Student, Will Mendez, researching impact of alloys on golf club performance

November 1, 2023

In the world of sports, there is a continuous drive to improve human performance. In this field, small improvements can lead to significant advancements. One student at Clemson University hopes that his research will do just that.

Will Mendez is a senior at Clemson who is combining his passion for golf with his degree in Mechanical Engineering to push the boundaries of golf performance. Will’s research is shedding light on the impact that different materials have on golf club performance and hopes to one day make a lasting impact on the sport.

Growing up, Will was always fascinated by cars and loved playing golf. After spending a summer working at a local golf shop, Will discovered how he could combine his love for golf with his love for engineering and design. The following summer, he got an internship with Callaway Golf where he was able to gain hands-on experience designing golf clubs that are now being sold on their website. One of his favorite parts about product engineering is getting to see a project go from the prototype and testing stages to the final product that consumers can buy.

“It’s rewarding to know that I contributed to a product and now it’s being sold around the world. In product design, I love how you get to take a product, commercialize it, and turn it into something that can have an impact on people”

Will Mendez

Working for Callaway Golf, Will discovered his true passion and woke up excited to go to work every day. Coming back to Clemson this fall, he knew he wanted to continue learning about the intersection of these two fields. After discovering an opportunity through the honors college, Will realized he could do just that, while also gaining credits toward his degree.

Will’s Research

Will was curious about the impact that different materials in golf club heads have on ball performance but could not find any research on the topic online. This sparked Will’s idea and desire to find the answer himself. With the help of Dr. Garrett Pataky, assistant professor in Mechanical Engineering, and undergraduate research grants, Will has begun his research into finding a high entropy alloy that has good energy return properties to determine what would work best in golf clubs. He is using multiple testing methods to evaluate the effectiveness of the materials, including drop testing, gas gun testing, and speed measurement devices. Although the research project is still in the early stages, Will has overcome a few challenges already.

The main challenge he has faced so far has been having to build this research project by himself, from scratch. Not having much prior research experience, Will has had to learn as he goes. Although it has seemed daunting at times, he knows that it will be even more rewarding in the end. For that, he says he is thankful that Dr. Pataky has given him the freedom to control the direction of his passion project and test something that no one has tested before.

In the process of building his research project, Will has had to get creative with the materials and testing methods. While trying to find a drop testing device, he struggled to find a consistent release mechanism that could drop a golf ball from 20 feet onto a small metal disc. After unsuccessfully trying many different devices, he came up with the creative idea to combine two systems made from a fishing drone company – the first being a release mechanism that typically drops fishing lures out into the ocean, and the second being a golf ball dropper attachment connected to the release mechanism. Together, these two devices are able to drop the golf balls in exactly the same way every time. Will is also using a gas gun to shoot projectiles at his metal disc. A bluetooth photogate laser speed measurement device is used to measure pre-impact speed, and a high-speed camera is used to measure the post-impact speed. Collectively, these tests will show which high entropy alloys will result in greater energy return.

Will’s Goals

This research is a year-long project that will be completed when Will graduates this upcoming spring. While he doesn’t know what the outcome of the research will be yet, he hopes that he will be able to take what he learns and use it in his future career. Whether he finds a material that is perfect or one that should absolutely not be used, he wants to bring that knowledge to help his future golf employer. Being an avid golfer himself, Will understands the significance of the impact of materials on golf equipment and wants to be apart of improving performance of the game in the future.

Will hopes to join a company in the golf industry following his graduation in May 2024 and continue his work in product engineering. Will credits Clemson for giving him the foundation and tools to succeed in new and challenging environments and he will take those skills with him in his career. A top engineering program and family-like culture drew Will to Clemson and now, after beginning his final year, he says he “can’t imagine going to school anywhere else.”