ore, the Gutta-percha ball arrived on the scene in 1848 to take on the role of smooth, solid, dried gum from the Malaysian sapodilla tree. These “guttie” balls had two negatives; they sometimes broke into pieces as some modern solid balls have been known to do and they did not fly as well as the feather balls. None the less, as these balls were used their surfaces became roughened. Players soon realized, however, that cut-up balls flew further and the concept of dimples was born.But why are dimples purposely molded into the modern day golf ball? This question deals with the way that air affects the flight of a spinning object (or aerodynamics if you will) – and that’s the bottom line. Moreover, two simple principles will be discussed in great detail hereafter: lift and drag. Let’s not run faster than we are able though. Before we get on a rampage let’s look at what experience has taught us about a spinning ball. A British scientist in 1887, Professor P.G. Tait owns all the credit to the findings concerning the importance of spin on the flight of a golf ball. He relates that in his youth he was taught that “all spin is detrimental” and he practiced assiduously to master the art of hitting a ball almost free of spin. After many complex and frustrating experiences, Professor Tait states clearly that, a ball driven with spin about a horizontal axis with the top of the ball coming toward the golfer, has a lifting force on it which keeps the ball in the air much longer than would be possible without spin. Professor Tait did all his work with gutta-percha balls, which means that he did not consider the effect of the roughness of the surface of the ball on its motion through the air. In between the time that the golfer (if that’s what we want to call him) step’s up to the tee and the time that he cusses, there are two complicated forces that must be understood. The club co...
