Newton on the Tee: A Good Walk Through the Science of Golf Paperback - 2008

From the publisher

Like no other sport, golf obsesses those poor souls who hope to master its subtleties and abundant complexities. One shot is hit like a dream, the next a nightmare. As a result, the game's disciples have embraced any and all techniques endorsed by pros and hackers, poets and philosophers (these days a good walk is often spoiled by tripping over a sandtrap's worth of Zen meditations and mystical tomes). But while so many have journeyed through golf's metaphysics, no one has presented a readable, compelling look at the science of the game -- until now. In Newton on the Tee, accomplished science writer John Zumerchik examines, explores, and explains to us the endless details that make golf such a tantalizing pursuit. Written in language accessible to even the most scientifically disinclined, Zumerchik's book delves into areas of supreme importance to every golfer, including:

• The Physics of the Sweet Swing: The universal principles shared by all those rhythmic and well-timed swings you see on TV but not in the mirror
• Mind Over Muscle: How the brain affects and controls the movements of the body (and why confidence is the golfer's most indispensable tool)
• Getting the Ball from Here to There: Decoding the vagaries of launch angles, spin, lift, and gravity that make the difference between walking happily down the fairway and tramping into the bunkers
• Probability and Statistics: Understanding the mathematics of golf, and a by-the-numbers appraisal of golf's greatest legends

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