Most people know what a gold ball looks like because they are small with little dimples on them, but why is that? Do the simples have a purpose in terms of hitting the ball in any way?
This guide will be outlining why there are dimples on golf balls and how many there should be. There are many different types of gold balls in stores and online but are they all the same? Find out more here!
What Is The Purpose Of The Dimples?
The dimples in the golf balls are not there for decoration and do have real purpose in terms of the sport itself and being able to hit the ball effectively!
The dimples in the golf balls are there to reduce the amount of drag the ball has when it is in the air. The indents vibrate the air around it when in the air.
If the balls did not have these dimples then the ball would not be able to travelas far in the air. The drag would make the ball heavier in a sense when in the air. Turbulence would be created without the distance behind the ball which would slow it down.
The dimples are the resistance that makes the ball move forward and not downwards. Back in the day, they used to have smooth golf balls which did not work as well and that was noticed when the balls were more worn down they would travel further.
Pattern Choices
There are lots of different brands which have different dent patterns. Most of the dimples are spherical where there will be shallow and deeper dimples across the ball.
Most companies do not like to change the shape of the dimples because it would cost them a lot of money and they need to know if it will be popular. However, the popular brand Callaway golf balls changed the shape of their dimples to hexagons.
This became very popular and worked extremely well.
There are many different brands which are looking more into the science of performance the golf balls can have. This tends to be tested more for pro golfers to improve the performance of their game.
How Many Dimples?
All golf balls (see also: Inside A Golf Ball? )will have a different amount of dimples in them. It can range anywhere between 250-500 dimples in the ball. That might seem like quite a lot of dimples but they are very tiny.
There are lots of dimples and they all must be symmetrical because it is all about the aerodynamics of the ball in the air. However, there is definitely no limit to how many dimples you can have in the ball, buton average, most balls tend to have around 350 dimples.
In the past, there were balls that were produced with over 1000 dimples but they didn’t last in the market. That is because sometimes less dimples can be more effective in terms of the amount of vibration on the ball.
What Is The History?
The very first golf balls were very different to what you will see today. They used to be made out of leather material filled with feathers. They did not work as well and couldn’t travel as far either but were the best at that time.
The balls progressed past this point in the 1800s where the material was changed. These balls were round and smooth all over without the dimples. These balls were kept around for a very long time because they worked well.
This all changed in the 1900s because people started to notice that the balls would travel better when they had little dents where they have been worn down. This is mind, this is where the idea came from for how you see the balls today.
In modern society, golf balls now rely on the dimples and especially for professional players because the sport has become so big.
However, this was all by accident and noticing something by accident and not because someone intentionally designed it. That has now shaped the most important part of golf today.
Dimple Range
Dimples are very important because they help your ball travel further. However, there are many other factors which also need to be considered surrounding the dimples. There needs to be a good depth to the dimples and the angles of them as well.
When there are too many dimples, it slows the ball down and takes all of the spin off the ball which you need for your shots.
Pro Tours
For pro tour golfers they must have a certain amount of dimples on their golf balls which tends to be anywhere between 322-376 dimples. They choose the perfect ball for them which is much easier to control because of the skill and technique they have.
If you aren’t a pro player, you would most likely start with a slowly moving ball to properly practice your technique first before you start thinking about distance.
Conclusion
Overall, golf balls have definitely progressed over hundreds of years and not intentionally either. Back in the day, different material was used and there was definitely not much science involved either.
However, in modern society it is all about aerodynamics and how to get the most control over the ball.
Hopefully this guide has provided you with a bit more knowledge about the dimples in the golf balls and why they have a certain amount and their purpose.
Most people don’t even think about small aspects of the sport like this, but they are a lot more important than you might think.
If you’re a golfer or someone just starting out, it can be important to know about the dimples because it can help you improve when finding the best ball for you at your stage of learning.
Hi, my name is Garratt Shmidt and I have been playing golf in my spare time for almost a decade.
Before I found a passion for golf, I didn’t see the appeal. I thought it was slow, repetitive, and quite frankly boring.
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