The Dimple Science of Golf Balls

The Scots may or may not have invented the game of golf in the 15Th Century. I wasn't there, but having some Scot (not Scotch) in me, I don't doubt they did. But while they were devising their devilish game, I am sure they weren't thinking about the laws of science, yet golf is all about physics. Clubhead velocity, launch angles, gravity and dimples. Yes, golf ball dimples are part of the laws of the science of golf.

Rumour has it that over 1 billion golf balls are manufactured yearly, and over 300 million are lost annually in the US alone. Astronaut Allan Shepherd even left some on the moon.

But what of the dimples? Somewhere between 300 and 500 are on every golf ball. They are there to help the golf ball defy gravity. The dimples help the balls go further and straighter so that fewer meet their demise in water hazards, out-of-bounds or barrancas like the ones at the US Open's LA Country Club.?

We are talking Dimple Science.?

Dimples reduce drag and improve distance. Dimples act as small Vortex Generators or VGs. Vortex Generators come from the world of aerospace. They create small air vortices, air disturbances which create a thin layer (boundary layer) of airflow encasing the golf ball.?

A smooth ball would travel about half the distance as one with dimples, and its flight would be inconsistent and fluctuating because of how air flows over it. Golf balls without dimples would fly unpredictably through the air.?

This thin air layer around the ball cuts down drag. as the dimples force the air to flow over a larger area on the ball, resulting in smoother, more predictable flight. This dimple science also works for airplanes, racing cars and big rig trucks. That thin layer of air attached to the object makes it travel more smoothly through the air, reducing drag and fuel consumption while improving handling.?

But there's more dimple science, almost half the lift of a golf ball is caused by its backspin. As the ball spins backwards, the air pressure underneath it becomes greater than above, helping push the ball higher into the air. The dimples increase this effect, adding as much as 50% to the total lift, keeping the ball airborne longer, and travelling further.?

Dimples on golf balls came about by accident in the mid-1850s. Golfers discovered that dinged up had more consistent ball flights than the new, undamaged balls. Soon golf ball makers were etching raised protrusions on balls. By the early 1900s, it was discovered that indentations in golf balls performed far better than raised protrusions.?Are we talking about a dimple revolution?

It was another 30 years before aeronautics figured out that Vortex Generators, using the same principles as golf ball dimples, could improve airplane handling.?

I am sure those 15th Century Scots would love to know about aeronautics, drag, and VGs while trying to tame the wild game they invented. Taming that ancient magical, mystical game is something all golfers, including the world's top pros, are trying to do. Thankfully today, we have dimple science that makes for dimple logic aiding us in our quest.

Isn't that uplifting???