How many dimples are on a golf ball?
While it varies from model to model, golf balls typically have between 300 and 500 dimples. On average, it seems that balls have around 330 dimples; 336 has been cited as typical. Dimples typically have a depth of 0.010 inches. Some models have extraordinary numbers. The Dimplet has 1070 dimples: 656 small ones, and 414 large. By contrast, the new Caesar ball has none—it’s as smooth as a billiard ball. Dimples however, are necessary for a golf ball’s flight. They have two effects. First, a bit of physics: Any moving object leaves a wake in the air behind it; wakes in turn create drag, slowing the object. Reducing drag is a key to going faster. That’s why “drafting” works in NASCAR. Having a second car immediately behind the first reduces the wake of the first car, allowing it to go faster. The second car also goes faster because it doesn’t have to push as much air out of the way. Dimples work to reduce drag by creating microscopic eddies on the surface of the ball. This has the effect
