How many dimples on a golf ball?
How many dimples on a golf ball? It’s an obvious question, but the answer isn’t as clear.
The USGA has no restrictions on how many dimples a ball should have, but today, the best-rated, most popular golf balls carry about 300-400 dimples. Some models do exceed this number, carrying around 400-500+. One manufacturer currently holds the record high for the most dimples on a golf ball, coming in at 1,070 dimples!
The number and the shape of the dimples depend also on the model and manufacturer.
How is the shape of dimples?
The dimples themselves come in various shapes like circular, teardrop, hexagonal, and ovals. Even the depth of the dimples can be altered. Some golf balls use large, shallow dimples while others use small, deep dimples. Manufacturers can design a golf ball dimple in several different ways and engineer their performance according to how they see fit.
Why does a golf ball have dimples?
Originally, golf balls were smooth. The dimple pattern started as a happy accident, when golfers noticed that roughened golf balls went farther. However, since the discovery of dimples’ importance, manufacturers have added them. Each indentation on a golf ball is now intentionally and symmetrically placed to improve its performance As golfers used the same balls over and over, they started to notice that the more beat-up golf balls were traveling farther! The nicks, bumps, and slices were helping them win!
Dimples are crucial to the design because they interact with the air around them and create microturbulence that allows the ball to travel in the air with more ease and predictability.
Importance of dimples on a golf ball?
The dimples on a golf ball have been shown to play a significant role in its flight characteristics. In fact, the dimples on a golf ball are carefully designed to create lift and spin.
When a player hits a golf ball and sends it flying through the air, the dimples allow the airflow around it to stay closer to it. It reduces its drag, gives it a backspin, and creates those pockets of turbulence that cause an upward force and lift it higher.
