PXG Shows Young People STEM Studies Can be Fun
By Janina Parrott Jacobs
Decked out in green, purple, pink and white DAPCEP tee shirts, 23 minority teenagers from the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program attended a ‘Science of Golf’ demonstration hosted by specialty golf equipment manufacturer PXG, at their new Troy store.
Traditionally, STEM subjects - Science, Technology, Engineering, Math - have not been particularly accessible as a career path to minority or under-represented students, with less than 9% of STEM degrees awarded at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels in 2018.
The mission of DAPCEP is to help change all that by not only preparing the young people for college and high paying technology jobs, but by also making the journey toward them much more exciting – and fun.
Most of the young people at the July 27 event had never held a golf club nor set foot on a golf course. Understanding this, PXG Communications VP Leela Brennan explained the opportunity as an ‘introduction to golf as both an activity as well as a science perspective’.
The kids first explored the elegant retail store, then split up into four groups and rotated among stations led by PGA Professionals, clubfitters, and top-tier PXG engineering and staff members. Assisted by TrackMan technology, they observed mathematically calculated paths and launch angles of both putting and the full swing, and also the ‘Smash Factor’ which measures efficiency and accuracy of clubface contact. The CORE Experiment, led by Product Engineer Grace Wilson, assisted students in understanding how energy is transferred from a club to the golf ball.
Wilson explained, “Unlike other club manufacturers, PXG irons are hollowed out and filled with composite materials, which help transfer energy directly to the ball. We’ve developed a different composite core for each of five generations of PXG irons.”
To illustrate this concept, the students conducted The Drop Test where a golf ball was dropped from 36 inches onto four different surfaces to determine the most efficient ‘bounce’ or energy transfer. A window ledge clearly won out over artificial turf, a chair cushion and a workbench as the engrossed students busily calculated square roots and coefficients of restitution. Calculators also triumphed over slide rules.
Caleb Kroloff has been a Senior Engineer at PXG for 7 years. “You can study engineering but go into any field at all. It teaches a problem-solving mindset. We simply take applied sciences and show kids how it works in the real world.”
Kalel, a 15-year-old homeschooler in Detroit, was excited for the opportunity. “I have been to First Tee and played a little at Chandler Park, but didn’t think about it a lot as science and engineering. And this my first time in a golf store. I looked it up online but didn’t expect the shop to look this luxurious.”
Kendrick, 14, from Eastpointe, studies at University Prep and Design. He doesn’t really play but does caddie at Country Club of Detroit. In learning the game, he also sees how physics can apply to everything. “It’s an awesome game and I’d like to play more.”
DAPCEP Executive Director Michelle Reaves was thrilled when PXG reached out to extend this invitation to her group. “No one had ever talked to me about these kinds of careers being available.”
After the experience, the students made a bus trip to Detroit Golf Club – where the students would enjoy lunch, meet PXG touring professionals, and observe the practice round in style at the 18th hole Rocket Mortgage VIP Chalet.
Leela Brennan shared some poignant information about PXG Founder Bob Parsons, also Founder of GoDaddy.
“The journey to commitment is doing what you are asked to do, no matter what the job. Bob failed the 5th Grade. He passed high school only due to his service in the Marine Corps. There, he learned you must follow through, think differently, problem solve, and see opportunity when others don’t. If you do what you love, it will tell you its secrets. Continue exploring, and the path will let you be surprised. It will be more fun…..and more cool!”
The golf industry likely picked up 23 new fans today.
