subject: Why Golf Ball Dimples [print this page] Originally, the ball used for golf is smooth until a century ago. Dimples were used after a lot of players observed that dented, damaged or bruised spheres seem to travel faster and farther than smooth and new ones. With the attempt to mimic a ball's dented state, manufacturers started making them in odd shapes, hoping to get the same effect. Then one bright fellow spent a huge chunk of his time studying various sphere shapes and their respective paths in flight and came up with the idea of putting dimples on a ball used for golf. Golf ball dimples are a very common sight today.
There are two forces of aerodynamics that affect the path of a ball in flight, and they are the drag and lift. Golf ball dimples allow for a smooth air flow over the ball, encouraging minimum fraction. It also increases the lift effect and at the same time decreases the drag effect of the ball. With these dimples, the ball travels farther and faster.
Generally the indentations on a ball used for golf are approximately 336, with most dimples ranging between 300 to 500 worldwide. Most golf balls have an even number of dimples on them with the exception of one manufacturer which makes balls with 333 dimples. Most professional players order a set of balls with a specified number of dimples on them - mostly because the depth of the dimples and its number greatly affects the ball in flight. The world record for the most number of dimples on a ball is 1070. It is important to note though that golf rules allow the upper part of the ball to have dimples up to 80 percent.
For more information please visit http://www.gotgolfnow.com.