Khaberni - Mathematical physicists have uncovered a long-standing mystery in golf, known as the "lip-out curse" phenomenon, where the player thinks the ball has entered the hole, but it then immediately pops out, causing frustration among both amateur and professional players alike.
Professor John Hogan, a mathematics professor at the University of Bristol, led the research team that solved this puzzle after years of meticulous observation and analysis of the ball’s movement using advanced mathematics.
The findings identified two main types of this phenomenon: the first, "edge lip-out", occurs when the ball’s center of mass does not fall below the level of the green surface, and the second, "hole lip-out", occurs when the ball disappears into the hole momentarily before coming back out.
The researchers confirmed that the spin of the ball and its trajectory as it approaches the hole play a crucial role in determining whether it will fall into the hole or bounce back out, according to "Daily Mail".
The team discovered that during the "edge lip-out", the ball rotates around the rim of the hole at a constant angle and speed, and any slight disturbance in motion due to a minor flaw in the rim could lead to the ball either falling into the hole or bouncing back onto the green surface.
As for the "hole lip-out", the ball undergoes pendulum-like motion around the wall of the hole, where its potential energy is converted into rotation, and if it does not touch the base of the hole, it automatically returns to the edge and then back onto the green surface.
Hogan explained that the key to avoiding this phenomenon lies in precisely targeting the center of the hole while reducing the speed of the ball as much as possible, a task that requires high concentration and exceptional skill.
This discovery adds to the long history of golf, which dates back to the 15th century in Scotland, where the sport focused on getting the ball into the holes with the fewest strokes, and its rules gradually evolved to become the modern game of eighteen holes.
The Scottish communities contributed to spreading the game throughout the rest of Britain and the world, turning golf into an international sport with a wide audience, while this research provides a precise scientific understanding of one of the game's most frustrating situations, offering players tools to reduce the likelihood of its occurrence in the future.
