Address the ball... "Hello, ball!"
Mar 29 '01
The Bottom Line Golf balls take a beating, and can be all to easy to lose, so consider price above all other factors until you are good enough for anything else to matter.
Selecting the proper golf ball can be of significant importance to professional players, as the surface and structure can affect the flight, roll, movement, and stopping power of the shots they are shaping. While the same is true for normal players (like you and me) we have little ability to consistently exert any meaningful influence on the ball to coax out these attributes. Instead, we watch them shank, slice, and tumble as we struggle with much bigger components of our golf swings.
Therefore, you should select a golf ball that is reasonably priced. Don't agonize over the choices. Buy them in bulk at discount stores, not a sleeve at a time in the pro shop. Take them out to the course and play under different conditions. In time, you will find that certain brands hit better when you need to carry water off the tee or roll truer when you need an important putt. While there may be some science to these discoveries, it is more likely that you have associated a few lucky shots with a particular brand. Is that a bad thing? Not at all. So much of this sport is mental, that if choosing a particular brand gives you confidence, this may be enough to improve your shot-making ability in a given situation. The true surprise comes when you discover that you can still clear the pond on the second tee with a different brand, finding that the golfer has something to do with it, after all!
However, it helps to have a little understanding of some of the distinctions, in order to accelerate your search.
"Sherman, set the 'wayback machine' for 1618. We'll be visiting the city of St. Andrews in Scotland..,"
History of the golf ball
In the early days of the sport, balls were made of wood, giving way during the seventeenth century to "feather balls." A manufacturer would boil feathers and jam them tightly into a wound leather sack, cramming them through a tiny hole. Once they were crushed into place the hole was stitched up and the ball was painted white. A busy ball maker could pump out three or four of these beauties a day, although a few good whacks on a wet afternoon rendered them a sodden mess.
Play plodded along in this manner for a few centuries, until latex (the evaporated milky juice of various South American and South Pacific trees) was extracted and applied to the process. When boiled, the substance is soft and pliable, yet it retains its shape once cooled. By 1852, manufacturing of these inexpensive and durable balls completely replaced the "featheries" and golf's popularity soared. In a few years, dimples were added to the surface to improve control and steady the flight.
However, this solid latex sphere, called a "gutta-percha," was closer to the original wooden ball and required a good deal of strength to get airborne. In the beginning of the twentieth century, Coburn Haskell and Bertram G. Work of the B. F. Goodrich Company designed and constructed two piece golf balls composed of a solid rubber core wrapped by a tightly wound rubber thread encased in the same latex of the "gutties." The game changed dramatically as many new players could strike the ball and different manufacturers experimented with size and weight. Golf courses had to be redesigned to accommodate the length of the shots. From World War I until 1968 a variety of ball sizes predominated, finally settling on the current 1.68" diameter and 1.62 ounce 'American' ball mandated today.
"That's fascinating, Mr. Peabody, but what does it mean to me?"
"Well, Sherman, four hundred years of golf ball construction have boiled down to a few variables that you should consider when choosing the right one for you."
Hardness affects distance. Harder is farther, since there is less deformation at impact. A harder ball gives additional roll, reducing the amount of spin you can apply when trying to "stick it" by the pin.
Compression comes in (typically) two flavors—90 or 100, and has little impact on distance, although 90 compression balls feel softer than 100's, and may aid golfers with a moderate swing speed or those playing in a cooler climate.
Dimple pattern, contrary to popular opinion, does not effect the spin, but creates the aerodynamic lift that allows a spinning ball to remain in the air longer. Varying the dimple size and pattern affects the flight of a ball, allowing manufacturers to adjust trajectory for both distance and control.
Consider what matters most to your game and select accordingly. If you need more distance off the tee shot, look for a harder, higher compression ball. If you desire more control around the greens, lean more towards softness. In fact, for these situations you may want to look at three-piece construction, which increases "feel" and control.
As noted in the beginning, though, the subtle benefits of ball selection matter most to serious, low-handicap players. For the rest of us, consider price first. And have fun!
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
aashtech
|
|
Member: Steve
Location: Raleigh, NC
Reviews written: 105
Trusted by: 42 members
About Me:
Hack golfer and passable poker player.
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.