The dynamics behind the flight of the golf ball offers a fascinating insight into the physical interworkings of air pressure, turbulence, and aerodynamics.

When golf was first played in Scotland, most players played using clumsy golf apparatus, with the first golf clubs and golf balls made of wood.

In 1618 the “Featherie” was introduced. It was a golf ball made of feather. This feather golf ball was handcrafted from goose feathers tightly pressed into a horse or cowhide sphere while still wet. After drying, the leather shrank and the feathers expanded, creating a hardened golf ball.

As this type of golf ball was specially handcrafted, it was usually more expensive than golf clubs, so that only a few privileged people could afford to play golf back then.

After the Featherie golf ball came the Guttie golf ball. This type of golf ball was made from the rubber-like sap of the Gutta tree found in the tropics, and was shaped into a sphere when hot and eventually into a golf ball. As it was made of rubber, the Guttie golf ball could be cheaply produced and easily repaired by reheating and reshaping.

Comparing the two types of golf balls, the Featherie golf ball was said to travel farther than the Guttie golf ball because the Guttie golf ball’s smooth surface prevented it from covering more distance.

With this discovery, the developers of golf balls came up with the “dimpled” golf balls that are so predominant in modern golf nowadays.

The dimples on the golf balls help reduce the aerodynamic drag. Aerodynamic drag normally affects smooth golf balls and slows them down, because when they sail through the air, they leave a pocket of low-pressure air in its stir thus creating a drag.

By applying dimples to the golf ball surface, the pressure differential goes down and the drag force is reduced. These dimples create turbulence in the air surrounding the golf ball, which, in turn, forces the air to clasp the golf ball more closely. By doing so, the air trails the warp created by the golf ball towards the back instead of flowing past it. This results in a smaller wake and lesser drag.

Dimples were first added onto golf ball surfaces back during the gutta percha phase. Coburn Haskell introduced the one-piece rubber cored golf ball encased in a gutta percha sphere. Then in 1905 William Taylor applied the dimple pattern to a Haskell golf ball, thus giving rise to the modern golf ball as we know it today.

After its beginning, dimpled golf balls were officially used in every golf tournament. In 1921, the golf ball took its current form with standard size and weight. Nowadays there is a wide range of golf balls to fit every style, game and condition, with some golf balls offering control, and other golf balls offering distance.

Though a common sight nowadays, the dimpled golf ball is not just a mere element of the sports arena; it is a showcase of physics at work.

I’m going to get you back on track with your pitching with golf technique and instruction that you’re just going to love. It’s the reason why you need loft, and here’s why.

A lot of you hit a lot of pitch shots that, after it’s in the air, it maybe has 2, 3, 4 feet of loft to it, and when it hits the ground, it takes off running and runs over the green.

A couple of reasons why you struggle with not getting the ball up in the air: Number one, you have to start using your pitching wedge or your sand wedge and your lob wedge, not your 9 iron to chip with. You need a loftier golf club.

Number two, check the ball position. Make sure it’s in the middle of your stance and your weight’s on your left leg.

And lastly, make sure that you start hitting down on the golf ball so it’ll go up.

Some golf technique and instruction advice I have to give you is don’t get all hung up on backspin. Backspin’s great, but would you rather have a golf ball drop straight out of the sky, or a golf ball that had a lot of revolutions going backwards?

I’d like the one that drops straight out of the sky. That will slow down quicker than one with backspin.

So, don’t forget, for more loft put the ball in the middle of your stance with a little weight left. But make sure you use your sand wedge and your loftier club, maybe your loft wedge to pitch with, and not your 9 iron or your pitching wedge. Your pitching wedge is okay, but it’ll go off a little flatter.

And lastly, the golf technique and instruction never to forget is, don’t forget to follow through low, so you can hit down so the ball will go up.

Thanks and have a great day.

You can check out PurePoint Golf instructional DVDs at http://gulfswinggurufield.blogspot.com

21questions asked:
I have a problem with my driving technique. The ball always curves to the right, especially when I’m getting tired. Also, I keep getting blisters on both of my thumbs. What do you think is my mistake?

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