping a metal using localized compressive forces. Although the process is generally done when the metal is hot, all that is required is enough force to cause plastic deformation to the metal. Plastic deformation, unlike elastic deformation is permanent and will remain once the force is removed. Forging is the picture that you get when you think of a blacksmith shaping a piece of glowing red hot metal by hammering it on an anvil.
Casting is the process of heating the metal to the liquid state, pouring it into a mold, and allowing it to solidify into the desired shape.
It is a common view and perhaps misconception that higher quality irons are forged while cheaper, lower-end irons are cast. The reason for this view is due to the fact that forged irons generally take the shape of a blade, or muscle back iron. This shape of iron is the traditional look and has been around for years. A muscle-back iron is generally less forgiving making it difficult for higher-handicapped players to hit. The shape of the iron also allows a player to "work" the ball. Work being the act of hitting a slice, or hook. This is the reason that most professionals play forged irons as they allow the player to shape their shots. However most everyday players are incapable of choosing the shape that their ball flight will take and therefore should look for a "forgiving" iron. That is one that minimizes the amount of side spin induced at impact.
This brings us to cast irons. As golf has grown immensely in popularity in the last decade or two, there are more amateurs playing who may only get out to play once or twice a month. It is no longer limited to the rich and retired who get to practice all day long. This has opened up much research and development in the area of improving the "forgiveness" of irons. The forgiveness of an iron refers to the ability of club to produce higher and straighter shots irregardless of the perfection of the golf swing behind the club. Although they have yet to produce a magic golf club technology has made great advancements and has allowed even the ugliest of swings to produce a competent golf shot. The hotspot in golf technology lately has been the COG or center of gravity. By moving the center of gravity back and lower on the clubhead the iron becomes "easier" to hit. This basically means that the club helps the player get the ball in the air. This introduced the "cavity-back" iron. The cavity back iron allows the center of gravity to be relocated without the addition of any relevant weight. The intricate shape of the iron is what has made the casting process so popular in the club manufacturing business. It is much more difficult and costly to produce a cavity-back iron through forging than casting.
The difference between the quality of the metal produced between the two processes is very minimal. When asked why they prefer forged, many professionals state the feel of the softer metal. However it has been proven that 95% of the time the difference in hardness can not be felt at impact. The major difference between the two manufacturing processes is the cost. Castings can be mass produced much more effectively and therefore the savings are passed on to the consumer. The forged vs cast labels have very little meaning and consumers would be better off to chose a club based on head shape (ie. muscle-back vs cavity-back) As newer, more intricate head shapes are designed it is my opinion that the market will see less and less desire for a forged product. I believe that the only reason that forged clubs have stayed popular is because of the misconception that they are a higher quality.
PS. The clubs that I currently play are a higher-end forged muscle-back from Titleist. I guess I need to learn to practice what I preach. I do however place some of the blame on club manufacturers as they continue to produce higher-end clubs with the forging process. Unfortunately the only reason for this is that they are able to charge more for these clubs and until the misconception is wiped out they will likely continue to take advantage of it.
Check back for my next post which will likely discuss the technology implemented in the manufacturing of woods.
Sean.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Introduction
This is the first time I have ever posted a blog. I am doing it as an assignment for a Communicating Science class at the Colorado School of Mines. I am a senior in my final semester pursuing a bachelor's degree in Metallurgical Engineering with a minor in Business and Economics. I came to Mines on a golf scholarship and enjoy competing on the varsity team.
My blog will be centered around discussing the metallurgical engineering and technological advancements that have affected the sporting world. As golf is a big part of my life I will naturally spend much time discussing advancements in golf club manufacturing. I will, however, attempt to point out the advancements that have been made in the manufacturing of equipment in other sports. Being Canadian, I am a huge hockey fan, so you can expect at least a post or two on that.
I hope that by appealing to the countless sports fans out there, I will be able to convey some of my knowledge about materials engineering in a manor that will interest the everyday person. Comments and questions are very much encouraged and future post ideas are welcomed as well. Look for my first real post very soon which will likely discuss the difference between forged and cast irons.
My blog will be centered around discussing the metallurgical engineering and technological advancements that have affected the sporting world. As golf is a big part of my life I will naturally spend much time discussing advancements in golf club manufacturing. I will, however, attempt to point out the advancements that have been made in the manufacturing of equipment in other sports. Being Canadian, I am a huge hockey fan, so you can expect at least a post or two on that.
I hope that by appealing to the countless sports fans out there, I will be able to convey some of my knowledge about materials engineering in a manor that will interest the everyday person. Comments and questions are very much encouraged and future post ideas are welcomed as well. Look for my first real post very soon which will likely discuss the difference between forged and cast irons.
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