Why Do Golf Balls Have Dimples? And How the Right Design Can Improve Your Distance.

Why Do Golf Balls Have Dimples? And How the Right Design Can Improve Your Distance.

Golf balls are engineered in way to optimise flight and shot performance, with dimples playing a crucial role in their aerodynamics. Understanding the science behind these dimples, the materials used in golf ball construction, and the evolution of their design can provide insights into how the right ball can enhance your game.

The Aerodynamics of Golf Ball Dimples

Dimples on a golf ball are there for a reason – not just for aesthetic purposes; they are fundamental to the ball’s flight. When a golf ball is in motion, the air flows through its surfaces in different directions. A smooth ball would cause the air to separate quickly from its surface, creating a large wake of turbulent air behind it, which increases drag and slows the ball down.

Therefore, the dimples are added to add more drama to the shot, they are on the golf ball to create a thin layer of rugged surface for the air to clings to the ball’s surface. This channels the smooth flowing air to follow the ball’s surface a bit farther, creating a spin around the back side of the ball during the flight, which results in decreasing the size of the wake. 

A dimpled ball therefore has less or even half the drag of a slippery no dimpled ball. Scientific American

Dimples also affect lift. A spinning ball with dimples can generate lift by warping the airflow, similar to an airplane wing. The spinning action pushes the air pressure on the underneath of the ball more than on the front face of the ball, creating a natural upward force that helps the ball stay a flight a bit longer.

Materials: Inner and Outer Construction

Almost all Modern golf balls are assembled with multiple layers, each serving a specific purpose:

• Core: The core is normally made of polybutadiene, a synthetic rubber that provides high energy return upon impact, contributing to better distance.
• Mantle: Surrounding the core, the mantle layer helps control spin and adds to the ball’s overall feel.
• Cover: The outermost layer is usually made of either Surlyn (an ionomer resin) or urethane. Surlyn top cover layer are more durable and offers less spin (which is arguably better for juniors looking to pratice straight hitting). Urethane covers offer better control and spin, preferred by advanced players.

Some high-performance balls feature dual-core designs, with a softer inner core for energy transfer and a firmer outer core for spin control.

Evolution of Golf Ball Materials

The materials used in golf balls have evolved significantly:

• Wooden Balls: The earliest golf balls were made of hardwoods like beech.
• Featheries: Introduced in the 17th century, these balls had a leather pouch stuffed with feathers.
• Gutta-Percha Balls: In the mid-19th century, balls made from the sap of the sapodilla tree became popular. These could be molded and were more durable. – not tsure if there were lakes back then? might be a tree when you retrive it back!
• Rubber Core Balls: Made their golf entry in the late 19th century, these balls had a solid rubber core covered in rubber threads, covered with gutta-percha.
• Modern Multi-Layer Balls: Today’s balls use synthetic materials and multi-layer constructions to optimize distance, spin, and feel.

Wooden Golf Balls (Pre-17th Century)

• Origin: Obviously where golf began! Scotland and the Netherlands
• Material: Hardwood (typically beechwood or boxwood)
• Country of Manufacture: Mostly Scotland in the early days of golf
• Performance:
• These were hand-carved and extremely hard, which made them quite durable for the time. However, they lacked consistent shape and weight, causing flight paths to be unpredictable. They had limited carry distance and were only used by the earliest golfers playing rudimentary versions of the sport on open fields and beaches.
• ➤ Average carry: 60–80 yards

Featherie Balls (17th – mid-19th Century)

• Origin: Scotland
• Material: Leather pouch (cowhide) tightly hand-stitched and stuffed with wet goose feathers
• Country of Manufacture: Hand-made in Scotland and later England
• Performance:
• A featherie could take hours to make and as you would expect it rather expensive, often costing more than a golf club itself. Once dried, the feathers expanded, and the ball hardened. These balls flew significantly farther than wooden balls and had a more predictable trajectory (19th centry Pro V1’s we think!) However, they were sensitive to moisture, often absorbing water and becoming heavy.
• ➤ Average carry: 150–180 yards
• ➤ Notable drawback: Easily damaged on impact or in wet conditions

Gutta-Percha Balls (a.k.a. “Gutties”) (1848 – late 1800s)

• Origin: Malaysia (material origin), adopted by Scottish golfer Rev. Adam Paterson
• Material: Dried sap from the sapodilla tree, molded into a sphere
• Country of Manufacture: Initially Scotland; later mass-produced in UK and Europe
• Performance:
• These balls could be easily molded when heated and became much cheaper and more durable than featheries. The biggest breakthrough was that gutties could be mass-produced, democratising the game of golf. Early smooth gutties performed poorly aerodynamically, but golfers discovered that scuff marks actually improved flight, which led to the deliberate creation of raised or patterned surfaces—eventually evolving into dimples.
• ➤ Average carry: 180–200 yards
• ➤ Impact: Made golf accessible to the middle class

Rubber Core Balls (Haskell Balls) (1898 – mid-20th Century)

• Origin: United States
• Inventor: Coburn Haskell of Cleveland, Ohio
• Material: Solid rubber core wound with elastic rubber threads, covered in gutta-percha
• Country of Manufacture: USA and UK
• Performance:
• This was a game-changer. Rubber core balls had more elasticity, resulting in greater distance with less effort. They offered much better feel and feedback and were more consistent and responsive than gutties. With the addition of dimple patterns in the early 1900s, these balls truly became the first “modern” golf balls.
• ➤ Average carry: 220–240 yards
• ➤ Dominated play from 1900–1960

Balata-Covered Balls (1960s–1990s)

• Origin: South America (material origin from balata tree), manufactured in USA, UK, Japan
• Material: Wound rubber core with a thin, soft balata cover
• Performance:
• These balls became the standard for low-handicap players and professionals. Balata covers gave superior spin control and feel, especially around the greens. However, they were fragile, scuffing or cutting easily, and they didn’t last as long.
• ➤ Average carry: 240–260 yards (with proper swing)
• ➤ Preferred for: Shot shaping and soft feel

Modern Multi-Layer Balls (2000s–Present)

• Origin: Worldwide (R&D in USA, UK, Japan, Korea)
• Material:
  • Core: Synthetic rubber (e.g., polybutadiene)
  • Mantle: Thermoplastic or rubber blend
  • Cover: Urethane (soft feel and spin) or Surlyn (durability and low spin)
• Country of Manufacture: Leading brands like Titleist, Callaway, TaylorMade, Bridgestone, and Srixon produce in the US, Japan, and Korea
• Performance:
• Multi-layer construction allows for customisation of performance characteristics—longer off the tee, soft around the green. Players can now choose balls designed for high launch, low spin, or maximum feel. Urethane covers dominate the tour, while Surlyn covers are used for durability in recreational play.
• ➤ Average carry for tour balls: 280–320 yards (pro swing speeds)
• ➤ Used in all major tours globally

Key Elements of High-Performance Golf Balls

Several factors contribute to a golf ball’s performance:

• Compression: Low compression balls are softer and help players with slower swing speeds achieve a bit more distance. Higher compression balls are firmer, offering more control for players with faster swings.
• Spin Rate: The design of the ball affects its spin. Balls designed for lower spin can help reduce hooks and slices, while higher spin balls offer better control around the greens.
• Feel: The materials used, especially in the cover, influence the ball’s feel. Urethane covers provide a softer feel preferred by many skilled players.
• Dimple Pattern: The number, shape, and depth of dimples affect the ball’s aerodynamics, influencing lift and drag.

Golf Balls Used in Major Tournaments

Professional golfers often choose balls that complement their playing style. Some of the most popular balls used in major tournaments include:

• Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x: Best known for their playing consistency and overall performance, these balls are widely used on the PGA Tour. 
• Callaway Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X: These balls were developed to give better distance and spin, favored by several tour players.
• TaylorMade TP5 and TP5x: With a five-layer construction, these balls provide a balance of distance, spin, and feel.
• Srixon Z-Star Series: These golf balls are developed for high performance, offering excellent spin and control.

Find them at our store.

 

Individual Tour Golf Balls Specs;

Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x

Dimple Count and Shape: The 2023 Pro V1 features 388 tetrahedral dimples, while the Pro V1x has 348 tetrahedral dimples. These dimples are spherically tiled to optimize aerodynamics and promote a consistent flight.

Construction: Pro V1 and Pro V1x balls have a three-piece structure comprising a reformulated core, a high-flex casing layer, and a soft urethane elastomer cover. This design enhances speed, spin, and control.

Launch Date: The original Pro V1 debuted on the US PGA Tour in the October of 2000 and was released publicly in December 2000. The latest model was released in January, 2023. MyGolfSpy

Callaway Chrome Tour Ball and Chrome Tour X Ball

Dimple Count and Shape: The 2024 Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X feature a new aerodynamic package with a combination of spherical and hexagonal dimples. This design aims to provide a stable ball flight in various conditions. GolfDigest.com

Construction: Both balls have a four-piece construction with a new hyper-fast soft core, mantle layer, and a urethane cover. This setup is engineered for better players seeking a balance of distance and control.

Launch Date: The Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X were officially launched on February 2, 2024.

TaylorMade TP5 and TP5x

Dimple Count and Shape: The TP5 and TP5x utilise TaylorMade’s Tour Flight Dimple Pattern, which consists of 322 dimples designed to reduce drag and optimise lift for maximum carry distance.

Construction: These balls have a five-layer construction, including a Tri-Fast Core and a Dual-Spin Cover. The TP5 is softer, offering more spin around the greens, while the TP5x is firmer, providing more speed off the tee.

Launch Date: The latest versions of the TP5 and TP5x were released on March 12, 2021.

Srixon Z-Star Series

Dimple Count and Shape: The Z-Star series features a 338 Speed Dimple Pattern. The dimples are added in way that helps reduce the drag and increase ball lift, promoting a penetrating ball flight.

Construction: The Z-Star has a three-piece construction with a FastLayer Core, a thin urethane cover, and Spin Skin with SeRM coating to enhance spin and control.

Launch Date: The latest Z-Star series was introduced in early 2024