Most people have no idea around the science and aerodynamics of golf balls. The components of the golf ball can be broken down into two parts, aerodynamics and ballistics.

Aerodynamics-
First there is the path of flight broken down into 4 factors:
the force opposed by the drag and the lift opposed by weight. The force of the golf swing provides the angle and flight of the golf ball. As soon as the ball leaves the golf tee the force of the golf swing provides it’s thrust and rises based on the angle of the golf club.  Higher loft will equal higher elevation for the golf ball. This is where a high loft sand wedge comes into play in a sand trap to pop the ball up and out of the bunkers.

When the ball is in flight air will cause drag on the ball limiting the distance. Golf balls of the past didn’t go as far due to the false science that smoother golf balls would have better travel in the but actually the balls fall shorter so it was just about who could hit the ball harder.

Just by chance malformed golf balls were used and come to find out that flight of those was much better then smooth balls. Many different types of styled golf balls were playing until one stood out from the rest, the dimpled golf ball. Golf ball dimples play a key role in the resulting distance travelled by the ball and help provide increased stability in the trajectory of the golf shot. While most of us may not realize it, golf ball dimples are strategically placed in both alignment and depth, with an ideal pattern including one shallow and then one deep depression. Golf these days is about a smooth steady swing and momentum. Hex impressioning seems to provide the best lift.

Ballistics-
Once the lift was understood then ballistics came into play. Trajectory which is the path a moving object follows through space. Some factors that come into play are the dimples and the core of the golf ball.  The core of the ball affect the spin or control, feel and distance. Two types of cores are solid which is made to increase power and liquid which has less power but much more control for use on the golf green for backspin and keeping the ball on the golf green. The net results is 3 different types of ball in the market today. Distance golf balls, which are made with hard, durable covers and solid cores. Spin balls, which are made of three-piece construction, these balls have a central core (sometimes liquid in high spin balls), surrounded by rubber windings and covered by a soft, thin material called balata. Finally Performance Balls, this type of ball is designed to balance spin, distance and control.