| The dynamics behind the flight of the golf ball | | | | predominant in modern golf nowadays. |
| offers a fascinating insight into the physical | | | | The dimples on the golf balls help reduce the |
| interworkings of air pressure, turbulence, and | | | | aerodynamic drag. Aerodynamic drag normally |
| aerodynamics. | | | | affects smooth golf balls and slows them down, |
| When golf was first played in Scotland, most | | | | because when they sail through the air, they |
| players played using clumsy golf apparatus, with | | | | leave a pocket of low-pressure air in its stir thus |
| the first golf clubs and golf balls made of wood. | | | | creating a drag. |
| In 1618 the "Featherie" was introduced. It was a | | | | By applying dimples to the golf ball surface, the |
| golf ball made of feather. This feather golf ball | | | | pressure differential goes down and the drag |
| was handcrafted from goose feathers tightly | | | | force is reduced. These dimples create turbulence |
| pressed into a horse or cowhide sphere while still | | | | in the air surrounding the golf ball, which, in turn, |
| wet. After drying, the leather shrank and the | | | | forces the air to clasp the golf ball more closely. |
| feathers expanded, creating a hardened golf ball. | | | | By doing so, the air trails the warp created by the |
| As this type of golf ball was specially handcrafted, | | | | golf ball towards the back instead of flowing past |
| it was usually more expensive than golf clubs, so | | | | it. This results in a smaller wake and lesser drag. |
| that only a few privileged people could afford to | | | | Dimples were first added onto golf ball surfaces |
| play golf back then. | | | | back during the gutta percha phase. Coburn |
| After the Featherie golf ball came the Guttie golf | | | | Haskell introduced the one-piece rubber cored golf |
| ball. This type of golf ball was made from the | | | | ball encased in a gutta percha sphere. Then in |
| rubber-like sap of the Gutta tree found in the | | | | 1905 William Taylor applied the dimple pattern to a |
| tropics, and was shaped into a sphere when hot | | | | Haskell golf ball, thus giving rise to the modern golf |
| and eventually into a golf ball. As it was made of | | | | ball as we know it today. |
| rubber, the Guttie golf ball could be cheaply | | | | After its beginning, dimpled golf balls were officially |
| produced and easily repaired by reheating and | | | | used in every golf tournament. In 1921, the golf |
| reshaping. | | | | ball took its current form with standard size and |
| Comparing the two types of golf balls, the | | | | weight. Nowadays there is a wide range of golf |
| Featherie golf ball was said to travel farther than | | | | balls to fit every style, game and condition, with |
| the Guttie golf ball because the Guttie golf ball's | | | | some golf balls offering control, and other golf |
| smooth surface prevented it from covering more | | | | balls offering distance. |
| distance. | | | | Though a common sight nowadays, the dimpled |
| With this discovery, the developers of golf balls | | | | golf ball is not just a mere element of the sports |
| came up with the "dimpled" golf balls that are so | | | | arena; it is a showcase of physics at work. |