Tiger Woods, the celebrated professional golfer, was in a car crash in 2020. This was his second widely-reported major smash-up. After the first crash—in 2009—economists calculated some of the economic knock-on costs to companies that had paid Woods to endorse them or their products and services. They reported details in a study: “Shareholder Value Destruction […]
Tag: golf
Holes around holes of little or no benefit in golf putting [new study]
The Ebbinghaus illusion (a.k.a. Titchener circles) is a robust optical illusion discovered more than 100 years ago. Two identically-sized* circles are presented, one is surrounded by large circles, the other by small circles. The one surrounded by small circles looks bigger. In 2012, a research group from Purdue University, the Max Planck Institute and the […]
Golfer’s Yips Mitigator [new patent]
What are ‘The Yips’ – and what, if anything, can be done about them? “Certain golfers may experience a phenomenon called `yips.` The term `yips` or `the yips` refers to a condition known as focal dystonia. Athletes affected by the yips demonstrate a sudden, unexplained loss of previous skill. The condition may occur suddenly and without […]
Sports Celebration Injuries – update
If you thought that ‘Score Celebration Injuries’ (SCIs) were restricted to soccer players – think again. A 2017 report in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 57(3 ): 267-71, reviews the medical literature on the subject, reporting that of the 62 SCIs that they found, only 22 involved professional soccer players. “A total […]
Psycho-emotional status regulation of minigolf players (study)
When it comes to sporting activities, the psycho-emotional state of the players can have a profound effect on their performance. What positive steps can be taken to enhance it? A number of strategies are currently available : “[…] various ways and their combinations based on physiological reflexes are applied: breath holdings, relaxation of facial muscles, […]
An analysis of CEO shirking (at the golf course)
CEOs of high-profile (e.g. S&P 1500) corporations are sometimes tempted to shirk their duties. One quite well-tried method of shirking is to leave the office for the day and play golf instead. Thus, as an observer, if you take the position that shirking might in general hamper business performance, an extrapolated question can be asked […]
A round-up of American hole-in-one jurisprudence
Of all the curious things one can get insurance cover for – the golfing fraternity’s ‘hole-in-one-insurance’ is surely one of the curiouser. Why would one want insurance against a hole-in-one? The answer lies in the substantial cash bonus prizes which (some) golf clubs offer to those players who manage to get one. From the club’s […]
“The Place of Golf in U.S. Imperialism” [study]
What, if any, are the similarities, or if you prefer, the ‘correspondences’, between possible US imperialistic tendencies and golf? For answers, see : ‘The Place of Golf in U.S. Imperialism‘ in the Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 2002, 26: 331. It’s by C.L. Cole, who is Professor of Media and Cinema Studies; Professor of […]
2012 Yearly Golfball Patents: A look back
Over the course of the last year Improbable has attempted to address the question of whether the number of new patents for golfballs might or might not be used as a continuous gauge for human ingenuity. With the recent publication of December’s figures, The full results are now in. Statistics : Highest monthly level : 11 golfball […]
Updated index of new patents for golfballs (Nov. 2012)
November 2012 saw a higher-than-average number of golfball-related patents issued by the US Patent and Trademark Office. There were no less than 11 new golfball concepts – an improvement of nearly 38% on last month’s lacklustre figures. • Golf ball having moisture barrier layers made from polyolefin compositions • Multilayer core golf ball having hardness […]