. Englishman Ian Poulter, one of Europe’s most successful golf professionals, along with TV presenter and passionate amateur golfer Sonja Zietlow, took part in this exciting competition.

Their challengers were racing driver Hans-Joachim Stuck and the motorcycling professional and world stunt champion Chris Pfeiffer. In an unusual speed and acceleration comparison, using the BMW M5 (weight 1,830 kg) and the BMW K 1200 R motorbike (237 kg), they tried to catch up with or even overtake a golf ball weighing just 45 grams.

From 0 to 100 km/h in 0.25 milliseconds

The BMW M5 and the BMW K 1200 R motorbike have powerful engines and deliver the driving pleasure characteristic of BMW. Both the BMW M5 and the BMW motorbike have powerful acceleration forces and can be driven at maximum speeds of up to 250 km/h (M5) or more (motorbike).

The challenge was to see whether this is enough to beat a golf ball. The golf ball reaches its maximum speed immediately after being hit. Depending on the weather conditions, the club and the player, this speed can reach up to 300 km/h. As soon as the club hits the golf ball, the entire complement of forces is transferred. All in just 0.5 milliseconds. It’s an incredibly short amount of time – quicker than the flash of a camera.

Different acceleration processes

The golf ball takes just 0.25 milliseconds – when hit by a professional with a driver – to reach 100 km/h. The BMW K 1200 R motorbike reaches this speed in 2.8 seconds. The BMW M5 needs 4.7 seconds. This means that the golf ball starts its journey at an extremely high speed but, because of air resistance, becomes slower and slower and finally falls to the ground. Because of their considerably higher weights, the car and motorbike need a few seconds to reach their maximum speeds. Once they’ve reached those top speeds, however, they can maintain them – a considerable advantage over the golf ball, which has no means of self-propulsion.

The power of driving vs driving power

Ian Poulter, member of the successful 2004 European Ryder Cup Team, and TV star Sonja Zietlow each hit the ball with a sand wedge, a 6 iron and a driver. At the same time, Hans- Joachim Stuck and Chris Pfeiffer set off in the BMW M5 and on the BMW K 1200 R and tried to catch up with or overtake the golf ball while it was still in flight.

“It was really impressive to watch how the BMW M5 and the BMW motorbike battled it out with my golf ball,” says golfing professional Ian Poulter. “I was almost certain that no vehicle could keep pace with a golf ball in flight. So it was all the more of a surprise for me to see that the BMW motorbike almost always matched my stroke."

During the first test with the sand wedge, Stuck and Pfeiffer had an advantage: strokes with the sand wedge have a high but relatively short flight path. Nevertheless, the BMW M5 didn't manage to catch up with the golf ball after shots from both Ian Poulter and Sonja Zietlow. With Ian Poulter's sand wedge stroke, the ball travelled 104 metres. This time the BMW M5 reached the 90 metre mark. The BMW K 1200 R actually beat the golf ball at 140 metres. With Sonja Zietlow’s stroke, the golf ball carried 93 metres. Here, the BMW M5 reached 45 metres and the motorbike again overtook the ball at 160 metres. Ian Poulter’s stroke with a 6 iron was unbeatable. His ball carried a distance of 171 metres.

In the BMW M5, Stuck covered 100 metres, while Pfeiffer travelled 169 metres on the BMW motorbike. Amateur golfer Sonja Zietlow hit her golf ball 114 metres with the 6 iron.Again, the BMW M5 was unable to keep up, reaching just 89 metres. The BMW motorbike, however, overtook the golf ball in style at 187 metres.

The driver achieved similar results. Using this club, Ian Poulter hit the ball a full 255 metres. He reached a tee-off speed of 260 km/h. During the ball’s flight, the BMW M5 reached the 122 metre marker. The motorbike almost travelled as far as the golf ball, i.e. 248 metres.

Sonja Zietlow's stroke with the driver carried 191 metres. Her golf ball started with a speed of 211 km/h. Stuck reached 112 metres in his BMW M5 while Pfeiffer again overtook the ball at 230 metres on the BMW motorbike.

With its 507 horsepower engine, the BMW M5 had no chance against the golf ball, whose tremendously high acceleration is dependent solely on the individual’s golf swing. On the other hand, the BMW K 1200 R motorbike, with 163 HP, beat the sand wedge and Sonja Zietlow’s strokes with the 6 iron and driver. Golf professional Ian Poulter beat the BMW K 1200 R motorbike with his 6 iron and the driver strokes.