Do Golf Balls Float? We Now Might Have An Answer!!

Do golf balls float? This question may have popped in our minds time and again while watching the professional golfers make that perfect “tee off.” But unfortunately, we might have wondered about this in our minds but haven’t found a satisfactory answer to the question. so here we bring to you the most detailed explanation of the frequently asked question in the sport, ” Do golf balls float?”

Going by common sense, we are already aware that heavy objects in nature tend to sink, and light things float in water. Although the golf balls “look” like small spherical objects made of plastic, you might be surprised to learn that golf balls do not float in water. So if you are still searching for a one-liner to answer the question “do golf balls float,” the answer is simple, No! They don’t.

Do Golf Balls Float? A detailed analysis

After a brief answer and introduction to the topic, let’s give you a detailed response to the most frequently asked question, “do golf balls float?”

All of us might have played with those plastic balls in our childhood, which, if by chance fell in a nearby pool of water, would always float. The small size of the golf balls creates this impression of “weightlessness” sometimes in our minds.

Although the first look at a golf ball makes us feel that it is like those table tennis balls that are light in weight and made entirely of plastic, however, contrary to the first impression, the golf balls are made using high-end technology that ensures the perfect weight is present in them.

The volume

Let us break it down for you. The first thing you would notice if you make a cross-section of a golf ball is the number of layers that make just the “outer shell.” Depending on the type of ball one uses, like the type of company, the number of layers on the outer shell keeps changing. But of course, a company cannot manufacture a ball with the weight according to their wish. The weight of a golf ball has to be in accordance with R&A and USGA rules which is 45.93 grams.

There is a specific reason why golf balls tend to be heavier and the answer to the question “do golf balls float?” is negative. According to the rules, the diameter of the ball cannot be less than 42.67 mm. So to contain the given weight (that is 45.93 grams) in such a small volume makes the ball quite heavy, and since it increases the density of the ball, it tends to sink.

But if you think the reason behind the heaviness of the golf balls is due to the proposed dimension, you might need to think twice. There is a specific reason why those dimensions for the golf balls have been formulated. Although the answer to the question “do golf balls float?” is No, there is a strong reason behind it.

Better Control

A heavy ball provides better control in the game and can travel optimal distances. Let us take an example from our childhood days. Almost every one of us has made paper planes in our school days and has attempted to make them flow in a particular direction. But if you remember carefully, no matter how much force you apply to make it fly in a specific direction, it would always drift differently after traveling a small distance.

On the contrary, when we played with duce or tennis balls and threw them at a particular target, those balls were often used to hit the targets without getting drifted by air. So we hope now it is becoming clear why the golf balls are heavy and the response to the question, “do golf balls float?” is pessimistic.

A golf ball needs to cut through the air and travel a considerable distance by not affecting wind movements. This can only be achieved when the object has a volume and sufficient weight to resist the air friction.

What happens when the golf balls fall in the water?

Okay, after understanding the answer to the query, “do golf balls float in water?” you might want to know what happens after the balls are taken out of the water!! Water is kind of an enemy for golf balls. Why? It is because when these golf balls fall in the water, the material that the outer layer is made up of (often Surlyn or urethane) tends to be a sound absorber. This often results in the core absorbing water, which causes the golf balls to expand and separate from the cover or mantle layers.

How the gold balls perform also depends on how long it has been submerged. When the golf balls fall in the water, it often makes them hard, and even the perfect spherical shape changes to the extent that it starts impacting the flight. An experiment was conducted on a two-piece ball that was submerged for eight days. After it was taken out, it resulted in a change of the yards it previously covered. It was now traveling 5.8 yards short compared to the un-submerged state of the ball.

Another experiment was conducted on multi-layer balls in the same way. The difference in this experiment is that it was conducted for six months. After the stipulated period, when the ball was taken out, and the flight distance was calculated, it was found that there was a loss of 12 yards.

So, from these experiments, it is pretty evident that although the answer to the question “Do golf balls float in water?” is negative, water does have adverse effects on these golf balls.

The Bottom Line

After reading through our article, we hope you are satisfied with the explanation we provided for the long-standing question “Do golf balls float in water?”

Although golf balls do not float in water, they have a strong reason behind it. The technology that has been used for perfecting the design of these golf balls has evolved over the years and is still evolving. All these layers, dimples, etc. that are added or removed have just one sole purpose: to provide better control over them.

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