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A Look at Golf Ball Selection
How important is the golf ball to your success as a golfer?

Have you ever felt confused by all of the types of golf balls out there? This page can help you
understand the issues surrounding their selection and how they play a huge role in how well you
play the game.

First, let�s look back at how the golf balls we use today came to be. In about 1550, the balls were
made of wood. This type of ball was replaced by 1618 with a ball made of goose feathers wrapped
in cow hide and made wet to shrink the cow hide and make it harder. In 1849, Rev. Adam
Paterson, who hailed from St. Andrews, Scotland, started making golf balls from the rubber-like
sap of the tropical gutta tree. These balls, affectionately called �Gutties� were smooth until 1880,
when patterns were made on the outside to improve their distance by providing lift. By 1890, golf
balls were being mass-produced with these raised bumps as the pattern on the ball. In 1901, balls
were used in the U.S. and British opens that had a solid rubber core wrapped in thread with an
outer shell of gutta percha. By 1905, a dimple pattern was applied to the outside of the ball, which
increased the lift of the ball in flight and decreased the drag against the air. This was the birth of
the modern golf ball. In 1921, the governing bodies of golf, such as the USGA, standardized the
weight and size of the golf ball.

Let�s take a look at the design of modern golf balls, which are made in a variety of ways, yet all
have the same standard size and weight. Manufacturers of them today use several types of
materials in the core of the ball and for the cover of the ball. Even though all golf balls today have
a pattern of dimples on their covers, the number of dimples and their depth may differ, which gives
more control over aspects of the trajectory of the ball, like distance, spin control, lift, velocity, and
straightness. The dimples cause a turbulent flow of the air over the surface as the ball is in flight,
which results in a pressure drag behind the ball that allows the ball to be carried further by the air.

The number on the ball is generally a single digit, used to differentiate your ball from one of the
other players in your foursome. A few years ago, a compression rating number was shown on the
ball as a two-digit number, indicating how the ball feels to the player. A lower rating of 70 to 80
would be on a ball that a lady would like to hit, not so hard as a compression rating of 100, which
requires a very hard swing to make the ball work properly. Few manufacturers put compression
rating numbers on their balls nowadays. If you see a three-digit number on a ball and it�s in the
range of 100, it is a compression rating. Three-digit numbers of three to four hundred refer to the
number of dimples on the ball, and hence, their performance in lift and spin during their trajectory.

Before any company manufacturing golf balls may sell their products to the public, each type of
ball produced must pass tests to meet the requirements of the USGA. The ball�s weight must be
greater than 1.620 ounces, but can be lighter. The ball must have a diameter of at least 1.680
inches, but can be larger, as long as it does not weigh more than the maximum above. Of course,
the ball must always be a symmetrical sphere. There is a test which limits the initial velocity of the
ball upon being hit. Finally, the overall distance that a ball can be hit, including the roll, is limited
to 320 yards, including a 3-yard rolling tolerance. These figures used to be 296.8 yards, including a
5.6 yard rolling tolerance. You can see that standards are stringent, yet they allow for improved
technologies which give golfers a better chance at success.

For a complete look at all of the factors that should be considered when buying golf balls, check
out the Golf Balls 101 site. You will find that the technology of golf balls is still evolving and you
will be able to rate balls by their features, price, and how they compare to other brands.