The game of golf requires a lot of patience and the right equipment. It is impossible to play golf without a golf ball, unless you have a wild imagination. According to the golf rules prescribed by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and the US Golf Association, the weight of an ideal golf ball should not exceed 45grams and its diameter should be close to 1.68 inches.
Evolution of Golf Balls
The oldest golf balls can be traced back to the 17th century, which were made from wood. The featherie was a popular ball for about 2 centuries, as it had the ability to gain more flight compared to wooden balls. It was from this period that the change in the characteristics of the golf balls really began. Featherie golf balls were costly, since they could not be manufactured in bulk. The balls invented later such as the Guttie substituted the featherie and the wooden balls because of aerodynamic distinctiveness. During the mid 20th Century, golf balls with multi-layered characteristics were developed. From then on, experts have suggested many alternatives for making the perfect golf ball. Presently, golf balls are made from tough materials such as titanium and the ever popular, the hybrid golf balls.
Brands
There are various brands of golf balls available in the market. Some of them are MaxFli, Callaway, Nike, Pinnacle, Titleist and many others. Golf balls are also available in various colors. Usually, colored balls are for those golfers who tend to lose their golf balls easily. They are relatively more costly.
Types of golf balls
The hollowed designs on the golf balls are known as dimples. A typical golf ball has about three to five hundred dimples depending on the company manufacturing the golf ball. There are various kinds of golf balls that are easily available in sports shops. The most common ones are surlyn and balata covered ones. They are specially made to achieve a long distance as well as a good spin.
Balata:
As the name suggests, this ball is protected with balata, a liquid filled interior coupled and enclosed with rubber. Balata is kind of a soft material that ensures a good game. The advantage of these golf balls is that it offers a better spin on the course. These golf balls are relatively more expensive, but have a shorter life.
Surlyn:
As the name suggests, this ball is protected with balata, a liquid filled interior coupled and enclosed with rubber. Balata is kind of a soft material that ensures a good game. The advantage of these golf balls is that it offers a better spin on the course. These golf balls are relatively more expensive, but have a shorter life.
It is a very difficult and sometimes, a confusing task for golfers to choose the perfect golf ball. They consider a lot of parameters before settling for one particular golf ball. To make matters more confusing, researchers have even come up with hybrid balls which is a combination of different materials such as 2 piece balls, 3 piece balls, balata covered balls and surlyn covered balls to achieve that extra spin and a longer distance.
