Golf Ball Construction 101

Materials and design are so advanced today that even modest cost balls are typically superior for most golfers.

The golf ball has evolved considerably over several hundred years from its early use in Holland and Scotland.

Centuries ago the 'featherie' was designed, a leather pouch stuffed with wet goose feathers. As it dried, the feathers expanded and the leather shrunk, forming a very hard semi-elastic ball that could go quite a distance by historical standards. Around the turn of the 20th century, the gutta percha came into widespread use. Dimpled and made of Malayan rubber, it was the first major advance in golf ball construction and revolutionized the game.

Today, materials science and golf physics has brought the golf ball to new heights, figuratively and literally.

Covered with Surlyn (a special DuPont rubbery plastic) the ball comes in various forms. A 1-piece is essentially just a uniform hard plastic ball. They're cheap balls used only for practice by beginners. The 2-piece is a solid plastic resin core wrapped with Surlyn. The 3-piece uses a core wrapped with elastic windings that are then covered. A 4-piece adds another layer but is the same basic design.

All these changes in material and geometry helped improve flight and distance characteristics. The dimples break up airflow around the surface, reducing drag and providing longer flight times. That maximizes distance. A smaller proportion than you might think results from the compressive feature of the golf ball.

Weights today are not to be greater than 1.620 oz (45 g) and the size no more than 1.680 inches (38 mm) and the ball must be spherical. Even the maximum initial velocity is determined by professional golfing regulations, as is the maximum permissible distance it can travel on a drive.

When choosing a golf ball, golfers will examine the size and construction to meet their own goals, though. Some prefer the greater control afforded by a 3-piece, others will want the durability and lower cost of a 2-piece.

Knowledgeable golfers will also look to the compression value, a number that ranges from 0-200. All 3-piece balls and some 2-piece ones carry this number. A ball that has zero compression is rated 200 (not zero - go figure). A ball that will compress under load by 2/10th inches or more is rated zero. For every 1/1000th inch of compression under load they receive one lower point, starting from 200.

Golfers shouldn't put too much emphasis on the compression number. Surface geometry and material play a much larger role than elasticity in flight character, including distance traveled after impact.

Whichever you choose, it's hard to go wrong these days. Materials and design are so advanced today that even modest cost balls are typically superior to the average golfer. How they're struck has a much bigger effect than the exact size, weight, or construction.

Choose a golf ball based on your budget and whether you enjoy the way it feels and flies and you'll soon discover that's the one for you.