Golf ball simulation and aerodynamic characteristics

The flight trajectory of a golf ball depends upon the net effect of gravity, lift, and drag. The latter two forces result from the complex interaction between the ball surface and the air through which it moves, and are characterized in terms of drag and lift coefficients that depend upon the geometry, speed and spin rate of the ball as well as the density of the air. Our research focused on using both wind-tunnel results and ANSYS software analysis to obtain reliable lift and drag coefficients for different flight condition and ball dimple-pattern, and use the results to inform a robust flight simulation MATLAB program.