All golf balls have dimples and they will affect the length of time a golfer can keep the ball in the air. Some balls give the golfer added distance more than others. So each golf ball manufacturer is trying to design a product that can lay claim to being the longest ball as a major competitive advantage. But that added distance comes with a lessening of accuracy. Proven false is the theory that how dimples are arrayed on a ball will affect the amount of backspin the golfer can impart on the ball.

In the past, the type of golf ball available was limited. There was the wooden ball that soon gave way to the “feathery,” a ball made of feathers encased in leather. In the 19th century, the game was revolutionized by the Gutta Percha ball, whose only drawback was that it tended to explode in flight. Now there are three types of balls. There are those that are made with only two elements, a center and a cover, and are appropriate if a golfer is looking to add distance to his shots. There are balls that have a center core that is wound with something like a tight rubber band, then are covered. Those balls allow the golfer to give it additional backspin and generally lets him feel the shot more. And there are balls that are made in a number of layers that will allow the golfer to hit it a bit farther, and allow him to feel the shot more and increase slightly the spin rate.

A lot was said in the past about how a ball’s compression affects its distance. It was felt a ball rated 100 compression would travel farther in the air than a ball rated 80 compression. But through sophisticated scientific analysis, that theory was proven false. You can hit the ball just as far regardless of its compression. But compression will affect how the ball feels is it comes off the club head, particularly if you are playing in cooler weather or you have a lower-than-average swing speed.