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About Golf Balls
from: Maxx Golf GuidesYou probably don't spend time wondering about it, but golf balls are quite interesting. Therefore, before you play your next round, spend some time getting to know the dimpled white spheres you spend so much time hitting, cursing at, and pulling out of hazards, sand traps and trees.
For competitive use, the design of a golf ball is very specific. It mustn't weigh more than 45.93 grams or 1.620 ounces. It must have a minimum diameter of at least 42.67 millimeters or 1.680 inches and of course has to be a symmetric sphere shape. The United States Golf Association tests and approves the balls used for competition. In the past, certain brands have been discontinued if the USGA deemed they gave players who use them an undue advantage.
Golf has been in existence since the 1200s, but the golf ball continues to go through many stages of development. It's taken a lot of development to get the ball we seen today, since, for the first couple of hundred years, a wooden ball was standard in the game of golf.
However, in the early 17th century, a new ball was introduced known as the "featherie" tha was sewn by hand from cowhide and then then stuffed with goose feathers. It was then finished off with a coat of paint. This new golf ball flew much better than its wooden counterpart, and was used until the 1800s.
In 1848, Doctor Robert Adams invented the "gutta percha" ball, that became known as the "guttie". Gutta percha is an elastic natural latex produced from the sap of gutta percha trees. These could be made with surfaces that improved aerodynamics and at a lower cost than the "featherie" balls, and they eventually became the standard ball used.
In the twentieth century, multi-layered balls were in vogue. First, they consisted of different wound layers where a rubber thread was wound around a core and then covered with a thin outer shell. Many golfers preferred these balls because they had a soft feel to them when hit. The layered balls then progressed to the ones we now play, one with cores of titanium compounds and urethane blended outer layers, a major change from the wooden balls of yesteryear!
Now let's take an even closer look at the modern golf ball. Unless you carve it open, you can only see the outside, of course. You've probably noticed the dimpled surface of the ball, the purpose of which is to increase and shape the lift and drag forces on the ball. The dimples reduce drag, which allow for a longer flight than what is possible with a smooth ball. Most of the balls you can purchase these days have 300 to 450 dimples -- often varying in size. The USGA requires that golf balls have symmetrical dimples. A dispute in the 1970s between the association and Polara caused this ruling. The Polara had normal dimples around the equator, but the other dimples on the ball were shallow, allowing the ball to adjust its axis during flight.
If you examine your ball closely, you'll notice there's a small band around the centre with no dimples. This allows the ball to be made in two halves and then sealed around the core. Some people believe that if you line this up with the hole, you can get a more accurate shot -- and there are even gadgets that will help you find the seam specifically for this purpose.
Aside from the dimples, golf ball exteriors can vary greatly in their design. Though golf balls are usually white, you can also get various colored balls, some emblazoned with symbols or brand logos, company logos or you can even get your own name added.
So the next time that you play a round of golf, think about the varied and interesting history of the golf ball that got it to where it is today. Can you imagine what the sport would be like if we were still using wooden balls!
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