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