Golf Balls Compression

Everything you Ever Wanted to Know About Golf Balls

Size of the ball

The "Rules of Golf" says that a golf ball's diameter must be a minimum of 1.680 inches / 42.67 mm. A smaller ball would fly much further than a larger ball. The reason for this is simple: with a smaller diameter the ball has less air resistance, or in other words, it displaces less air as it flies. Because of this, most manufacturers produce golf balls with the minimal diameter (1.680 inches / 42.67 mm).

Weight of the ball

A golf ball's weight must not exceed 1.620 oz./ 45.93 g according to the "Rules of Golf". The heavier the ball, the greater its momentum, and the less it would be slowed down by air resistance. Hence it would tend to fly further. For this reason most manufacturers produce golf balls with the heaviest sanctioned weight of 1.620 oz./ 45.93 g.

Compression Rates

In the manufacturing process, some two-piece, and all three-piece balls are rated by their compression measurements. This is done by pressuring them with a standard weight

Balls that don’t deform at all are rated Compression 200, while balls that deform by 0.2” or above are rated Compression 0. These are the two extremes, and between them balls are rated in intervals of 0.001 inches. The Standard Compression rate is usually 90 or 100. the higher the compression rate the harder the feel, and vice versa. Almost every ball is subject to a compression rating. Compression rates of 80 and 100 are also found.

However, manufacturers are not bound by an official standard. Hence one manufacturer’s compression rate of 100 can be different to another manufacturer’s compression rate of 100. This can mount up to a 3.5 point difference in either direction. In addition, some balls don’t even have the compression rate printed on them.

According to a host of surveys, low speed swing players are better off using balls with a Compression rate of 80. Players with an average speed swing should choose Compression 100, and Compression 110 is best for high swing speed players.

The weather should always be taken into consideration when deciding on compression rates to use. Low compression balls are best for colder weather, while high compression balls perform better in cold water.

Tips for choosing the right balls for you:

Considerations for Driving

Distance balls are designed to fly further and with more accuracy. This means you will be less likely to land in the rough, in a hazard, or out of bounds. Distance balls have their drawbacks, however, as they will be harder to stop on the green. Mid to high handicappers should favor a distance ball.

Optimum Performance in Your Approach

Spin balls are made with outer layers that take on more spin when you strike them with angled club faces. Drawing or fading around obstacles and hazards therefore becomes easier, as they will bend more to the left or right. They also take on more backspin when struck with a lofted club – this is important, as the balls will therefore stop more quickly on the green.

Whilst spin balls used to be made with fragile outer layers that were prone to damage, this problem has now been largely averted with the introduction of solid multilayer construction, replacing the old flimsy balata covers.

Getting More Control

Distance balls designed to stop quickly when on the green, but with minimum risk of slicing or hooking are known as control balls. The Nike One and Titleist Pro V1 are members of the new generation of balls that are so versatile they will perform in any situation.

Balls for Slow Swingers

Known variously as Ladies or Senior balls, these balls increase driving distance to improve the scores of players with slower, less powerful swings.

Choosing the Right Putting Ball

Differently designed balls will roll for different distances on the green. As a rule of thumb, harder balls role further. The difference is more than you would think. Teaching professionals recommend that you putt with the same kind of ball all the time, as this will help you to calibrate, feel, learn and reproduce the connection between stroke strength and distance. As most balls aren’t perfectly balanced, they won’t roll absolutely true, but higher quality balls will be generally more likely to stay on course, due to higher standards of quality control during manufacture.

Affordability

Try to always play with the same balls that you practice with. So if you can’t afford to practice with a high quality ball, don’t switch when playing competitions. A ball that has been overused will no longer be spherical, and so is no good to you. Play balls that you can afford to replace regularly.

About the Author

Frank J. Peter is the publisher of www.LearnAboutGolf.com, an educational website offering free golf lessons and tips, including video lessons. He also publishes GolfClubClone.com, a website that reviews alternatives to expensive brand name golf clubs.

Remixing Golf Ball Compression And Swing Speed

There are so many factors that can affect just about any avid golfer's game. Whether you are already quite the expert in the game or you are still one of the many beginners, it always helps to know a little background on these factors. This way, you can play out these factors in such a way that your very own game would benefit. One of these factors is actually golf ball compression.

The typical sentiment of golfers is to go with golf balls that have higher compression ratings. The clichй "more is better" is the primary reason behind this sentiment. But is this really true? Should golfers really go for balls that have higher compression ratings? Would these balls really improve one's game? To understand this more, you need to define the concept of golf ball compression first.

In its most basic form, compression in golf balls actually refers to the effective density of the golf ball itself. This pertains to just how soft or how hard your golf ball is. More importantly, this rating refers to the golf ball's tendency to undergo deformation when much pressure is applied. Golf balls that have low compression rates need just a little pressure for them to start deforming. Golf balls of higher compression rates, on the other hand, need more pressure for deformation to set in. The range balls you can find in the circuit right now typically have a compression rating of just 70. These balls actually feel very soft, especially when you get down to hitting them at the driving range. The hardest golf balls ever manufactured have 110 for their compression ratings. But the general ratings would be pegged within the range of 80 and 100.

There are also natural factors that can very well affect the compression ratings of golf balls. Air temperature, for one thing, is a strong factor for this. During cold weather, you may notice your golf balls becoming a bit too hard to hit. In such weather, it would be better to switch to golf balls that have lower compression ratings.

The compression of your golf ball can affect the distance that it can make, right? Not necessarily. A lot of people think that higher compression balls can bring forth longer distance, but this is not true at all. The main factor here is actually the speed that comes off the face of the particular golf club you are using. Thus, there is a need to match the golf ball's compression to speed of your swing.

After a golf ball is stricken by a club, it will experience significant compression or deformation. However, the ball is still able to retain its original shape as it travels from the club face. High compression golf balls can take more beating so these can me used to match higher swing speed. But when it comes to swing speeds that are slower, high compression balls no longer make great choices here. There's not much generation of what is known as club head speed to ensure the compression needed for the good drive you want to achieve. Slower swing speeds should then be matched with golf balls that have lower compression ratings.

About the Author

Noel Siegel is a successful author of
Used Golf Cart Guide

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