The Construction of a golf ball

The modern golf ball consists of hundreds of dimples. The golf ball has evolved through time to its current aerodynamic shape.

The earliest golf balls can be traced back to Scotland and were made out of wood. It did not matter to these ancient golfers how the ball performed as the game were played in a disorganized and informal way. As the competitive nature of the game started to evolve, so did the search for a better golf ball.

The next golf ball invented was called the “Featherie” and consisted of goose feathers pressed into a horse or cowhide sphere when still wet. As everything dried the leather shrank and the feathers expanded to form a hard golf ball. It was very expensive.

The Guttie ball was less expensive and was made out of the sap of the Gutta tree. The rubber substance could easily be shaped into a sphere when hot and could be reheated and reshaped. Coburn Haskell introduced the one-piece rubber cored ball encased in a gutta percha sphere.

William Taylor then took the Haskell ball in 1905 and applied the dimple pattern. After that, dimpled balls were used in golf tournaments. In 1921, the golf balls took its current form with standard size and weight.

Today the USGA and R&A rules a golf ball must be spherical, no smaller than 4.26cm in diameter and no heavier than 45.93 grams. A golf ball must not generate a speed of more than 76.2m per second at a temperature of 23 grades Celsius. Rules are imposed to prevent professionals from designing balls that can travel significantly farther than other golf balls. This levels the playing field.

There are three types of golf balls. The golf ball is usually made in either two or 3 piece designs or there can also be a combination of the two. Surlyn is a hard, synthetic, rubber like substance and is used to cover less expensive balls. The main characteristics of these types of balls are that they spin less, travel further and last longer. Synthetic balata is a much softer substance than surlyn and is more commonly used to cover golf balls these days.

A two-piece ball consists of a hard synthetic rubber or plastic inner core and at thin, durable cover made of surlyn or synthetic balata. The core of this ball produces fantastic rebounding energy while the cover provides the golf ball with its low spin and durability. It is therefore the perfect choice for the beginner.

The three-piece ball has either a small, synthetic rubber or liquid core surrounded by a layer of rubber windings. A Surlyn or balata cover caps it off. Most Pros use three piece golf balls, because they have a softer feel and are more workable than most two-piece golf balls.

The modern golf ball has hundreds of dimples. The dimples on the ball help generate the spin to get the golf ball up in the air. Golf balls come with a number indicating the compression of the ball. The compression of a golf ball can vary from 80 to a hard 110. Compression plays a role on how the ball feels on the club face. An 80 compression ball will feel much softer than a 100 compression ball.

The construction of the golf ball is one of two factors, the other being the velocity of the club head that is most important to create enough energy that can be converted into velocity and lift. It is therefore important for any golfer to choose the right golf ball that suits the level of his game at any stage.