from Useless Knowledge

Dimpled golf balls travel up to four times farther than smooth-surfaced golf balls. In the early days, smooth-surfaced balls were used until golfers discovered that old, bumpy balls traveled longer distances. The science of aerodynamics explains the phenomenon. The dimples reduce the drag on a golf ball by redirecting air pressure behind the golf ball rather than in front of it, changing the levels of pressure by bringing the main airstream very close to the surface of the golf ball. This high-speed airstream near the ball increases the amount of pressure behind the ball—thereby forcing the ball to travel farther. But don’t worry: we don’t get it, either!

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