I never really thought much about golf ball design expect for the fact I knew about the different layers, coating, and of course they have dimples. And that dimples reduce drag which increases ball speed or velocity (thanks to my day at the USGA); but I assumed all golf balls had the same number of dimples and that is not true. Guess I forgot that information from the guys at the USGA test center.

So the size and shape of the dimple has a huge impact. For example, A Titleist Pro V1 golf ball has a 388 dimple design, while a Pro V1x has a 348 dimple design. From what I have learned that means the Pro V1 has a lower ball flight because it has less dimples.

And there is no limit to the number of dimples or the shape of the dimples so that is why golf ball companies can spend millions on research.

Below is a Titleist video on the subject:

If you really want to geek out, I found this video from the USGA.

Of course, I had to look up the specs for my golf ball. I play a Callaway Super Soft which has 332 dimples that are hexagonal in shape. I use to play the Wilson Duo Soft but it was really hard to find last year (I assume because it was a good ball and under $30) so I switch to back to Callaway.

I just read that Wilson introduced a redesigned Duo Soft this year and the 2025 ball has 302 dimples; could not find style but they look hexagonal. So 302 dimples seems to be one of the lower numbers I have found and from what I have read it reduces spin (to help get more distance) but Wilson also states that “With DUO Soft, we have to make up for what we lose in velocity….and we do this with getting more roll.”

After learning more about golf balls, the one thing I did not think about previously was that the firmer the golf ball, the more ball speed (velocity) you’ll get because with a low compression (softer ball) there is more “deformation” when the ball is hit with the club.

So this was a geeky blog post but I did enjoy learning (or relearning) about golf ball technology. It does make me wonder why more club fitting facilities don’t offer ball fitting at the same time? At least it’s not offered any where near me. Seems like a logical service to offer golfers. The only ball fitting I can think of is the one that Bridgestone Golf offers an online for their golf balls.