Golf Club Can Cause Tinnitus and Hearing Loss
Here’s one for the books… or at least the links. A study published in the British Journal of Medicine warns that certain golf clubs can cause hearing loss and by extension tinnitus.
The popular titanium clubs used by golfers everywhere create a mini sonic boom upon impact with a golf ball. Years ago the sound of a wood driver hitting a ball made a healthy click, but now the intense ping that explodes off titanium clubs creates a sound as loud as a jackhammer or jet engine at take-off.
Recent tests at Florida’s North Palm Beach Country Club with director of golf Mike Gray measured decibel levels on impact. “They design them to be louder, its more exciting. If it sounds louder, it feels like it will go father” said Gray.
Time and again the impact pinned the meter past 130 decibels. 130 decibels equals the noise level in close proximity to a jackhammer and a jet taking off on the runway. By comparison the blast from a gun muzzle hits 140 db and a rock concert clocks in at 132.
The study suggests wearing ear plugs. Tennis anyone?
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Here’s one for the books… or at least the links. A study published in the British Journal of Medicine warns that certain golf clubs can cause hearing loss and by extension tinnitus.
The popular titanium clubs used by golfers everywhere create a mini sonic boom upon impact with a golf ball. Years ago the sound of a wood driver hitting a ball made a healthy click, but now the intense ping that explodes off titanium clubs creates a sound as loud as a jackhammer or jet engine at take-off.
Recent tests at Florida’s North Palm Beach Country Club with director of golf Mike Gray measured decibel levels on impact. “They design them to be louder, its more exciting. If it sounds louder, it feels like it will go father” said Gray.
Time and again the impact pinned the meter past 130 decibels. 130 decibels equals the noise level in close proximity to a jackhammer and a jet taking off on the runway. By comparison the blast from a gun muzzle hits 140 db and a rock concert clocks in at 132.
The study suggests wearing ear plugs. Tennis anyone?
Book Mark it-> del.icio.us | Reddit | Slashdot | Digg | Facebook | Technorati | Google | StumbleUpon | Window Live | Tailrank | Furl | Netscape | Yahoo | BlinkList
June 10th, 2009 at 8:13 am
So much better to stop playing golf???another material Gulf Clubs i should use??
June 10th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
I suppose one could always return to real “woods.” But hard to give up the edge gained by titanium. Anyone truly concerned for their hearing health could always wear foam earplugs to dampen the intensity when using their driver.