top of page

The Secret Lift Behind Every Swing

Ever wonder why golf balls are covered in dimples? It’s not just a design quirk—it’s aerodynamic genius.


A smooth ball would get dragged down by the air around it, creating a wake that slows it dramatically. But those tiny dimples? They create a thin layer of turbulence that actually reduces drag, allowing air to hug the ball more closely as it flies.


Even better, dimples help the ball generate lift. As the ball spins through the air, the dimples help it glide upward, similar to how an airplane wing works. Thanks to this clever bit of physics, a dimpled golf ball can travel twice as far as a smooth one.

ADVERTISEMENTS

facts.png
FACTS YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN
Flap Happy and Fabulous
SCIENCE & NATURE

Flap Happy and Fabulous

Tiny Dads, Big Effort:
SCIENCE & NATURE

Tiny Dads, Big Effort:

Fish That Walk
SCIENCE & NATURE

Fish That Walk

The Most Valuable Private Art Collection
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The Most Valuable Private Art Collection

The Faster You Go,
SCIENCE & NATURE

The Faster You Go,

Friedrich Wilhelm I Kidnapped Tall Soldiers
HISTORY & INNOVATIONS

Friedrich Wilhelm I Kidnapped Tall Soldiers

ADVERTISEMENT

popular.png
POPULAR NOW
A lush green tunnel of trees curving over a railway track in Klevan, Ukraine, known as the Tunnel of Love.
GEOGRAPHY

Nature's Accidental Masterpiece

CURIOUS FACTS

Naked Mail Adventures

SCIENCE & NATURE

When Stars Die

SCIENCE & NATURE

The Reflection Test

FOOD & DRINK

From Forbidden Food

HISTORY & INVENTIONS

Television Was Invented Before Sliced Bread...

ADVERTISEMENT

bottom of page