Type of Golf Balls

Golf balls are both the beauty and the bain of golf enthusiasts which have struggled for decades to get that tiny ball into that tiny hole. According to the Rules of Golf, a golf ball cannot weigh more than 1.62 ounces and its shape must be a symmetric sphere. The history of the golf ball is such that wooden balls were first used in the early 17th century but in the twentieth century, multi-layer balls were invented with golf ball dimples covering their surface. The golf balls were made of a either a solid or liquid core that was wound by a layer of rubber-band and covered again by a thin shell. Today's golf ball structure has progressed into designs that incorporate titanium compounds and many other hybrid materials. One of the more popular advanced golf balls today are the Srixon golf balls and, with the advancement of technology, golf ball ratings are continually improving.

In terms of the dimples or “divots” as some people wrongly refer to them, it is often asked how many divots are on a golf ball. A divot is actually an indentation in the grass whereas a dimple is an indentation on the ball. Most of the modern day golf balls have about 300 - 400 dimples. As far as the number of “divots”, that depends on how well you hit the ball and whether or not you club is digging up the Earth when you swing. Some golf balls have over 500 dimples and the record belongs to a golf ball that has 1,070 dimples all of which come in various sizes. This and many other vintage golf balls are among many collectors items that golfers enjoy trading over the internet and at various trade shows all over the world.

In order to maintain the flight of the golf ball, it needs to be kept clean and golfers can wash their golf balls manually with a golf ball cleaner or other device such as a rag or a sponge. Various machines are used to maintain the golf balls such as a golf ball retriever which picks up the balls from the practice range after they are hit and a golf ball cannon which is used to test the strength of the balls after they have been manufactured. On the putting green, players use a golf ball marker to keep the position of their ball while they clean it off with a rag or place it in the golf ball washer to be later replaced on the green.

Golf balls are an ever-improving technology that have helped to make golfers improve their competitiveness for decades. As we see a greater and greater understanding of the science of golf, we will also see a greater and greater understanding of what makes the golf ball more efficient and of a greater quality to golfers around the world. The sport of golf is always improving and the golf ball stands at the center of that ever increasing quality of the game of golf.