A golf ball is a small hard white ball that is mainly made from solid rounded rubber. Whereas the outer part of the rubber of a golf ball is covered by compressed tough skin like thermoplastic resin known as surlyn or urethane, one kind of artificial crystalline element.
However, depending on the manufacturer, the design of golf balls varies. They use spray guns to paint the balls when spinning to make sure the ball has uniform coverage. It can take 10 to thirty days to make a ball completely.
Manufacturers also use X-Ray to make it confirm that the core of the ball is perfectly rounded. Finally, the balls are tested to meet the criteria of the United States Golf Association (USGA) and R&A standards.
How Much Does A Golf Ball Weigh?
According to USGA and R&A rules, a golf ball must weigh 1.62 ounces or 45.93 grams or lower. As golf balls size is very important and a ball with a smaller diameter will be less slowed down by the air resistance which means it will go further, a golf ball size should not be lower than 1.68 inches or 42.7 mm.
That’s why most golf balls manufacturers make golf balls with a maximum of 1.620 oz or 45.93 g weight. A golf ball’s overall distance is standardized by the USGA(United States Golf Association). And all the balls made and sold in the USA must comply with the above criteria provided by the USGA.
Why Do Golf Balls Have Dimples?
Dimples on a golf ball are disorder thin boundary layers of air that are held tightly to the ball’s outer surface. Generally, a golf ball features 300 to 500 dimples with the average depth of each dimple can be 0.010 inches.
These dimples create mixed airflow and allow the balls to flow smoothly into the air which ultimately lets the balls go a further distance. A golf ball with dimples can fly almost twice the distance of a golf ball without dimples.
There are two types of mixed airflow found in golf balls and they are turbulent and laminar. Each type has its own benefits.
There are no specific rules about how many dimples a golf ball will have. And a golf ball with more dimples with the fly more, this concept is not true either.
How Much Does A Golf Ball Cost?
A golf ball’s cost depends on the brand or manufacturer and durability. Golf balls come in a range of pieces and on average you can find a dozen golf balls for $10 to $15 or up to $50 or even more.
Golf History Facts
The golf game we enjoy today was originally invented in Scotland, Uk in the 1400s. However, the ancient origins of the golf ball are unclear and debatable. But it is assumed by some historians trace that the first-ever golf game was played by the Romans.
That game was known as paganica where a bent stick was used to hit a leather ball by the participants.
Golf balls in the early stages were made from the features or leathers of goose or chicken. Golf balls we see today that is also known as the “guttie” were first introduced in 1848.
Top Golf Ball Brands
Currently, there are many golf ball brands available that make excellent golf balls that have various abilities and swings. Big brands like Titleist, Callaway, TaylorMade, Srixon, Wilson and others are knowns for making top tour-level golf balls and for those who are just about to start the golf game. Each of these brands has unique features so it is hard to say as different golfers love balls of different brands as per their suits.
Do Golf Balls Make A Difference
The answer is yes golf balls make difference. This is because golf balls do different things like offer more spin, high and low launch, firm or soft feel etc.
Different colors and alignment also make a difference. The main reason is golf balls are made in various ways and some have two-piece contractions or some have five pieces. The more layers a ball has the more it will rotate and have control.
This is done because each golfer has different likes and feelings about their game. Also, multi-layer golf balls are expensive and made for elite professional golfers.
How Long Do Golf Balls Last?
Modern-day golf balls are pretty impressive that can withstand high-velocity swing speed, errant shots and unpredictable golf course terrain. As not all golf balls are created equally and many factors affect these balls durability.
So on average, a golf ball’s shelf life can be five years to seven years. However, any unfortunate scuff marks can force a golf player to change the ball sooner than lose its core integrity.
How Fast Does A Golf Ball Travel?
A golf ball’s velocity depends on several factors. These are club speed, hitting on the right spot, making materials of golf balls and clubs, hitting angle, and more etc . According to USGA and The R&A, a golf ball velocity should be lower than 250ft/s or 76.2 meters per second.
However maximum 2% tolerance is allowed. On average golf balls can travel 150 mph to 211 MPH or 241 kph 340 kph or more depending on the hitting capacity of the golfer.
With the velocity limit provided by the USGA and R&A, a golf ball swing speed can be around 109 mph to 180 mph if hit by a professional. A golf ball’s speed is calculated by the following formula.
Ball velocity = (clubhead speed x coefficient of change) / (1.0 + (ball mass/clubhead mass))
(with the average weight of most balls being around 1.62 oz.)
As of now, the highest recorded golf ball speed is 226 mph which was hit by Connor Powers during the 2014 World Long Drive Championship.
Fun Facts
>> First-ever golf balls were known as “feathery “golf balls and were made from wrapped features and leather.
>> A golf ball hit from the tee can go around 160 mph!
>>Both air temperature and golf ball temperature have an impact directly on how well you will play during a game!
>>Golfers have short-time golf ball possessions which means on average a player loses two balls each round and around four million golf balls are lost every day!
>>On average a professional golfer hits 500 golf balls each day!
>>Famous astronaut Alan Shepard hit a golf ball on the moon which traveled around 2 to 2.5 miles!
>>Mike Austin holds the record for hitting the longest distances for a golf ball that was traveled 470 meters!
