Mystery of the 'golfer's curse' is SOLVED: Scientists pinpoint why golf balls 'lip out' after appearing to enter the hole
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Experts have finally solved the mystery of one of the most infuriating occurrences in golf – the dreaded lip out.
The phenomenon occurs when the golf ball appears to enter the hole, only to immediately pop back out again.
Scientists have finally pinpointed the physics behind the 'curse', which has plagued everyone from amateur hobbyists to PGA professionals.
Best of all, they've revealed the best way to avoid it – keeping your score intact.
'Putting, which constitutes 40–45 per cent of all golf shots, requires a completely different skill set from other golf strokes,' the study, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, reads.
'To get to the green, golfers have to put up with wind, rain, water features, sand traps, rough ground and trees while at the same time keeping the ball within bounds.
'But once on the green, there is another challenge – the lip out.
'We consider this problem from the point of view of mechanics.'
A lip out occurs when the ball appears to enter the hole but pops back out again – causing huge distress to players (file image)
Using advanced mathematics, the team identified two distinct types of lip outs that can occur during a round of golf.
The first is the 'rim lip out', when the centre of mass of the golf ball does not fall below the level of the green.
Meanwhile a 'hole lip out' occurs when the ball appears to disappear into the hole entirely before popping back out.
Analysis showed that during a rim lip out, depending on where it arrives at a hole, the ball rotates around the rim at a fixed angle and velocity.
A slight disruption to the movement of the ball, caused perhaps by a tiny imperfection to the rim, will either cause the ball to fall directly into the hole or 'pop' back out onto the green.
Meanwhile during a hole lip out, the ball undergoes a pendulum–like motion as it rolls around the wall of the hole, they found.
Its potential energy is converted into spin and then, provided the golf ball does not touch the bottom of the hole, it will return to the rim and go back onto the green.
Their breakthrough reveals that the ball's spin and trajectory are key factors in determining the outcome.
This diagram of both the rim and hole motion describe the rolling movement of the golf ball in contact with the different regions. The team said the ball's spin and trajectory are key factors in determining whether they experience a lip out
John Hogan, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Bristol, led the study. His previous work has focused on the mechanics of controlling a skateboard and the motion of a basketball as it hits a hoop.
'Golf lip outs were the natural extension of the basketball work,' he told The Daily Mail.
'We looked at this problem to try and understand the physics.'
The findings mean golfers now have a scientific explanation for one of the sport's most baffling – and frustrating – occurrences.
And for those wanting to keep their ball in the hole, he said: 'My golfing friends told me that lip outs occur when you hit the ball too hard.
'We can add that you need to aim much closer to the centre of the hole and arrive there with very little speed.
'That's much easier said than done.'
The game of golf as we know it today can be attributed to the Scots, although there are records of several stick and ball games throughout history.
As far back as the 13th century, the Dutch played a game where a leather ball was hit with the intention of reaching a target several hundred yards away.
The winner would be the player who reached the target with the fewest shots.
However, the Scottish variation of the sport was distinguished by the aim of getting the ball into a hole.
When talking about the modern game with 18 holes, golf history traces its origins back to 15th century Scotland.
The game is first mentioned in an Act of Scottish Parliament in 1457, which called for it to be banned alongside football.
King James II of Scotland prohibited playing games as it was a distraction from military training, so he felt perfecting archery was more worthwhile.
After several more bannings throughout the 15th century and golf being lambasted as an unprofitable sport, restrictions on playing the game were removed with the Treaty of Glasgow coming into effect in 1502.
The oldest recorded rules for the game date back to the year 1744, where The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers published 'Articles and Laws in Playing at Golf'.
This ancient piece of golf history, which now remains in the National Library of Scotland, gave fame to the Muirfield club being the longest surviving club in the history of golf.
Scottish soldiers, immigrants, and expatriates played a pivotal role in the history of golf.
They were responsible for spreading the game around the British Isles during the 18th century.
However, it wasn’t until the 19th century that the game started to gain an international presence, including in the British Empire.
The oldest golf courses outside of Britain are to be found in nearby France, with the establishment of the Royal Calcutta Golf Club in 1829 and the club at Pau in 1856.
By 1880, golf had spread to Ireland, many other parts of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, and South Africa.
Meanwhile, back in Britain, the game enjoyed increased popularity. By 1880, England had 10 golf courses, which rapidly increased to 1000 by 1914.
Daily Mail
