Different types of Golf Balls

Golf balls have changed quite a bit since the game was invented. The first ball was made out of wood centuries ago. Other experimentations included stuffing a sewn cowhide bag with boiled goose feathers. After cooling, the feathers would expand to make a ball known as a featherie. This type of ball was used for many years. The drawback to this design included a high cost and a ball that wasn't perfectly rounded. Over 100 years ago, multi-layer balls were invented and consisted of solid or liquid-filled cores, a layer of rubber thread and an outer shell.

You can probably see where I'm going with this. As the years have passed and technology has improved, so has the construction of the golf ball. The multi-layer design has improved multiple times over the last 100 years or so.

If you look at recent balls, you might wonder what the dimples are for. Back in the old days, smooth balls were used and it was determined that the smooth surface created an aerodynamic drag. This caused it to slow down. Golf Ball Dimples were created to reduce this drag. An additional benefit is that the dimples help put backspin on the ball. This comes in handy when approaching greens. Standards for ball size and weight did not occur until around 1920.

There are a wide variety of balls used today and from numerous manufacturers. The main thing that you need to understand is that modern balls will give you more distance, more spin, or a compromise between the two.

If you prefer balls that give you more distance, you should be looking at a two-piece construction. These balls have a solid core made of synthetic material. The outside cover of the ball is a firm material that allows the ball to travel a good distance. Hence, these are considered "distance" balls. Most beginners and casual golfers prefer this added distance. A problem with the hard cover is that the ball does not cut (fade or draw) that well in the air. When mishits do occur with a "distance" ball, the roundness of the golf ball is not affected that much because of the firm cover. They are very durable and do not provide much workability.

Once you learn to control your ball, you will want to try a "spin" ball. These have a three-piece design that is made to help the ball spin. This design consists of a solid core wrapped with a certain material, which is surrounded by a soft material. The best "spin" balls have a liquid core. The soft outside shell is what allows the ball to spin more and will also give a higher flight path (trajectory). Professional golfers typically prefer this wound-construction design because they get better feel and better control.

The last category of balls is basically a combination of distance and spin. These might work best for you. The "distance" balls usually cost less than "spin" balls. Another thing to keep in mind is that you will want to keep your golf balls clean. When they are dirty, the aerodynamics are affected. The result is a ball with bad spin and bad distance.

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