What Golf Balls are Made of Inside and Outside

Ever wondered what golf balls are made of? Don’t take it for granted because one way or another it will dictate and influence how you play golf and game performance.

Table of Contents show

What Golf Balls are Made of Inside and Outside

Undeniably, a golf ball is the sole piece of golf equipment that you will need to use in each different shot. This is the very reason why you must invest in the right golf ball.

Moreover, golf balls should fit your skills to elevate your gameplay and performance.

This article will discuss what golf balls are made of and what you should consider in buying a golf ball.

The golf balls have evolved to address concerns of the player through technology, such as distance and straight shots.

As of today, finding the right fit for a golf ball for you is as relevant as selecting the appropriate clubs. To fully understand what golf balls are made of, let us look first at their construction.

The golf ball’s construction and design are significant; the materials will greatly affect your game. Manufacturers persistently improve the construction of their golf balls.

Listed here are the different construction of a golf ball.

One-Piece Golf Balls

The most basic golf ball is called one-piece; it is rarely used as a playing ball—one of the cheapest types of a golf balls to produce.

The golf ball’s design is recommended to use for beginners; you can practice it in the field and training grounds.

The one-piece golf balls are typically designed so that the golf ball is made of concrete material of Surlyn, the dimples on the golf ball are already molded in it.

It has a price advantage, durable, smooth, and soft compared to other golf balls. Plus lower compression. Hence, this is not suitable for players that are looking for higher and longer distance.

Two-Piece Golf Balls

The two-piece ball gives more distance compared to the other ball; the secret lies to its core.

The golf balls’ core is made of resin or high-energy acrylate; the cover forms a strong cut-resistant blended surface.

The ‘hard’ ball of the golf balls are made of Surlyn, an especial kind of plastic or any materials similar to it.

For your everyday play, you might want to choose a two-piece ball. Same with the one-piece golf ball, it is also durable. The difference between the two is the core.

The golf ball is made of hard plastic that gives a solid core. The more firm the ball is made of, the more distance it can travel.

Besides, the softer the golf ball is made of, the easier it for the player to control it.

This two-piece golf ball is one of the best choices and is known among any other golf ball as it gives you a longer distance for your game.

Three-Piece Golf Balls

The core, an extra layer, and lastly the cover formed the three-piece ball. The golf’s core is made of either liquid or solid.

Surlyn, Urethane, or balata-like materials are used to manufacture the cover, and it is usually what golf balls made of.

In between the core and cover, they added an extra layer, this layer of the golf balls are made of rubber or liquid.

The edge of this three-piece ball gives a softer feel, which means the golfer or player can easily control the ball’s direction when they hit it using their club.

The layers between the core and cover help to create a spin separation. Players can certainly manage the match and flip the game to win.

The three-piece golf ball is the initially produced ball that can offer the spin separation feature.

Four-Piece Golf Balls

Every layer is a four-piece golf ball has its own specific purpose. When combined, these layers prove to have extensive hitting and have the softest feeling among others.

The first surface or inner core is made from firm and rigid rubber, and it is designed to provide explosive distance. The second layer is called an inner cover.

The energy you put on hitting the ball will be transferred to the core. The third cover is the extra surface added from this golf ball.

It helps the golfer to increase the distance of the ball while also providing mid trajectory results. It also added more feel around the field.

The last part of the four-piece layered golf ball is the outer coating. It is crucial because it gives the golfer the feel.

The outer cover typically contains around 300 to 400 dimples, and it is also the tiniest layer. The Urethane provides durability and a soft feeling around the ball.

Five-Piece Golf Balls

The newest manufactured golf ball design is called a five-piece golf ball. It was produced by TaylorMade way back in 2009 when they revealed this Penta ball.

Other manufacturers followed TaylorMade and also made the five-piece ball. From then on, a five-piece golf ball is normally included in the list of the product manufacturer.

The five-piece golf ball can offer much better performance than the three-piece and four-piece ball as it has more layers and higher spin-separation.

Because it provides high-level performance, its price is higher. The three-layer of the golf ball is made of the mantle.

Each mantle layer helps the player to achieve optimized performance.

Golf Balls History

What did golf balls used to be made of? A long time ago, manufacturers used different materials to produce a golf ball.

They have used wood, latex, and even chicken feathers. To know what did golf balls used to made of, you can track that in 1996 the wooden golf balls are slowly fading.

Do you want to know what did golf balls used to be made of during 1848? They actually created a ball out of Gutta Percha, which is also known as gutty.

These balls have a rubber-feel and were formed from the Sapodilla tree. Gutty golf balls lasted for about 50 years because of their durability and affordability.

One day, modern golf balls began to bloom, which features a solid rubber core. These balls are covered with a firmer rubber.

Science and Technology Behind Golf Balls

Aerodynamics of Golf Balls

The path of flight is explained in aerodynamics. It discussed four different factors, the lift, the weight, the thrust, and the drag.

Let us tackle first the lift. The lift pertains to the motion of the ball through the air, usually upward direction.

Weight affects the ball’s lift, as weight is the force that pulls the ball down into the center of the earth, or what we call gravity.

In comparison, drag affects thrust in the sense that thrust opposes drag. Thrust means the force that propels the ball to fly in a forward direction while drag is the backward force or resistance.

Thrust is the power of your swing while the flight angle depends on the angle of your club when you address the ball.

If you want your ball to have a steeper flight, have a wider angle when hitting it. While the ball is in the air, drag will interfere, thus giving you a shorter distance.

Understanding these four aspects will help you achieve a better estimation when playing golf, be it with your friends or in a tournament.

Ballistics of Golf Balls

What golf balls are made of? The technology’s evolution impacted the science of ballistics, which is also known as the trajectory. Several factors affect the flight path of a golf ball.

One of the contributors to the ball’s trajectory is the dimples and the core. The nucleus of the golf ball influences its compression, spin rate, and distance.

There are two classes under the golf ball’s core; solid and liquid core. With a solid core design, it can amplify power.

In contrast, a liquid core can absorb the shock that helps the player for better control.

What to Consider in Buying a Golf Ball

Now that you have already learned the in-depth layout of golf balls and what golf balls are made of, you can select the right golf ball for your capabilities.

But still, there are other factors before buying a golf ball.

Golf Ball Types

Typically, golf balls fall under three primary categories: spin control, velocity, and Tour performance. If you opt to hit the ball as far as they want, they can choose a golf ball that focuses on this matter.

Here are the characteristics of the primary golf ball types.

Spin Control Golf Balls

Support the player to drive or chip the ball straighter. These golf balls’ objective is to lessen the excessive side spin, leading to slices and hooks.

If you want to scale your game and hit the ball straighter, you might want to search for what golf balls are made of that can control the sidespin.

Velocity Golf Balls

Generally have a huge core and thin cover to help in the ball’s acceleration. For better understanding, you can think of the ball’s nucleus as the golf ball engine.

Through the combination of the thin casing, it can launch the ball with optimal speed.

Tour Performance Golf Balls

Are commonly used by pro players. These golf balls usually feature multiple layers to obtain maximum spin, velocity, and feel.

Each layer is integrated with technology to help you control the balls.

Golf Ball Cover Materials

There are two kinds of cover used for golf balls, which are surlyn and urethane. In this part, we will discuss their differences and know what golf balls are made of outside.

Surlyn

What did golf balls used to be made of? Golf ball manufacturers have used this material for their cover since the 1960s. Surlyn is an ionomer resin constructed by DuPont.

Moreover, this is also commonly used by non-Tour level golf balls because of its efficiency in shifting the energy, maximizing the distance of the ball.

Plus, it is undeniably durable and scratch-resistant. Learn what golf balls are made of so you can choose a long-lasting ball.

Urethane

In contrast, this cover has a soft feel. However, it is not as durable as the Surlyn cover. This material is used for multi-layer balls to develop more spin and control.

If you are one of the skilled golfers, you might opt to know what golf balls are made of so you can choose which gives you the premium feel.