A study of golf ball aerodynamic drag

Abstract

The aerodynamics of golf balls is considerably more complex than that of many other spherical balls. The surface roughness in the form of dimples intensifies the level of complexity and three-dimensionality of air flow around the golf ball. Prior studies have revealed that golf ball aerodynamics is still not fully understood due to the varied dimple size, shape, depth and pattern. The current study experimentally measured drag coefficients of a range of commercially available golf balls, under a range of wind speeds. It was found that the drag coefficients of these balls varied significantly due to varied dimple geometry.