0.5 kg Impact Hammer Soil Tester for Golf Courses

This impact hammer soil tester for golf courses uses a 0.5 kg hammer to help greenkeepers produce high-quality, consistent playing surfaces. It supports decisions on surface quality, safety and turfgrass health, and is simple to operate with clear, objective results.

Key Features

• 0.5 kg compaction hammer running inside a vertical guide tube, with both domed and flat hammers supplied
• Readings shown in Gravities (G) on a backlit vertical display clamped to the guide tube, so there is no need to hold the readout
• Readout range up to 500 Gravities (G)
• Very rugged build for long-term use in damp, dirty and harsh site conditions
• Readout unit made from high-strength alloy with a proven lifespan of decades
• Runs on 2 x AA batteries, typically for 12 months
• Stores approx. 10,000 drop tests, each with time, date and firmness
• Wireless download to a PC or laptop as CSV files
• Compact, reliable instrument supplied with a wooden transit and storage case

How It Works

Operating principle: when released, the hammer drops down the guide tube and strikes the test surface. It decelerates at a rate set by the stiffness of the material at the point of impact, and the readout displays this hardness in Gravities (G). The harder the surface, the higher the G reading.

How to Use

1. Stand the guide tube vertically on the surface to be tested.
2. Lift the hammer to the required drop height and let it fall freely.
3. Repeat three times; the reading from the third drop is recorded as the measurement.
4. Results are saved in the instrument and can be downloaded wirelessly to a computer.

Applications

• Golf: helps assess how greens play in terms of ball impact, bounce and spin. Firmer greens are linked with a fair but testing game that rewards accurate play.
• Winter sports: where hard ground brings a risk of injury, results help with safety decisions; they have been shown to correlate closely with head injury severity indexes. The test also indicates the shock absorption and ball rebound of the surface.
• Surface consistency: taking multiple readings across a surface shows how much hardness varies between areas and through the year.
• Other surfaces: can also be used on tennis courts, bowling greens, equestrian surfaces and more.

Use on Different Sports Surfaces

*Deceleration due to gravity.

Suggested Number of Measurements for Consistency Testing

Specifications

What's Included

• Impact hammer with guide tube
• Domed and flat 0.5 kg hammers
• Digital readout unit
• Wooden transit and storage case