What do dimples on a golf ball mean?
Jun 21, 2021 · The answer is no. golf ball dimples come in different forms, varying amounts, and various depths. Most of the dimples are circular, but you can also get hexagonal-shaped dimples. The number of dimples ranges from 300 to 500, while their depths are 0.010 inches or slightly higher or lower.
When did the first golf ball have a bump on it?
As golf grew, people started to realize that a golf ball with cuts and scratches in it would fly further and straighter than a new and smooth golf ball. Golf balls began to be produced with raised bumps on them until the very early 1900s. In 1905 the first patent for a dimpled golf ball was filed, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Are golf balls smooth or bumpy?
Mar 18, 2019 · The invention of golf ball dimples happened accidentally. In the mid-1800s, the most widely-used golf balls were known as gutties, which were first created by Robert Adams Paterson using molded...
When did the first golf ball have protrusions?
Jun 07, 2021 · Why were dimples placed on golf balls? Dimples on a golf ball create a thin turbulent boundary layer of air that clings to the ball’s surface. This allows the smoothly flowing air to follow the ball’s surface a little farther around the back side of the ball, thereby decreasing the size of the wake.
When did they start putting dimples on golf balls?
In the early 1900s, another inventor found that indentations in golf balls performed far better than raised protrusions. In 1905, an English manufacturer named William Taylor registered a patent for a golf ball dimple design. Before long, all golf balls featured dimples that would be more or less recognizable today.Mar 18, 2019
Why do they put dimples on golf balls?
Dimples on a golf ball create a thin turbulent boundary layer of air that clings to the ball's surface. This allows the smoothly flowing air to follow the ball's surface a little farther around the back side of the ball, thereby decreasing the size of the wake.Sep 19, 2005
Did golf balls always have dimples?
Then in 1905 William Taylor applied the dimple pattern to a Haskell golf ball, thus giving rise to the modern golf ball as we know it today. After its beginning, dimpled golf balls were officially used in every golf tournament. In 1921, the golf ball took its current form with standard size and weight.Oct 16, 2018
What ball has 336 dimples?
American golf ballsOn American golf balls, there are usually 336 dimples, while there are 330 on a British ball. However these numbers can vary widely. Golf balls have anywhere from 300-500 dimples. Golf ball manufacturers will manipulate the number, shape, size, and even edge angles to optimize ball flight and trajectory.
Are more dimples on a golf ball better?
More dimples being on a golf ball are not necessarily better. The number of dimples that are on a golf ball is less important than the dimensions of the dimples themselves. Too many dimples mean more drag, and too few dimples mean an unpredictable flight trajectory.Jun 27, 2021
What would happen if a golf ball has no dimples?
Dimples help the ball fly through the air because they help the ball lift. If a ball doesn't lift, it travels forward like a half-inflated balloon, subject to any and all outside interferences. If a ball only has dimples on one of its sides, it's practically impossible to hit the ball straight.Dec 29, 2014
How many dimples are on a Pro V1 golf ball?
Then there's Titleist Pro V1, one of the best beginner golf balls, with 352 dimples. So it's unmistakable that dimples differ on golf balls from one brand to another. And not only the number of dimples, but also the shape, size (in a way), and more.
What were golf balls made of in 1900?
Until the mid-19th century, the featherie was the standard golf ball. It was made of cow or horsehide which was stuffed with feathers; most often goose feather.Sep 21, 2016
What are the small indentations on a golf ball called?
In most cases, golf ball dimples are simply referred to as dimples. However, there are some instances when they will be called indentations or more thoroughly referred to as the golf ball dimples pattern.Jun 30, 2020
Did you know the average golf ball has 336 dimples?
The dimples are usually the same size as one another, but some golf balls have several different sizes of dimple on the same ball. Any number between 300 and 500 dimples is reasonable, and 336 is a common number.Oct 22, 2007
How many dimples are on an American golf ball?
Most modern golf balls have about 300–500 dimples, though there have been balls with more than 1000 dimples. The record holder was a ball with 1,070 dimples—414 larger ones (in four different sizes) and 656 pinhead-sized ones.
How many dimples does a Srixon golf ball have?
Golf Ball Dimples ChartGolf Ball ModelDimplesSrixon Q-STAR344Srixon Soft Feel324Srixon Soft Feel Lady328Srixon Z-Star Spin Skin338175 more rows
Why do golf balls have dimples?
Very simply stated, if a golf ball were smooth, the air would flow quickly over the top and create quite a bit of turbulence behind the ball.
What is a dimple on a golf ball?
Like many other great inventions in history, dimples on a golf ball were discovered accidentally. Throughout history, golf balls took on many different designs. At one point, they were even constructed with feathers inside them. As golf grew, people started to realize that a golf ball with cuts and scratches in it would fly further ...
When did golf balls start to have bumps?
Golf balls began to be produced with raised bumps on them until the very early 1900s.
Who is Nick Lomas?
Nick Lomas is the founder of GolfSpan, an avid golfer, not quite a pro but has over 15-years of experience playing and coaching golfers from all over the world. His mission is to bring the golfing community a better experience then it comes to choosing the right golf gear, and finding the right set up for your game.
Do golf balls perform well?
Although golf ball design and features will vary within the acceptable limits, most golf balls will perform equally well over an extended period of time. That being said, choosing the right golf ball for you can be related to feel, swing speed, and personal preference.
When did golf balls get dimples?
In 1905 , an English manufacturer named William Taylor registered a patent for a golf ball dimple design. Before long, all golf balls featured dimples that would be more or less recognizable today. As ball technology advanced, so too did dimple science.
What happens if you don't have dimples on your golf ball?
The one with no dimples at all produced a low-flying knuckeball. “The dimples help to create lift,” Nardacci told Wall. “Once the ball leaves the clubhead, the only thing acting on the golf ball are aerodynamic forces of gravity.
How many dimples does a Titleist Pro V1 have?
For example, the 2017/18 model of the popular Titleist Pro V1 has 352 dimples on it, while Titleist’s other flagship ball from the same year, the Pro V1x, has 328 dimples. For one manufacturer, the answer to how many dimples on a golf ball was a whopping 1,070, which happens to be the record for the most dimples on a golf ball.
How deep is a golf ball dimple?
The size of golf ball dimples are most frequently measured by their depth. The average depth of a golf ball dimple is roughly 0.010 inch. The circumference of dimples also varies from model to model. While most dimples are spherical in shape, they don’t have to be. Callaway’s HX ball has hexagon-shaped dimples, for example.
Why do golf balls travel unpredictably?
There is real science behind their use. A flat or irregular object moves through the air in an inconsistent, fluctuating manner because of how air flows over it. So golf balls without dimples would travel unpredictably through the air. Essentially, golfers would have little hope controlling a smooth golf ball.
What happens when a ball spins backwards?
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.
How much does a golf ball weigh?
Currently, a golf ball is required to have a mass no more than 1.620 ounces, or 45.93 grams.
How Do Golf Ball Dimples Work?
Any object moving through the air faces the force which the air exerts on it. There are two components to the force an object flying through the air undergoes:
How Do Golf Ball Dimples Improve the Game?
Now that you understand at least a bit of the aerodynamics involved with golf ball dimples, you can look at how exactly this appears in an average round of golf. For the player, golf ball dimples serve two purposes:
Have Golf Balls Always Had Dimples?
Golf has been around for a long time, and for a lot of that time, people played with smooth balls. However, at some point in the 1800s, players noticed that their dented golf balls actually performed better than the perfectly smooth ones.
Are All Golf Ball Dimples the Same?
After learning how vital dimples are to a golf ball’s success, you may be surprised to learn that golf ball dimples are not regulated. They can have different shapes, different depths and appear in varying amounts on balls.
Golf Ball Dimples Are Not Everything
There are other things that go into how smoothly and how far a golf ball flies beside the dimples.
Conclusion
Two key forces affect your golf ball’s flight: drag and lift. Golf ball dimples have a massive impact on both, which is why they are so crucial for effective golf balls. Dimples reduce drag and increase lift.
Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better
What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:
What is the dimple on a golf ball?
This might go to explain how something as small as the dimples on your golf ball can make such a big difference to the flight of every shot that you hit. In a game where the little things are so important, the littlest of them all (the dimple) plays a major role. A golf ball without dimples would not perform anything like what you are used to ...
Why are golf ball dimples important?
Golf ball dimples are designed to make the ball fly longer through the air.
What is the effect of golf ball dimples?
The effect of golf ball dimples aerodynamics means that golfers are able to hit the ball significantly farther, and in a much more-controlled fashion, than they were able to previous to the creation of the dimpled golf ball.
Is golf a game of inches?
To say golf is a game of inches is probably an understatement – it is a game of fractions of inches. This might go to explain how something as small as the dimples on your golf ball can make such a big difference to the flight of every shot that you hit. In a game where the little things are so important, the littlest of them all (the dimple) ...
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.
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.”.
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.
How many stages of evolution are there in golf?
The modern golf ball has undergone a few transformations to get to where it is today. The origins of the golf ball can be traced to five distinct stages of evolution. From a wooden ball in the 14th century to the modern rubber core balls, discover the history behind the golf 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.
What is the history of golf balls?
A golf ball is central to the game of golf. In fact, golf is all about the ball. Well, getting it into the hole in the ground. All the fuss surrounding the correct posture, swinging technique, proper grip, etc. is actually all about hitting the ball at the right angle, ...
When was the first golf ball invented?
Even though the Haskell’s rubber-wound core ball is traditionally regarded as the first modern golf ball, the origins of the ball that is used by today’s pros and amateurs alike dates from the 1960s. At that time, an American chemical engineer named James R. Bartsch (1933-1991) entered the golf ballmaking business only to find out that he was not going to succeed unless he finds a way to reduce the cost of the materials and labour. He started to experiment with various synthetic materials and refused to give up until he found the perfect formula. Bartsch’s ball, however, wasn’t only more than twice less expensive to produce 63 but it also re-introduced the concept of a solid-moulded ball.
What was the name of the ball that was used to play golf?
Gutta Percha Ball (The Guttie) In the mid-19th century, most people could only dream of playing golf. There were at the time fewer than 20 golf clubs around the world, with just three being outside Scotland. But that was not the only thing that prevented most people from playing golf.
How far can a featherie fly?
Interestingly, the featherie also had excellent flight characteristics as it could reach a distance of up to 175 yards 22; although the longest recorded distance is more than 361 yards. 23 But it also had a quite a few weaknesses. Photo Credit: “A Gourlay” to The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum.
What was the ball of choice from the mid-19th to the early 20th century?
Likewise, it didn’t perform well in extremely high temperatures and when compared to the featherie, the guttie didn’t only felt harsh and rigid, it also sounded harsh when hit with a club. 46 Despite its “flaws”, the guttie was the ball of choice from the mid-19th to the early 20th century around the world.
When did the featherie go extinct?
Little by little, however, the guttie was taken up by a growing number of golfers and by the early 1860s, the featherie practically became “extinct”. 35. There are several reasons why the gutta percha ball replaced the featherie which was the standard for more than 300 years.
How many times has the golf ball revolutionized the game?
According to John F. Hotchkiss (1997), the author of one of the most acclaimed books on the history of the golf ball, the latter revolutionised the game at least four times.
What were the first golf balls made of?
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.
Who made the first golf ball?
In the mid-1800s, a guy named Robert Adams Paterson made the first molded ball. He discovered that the sap from a sapodilla tree, native to Malaysia, could be heated up, placed into a round mold and would then dry hard. Called the guttie, these were the first golf balls with mass-manufacturability, and with the added bonus ...
Who was the guy that wound rubber bands into a ball shape?
A guy named Coburn Haskell had a golf date with Bertram Work, a Goodrich superintendent, and while Haskell was waiting for his buddy in the factory, he idly wound a bunch of rubber bands into a ball shape—and by bouncing it, discovered it contained a high amount of potential energy.
Do gutties get nicked?
If you owned a guttie for a while, it got nicked and banged-up from regular use. People subsequently observed that when you hit a nicked-up guttie versus a brand-new one, the roughed-up balls actually had a more consistent flight path.
