Golf Ball Flight Principles
Golf ball aerodynamics and physics that are used today to design golf ball performance characteristics are far more technical than I could possibly understand. The basics of golf ball flight however will always be the same and is not all that complicated to understand. The golf ball will always be round, it will always have some kind of dimples or bumps on it, it will be launched with spin and it will fly through the air.
Dimple design can impact flight characteristics, including spin rate.
Here is what happens from impact on: Once the ball is impacted, it is deformed somewhat. When it leaves the clubface in a deformed state, it is different aerodynamically until it regains its perfectly round shape. Once it is round, moving in a forward direction and spinning backward (back spin), it assumes its normal aerodynamic properties. As air smashes into the front of the ball, the dimples trap air into them and drag more of the air up and over the top of the ball than what passes underneath the ball. This creates a low-pressure area on top of the ball. Low pressure on top of something (like an airplane wing) creates lift. As the ball is spinning through the air at a certain forward speed, a low-pressure area is formed behind the ball that introduces a drag component. While all this is going on, the earth’s center of gravity is pulling down on the ball because it has a weight component.
The weight of the ball is pulling it to earth; the lift, drag and air around the ball create friction that wants to slow down its spin rate and also its forward speed. All three of these components of lift, drag and weight coupled with the balls spin rate and initial velocity, create the trajectory or shape of the balls flight. You should see now that the golf balls dimple design can change the drag, lift and overall flight characteristics including the spin rate. Try out different balls and find out which one works best for you.
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Recent Comments
I am wondering if the lift, air and drag component are all changed by the different dimple design. By changing from ProV1 to a LadyFlyer would that change all three of the components of lift, drag, and air or just one specifically? If anyone is able to explain this it would be of great help. You can explain it in a complicated way also because i have a fair amount of physics background so i would hopefully be able to understand it. Thank you
This may have been covered before but I was wondering about how many holes or rounds should a golf ball be used in.
gpierson, go to the GolfWorks website, golfworks.com and look up the ball fitting software. We sponsor a complete independent ball analysis done every year with actually hitting all golf balls made. It includes distance, accuracy and spin rates. It is pricey however. I only play the Callaway Tour iX or the Tour i. So, if I could only use one of them on your island, it would be the iX. I know, you want to know why? I have many times played my “all alone 9 hole 2 ball scramble” in the afternoons at my club. The Callaway always wins out for my swing, game and equipment over the Titleist and Nike One balls that I use for comparison. It wins in two areas, it ends up a little farther out with my driver and it seems to always bite a little better on the greens. The feel is the same to me on all the balls I mentioned.
Ralph, thanks for all the advice you've given on golf balls. On one hand it's extremely helpful to make a decision, but the other hand, it's almost overwhelming for me. There are SO many balls out there!!! 2 quick questions: 1. Is there any sort of MPF on balls that you've or anyone else in the industry has come up with? 2. If you were stranded on an island with your favorite clubs (and the island had a beautiful golf course), and you had a choice for ONE package of a dozen golf balls, what would you choose? Thanks, gpierson
Jack Butler, the golf ball "bounce test" has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on any performance variable of the golf ball.
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