Why do golf balls have dimples?
I was looking at a golf ball and I was wondering why they have these little craters all over the place.
I was looking at a golf ball and I was wondering why they have these little craters all over the place.
David
Favorite Answer
If you want to get deeper into the aerodynamics, there are two types of flow around an object: laminar and turbulent. Laminar flow has less drag, but it is also prone to a phenomenon called "separation." Once separation of a laminar boundary layer occurs, drag rises dramatically because of eddies that form in the gap. Turbulent flow has more drag initially but also better adhesion, and therefore is less prone to separation. Therefore, if the shape of an object is such that separation occurs easily, it is better to turbulate the boundary layer (at the slight cost of increased drag) in order to increase adhesion and reduce eddies (which means a significant reduction in drag). Dimples on golf balls turbulate the boundary layer.
Danny Woodhead
The reason why golf balls have dimples is a story of natural selection. Originally, golf balls were smooth; but golfers noticed that older balls that were beat up with nicks, bumps and slices in the cover seemed to fly farther. Golfers, being golfers, naturally gravitate toward anything that gives them an advantage on the golf course, so old, beat-up balls became standard issue.
Also, Because the dimples maximize the distance golf balls travel. Dimpled balls travel up to four times farther than smooth-surfaced golf balls.
Hardcore City
help carry the ball further.
I like that word. Dimples lol.
Live_Laugh_Wrestle
the dimples make the ball go far
Oli
The 'dimples' help it to spin in the air which lets it travel further :P