Great feedback – I found the thread
“The Time between shot and Result is the Key”
started by John Kirk on May 2005 which ran till January 2010
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,17958.msg428646.html#msg428646A terrific thread that stimulated a lot of discussion supporting the theory, that the longer the ball was in motion the more fun.
So taking the Unified Theory as proposed by John Kirk and quoted by Matt Cohn
"The joy of playing a shot is directly proportional to the length of time the ball is in motion."
and in a pointless attempt to describe this mathematically,
Coefficient of Joy = Kj
Kj = fn(Tf ,Tg)
Tf = Time of Ball in motion in flight
Tg =Time of Ball in motion after striking the ground
Now as a Corollary to the much praised Unified Theory (John Kirk 2005) I propose the:-
Coefficient of Fun or the Fun Factor = Kf
Kf = fn (Tf, Tg, Lf, Lg, Df, Dg)
Tf = Time of Ball in motion in flight
Tg =Time of Ball in motion after striking the ground
Lf = Length of Ball Carry in flight
Lg = Length of Ball Run on the ground
Df = Required Deviation of the Ball in flight (due to wind) from straight line
Dg = Required Deviation of the Ball on the ground, taken from the strike point to the landing point compared to a direct line to hole
Well that’s the easy bit, now comes the tough part of quantifying the variables and coming up with an equation which reflects the theory!!!??!!!
Here are some guesses
Tf = Time of Ball in motion in flight
Tf (Driver) = 7 sec approx
Tf (Wedge) = 4 sec approx
Tf (Chip) = 1 sec approx
Tg =Time of Ball in motion after hitting the ground
Tg (Drive) = 1 Sec no fun, 5 sec good fun, 10 sec cataclysmic fun
Tg (Wedge) = 1 Sec no fun, 5 sec good fun, 10 sec cataclysmic fun
Tg (Chip) = 1 Sec no fun, 5 sec good fun, 10 sec cataclysmic fun
Tg (Putt) = 1 Sec no fun, 4 sec good fun, 8 sec cataclysmic, 11 sec (Dave Pelz)
Here’s Dave Pelz’s putt from 200 feet ( 67 yards)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htmbMSRj1SQ&feature=relatedLf = Length of Ball Carry in flight
Lf (Driver) = from USGA Rating Bogey Player 200 yards
Lf (Wedge) = 100 yards approx
Lf (Chip) = 1 yds no fun, 5 yds good fun, 10 yds cataclysmic, 20 yards ecstasy etc
Lg = Length of Ball Run on the ground
Lg (Driver) = 10 yds no fun, 20 yds good fun, 40 yds cataclysmic, 60 yds less fun
Lg (Wedge) = 2 yds no fun, 15 yds good fun, 25 yds cataclysmic, 35 yds less fun
Lg (Chip) = 2 yds no fun, 15 yds good fun, 25 yds cataclysmic, 50 yds ecstacy
Lg (Putt) = 2 yds no fun, 15 yds good fun, 25 yds cataclysmic, 67 yds Pelz
Df = Required Deviation of the Ball in flight (due to wind) from straight line
Df (Driver) = 5 yds no fun, 10 yds good fun, 20 yds cataclysmic fun
Df (Wedge) = 2 yds no fun, 5 yds good fun, 10 yds cataclysmic fun
Df (Chip) = not necessarily applicable
Dg = Required Deviation of the Ball on the ground, taken from the strike point to the landing point compared to a direct line to hole
Dg (Driver) = 5 yds no fun, 10 yds good fun, 20 yds cataclysmic, 30 yds less fun
Dg (Wedge) = 2 yds no fun, 5 yds good fun, 10 yds cataclysmic, 15 yds less fun
Dg (Chip) = 2 yds no fun, 5 yds good fun, 10 yds cataclysmic, 15 yds less fun
Dg (Putt) = straight no fun,1 yd good fun, 7 yds cataclysmic, 10 yds less fun
I’ll keep the equation for later.
Join in the “Fun” and propose your own lower and upper limits of fun– I can see there could be some wide variation of whether a 20 yds deviation due to wind requirement is fun or frightening.
In fact most of my golfing aquaintances would consider zero yards deviation the maximum Fun Factor and anything more as “Bad design”
Well you can see I’ve got nothing better to do on New Year’s Day, and as my resolution for 2012 is to “take life less seriously” I’m not sure whether I’m fulfilling my resolution or breaking it – anyway I’m taking a lot of time about it - which is what the “Fun Factor” is all about isn’t it?