A smooth ball with backspin creates lift by warping the airflow such that the ball acts like an airplane's wing. The spinning action makes the air pressure on the bottom of the ball higher than the air pressure on the top; this imbalance creates an upward force on the ball. Ball spin contributes about one half of a golf ball's lift. The other half is provided by the dimples, which allow for optimization of the lift force. Answer originally posted January 5, Already a subscriber?
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This low-pressure area is known as a wake. The wake is what causes the drag on an object in flight. The bigger the wake, the more drag an object will experience as it flies through the air. Lift happens when a solid moves through a fluid. Lift is what counteracts the weight of a solid to keep it in flight through the air. Aerodynamics is all about altering the lift and drag on an object, and this is the purpose of the dimples on a golf ball.
Aerodynamics is extremely important in the game of golf. The dimples on a golf ball also affect lift. Lift is the result of the pressure created below that ball that pushes it upward in flight. The spinning motion of a golf ball causes the pressure beneath the ball to be greater than the pressure above, which causes lift. Resource: What are the softest golf balls? 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:. As explained above, golf ball dimples significantly reduce drag. So much so that a golf ball with dimples will go about twice as far as a ball without dimples. Besides greatly increasing how far you can hit the ball, dimples also give you better control over the ball. This means your ball is not pushed around as much by the force of the air resulting in a much more controlled flight.
To get your ball to travel, you also need lift, and golf ball dimples are key in this aspect as well. About half of the lift you get on a golf ball is caused by the spin on the ball, but the other half is due to how well the dimples optimize this spinning.
In simple terms, a golf ball with dimples works about twice as well as a smooth golf ball in terms of both lift and flight. 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 s, players noticed that their dented golf balls actually performed better than the perfectly smooth ones. This accidental discovery led to experiments and, by the s, golf balls started being manufactured with dimples. Technology has since then advanced to be far more precise, but golf balls with dimples have been around for over years. Resource: How many golf balls in a sleeve? They can have different shapes, different depths and appear in varying amounts on balls.
Resource: Best golf balls for mid handicapper 3 options. With all this variation, how do you know what is best?
Do you need to start checking the specs on your golf ball dimples to get your best game? Fortunately, you do not need to start measuring and counting dimples. The interesting thing about dimples is that they must be symmetrical, but there is no limit to how many you can have on a ball. There was once a golf ball created with dimples on it. Considering it is no longer being produced, you can imagine the technology behind it was nothing to speak of.
If all this talk about golf ball dimples has you thinking that the number of dimples on your ball could be causing your slice, you are probably looking for a solution in the wrong place.
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. If you have never tried it, Bridgestone golf has a great fitting tool on their website that will help you narrow down which Bridgestone ball is best for your game.
Indeed, this guide will only feature the Bridgestone brand, but you can apply what you learn about your golf ball needs to other companies. The reason that golf balls have dimples is really a lesson in science. Had those early golfers not noticed the difference between the cut golf balls and the smooth ones, we may still be struggling with perfectly round golf balls.
Dimples give the golf ball the correct amount of lift and drag to promote the best possible result with each swing. Nick Lomas is the founder of GolfSpan, an avid golfer, not quite a pro but has over 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.
Conclusion Related Articles. Nick Lomas. You Might Be Surprised.
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