Rocket Powered Golf Club: Unveiling the Engineering Design Process

TLDRWitness the incredible engineering design process behind a rocket powered golf club that can swing at 150 miles per hour, shatter golf balls and glass, and pulverize watermelons. Learn about the key insights and learning opportunities that led to the final design, including balancing the spinning part, stiffening the club shaft, and improving the pop-up mechanism. Find out how the tee flexibility and contact area affect the shots, and discover the importance of compressibility in golf balls. Join the adventure with Mark Rober and Smarter Every Day as they push the boundaries of engineering and golf!

Key insights

:golf:️The rocket powered golf club can swing at 150 miles per hour, significantly faster than professional golfers.

:hammer_and_wrench:The engineering design process involved several iterations and learning opportunities to improve the performance and safety of the club.

:balance_scale:Balancing the spinning part of the club is crucial to prevent vibrations and ensure accurate swings.

:chart_with_upwards_trend:Stiffening the club shaft and improving the pop-up mechanism resulted in more powerful and controlled swings.

:golf_ball:The compressibility and rubbery nature of golf balls contribute to their bouncing and playability.

Q&A

How did they balance the rocket powered golf club to ensure accurate swings?

They used counterweights and ensured that the center of mass of the spinning part was on top of the axis of rotation to prevent vibrations and uncontrolled swings.

What are some key learning opportunities during the engineering design process?

Some key learning opportunities included improving the balance of the club, stiffening the club shaft, and optimizing the pop-up mechanism.

How did they prevent the club head from coming off during swings?

They used U-bolts to securely attach the club head to the driver and increased the contact area with epoxy.

Why did they use a flexible tee for the golf ball?

The flexible rubber tee acted as a shock absorber, preventing force transmission and protecting the hardware.

What is the purpose of the pneumatic cylinder and light sensor on the tee?

The pneumatic cylinder hinges up the tee at the precise moment to ensure that the ball is in the path of the driver when it swings fastest. The light sensor and slit on the shaft provide the timing for the cylinder.

Timestamped Summary

01:00Introducing the rocket powered golf club that can swing at 150 miles per hour, significantly faster than professional golfers.

03:00Explore the engineering design process and the key insights and learning opportunities that led to the final design of the club.

08:00Discover the importance of balancing the spinning part of the club and how it affects the accuracy and performance of the swings.

11:30Learn about the club shaft stiffness and the improvements made to the pop-up mechanism for more powerful and controlled swings.

13:30Understand the impact of tee flexibility on the shots and the importance of compressibility in golf balls.