Self-Assessment Form

A Study of Dimple Characteristics and

Course: CLL231
Submitted to: Prof. Somnath Ghosh and Prof. Vikrant Verma
Submitted on: 20/04/2023
1. Abstract

Golf balls have a complex aerodynamic design, especially with the presence of dimples, which
greatly affect their flight path. The dimples on the surface of golf balls increase the
three-dimensional air flow around them, making their trajectory more complex. While there have
been many studies on the aerodynamics of golf balls, there is still much to be learned due to the
diverse characteristics of dimples, such as their size, shape, depth, and pattern. Previous research
has mainly used wind tunnel testing and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to
study this phenomenon. This study experimentally measures the drag coefficient of eight
different widely used golf balls under different wind speeds. Differences in dimple geometry
were discovered to cause significant variations in the drag coefficients of these balls.

2. Introduction

The study of how golf balls interact with air during their flight is known as golf ball
aerodynamics. This is a complex field as many factors such as the ball's size, shape, weight,
speed, and the dimples on its surface can influence its trajectory. When a golf ball is struck, it
creates a boundary layer of air around it, which is a thin layer of air next to the ball's surface
moving with it and a relatively stationary region of air. The use of dimples on golf balls has been
around for around 600 years, with people noticing that roughened balls perform better than
smooth ones. Despite not fully understanding the function of a roughened surface, it has become
an essential part of golf ball design. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Sir Isaac Newton and Magnus
recognized the existence of transverse forces on spinning balls, and Professor Guthrie Tait of
Edinburgh University studied golf ball aerodynamics in the 19th century and explained how a
rough surface and backspin or underspin created lift, allowing the ball to travel farther than a
smooth ball launched at the same speed and angle.

3. Methods and Experiment

To conduct this research, eight golf balls were carefully chosen from the current market, which
are extensively used in major international tournaments. These balls possess unique dimple
characteristics, and their average size is around 42.7 mm in diameter and 45.5 g in weight. Table
1 showcases the brand names, physical attributes, including diameter, cost, and dimple patterns,
while Figure 1 portrays the images of the diverse dimple shapes.
 Table 1

Fig. 1. Golf Balls used in this study

5. Discussions
The dimples on a golf ball have a significant impact on its flight as they reduce drag and increase
lift. They minimize the size of the wake behind the ball and help it to travel further and more
accurately.
The key fluid mechanics concepts that are involved in the flight of a golf ball include:

1. Bernoulli's principle: This principle states that as the speed of a fluid (such as air)
increases, its pressure decreases. This is important for the flight of a golf ball because as
the ball travels through the air, it creates a region of lower pressure on the top surface of
the ball due to its shape and spin, which generates lift and keeps the ball in the air.
2. Boundary layer: The boundary layer is the thin layer of air that forms around the surface
of the ball as it travels through the air. The flow of air within the boundary layer
determines the amount of drag on the ball and affects its flight characteristics.
3. Drag: Drag is the force that opposes the motion of an object through a fluid. In the case
of a golf ball, drag is caused by the frictional resistance of the air as it flows around the
ball. The dimples on the surface of a golf ball disrupt the smooth flow of air around the
ball and create turbulence, which reduces the drag force and allows the ball to travel
further.
4. Magnus effect: The Magnus effect is the phenomenon whereby a spinning object moving
through a fluid experiences a sideways force perpendicular to its direction of motion. In
the case of a golf ball, backspin or underspin generates lift through the Magnus effect,
which causes the ball to travel further and with greater accuracy.
The reduction in drag can be expressed using the following equation:

where FD is the drag force, rho is the density of the air, v is the velocity of the ball, A is the
cross-sectional area of the ball, and CD is the drag coefficient. The drag coefficient is a
dimensionless quantity that represents the aerodynamic resistance of the ball to motion through
the air.

The dimples also help to increase the lift force on the ball. As the ball moves through the air, the
air flows over the dimples and creates a thin layer of air that sticks to the ball's surface. This
layer of air reduces the air pressure on top of the ball and creates an upward force, known as lift.

The increase in lift can be expressed using the following equation:

where FL is the lift force, rho is the density of the air, v is the velocity of the ball, A is the
cross-sectional area of the ball, and CL is the lift coefficient. The lift coefficient is a
dimensionless quantity that represents the aerodynamic force generated by the ball's shape and
the flow of air around it.

Reynold’s Number is expressed as:

The design of a golf ball's dimples plays a crucial role in its aerodynamics. Different golf balls
have different dimple patterns and arrangements, which affect the ball's flight characteristics.
Generally, golf balls with more dimples and smaller dimple sizes tend to generate more lift and
less drag, while golf balls with fewer and larger dimples tend to generate less lift and more drag.
 Fig. 2. Drag force as a function of Reynolds Number for the balls tested

6. Conclusions - What is the perfect dimple?

Golf ball designers have used an experimental approach to analyze various dimple designs to
find the most optimal trajectory. The trial-and-error method includes examining different
variables such as dimple shape, number, pattern, surface-area coverage, depth, ratio of
depth-to-surface area, and smoothness of the dimple surface. The number, shape, and pattern of
dimples on a golf ball can vary, and manufacturers use computer modeling and testing
techniques to develop and refine their designs for maximum aerodynamic performance. The
dimples reduce drag and increase lift by creating turbulence in the boundary layer, which can be
expressed using equations for drag force and lift force. Overall, golf balls with carefully designed
dimple patterns can travel longer and more accurately.
7. References

[1] Achenbach E. Experiments on the flow past spheres at very high Reynolds numbers. Journal
of Fluid Mechanics 1972;54:565–575.

[2] Alam F, Chowdhury H, Moria H, Steiner T and Subic A. A Comparative Study of Golf Ball
Aerodynamics. Proceedings of the 17th Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference (AFMC)
2010; 5-9 December, Auckland.

[3] Dimples and drag: Experimental demonstration of the aerodynamics of golf balls, Josué
Njock Libii.

[4] The Influence of Golf Ball Dimples on Aerodynamic Characteristics by Takeshi Naruo,
(Mizuno Corporation, 1-12-35, Nanko-Kita, Suminoe-ku,Osaka, 559-8510, Japan), Taketo
Mizota, (Fukuoka Institute of Technology, 3-30-1, Wajiro-higashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka,
811-0295, Japan)

[5] A Study of Dimple Characteristics on Golf Ball Drag by Harun Chowdhury, School of
Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia

[6] How do dimples in golf balls affect their flight? (SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, Tom Veilleux, a
senior scientist, and Vince Simonds, director of aerodynamic research at the Top-Flite Golf
Company)

[7] Golf Ball Aerodynamics, FranklyGolf.com

8. Appendices

For the 8 golf-ball experiment conducted ;

A mounting stud was manufactured to hold the ball and was mounted on a six component force
balance (type JR-3) as shown in Figure 2. The 1st set up shown in Figure 2(a) was used for the
initial measurement however the interference drag was found to be very high compared the drag
of the golf ball. The 2nd set up, shown in Figure 2(b), was developed later and found to be more
suitable for this study. Computer software developed in-house was used to acquire load data
from the force balance, and compute all six forces and moments (drag, side, and lift forces, and
yaw, pitch, and roll moments), and then calculate their non-dimensional coefficients.
The aerodynamic properties (drag, lift and side force and their corresponding moments) were
measured at wind speeds of 40 km/h to 140 km/h. The aerodynamic forces acting on the balls
alone were determined by subtracting the forces acting on the supporting gear only (with no ball
attached) from the combined force determined for balls attached to the supporting gear
(mounting stud).

As shown in Figure 3, although there is significant variation in CD values one ball, the Maxfli,
has drag characteristics that are distinctly different from all the other balls tested. Close
examination of the dimple geometry of the Maxfli showed that these dimples were shallow but
not flat, and there was a significant angle between the edge of dimples and the outer “spherical
envelope”. Other balls appeared to have somewhat smoothed profiles where the dimples merged
into the outer “spherical envelope” which reduced the angle in these areas. The data supports a
conjecture that this relative “sharpness” opposed to “smoothing” is a critical factor for drag
reduction.

Reference for the above experiment

A study of golf ball aerodynamic drag

Firoz Alam*, Tom Steiner, Harun Chowdhury, Hazim Moria, Iftekhar Khan, Fayez Aldawi,
Aleksandar Subic

(School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, RMIT University,