The Ultimate Golf Impact Shot, originally uploaded by Photosmudger.

The deformation of sporting goods is one of the classics of high-speed photography.

I was able to provide Photosmudger with a small amount of advice for this shot. The challenge was to minimize the delay between the impact and the flash. The speed of sound is the enemy here. My suggestion was to locate the microphone underneath the green, and to attach it to the golf tee. That takes advantage of the speed of sound in wood, which is faster than the speed of sound in air.

If I could only hit a golf ball, I would try this myself!