What Were Golf Balls Originally Made Of?
- The first golf ball was most likely a rock.
- Then came wooden balls which were very inconsistent, but probably matched the level of the game back in the 16th century.
- Revolutionizing the game did the “featherie” ball which was a leather ball stuffed with goose feathers introduced in the 17th century.
What is good brand of golf balls?
- It's more important to understand your clubhead speed and course tendencies than to buy an expensive golf ball.
- Be patient, too — You'll need to test balls on your own to truly know which kinda suits you best.
- Our top pick, the Titleist AVX, is a premium golf ball that's durable and works well for those with slower swings.
What is the best golf ball in the world?
The best golf balls, in order of preference
- TaylorMade Tour Response. This is a great choice for mid-level golfers. ...
- Titleist Pro V1. Titleist likes to remind us that that the Pro V1 is the No 1 ball used by professionals on worldwide golf tours, but that it's a ...
- Callaway Chrome Soft Golf Balls. ...
- Wilson Staff Model R. ...
- TaylorMade TP5x. ...
- OnCore Vero X1. ...
- Titleist AVX. ...
- Vice Pro Soft. ...
What are the two main types of golf balls?
#1 – Golf Ball Types
- Distance golf balls typically have a larger core and thinner cover to help boost yardage, especially from the tee box. ...
- Spin control golf balls are designed to help you hit the ball straighter. ...
- Tour performance golf balls are the ones used by the best golfers in the world. ...
Are there any golf balls made in the U.S.?
There are at least seven major golf ball brands:
- Callaway (Made in Chicopee, Massachusetts)
- TaylorMade (Made in Carlsbad, California)
- MaxFLI (Made in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
- Bridgestone (Made in Covington, Georgia)
- Titleist (Made in New Bedford, Massachusetts)
- Top Flite (Owned by Callaway, Made in Chicopee, Massachusetts)
- Srixon (Made in Japan)
What were golf balls made of originally?
The first "real" golf ball was known as a "feathery"golf ball. Basically, the feathery was a leather sack filled with boiled goose feathers, then stitched up and painted. Feathery golf balls were expensive to make easily damaged and only the privileged few could afford to use them.
What were golf balls made of in 1920?
Guttie/Gutta Golf Balls The guttie was made by using dried sap from the Malaysian Sapodilla tree. The sap had a rubber-like quality to it and upon heating could be formed into a sphere.
What were golf balls made of in 1930?
In the 1930's through the 1960's, the major innovations in golf balls related to core development. The first wound balls consisted of a solid or liquid-filled core wound with a layer of rubber thread and a thin outer shell.
What was the first golf ball made of wood?
The first golf balls from the 14th Century were made out of wood, specifically beech, by carpenters using hand tools. They weren't perfectly round and it's safe to assume that they sucked. The 17th Century saw the slight design improvement of the featherie, a leather ball stuffed with bird feathers and stitched shut.
When did they stop making wound golf balls?
Remember, wound golf balls were popular prior to the 2000s and they were constructed with thread windings that wrapped around their cores.
What is the oldest golf ball?
Lying in a 'dusty' corner of a museum in Stirling is one of the most important artefacts in sporting history. It is an old ball with the identical construction to later feathery golf balls. It has been dated to 1514-1570 making it the oldest of its type in the world.
How far did old golf balls go?
While the leather shrank, the feathers expanded, which made the ball very hard and compact21. Interestingly, the featherie also had excellent flight characteristics as it could reach a distance of up to 175 yards22; although the longest recorded distance is more than 361 yards.
Are old golf balls worth anything?
Because of the age and the craftsmanship put into these balls they are among the ones that have the highest price tag of collectible golf balls. These balls are referred to as antique, and goes for sums upwards of +$5000! See example from eBay below.
How did golf balls get dimples?
As much as half of the lift a golf ball receives is caused by a backwards spinning motion. When a ball spins backwards, the air pressure underneath it is greater than above it, so the ball rises in the air. Dimples magnify this effect, contributing as much as 50% to the total lift.
What is the liquid inside a golf ball?
Contrary to golf folklore, the liquid cores aren't dangerous. Titleist, for example, has used a salt water and corn syrup blend. Today's core is generally made from synthetic rubber -- which may be mixed with bits of metal, such as tungsten or titanium -- or a plastic-like material such as acrylate.
Why is golf called golf?
The word 'golf' is not an acronym for anything. Rather, it derives linguistically from the Dutch word 'kolf' or 'kolve,' meaning quite simply 'club. ' In the Scottish dialect of the late 14th or early 15th century, the Dutch term became 'goff' or 'gouff,' and only later in the 16th century 'golf.
What makes a golf ball Illegal?
Legal golf balls can't be smaller than 1.68 inches in diameter. The Polara balls have a diameter of 1.68 inches (the same size as normal). If you have a smaller ball, you'll have less drag and that should give you more distance.
What were the first golf balls made of?
The first golf balls of leather were made with a bird feather stuffing. They were known as “featheries”. Surely they were burly and not very consistently made. Since they were made from leather they absorbed moisture during play and changed characteristics throughout the round.
Who invented the golf ball?
The American Robert Adams Paterson invented the so-called “guttie” golf ball in 1848. He took some rubber material called gutta-percha, which was extracted from a special kind of Malaysian rubber tree. Nowadays this rubber compound is used widely in dentistry and for insulation on electrical cables.
What is a surlyn golf ball?
Surlyn is a specific type of ionomer resin, developed by the American company DuPont in the 1960s. Ionomer golf ball covers bring something different to the table than urethane. It is the preferred material for distance balls because spin rates are lower and durability is higher. Usually, manufacturing costs are lower than urethane, ...
What are the two most common covers for golf balls?
The two most common ones are urethane and ionomer/Surlyn.
What is the mantle layer in golf balls?
The mantle layer will have the possibility to increase spin and greenside control on approach shots, or it can reduce side spin on longer shots.
What is the last thing on a golf ball?
Numbers. The last thing on the surface of the golf ball is the writing . It usually consists of the brand name and model, along with a number. You will be able to identify your ball from the numbering, and that is mostly what that is used for.
When did golf balls start to have dimples?
But around the 1910-1920 mark some began experimenting with dimples indented in the surface. This discovery led to even more consistent ball flights and even enabled the very best players to put backspin on the ball and stop it easier. The next major discovery is mostly how we see the golf balls today.
What is a golf ball made of?
By Timothy Bodamer. A golf ball is made up of rubber and various composite materials. A golf ball is a custom-made product for a variety of golf levels. Dimples add spin and wind resistance. The resin or rubber cover creates distance or control, while the core and compression are designed in each ball for every golfer from tour professional ...
Where were feather balls made?
Made during the 17th century in Scotland , feather balls had a core of goose feathers, wrapped by bull's hide and painted white. In the mid-19th century, the gutta percha ball replaced feather balls. The gutta percha ball used the gutta percha gum, boiled and shaped into balls.
What is the difference between a 90 compression and a 100 compression golf ball?
The 90 compression is considered average and designed for recreational golfers. The 100 compression ball consists of a harder , tighter core for advanced golfers.
What is the compression of a golf ball?
The golf ball core is often made of rubber, but some some balls may have a liquid center. The ball is compressed into three numbers: 80, 90, and 100. Eighty is lowest compression designed for juniors, women, and seniors. The 90 compression is considered average and designed for recreational golfers. The 100 compression ball consists of ...
Is Surlyn Blend a good ball?
This type of ball provides more distance and less maneuverability and is cheaper than the high-end balls. The surlyn blend is a good ball for beginners.
How were feathery golf balls made?
The feathery golf balls were manufactured while the leather and feathers were still wet, and as the leather shrunk while drying, the feathers expanded to create a hardened, compact ball. The Feathery was then painted and sold, often for more than the price of a golf club.
Who invented the Gutty golf ball?
It wasn't until 1848 that Rev. Dr. Robert Adams began creating golf balls out of Gutta Percha "Gutty". The Gutty golf ball was created from the dried sap of the Sapodilla tree. It had a rubber-like feel and was formed into ball shapes by heating it up and shaping it while hot.
What was the most popular design of the Gutta Percha era golf ball?
Golf truly became the sport for the masses. "The Bramble" design, with its minute bulges resembling a Brambleberry, became the most popular design of the Gutta Percha era golf ball.
What is a feathery golf ball?
Basically, the feathery was a leather sack filled with boiled goose feathers, then stitched up and painted.
What is the evolution of the golf ball?
The evolution of the golf ball highlights the major changes in the game of golf and depicts important golf landmarks during the long evolution of the game. The development of the golf club, the golf course, and the rules of the game were affected by the evolution of the golf ball itself. The balance (and debate) between technology ...
When did rubber core golf balls replace gutty golf balls?
The more modern rubber core golf ball replaced the gutty in 1899. However, the rubber core golf ball of the day did not meet with immediate success. Golfers complained that while the rubber cored golf balls were longer off of the tee they were far too lively on and around the greens.
When was the Brambleberry golf ball invented?
The advent of the rubber core golf ball changed the face of the game of golf as we knew it. This new design was invented in 1898 by Coburn Haskell in association with the BF Goodrich Company.
How big is a golf ball?
The Rules of Golf, jointly governed by the R&A and the USGA, state in Appendix III that the diameter of a "conforming" golf ball cannot be any smaller than 1.680 inches (42.67 mm), and the weight of the ball may not exceed 1.620 ounces (45.93 g). The ball must also have the basic properties of a spherically symmetrical ball, generally meaning that the ball itself must be spherical and must have a symmetrical arrangement of dimples on its surface. Additional rules direct players and manufacturers to other technical documents published by the R&A and USGA with additional restrictions, such as radius and depth of dimples, maximum launch speed from test apparatus (generally defining the coefficient of restitution) and maximum total distance when launched from the test equipment.
How does impact affect golf ball?
When a golf ball is hit, the impact, which lasts less than a millisecond, determines the ball's velocity, launch angle and spin rate, all of which influence its trajectory and its behavior when it hits the ground.
Who broke the world record for the fastest golf ball?
Canadian long drive champion Jason Zuback broke the world ball speed record on an episode of Sport Science with a golf ball speed of 328 km/h (204 mph). The previous record of 302 km/h (188 mph) was held by José Ramón Areitio, a Jai Alai player.
Where did the hairy golf ball come from?
Hairy Golf Balls. From 1486 through 1618, the Scottish received and used the hairy golf ball imported from the Netherlands. The hairy golf ball was a hand-sewn round leather ball filled with cows’ hair or straw. In 1554 the hairy golf ball was being produced in Scotland by the “cordiners and gouff ball makers of North Leith.”.
When was golf invented?
By many accounts it is presumed that the earliest games of golf were played with a wooden ball in the 14th century. It’s been refuted that wooden balls were never used in links golf in Scotland, but instead they were used in early games that were similar to golf.
What sap is used to make Haskel golf balls?
Thus bringing the modern look of the golf ball that we’ve become accustom to. The balata sap initially used to make Haskel golf balls had a tendency to get indents on it as it was relatively soft.
Why is a featherie golf ball harder to fly?
Since the featherie golf ball was filled with feathers it was able to be stuffed more full than the hairy, making it harder thus able to fly farther. To make a featherie, the feathers and leather would be shaped while wet. Upon drying the leather shrank and feathers expanded creating the desired hardness for the ball.
When was the rubber core discovered?
Rubber Core Golf Balls – Haskel. In 1898 Coburn Haskell made a discovery while awaiting Bertram Work, of the B.F. Goodrich Company, when he wound a rubber thread into a ball and bounced it. Haskell discovered it had a lot of bounce and upon Bertram Work’s suggestion to put a cover over it, the rubber Haskell golf ball was born.
Who invented the Gutta Percha ball?
In 1848 Dr. Robert Adams Paterson invented the Gutta-Percha ball, or Guttie. The guttie was made by using dried sap from the Malaysian Sapodilla tree. The sap had a rubber-like quality to it and upon heating could be formed into a sphere.
Who was the first golfer?
Golf’s first professional, Allan Robertson, was considered the premier ball and club maker of his time, in the early 1800s. In 1835, at age 14, Tom Morris (later known as Old Tom Morris & the Grandfather of Golf) began working under Robertson at St. Andrews.
What are gutty golf balls made of?
They were made from the rubber-like sap of the gutta percha tree, and gutty (or guttie) golf balls could be made from molds, made much faster and much cheaper than featheries. After the invention of gutties, featheries faded from golf very quickly.
What was the first purpose built golf ball?
The "feathery" was the first purpose-built golf ball. Prior to featheries (the singular is also frequently spelled "featherie"), people playing golf or its antecedents used wooden spheres. But such wooden balls were also used in other stick-and-ball games; the same balls, in other words, were used by people to play different games.
Why did golf balls soften?
The seams busting open was another issue. And so was wet weather — common in Scotland and England where almost all featheries were in use — that caused the balls to soften and fly shorter distances. Then there was the cost, which limited the number of people who could afford to play golf.
When did the feathery golf ball come out?
The feathery arrived on the scene probably by the mid-1500s, although the first definitive reference to featheries comes from the early 1600s. The feathery was the first true golf ball, in that it was created specifically for golfers. Featheries remained the standard golf ball until the mid-1800s. It was time-consuming to create a feathery ball, ...
When did golf balls become feathery?
Featheries remained the standard golf ball until the mid-1800s. It was time-consuming to create a feathery ball, which meant they were expensive in their own time. Today, featheries are highly sought and very valuable as collectibles.
Who blasted the feathery golf ball?
It was blasted by a golfer named Samuel Messieux in 1836. There's a catch: The ground was frozen, helping the ball slide and skid for a very long distance. The average driving distance of top golfers with featheries, however, was little more than half that record distance. The most commonly cited range for feathery driving distance is ...
How much does a feathery golf ball cost?
According to the book Golf: The Science and the Art, the price of a single feathery ball from a reputable maker could range from $10 to $20 in today's terms.
Where were leather golf balls made?
It came into its own on the Scottish Links. Leather stitched golf balls were been being made in Scotland from at least 1554, when there was a recorded dispute between the cordiners (leather workers) of the Cannongate in Edinburgh and the 'cordiners and gouff ball makers of North Leith' .
What was the first ball used in golf?
There are theories that wooden balls may have been used in a target version of golf in Scotland, but this is not golf proper and it is more likely than not that the ‘hairy’ colf ball was the first ball used for golf on the links in Scotland.
What is the most famous golf ball?
The feathery or featherie is the most famous of all golf balls, though it is not definitively known when or where it was developed. There is a reference in the Edinburgh Testaments (vol xlvii 123b) to 'fyve scoir twell flok goiff ballis' (112 flok golf balls) in a will in 1612.
Why are gutties painted red?
Gutties were painted white or red for winter play, for the same reason as featheries, as protection and to be able to find them. The cost of gutties was 1/- one shilling, much cheaper than featheries, and a main factor in bringing golf to the masses. The gutty lasted until 1900.
When were gutties invented?
However, by 1860, gutties were good enough and popular enough to replace the feathery and a new era of golf was born. In 1871, Willie Dunn at Musselburgh created a mould to make gutties, which was a quicker and more consistent method of production.
How many metres can a hairy colf ball hit?
It is estimated that the ball could be hit 135-150 metres and it was more controllable than wooden colf balls, although it was prone to water damage.
What are the four types of golf balls?
In the first four hundred years of golf there were only four types of golf ball - the Hairy, the Feathery, the Gutty and the Haskell. Everyone refers to golf as a ‘stick and ball’ game, and this has over-emphasized the role of the clubs, ...
