Golf balls have dimples. What is the reason behind that?

Dando

Originally, golf balls were smooth, but golfers noticed that older balls with nicks, bumps and slices in the cover seemed to fly farther. These nicks and cuts were acting as "turbulators" asnd were inducing turbulence in the layer of air next to the ball (the "boundary layer"). In some situations, a turbulent boundary layer reduces drag. Golf balls therefore began to be made with dimples, whcih also turbulate the boundary layer. Dimples are simply a formal, symmetrical way of creating the same turbulence in the boundary layer that accidental nicks and cuts do. http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/sports/golf/basics/question37.htm Jul 22 10, 4:01 PM