BALLS

DIMPLES

We know about “seaming” the golf ball off the tee. Would it be advantageous for us to use the seam as an alignment guide for putting or does it matter?

Seaming a golf ball only has an effect on the flight of the ball if the ball is aerodynamically asymmetrical. This means that it will perform differently depending on the way it is teed up i.e. the axis about which it is spinning.

A few balls are asymmetrical but not by design. The ProV1 when it first came out was slightly asymmetrical but this problem was very quickly resolved. So seaming a ball to get it to fly with a different trajectory will not work with the Pro V1 today. It is fine to use the seam for alignment purposes when putting but this will not affect the putt in any way.

I am a little skeptical about trying to line up a putt based on the very short line some pros put on the ball, as it is not long enough to make the sighting very accurate. It does, however, give you something to look at and think about when you are over the putt so this is probably better than thinking about whether the putt will break as much as you think it will or how much this putt is worth.

Hello, my name is Sean Lee. I am a physics major at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore. I have two questions:

1) Is the soul purpose of the dimples on a golf ball to create turbulence, thus raising the Reynold's number and pushing the golf ball into a higher Reynold's number regime so the reducing drag it would normally experience is reduced by five times? Or do the dimples on a golf ball also serve to aid in the lift force?

2) Is the magnus force of a golf ball a result of redirected fluid flow? Or is the magnus force due to the conservation of momentum invoked by periodic shedding, or the irregular vortices behind the golf ball? -- Sean Lee, Portland, Ore.

Sean,
First, I think you will be the only one interested in this reply. First I suggest that you review some literature in Science and Golf I, II and III and proceedings of the World Scientific Congress of Golf edited by Cochran & Farrally, published by E&F Spon. This will provide you with more information and other sources to review.

Second, the dimples do create a turbulent layer, which results in the ball experiencing a lower coefficient of drag at a lower Reynolds number. This is for a non-spinning ball. This reduction is not as critical (sharp) as experienced by a smooth ball, but at very much higher Reynolds numbers. The actual drag force is reduced by about 50 percent when the dimpled ball goes through this critical phase. The problems with a spinning ball is that different portions of the ball surface experience this phenomenon at different times due to the surface velocity differences when in flight.

I don't know of any visualization techniques which have shown vortex shedding (Klarmen) on a spinning ball, therefore the Magnus effect is probably due entirely to redirected fluid flow. This in turn is most effective because of turbulence caused by the dimples.

You should be concentrating on fluid dynamics. And when you have all the answers you will likely have a position with one of the major ball manufacturers.

This question is prompted by the dimple discussion. Has the USGA explored standardizing dimples -- number, size or depth -- to better normalize the game? What would be the effects of such regulation? Nearly all other sports take pains to regulate the geometry of the ball; why not golf? It seems dimple design would be a simple, easily measured factor that could be used to impose natural limits on the game. -- Edgar M. Oshika

It's a nice idea, but not a very practical one. The USGA has never seriously considered dictating dimple specifications. It would be extremely difficult to enforce -- the dimples of every single make of ball would have to be measured, and it would limit the ability of ball manufacturers to produce balls with different characteristics. It's much easier to measure the overall performance of the ball, instead of it's specifications. It would be like your state deciding not to have speed limits on the highway, but to limit the engine size of the cars instead.

TYPE

I am a senior and have been playing golf for only five years. What ball can I hit the furthest, 80 compression, 90, or 100? What do the differences in compression mean? Please advise. -- Bob Lesubo

Bob,
Compression is no longer an issue with regard to distance. It used to be (in the small-core, wound-ball days) that all balls were designed to have a compression of about 95. Some turned out to be 100 and others were 90, 80 or even 70 (which were marketed as ladies balls). This compression was a measure of the ball hardness and there was a correlation between compression and resilience, or the speed at which the ball would leave the club. This is no longer the case though and even the very best balls used by elite players have compressions of about 80. As a senior, I would go for a multi-layered ball that doesn’t cost too much. And keep stretching to stay flexible. Good luck and welcome to the game. I hope you have many more years of fun.

May 14, 2002
Since titanium drivers with thin clubfaces create a spring-like effect and have a higher COR, what type of ball (higher or lower compression) would be the best choice for getting the most distance? Would one be better than the other, or does it not matter? My swing speed with the driver is in the high 80s to low 90s. -- John Greguoli

John,
The facts are that you will, in most cases, not be able to tell the difference in distance between most top-of-the-line brand balls when it comes to distance as they are all right up at the limit. For your swing speed, some of the softer balls have been recommended. From a technical point of view, the losses in energy are greater in the deformation and recovery of the ball than the clubface of the driver. But trying to take advantage of this phenomenon is not going help you much. I would suggest that you find a good ball that you are most comfortable with around the green and stick with it. Optimum distance comes from a good, well-timed swing and a flexible and strong body. Exercise and your golf game as well as the rest of your lifestyle will change for the better.

I am now breaking 100 on a regular basis and continue to take lessons. In the past, I have hesitated to use technology to improve my game, but now I am looking for an edge. Will a solid, top-of-the-line ball give me the edge? If I use the same ball for 3-4 months will I notice a change? I am not looking to drop $45 a dozen, but am starting to see some great deals on quality balls like the Strata Pro 90 distance -- buy 1 get 2 free -- and the Wilson Smart Core -- buy 1 get 1 free.  What do you think? Does a ball make a difference? I hit it straight but need distance. -- John

John,
Balls will affect performance, but this depends on your ability to recognize and take advantage of their differences. Generally, the differences in performance between the top brands are a lot smaller than the variance in our ability to hit a consistent shot. If your ball is one of the top line multi-layered balls then you are not going to do any better. But if you are not prepared to drop $40 or $50 a dozen, then you should go for the cheaper versions which will be fine until you start breaking 85. At this point you will know what characteristics to look for, such as spin from short irons, trajectory from your driver and fairway woods etc. Please don't expect, however, that you will drop five strokes or more by a changing your ball, unless of course you were playing with a real dog to begin with and still able to shoot 80. Go bargain hunting.

Does playing a "pro" ball make any difference in the average player? I use run-of-the-mill golf balls, whatever happens to be on sale ($12 to $15 a dozen). My golf buddy swears by his $9 a sleeve Titleist HPs. Also, what does 90 and 100 designate in compression? I figure if I am going to buy pro balls, I might as well go all the way. -- Paul Perhacs, Cleveland, OH

Golf balls are made so well these days that the difference between an average ball and the best ball out there is not that great. For 90 percent of us golfers, the variation in our performance is far greater than any variation in the quality of the golf balls we use. In other words, golf balls are more reliable than our all-too-human, unreliable bodies. So my advice to you is to play with a ball you have confidence in. But of course, there is that one shot in 50 when everything comes together -- the timing of our swing is, for once, just right, the wind picks up behind us, the planets are all in alignment -- and we hit a great drive. In those circumstances, you wouldn't want to sacrifice any distance at all -- for maximum pleasure, you'd want to hit that shot with the very best ball on the market.

As for compression, it used to be a measure of the hardness of a ball (or the amount it would deform under a specific load). It was an indication of the speed with which the ball would leave the club. But that was in the days when practically all golf balls were wound. With today's prevalent multilayered "solid" balls, compression is no longer an important consideration.

I recently went to great expense to buy brand new Strata Tour Professional balls. They claimed to give more spin. The covers are softer than less expensive balls, but I got no spin on the greens. What I did notice was that the balls did bounce back slightly on our soft fairways. Is it the way one's supposed to hit it to get spin on the greens or is it down to only the ball? I would really like to be more aggressive with my approach shots. PS: I did enjoy putting & had better success with it because of the soft feel. -- Joe Adams, Cape Town , South Africa

As your season starts, ours ends. Enjoy the sun down there! If you don't like the way the ball performs for you then try some of the others. The top line balls are all very good with only small changes in performance that few of us can really take advantage of but think that we can. The old trial and error method is generally the best in this case. Good luck.

COMPOSITION

Are there any factors in the construction of the golf ball that enhance the amount of roll one gets? Does the dimple pattern or dimple construction affect roll? Is it basically trajectory, fairway firmness, other external factors that govern the roll one gets? Would appreciate your input. Thanks. -- Allen Tulgan, Md.

Allen,
Dimples in themselves do not affect roll. However, the trajectory which in turn is influenced by the dimples will have a major effect on roll. The shallower the incoming angle to the fairway, the longer the roll. Hope this helps.

Would a replica of a golf ball made exactly like a golf ball (in weight, design, dimples etc) but with no compression (perhaps made of a metal alloy) fly just as far? -- Michael Fong, Penang, Malaysia

I believe that the only major innovation in golf balls in the future will be the advent of the hollow metal ball. A metal ball would deform and recover with fewer losses in energy than the elastomeric materials that are used in golf ball construction today. The result? Greater distance.

Whenever you have a collision between two bodies -- in this case a club and ball -- both will deform and recover to differing degrees. There is a loss of energy in this process (some energy goes to create heat and sound, for instance). The more efficient the deformation and recovery process -- the less energy that is lost -- the farther the golf ball will travel. So to answer your question, if a hollow metal ball was made that had the exact same specifications as current balls, but deformed and recovered more efficiently -- with less loss of energy -- the ball would go farther, all other things being equal.

Of course, not all other things would be equal. You need to have an optimum "coefficient of friction" between the club and the ball. If there wasn't enough friction between metal ball and metal clubhead, very little spin would be produced, and without spin, you wouldn't get much distance. So the metal ball might need a soft cover to ensure an adequate amount of spin.

Hollow metal golf balls with soft covers -- something Spalding proposed a few years ago.

TEST

Hi Frank,

I received a gadget for Xmas that's supposed to find the sweet spot on the ball.  It spins the ball around at high speed, and you mark the equator.  Hitting or putting the ball along the equator is supposed to make it go straighter.  It also claims I’ll get more distance on tee shots.  Do you have any thoughts about this product and/or any research?

Thanks,
Mark

Mark,
Many years ago, when the manufacturers’ quality control for balls was not as good as it is today, it was a good idea to sort the balls by floating them in a cup of salt water (add enough salt to be sure the ball floats enough to have a little of it above the water level), marking the spot that was exposed above the water. This would be the point underneath the heavy side of the ball, which goes to the bottom as the ball floats.  You’d then give the ball a spin and let it settle again; if you found the same spot rising above the surface quickly every time,  you knew the ball was of balance.  To compensate for this, you were supposed to make sure that when you putted the ball, this spot was pointing vertically upward.  Otherwise, the ball would veer off line because of the inconsistencies in the ball's balance. You could actually see this slight swerve if you positioned the marked point to the side of the ball and then putted on a billiard table, which was sometimes used to demonstrate this phenomenon.

Today, however, the major well-known balls you buy from any pro shop are of much better quality, and you won’t see any swerving no matter how you position the ball, so you don't have to worry about this any more. 

If, however, you want to be perfectly sure that it’s you who is making the mistakes on the green and not the manufacturers of an unbalanced ball, no matter how slight the imperfection, then do your thing and putt it as instructed.

But before you do this kind of marking, consider the psychological effect it will have on you if you look down at the ball in the fairway and find that the spot is not sitting on top.  Are you going to try to factor this supposed weight difference into your aim and swing, while also calculating distance, wind, and lie?  You might have to close your eyes and hit it, or maybe violate a rule or two.  The extent to which this will bother you is much larger than the margin of imperfection you’re going to find in today’s golf balls. 

Frankly speaking, I wouldn’t lose too much sleep over this potential problem unless you’re buying some really inexpensive balls on special from the grocery store.

 

Frank,
With all the discussion lately of using a "Tour Ball", I wonder about something. Wouldn't a dead ball, or slower ball be more forgiving, inviting even harder swings, rather than the opposite? (If you wanted to force players to be more disciplined with their swing, you might consider a "minimum spin ball") If you can't hit the ball as far, you can't get into as much trouble and in addition, a slower ball is less vulnerable to aerodynamic forces created by sidespin. Hitting the ball harder carries its own risks, and this is at the heart of course management. Penalizing a player who has developed a high speed swing seems unfair. Remember, it's harder to hit a 25 yard wide fairway at 300 yards than at 270 yards (about 4.7 degrees vs. 5.2 degrees). Steve, Philadelphia, PA

PS: My own expedient solution would be to plant bushes or build mounds to force players that hit really wild shots to scramble. Trees take too long to grow. Thick rough is penal, but today's players seem willing to risk it. But bushes provide an extra risk factor for the player to weigh when he's at the tee box. I do think trees are the best defense, because they can knock a ball down, but as I said, they take a long time to grow.

Steve,
I too have a major problem with any talk about rolling the ball back 25
yards or even a "Tour Ball".

We need to set up courses for major events more strategically and this year at the US Open demonstrated that this can easily be done without otherwise tricking up the course. We don't have ruin the course for the members for the intervening 6 to 10 years between championships.

As far as a dead ball is concerned I am not in favor of any sort of bifurcation of the rules with regard to different performance standards for equipment. This is impractical and not the solution. I would like to draw your attention to the results of the most extensive survey ever conducted in golf which Frankly Consulting conducted as part of a "Growing the Game " project see http://www.growingthegame.org/

Also see my article published in the OP-ED section of The New York Times
at http://www.franklygolf.com/nyt_april06.asp

I hope this will give you an insight as to my feelings on this subject.

Thank you for your concern.

Frank

 

 

Harvey Penick in one of his books that the ball that bounces higher from a hard surface is the one that you'll hit farther. With all the new materials and ball construction, is the "bounce teste" still valid, or was it ever valid? -- Bill Paul, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Harvey Penick was wrong. The bounce test is not valid, nor has it been. Why? Because it only looks at the performance of a ball under very low "impact velocities." A ball being whacked with a driver traveling at 100 m.p.h. will behave very differently from a ball rebounding off the sidewalk having being dropped just from a few feet.

It's all to do with the resilience of a golf ball at different impact velocities. It would be perfectly possible, for instance, for a wound ball to have a lower resilience than a two-piece ball at a low velocity, but a higher resilience than a two-piece ball at a high velocity. In other words, it would be possible for a wound ball to lose out to a two-piece in the bounce test, but leave the clubface faster than the two piece when hit with a driver. With the bounce test, only the cover materials are being deformed. When a ball is hit with a driver, the deformation goes all the way to the inner core. (There are also, however, other factors that determine overall distance, such as spin rate and the aerodynamic properties of the ball.)

TEMPERATURE

I hear that pros usually keep their golf balls in a refrigerator before playing. Does keeping the balls cold have some kind of effect on the golf balls flight? Ron

Ron,

This is not a good idea... keeping them in the refrigerator will not help at all. In fact it will have an effect of decreasing the COR or resilience of the ball and as a result you will lose distance and even control around the green. Balls will take about six hours to reach ambient temperature all the way to the core center. Storing balls this way is not necessary but if you have nowhere else to keep them, then make sure you remove them from this environment at least a full day before you intend to use them.

 

Last summer I played golf at a course at the Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta, Canada. In front of several glacial water holes there were signs advising against retrieving golf balls. The notice indicated that the water was about 35 degrees and that the cold destroyed the core after exposure of several hours. Recently I remembered that I had left my clubs, and two dozen new balls, in my car trunk after a round in late December. What's the affect of cold on the golf ball? -- Joe Cesario, Hinsdale, Illinois

Joe,
Purely exposing your equipment to temperatures below freezing will not affect their long-term performance. However, using balls at these temperatures is not recommended if it can be avoided because optimum performance for golf balls is closer to room temperature or above. Clubs are not as detrimentally affected when used at these temperatures. A good rule of thumb is that if you can stand it, your equipment can!

 

Please help me with my question. One of my golfing buddies argues that as humidity increases, the golf ball travels further in the air. I disagree. I believe humidity will inhibit golf ball travel in the air. But I believe that hotter temperatures encourage the formation of humidity, and also the hotter the air, the less dense it is, and as the temperature rises the golf ball is easier to compress (hotter temperatures, less dense air, and easier compressed golf balls mean more distance traveled in the air). The increased humidity happens to occur and as it increases will become more resistive to the flight of the golf ball yeilding less distance traveled. Please help with this dilemma. -- Dennis, Augusta, Ga.

Dennis: It is true that the warmer the ball, the more you will be able to compress it. But this is not going to make a difference that you will be able to recognize. The hotter and more humid the air the less dense it is. The lower the density, the less the drag resistance but also the less the effective lift. Airplanes find it more difficult to take off on hot warm days than on cold dry days. Balls will generally travel about one foot farther in carry for every increase in one degree Fahrenheit in temperature. The humidity effect is not as dramatic. Hope this helps.

COLORS

Why don't the pros use colored balls i.e. yellow, orange? -- Gerald Nelson, Rochester, Minn.

Rudyard Kipling was one of the first people to use colored golf balls. He painted them red so that he could whack them around his yard in Vermont when it was covered in snow. Colored golf balls -- red ones, yellow ones, orange ones, pink ones -- became a huge fad in the 1980s. They were sold and marketed by all the major golf ball manufacturers. But it's a fad that came and went. It is possible that yellow golf balls might be slightly easier to find in the rough than white ones, but golf is a traditional game, and the tradition is to play with a white golf ball. And anyway, for pros, losing a ball in the rough is not a huge concern.

AGE

I bought some golf balls in bulk recently and I am not going to be able to use them all this year.  Is there a point when golf balls age, even if they are new in the box, and they will lose their compression or other critical playing characteristics?

With today's ball design, the balls will not deteriorate at all for many (approximately 10 or more) years so you don't have to worry. I personally tested (on the USGA testing devices) balls which I had in my garage, in NJ, for more than ten years and found that even these wound balls (not as stable as the new multi-layered balls) only lost 1% of their resilience which I, as 5 handicap, was unable to detect on the course.

I've been playing for two years and have a 15 handicap. Here's my question: What is the lifespan of a typical golf ball (wound and solid)? I use a solid core ball and may lose one ball every other round. So a dozen balls will last me for 15 or 20 rounds. A friend that I play with buys a new sleeve of balls every time we play. We both shoot the same scores and drive about the same distance. Is there an advantage to switching balls more often or is it a ploy to make us buy more balls than we need? Someone told me that a ball should be used for six holes and that's the reason they are sold in sleeves of three (one sleeve would cover 18 holes). -- Anon

The guts of a golf ball last a lot longer than its cover. The wear and tear on the cover -- especially if you hit a few skulls, cartpaths or bunkers -- will have you tossing the ball into your shag bag long before the insides of the ball start to deteriorate. A ball stored in a dry place for four or five years will have no measurable loss of performance (and a solid ball will age even better than a wound ball). A lake, however, is not a dry place -- if a ball has been sitting in a pond for more than a couple of days, there's a good chance that the increased moisture content in the cover could be detrimental. So don't wade into ponds looking for balls (and if you do, look out for crocs). For most of us, golf balls last until we lose them, which, sadly, isn't very long.

Given that new balls out of the box are more or less equal, my question is: what is the life of an old ball and what is the rate of deterioration? If you play a few rounds with the same ball, does it lose anything (assuming it's not cut or beat up)? If you find a ball in the woods, should you be concerned about it being "dead" (if there is any such thing) or otherwise being subpar? A second thought on balls deals with ball flight in windy conditions. If often seems to me that balls are most affected by a head wind, moderately affected by a side wind, and least affected by a tail wind. Can this be true based on the physics involved? -- John Fitzgerald, Wellesley, Mass.

  You don't want to know much, do you? Balls don't deteriorate too much any more. I would use a ball you find in the woods for your shag bag -- assuming it wasn't recently hit by someone who is still looking for it (it's not a lost ball if you have found it). On the other hand, if you are not too fussy and the ball has a brand name that you recognize, then using it should not affect your performance. A ball is affected more by a head wind than a tail wind because a head wind offers greater resistance and also increases spin.

Frank, I’m interested in experimenting with a few non-conforming golf ball brands for the fun of it,  but wonder if the heavier weight of these balls can cause unique damage to the driver face with repeated use, or expedite any flattening of the face that would result after a few years of normal, consistent driver use with conforming balls (per your recent letter to another golf enthusiast). Thanks.  – Matt, San Francisco.

Matt,
Sorry to hear that you are interested in trying a non-conforming ball. These are advertised as going farther but in many cases may not go as far as a conforming ball. 

Now to the question; a heavier harder ball will generally have more of an effect on the face than a softer lighter ball. The reason for this is that at impact the face will deform a little more if the ball is not as yielding and does not in itself deform. This in combination with a slight increase in weight will put more stress on the face. With today’s balls (conforming balls) these effects are minimal. There is more of an effect from the higher head speeds than the properties of the ball.    The difference in the weight of a nonconforming ball compared to a conforming ball is not enough to make any noticeable difference to the face of the club.

There are so many conforming balls which will go farther than almost all the  nonconforming balls, that you are better off having fun finding one of these. In my opinion there isn’t 20 yards left in the golf ball irrespective of any limiting standards. So don’t be mislead. Golf is a game where you need to be honest with yourself.

I have been under the impression that in tournament golf (pro or am) that the same make and compression ball had to be used throughout the round, but I have been told by a fellow golfer that there is no rule requiring this. What is the official rule?
 JB

JB,
What you are referring to is what is known as the ‘One Ball Condition’.

This is a Condition of the competition as established by the committee in charge of the event. It (the committee) may or may not adopt the condition. If it does then the competitors must be so advised.

For competitions involving expert players there are some conditions, which are recommended by the USGA, and you can find these in the rule book. These include using only ‘Driver Heads’, which are listed as having been tested, and conform. Also the competitors may use only a ball listed on the conforming list. The other condition recommended for expert players is the “One Ball Condition” which should state; “During a stipulated round the balls a player plays must be of the same brand and type as detailed by a single entry on the current List of Conforming Golf Balls.”

If posted, this means that the committee has decided to enforce this, or those Conditions of the Competition and the penalty for violation of any of these specific conditions is disqualification in stroke play.

The Rules of Golf only require that you play with conforming equipment. However, to be sure that it does conform the USGA has provided a list on its website referring to clubs and balls which have been tested and found to conform. This doesn’t mean that others don’t conform, but to be sure, the committee may choose to post the list and the condition.

The background behind the adoption of this rule is lengthy but in essence it is designed to prevent golfers from taking advantage of the performance differences of various balls for specific conditions which confront them on different holes. For example, using a low flying ball into the wind or a high spinning ball on a par three hole etc.

JB, unless you are in a competition where these conditions are posted you don’t have to worry about them. The PGA Tour and many State and College events including all USGA championships adopt this condition.

 

Dear Frank,

I thoroughly enjoy reading your thoughts on rules, regulations and
equipment.

I have a question about rules.

The other day I played in a tournament and one of the competitors had either
lost or put all his golf balls out of bounds. Is there a rule that prevents him from borrowing balls from his fellow competitors? Or, like the movie, Tin Cup suggests will one automatically be disqualified?

We decided it rather harsh to let someone be disqualified on the penultimate
hole of a 54 hole tournament and let him borrow a few balls.

Thank you for your thoughts,

Maarten

 

Maarten,
I am pleased to tell you that if this golfer runs out of balls and has to borrow some from a friend or fellow competitor he will not be disqualified.

I do think, however, that if you or his other friends that are playing with him (friend, partner or fellow competitor) you should be reluctant to lend him any balls as he will probably not be able to give them back at the rate he is losing them. On the other hand it may be a good strategy to lend him a used ball, which he will probably lose, and in return you may receive a new one when you get back in the clubhouse.

Let me quote a decision from the USGA decisions on the Rules of Golf:

Q. “During a stipulated round, a player runs out of balls. May he borrow one or more balls from another player?

A. Yes. Rule 4-4a prohibits a player from borrowing a club from another player playing on the course but the Rules do not prevent a player from borrowing other items of equipment (balls, towels, gloves, tees, etc.) from another player or an outside agency.
If the “One Ball” Condition in Appendix I is in effect, the player would need to obtain the same brand and type of ball as required by that condition.”

On a different note; Some people have asked me if they should use lost balls and I have to tell them that a ball is not a “lost” if you found it.

Hope this helps

Cleaning Golf Balls in the Dishwasher?

Frank,

I read one of your recent articles and it sounds like it's harmful to clean a golf ball in the dishwasher?  Is this correct?

--Jeff

Jeff,

You’ve got it.

Don’t try to wash your golf balls in the dishwasher. The water absorption rate will increase dramatically at the high steaming temperatures your dishes, pots and pans need to get them clean. A damp cloth should be enough to clean most of the dirt off the ball. Water is one of the best all-round solvents know to us. If you really have a problem getting it clean then add a light detergent. This should, however, not be necessary in most cases.

A good rule of thumb is not to expose your golf balls to conditions or agents to which you are not normally prepared to expose your body, with some obvious exceptions.

Frank