Natural vs. Sport Action of Swinging Clubs

Many sports involve a swinging action. Depending on the sport, it may be clubs, bats, rackets, arms, and/or feet which are swung. 

Variations in swinging technique lead to massive differences in results. Take a moment to consider the natural swinging motion of a golf club. The following graph is excerpted from Golf Science, Volume 1 from Schottenbauer Publishing.

Discussion Questions:

1. What are the maximum and minimum x positions of the club? The y positions? Write these as coordinate pairs (x, y).
2. Sketch the real positions of the club, during the first swing back and forth. Does the club begin at the right or left?
3. How many times does the club swing in the graph?
4. How does an athletic swing of the club differ from the natural swing of the club?

Additional Information

Schottenbauer Publishing

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