ORIGINAL: dick Hanson
ORIGINAL: banktoturn
ORIGINAL: hugger-4641
ORIGINAL: banktoturn
ORIGINAL: hugger-4641
After this I guess the next question would be:
If you could a hit another smooth ball and a dimpled ball with all variables equal but with a perfect back spin, which would go farther?
Then we could compare the numbers and know which force actually has more effect.
hugger-4641,
The dimpled ball would go further, which is why they put dimples on them.
banktoturn
Yes, I think we all agree on that, the question is which force contributes the most, ''lift'' from the spinning (magnus effect), or reduced loss of velocity due simply to reduced drag from the dimples?
hugger-4641,
I don't know for sure, but my guess is that the dimples are more important. I base this guess on 3 things: 1) my observation that very worn range balls don't fly as far as new ones (a very obvious difference, when witnessed), 2) balls marketed as ''distance'' balls tend to have lower spin rates, and 3) the aspect ratio of a golf ball is so low that generating a lot of lift causes a big drag penalty.
banktoturn
As long as we are all guessing
-try this guess
A worn golf ball may not store as much energy (from the club) .
old balls may lose some of their ''bounce''
(Don't we know it)
Distance balls MAY flatten more when hit by the club and therefore may not be set into rotation as easily as a harder ball-which MAY thru the angle of club contact - tend to ratate faster from the impact
If that concept is too hard to grasp-consider hitting a steel sphere . the contact area of th ball will remain smaller and therefor (I love college talk), the ''english'' put on th ball will be more than that put on a softer surface -which flattens before going into motion
My next slide please.
It's a reasonable guess that the older balls may not get as much energy from the club. I suppose we could rely on the initial observations of smooth gutta-percha balls versus scuffed ones, to eliminate that possibility.
Your guess as to the mechanism by which distance balls acquire lower spin rates doesn't happen to be the one that the ball manufacturers give, but it doesn't really matter. The salient observation is that balls intended to fly farther are designed to spin more slowly.
I'm also guessing that you don't really like college talk any more than you like spelling and punctuation. I suppose that was a little irony. Nicely done.
banktoturn