For the aspiring golfers of today, knowing all the details of the sport will prove useful in their path of becoming a good golfer more quickly. While there are lots of rules to know and things to get familiar with, every starting player should have the proper knowledge about the golf club and the golf club.
As a lot of players play on the same course, numbering the balls helps the players to identify their ball. But there are different numbers that you may see on golf balls which represent distinct topics ranging from personal to official stuff. We will tell you everything about the numbers of a golf ball right here in this article.
Why are Golf Balls Numbered
In the early days of the game, numbers on the golf balls were put only for recognizing them by their players. Over time, manufacturers started to put numbers on balls that represent certain attributes of the balls. Apart from that, players order personalized balls that have numbers of their choice on them.
Numbers that are Allowed on Golf Balls
Theoretically, any number is allowed to put on a golf ball. But single-digit, double-digit and triple-digit numbers have special meaning. And almost every numbering on a golf ball is limited to a maximum of three digits.
Meaning of the One-Digit Numbers on Golf Balls
One-digit numbers on a golf ball can range from 0 to 9 if that wasn’t obvious. But the most common one-digit numbers that are found on golf balls are from 1 to 4. These numbers mean nothing but the identification mark of the players playing in a team.
The oldest form of numbering on golf balls, the one-digit numbering, is done so that you can differentiate your ball from your teammates’ ball. This is the most basic and simplest thing that a single-digit number mean on a golf ball. The numbers are found both to be red or black but black is the most common one.
Double-Digit Numbers on Golf Balls
Two-digit numbers on a golf ball can either mean the compression rate of the ball or the identification number of the player. The compression rate of the ball determines how hard and strong a golfer needs to swing his/her club to get the ball going at a reasonable speed.
Golf balls for men have a higher compression rate that’s normally within the range of 90 to 100. The golf balls for women require lower swing speed and therefore have the compression rating around 70 or 80.
Other than the compression rating, players use two digits number from 00 to 99 for identifying purpose. It is different from a one-digit number in the sense that it uses double digits to represent the one-digit numbers too. Some players print numbers that they consider to be special in some manner.
The abundance of the golf balls with double digits both for personal preference or compression rate is very low nowadays. Refurbished balls have these two-digit numbers for showing compression rating. Other than that, it usually a custom number for the player.
Three-Digit Numbers on Golf Balls
Numbers ranging from 300 to 500 were very common on golf balls a couple of decades earlier. Those numbers indicate the number of dimples of the ball. Although you should know that dimple count has nothing to do with how good the quality of the ball is. Modern golf balls’ 3digit numbers are mentioned inboxes.
Personalized Numbers on Golf Balls
Famous players have previously played with golf balls with a custom two-digit numbers on their balls. For example, golfer Rory Mcilroy has had the two-digit number 22 printed on his golf ball which reminded him of his wedding anniversary.
Sergio Garcia’s golf balls had 10 on them, that represented his favorite football club Real Madrid’s champions league trophies. These are nothing but personal meanings that helps to identify their ball on the course too. Some players even print a number that they consider to be lucky to them.
If you wish to have your special numbers printed on your golf balls then you try the balls from Titleist. They have a “Special Play Numbers” option that you can select while ordering their top tier balls. You can choose any number from 00 to 99 and get it from there.
Color of the Numbers on the Golf Balls
The numbers on the golf balls used to come either in red or black. Red numbers used to indicate a softer compression i.e. you need to hit the golf ball lower.
Black numbers, on the other hand, represent harder compression and require much stronger swing. But nowadays color variations don’t indicate
Conclusion
Numbers on a golf ball doesn’t mean something groundbreaking that will cause you great problem if you are not aware of. It does not also indicate how long the golf ball will last.
The use of numbers on golf balls has heavily decreased since the past couple of decades. But it’s good to know what those numbers represent both for players and fans.
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