After a detailed study of the techniques of the world's leading golfers, Professor Alan Turner, of Sussex University in England, believes he has worked out what makes the perfect swing.

His analysis and resulting computer program was unveiled at the World Scientific Congress on Golf at St Andrews University in Scotland.

Science is giving golf a lift

His analysis has produced what he says are the precise parameters of the ideal swing.

It takes into account the mass of the player's arms, the length and mass of the club, the speed and depth of the swing as well as the rotation of the golfer's body.

Using Isaac Newton's second law of motion, the one that relates force, mass and acceleration, Professor Turner has developed a series of equations that define the perfect golf swing.

It is a complicated formula but some hints for a better golf swing do emerge from it.

One tip is to alter the angle of the chin. According to the professor "the secret of a good technique is to point the chin a little way behind the ball before lifting the club".

Isaac is helping Tiger

He also says that the golfer should try to hit the ball keeping both elbows near to each other and as close to the body as possible.

Other researchers are also taking a scientific look at golf. Teams in the United States are using alloys developed for spacecraft in golf clubs.

A group at the University of Southampton has connected a series of sensors to a golf club and are using them to determine exactly what happens to a club as it strikes the ball.

Whether this scientific advice benefits golfers remains to be seen. Recently American scientists analysed the baseball swing but could not make their mind up whether it was best to hit the ball holding the bat firmly or loosely.