1 / 37

Golf Modeling

Explore the translation between real-world scenarios and mathematical abstractions in golf modeling. From ball position description to putting performance analysis, gain insights into the game of golf.

dvanessa
Download Presentation

Golf Modeling

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Golf Modeling Dr. Roland Minton Roanoke College

  2. Modeling does NOT mean

  3. Modeling does mean : The translation back and forth between elements of a real world situation and mathematical abstractions of those elements and their interactions.

  4. Situation: what happens when the ball goes in the hole?

  5. Situation: what happens when the ball goes in the hole?

  6. Situation: what happens when the ball goes in the hole? This is a good mathematical physics problem. Identify the variables and forces, write out the equations and solve them! Modeling issue: what is the best way to describe the position of the ball?

  7. Cylindrical coordinates! Solution: the angle is periodic and z

  8. Solution: the angle is periodic and z

  9. Solution: the angle is periodic and z is also periodic!

  10. Greg Kennedy: Juggling in a Cone

  11. Situation: what happens as the ball is rolling toward the hole? From 12 feet, the pros make 32.1%. They miss more than 2 out of 3! Dave Pelz’s True Roller from 12 feet: 100% on pool table. 73% at Westchester before round. 30% at Westchester after round!

  12. Why are the Percentages So Low? • Two reasonable models: • Constant deflections – Brownian motion • Discrete deflections – Modified Poisson One criterion: Werner and Greig experiments show that lateral deflection has standard deviation of 2% of distance.

  13. For a 12-foot putt,

  14. Two Models Tested 1. Constant deflections Problem: the standard deviation is wrong !

  15. Two Models Tested 2. “Footprint” deflections This fits the data IF the deflections are more likely close to the hole.

  16. What would this look like?

  17. A macro model: who would win a match between an erratic and a consistent golfer? December 1945 Mathematical Gazette “A Mathematical Theorem about Golf” By G.H. Hardy

  18. G. H. Hardy "The mathematician's patterns, like the painter's or the poet's, must be beautiful; the ideas, like the colours or the words, must fit together in a harmonious way. Beauty is the first test: there is no permanent place in the world for ugly mathematics." “I am interested in mathematics only as a creative art.” “I have never done anything useful. No discovery of mine has made … the least difference to the amenity of the world.”

  19. The Model: Each hole is a par 4. Each stroke is one of three types: Excellent with probability p Bad with probability p Average with probability 1-2p. Excellent shots “subtract” a stroke. Bad shots “add” a stroke.

  20. Examples: Par 4: A AAA or E B A A Birdie 3: A E A Bogey 5: A B A AA Birdie 3: A E E

  21. Problem: in a match between Mr. Consistent (p=0.1) versus Mr. Ratic (p=0.2), who wins? First, what are the average scores for C and R? Aren’t they both 4?

  22. Not all E’s and B’s cancel, because some E’s are “wasted.” Examples: AEE = AEA, AAAE = AAAA and so on. How to compute the average?

  23. How to compute the average? 1. Basic formula: 2 x Prob(2) + 3 x Prob(3) + 4 x Prob(4) + 5 x Prob(5) + ….

  24. How to compute the average? 2. Logical shortcut: 4 + w p w is the probability of having a chance to waste an E. AE, EA, AAA, EBA, EAB, …

  25. How to compute the average? 2. Group by score on hole. Calculus to the rescue! Result: higher p, higher score. C has the better average score!

  26. How to compute the average? 3. Group by number of B’s. Can compute variance!

  27. A Different Question: Who is the best putter in golf?

  28. Who is the best putter in golf? How good is it to make a 4-foot putt? 8.6% above average?

  29. Who is the best putter in golf? How good is it to make a 4-foot putt? .101 strokes better than average

  30. Who is the best putter in golf? Example: On hole 1, 2 putts from 8 feet. On hole 2, 1 putt from 15 feet. On hole 3, 3 putts from 60 feet. etc.

  31. Who is the best putter in golf? What is the criterion? Putts per round? 2. Putting average? 3. Putts better/worse than average?

  32. Corey Pavin averaged 1 putt less per round than an average putter would have from the same distances.

  33. To rate putters, use the average number of putts from each distance.

  34. To rate other shots, use the average number of strokes from that position.

  35. Overall Ratings 11(p4) + 4(p3) + 3(p5) + putt + sand + 10(LF) + 4(LR) + 3(SF) + 3(SR) + 2(LLF)

  36. Before you leave … I would like to answer a couple of questions. Thank You !

More Related