Williams F1 and a US golf equipment company known as Williams Sports entered into a unique licensing agreement. William Sports is very successful in the golf business because, during the mid to late 2000s, it built one of the golf club companies that is thriving today in the golf industry.
Williams Sports also manufactures golf equipment used on PGA Tours worldwide and won the tournament 44 times. Combining the engineering capability of Williams F1 with the production experience of the team and established golf design at Williams Sports, they developed a partnership that improved the designs of golf clubs nearly a decade ago.
Formula One Technology Partnership
The purpose of this partnership was to use the Formula One technology of Williams F1 and transition it to the manufacture and design of golfing equipment such as golf simulators that can be found on Golf Simulator Buddy.
The technical partnership is in the areas of application of alloys and composites materials in club design and aerodynamic profiling of golf club ferrules, shafts and heads in a bid, along with the sort of putting advice suggested by The Left Rough, to aid golfers improve their game.
The modern golf club designs are limited - hence research and development are more focused on materials and aerodynamics to produce advanced golf products. Additionally, Formula One's 'concept of delivery' allows progression to reach golf markets faster than using traditional research and development routes. For more insights and updates on the latest in golf technology, check out the Golfing blog.
Core Competences
The core competences of Formula One include the carbon fiber composite and aerodynamics technology.
In Formula One, the main performance differentiator is aerodynamics. Apart from traditional experimental disciplines including wind tunnel testing, formula one is a leader in the aerodynamic predictive discipline.
They use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to model the downforce and drag characteristics of their race cars. A CFD model of Williams race car at Williams F1 has millions of data points that enable the slightest changes to be analyzed and assessed virtually across the entire car for any aerodynamic impact.
To improve the competitiveness of a Formula One car on the track, it undergoes more than 100 aerodynamic revisions. The sport is also a pioneer in the use of high strength and low weight carbon fibre in manufacturing race cars since the 1980s. This enables the car to withstand ten annual static, penetration and dynamic crash tests to ensure the driver is safe and the performance is not compromised.
Apart from the carbon fiber, other materials necessary for the performance of the race cars are included in the products of Williams Sports. Tungsten inserts will feature in the clubs as they are used for weight distribution, a process that Formula One uses in its cars.
The Williams Sports irons in the Qualifier Series also uses the super alloy with high content of nickel, which is also used in making the lightweight racing cars. The CFD analysis shows that aerodynamic profiling provides the club with improved recovery and a smaller wake. This reduces the swing energy of the golfer addressing the ball and provides a more stable angle for a directional and clean ball strike.
The Team Principal of Williams F1, Frank Williams, said that business development is fascinating as the company is bringing the proprietor know-how to industrial applications and wider consumer. Their engagement with Williams Sport will revolutionize the design and development of golfing equipment.
During a simulation, the FW32 driver of Williams Sports showed an 11.5% reduction in drag coefficient and a 19% less drag force compared to a driver for TaylorMade Burner.
Williams Sports' Michael Lee said that the partnership is very exciting as the extensive engineering and design of Williams F1 will put them ahead of other companies in the golf industry.
Final Thoughts
There are so many limitations and issues that are portrayed by golf equipment that could be approached with the solution of modern technology. With all sports heading into the future when it comes to advancement and training, it was just a matter of time until golf companies also adopted the use of new materials and aerodynamics in the manufacture of their equipment.
Williams Sports is a leader in adopting new technology in club design. There is a bright future in the design of better golfing equipment due to the partnership created by Williams Sports and Williams F1.
