These graphs (see end of post) were derived from ultra high speed photos taken by Edgerton while at MIT for Spalding Bros in the 1930's. Spalding Golf Research Lab invented a special photo analysis machine that was used to produce the graphs. (1 feet/s = 0.682 mph)
Bobby Jones' swing is compared with Jimmy Thompson, the longest hitting pro of that era.
I do not know the exact story behind these graphs. I can not fully understand how Thomson loses some speed while keeping positive acceleration. Also 148 feet/s corresponds to 101 mph which I found surprisingly low. 128 feet/s corresponds to 87.2 mph and is as surprising. Maybe they disregarded the out speed component as the photos were face on. I'll see if I can get more info.
Posted with permission from the son of the Director of Golf Research at Spalding at the time. Maybe the SwingMaster or ICLUB of our era might be able to produce similar graphs.
Steel or wood shafts? The USGA was the last to approve steel shafts, which were first introduced by Apollo, a British fishing rod company, and approved almost immediately by the R&A. In the US, the Western Golf Association quickly approved them. Outnumbered 2-1, the USGA had to give in... The Apollo company in US was TrueTemper (now of course wholly separate). This was 1930s, about time of these photos.
Linear Mode
