Playing golf for some time. While hitting the golf ball many times curiosity hits you and you ask yourself a question “How many dimples on a golf ball? Are they important or not?”. It is also one of the most asked questions.
Well there is a science behind it. Golf ball dimples play an important role in performance, affecting ts distance, air resistance and trajectory. Understanding golf ball dimples also improves your game. In this article, we will answer all of your questions about golf ball dimples, their types and how they affect your performance?
To be honest, we also don’t know. It usually ranges from 300 to 500 but it is not the case every time. The average is around 336 but it is also not a clear number.
The number of dimples on a golf ball and the pattern highly depends on the manufacturer. It doesn’t mean that all of the golf balls from one company will have the same number of dimples. For example: the Bridgestone Laddie X has 372 dimples and the other Bridgestone.model e5 has 326 dimples.
We have also seen golf balls with over 1000 dimples but those balls are not really good for your golfing experience.
Why dimples on a golf ball?
Why dimples on a golf ball, you ask? Well, it’s not just to make them look fancy. The design of dimples is crucial for golf ball performance. Think of it like this: dimples on a golf ball are like the secret sauce in your favorite recipe. They create lift and reduce drag, helping the ball to travel through the air smoothly. Without dimples, a golf ball would be about as aerodynamic as a rock.
When a golf ball is struck, the dimples create turbulence in the air around the ball, which helps to reduce the wake and drag behind it.The dimples work by creating tiny pockets of turbulence around the ball, reducing the drag and allowing it to travel farther and faster. So, next time you hit that perfect shot, you can thank the humble dimples for giving your game that extra boost!
Evolution of Golf Ball Dimples
You will know about the dimples on golf balls when you will learn “How they started?”
Fly back to the mid 19th century. When golf was played with balls made of hardened tree sap. Most of the golf balls were smooth and the cover round. When the golfer hit the balls it didn’t move straighter.
But as they played with the same golf balls they came to know that the golf balls with dents and cuts move much straighter and further. Then the idea of adding dimples came to their mind. They started playing with golf balls that have cuts and dents.
As the dented golf balls were used more than the new ones. William Taylor, an English golf ball manufacturer and engineer became the first person to file a patent for dimple design on golf balls in 1905. As dimpled golf balls became normal the first tournament played with dimpled golf balls was in 1932.
People liked this design because it increased the aerodynamics of the ball. And now you know the discovery of the golf ball was unintentional.
Now get back to today's time, as the technology advanced the dimple science has also advanced making it an important factor for golf ball performance. Golf ball patterns and dimples are now thoroughly tested to make the best golf ball.
Types of dimples on a Golf Ball
One thing people do get confused about is some golf balls have different types of patterns. Do they affect the performance of the ball?
There are many types of pattern but traditionally the round pattern is the most widely used making it a general choice for every golfer. People also often used circular patterns but the game changed in 2002, when Callaway introduced Hexagonal patterns.
Callaway proved that the hex pattern covered the complete ball not like the traditional circular pattern which covered 86% of the ball. Looking at Callaway's theory most of the companies are also creating hex patterns in their balls.
The other effects of the dimples were usually determined by the number and depth of the dimples. The average depth of different golf balls are 0.010 inch. There are different ranges of depths but the deeper dimples cause a lower flight path. On the other hand Shallow dimples cause higher flight paths. Now there are different types of dimple patterns on a golf ball such as
- Bridgestone e12 Soft golf ball – Delta Wing
- Callaway chrome soft – Hexagonal
- Mizuno RB566V – Micro dimple
- Titleist AVX – tetrahedral
- Titleist tour speed – Quadrilateral
Impact on Air Resistance and Distance
Picture yourself driving down the highway with your car windows rolled down. You feel a strong gust of wind pushing against your vehicle, slowing you down.
Now, imagine if your car had tiny bumps all over it. Those bumps would create turbulence, reducing the drag and helping your car glide through the air more smoothly. Similarly, golf ball dimples work in a similar way.
When a golf ball is hit, the dimples create pockets of turbulence around it, reducing the drag force exerted by the air. This means the ball can travel farther with the same amount of force applied.
It's like having a streamlined race car compared to a boxy old truck – the streamlined car cuts through the air more efficiently, just like a golf ball with dimples. So, those little dimples aren't just for looks – they're the secret sauce behind those long drives on the golf course.
Influence on Trajectory and Spin
Imagine throwing a Frisbee across a park. Depending on how you flick your wrist, you can make it curve left or right, spin fast or slow. Now, think of a golf ball with dimples as a high-tech Frisbee. The dimple patterns on the ball's surface determine how it moves through the air and spins when it's struck.
Different dimple arrangements can make the ball spin more or less, causing it to curve left or right in flight. It's like how a skilled pitcher can make a baseball curve or sink with the flick of their wrist.
So, next time you see a golfer shaping their shot around a tree or a water hazard, remember, it's not just skill – it's also the magic of those dimples at work, guiding the ball on its journey through the air.
What dimples are right for me?
If you are stuck on the question of “What dimples are right for me?” or “What dimple pattern should I choose?” The only logical and clear answer for this is “it depends”.
Dimple patterns depend on golf ball models and manufacturers. It is their headache. You should focus on the performance characteristics of the ball.
You should check the flight of the ball, the spin of the ball, the trajectory of the ball, the spin of the balls. These are the factors you should look for. In general the characteristics of the ball depends on the dimple size and dimple patterns. So don't worry about it, let the manufacturers handle the design and you focus on the characteristics.
If you say how many dimples it should have, as mentioned before, the most optimal average is 250 to 450 for pros and 300 to 500 for newbies.
What Would Happen If a Golf Balls Didn’t Have Dimples on It?
As golf balls with no patterns can no longer be found. So put it to a test with three balls: one was normal, one with no dimples and one with some part of dimples.
The ball with dimples performed the best in terms of flight. The dimple on the surface of the ball created turbulence in the air around it, which reduced the drag. This allowed the ball to fly farther and more predictable.
The ball without dimples faced extreme air resistance. When dimples were not there to create turbulence, the smooth surface created a larger pocket of air in front of the ball. Which slowed it down and reduced its speed.
The ball with some dimples was better than the smooth surfaced ball but was not better than the ball with dimples in terms of flight and spin. The presence of some dimples helped in reducing drag compared to smooth surface, but not as fully dimpled ball.
