If it weren’t for the aerodynamics, golf would hold little fascination for me.
As a golfball is struck by a driver, it compresses along the axis of impact and then elongates again as it leaves the club face.
Oscillatory motion (of a similar amplitude to the size of the surface dimples) persists for an appreciable part of anyone’s best shot.
This is a different flow regime from the textbook, steady-flow case in which a turbulent boundary layer is formed by the dimples which reduce drag.
The energy of the ball in practice is partly dissipated internally as heat and the turbulent boundary layer will repeatedly break off into extra vortices -which means that it must travel less far than a non-flexible ball.
Today’s invention is therefore a golfball with diametrically-opposed coloured dots. Between these, on the inside, is a very stiff reinforcement bar. When the ball is struck along the axis defined by the dots, it will be subject to less total frictional energy loss in flight and thus provide extra yardage.
Extra benefit would be provided by a clubhead which itself was dimpled.
