 Just
as in golf clubs, golf balls must fit the golfer, to find
a golf ball which suits his swing and playing style. The beauty
with golf balls is that although they are not inexpensive,
they are affordable enough to allow a degree of experimentation.
Finally, golfers must match their golf ball not only to their
swing, but also to their golf clubs. While doing so requires
a bit of study and effort, the dividends it pays in better
scores and shots can transform a round of golf from "a
good walk spoiled", to quote Mark Twain, into a day in
paradise.
Today's golf balls are full-bodied treasure chests of multiple
technologies and performance tricks. Some, like Jack Nicklaus,
feel the golf ball is too good now. Some contend they fly
too far and straight and is both making classic golf courses
obsolete and mid-level golf pros able to compete with the
more talented players. On the flip side, others feel that
average golfers playing for fun deserve every advantage,
aid, and inch afforded to them without violating the rules
of the game.
Golf Ball Technology : The basics
Most companies these days use all different types of materials
in the core and even the cover of their balls. All golf
balls are designed with dimple patterns on the cover to
optimize the balls aerodynamics. The dimples can control
many different aspects of shots like distance, velocity,
spin control, straightness and trajectory
There are two types of drag behind a sphere when it is
airborne, laminar and turbulent. Laminar flow occurs over
a non-dimpled ball and the air separates very early in front
of the ball, resulting in less carry. A turbulent flow will
occur with a dimpled ball because it causes the air to not
split as soon and increases the pressure drag. Pressure
drag is the air separated behind the ball.
The surface roughness allows the flow to change from laminar
to turbulent, resulting in more energy and allowing the
flow to remain attached longer than laminar. In other words,
the dimples allow the ball to be carried farther by the
air.
A golf ball's dimples also help with the ball's lift because
they can keep the flow 'attached' while the ball spins backward.
The backspin increases the speed of the upper surface of
the ball with less friction than the bottom of the ball,
which decreases in speed due to more friction. The air that
passes over the ball gets dragged around to the back of
the ball, producing its lift.
Once the ball loses its carry and gravity takes over, it
begins to drop significantly due to the air flow behind
the ball.
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