! Scigolf presents Scott Hazledine Answers Your Golfing Questions On Your Golf Game.

Question 6

Q: You explained that compression is the relative hardness of a golf ball, but that it has little significance over how far a ball travels. What has the largest influence on distance?

A: The largest influence the ball has over distance is determined by the number of dimples and the pattern of the dimples. How far a ball travels is based on its velocity when it leaves the club face. In turn the velocity of the ball depends upon the club head speed, the mass of the club, the mass of the system (you and the club), and a centered hit on the club face.
Today's golf balls have a coefficient of restitution (E) of around .8. This means, in theory, that if you dropped a ball say from shoulder height, it would rebound 80% of the distance dropped. In actuality, the golf balls of today will only bounce back 65% of the distance dropped.
Going through the momentum physics involved, where velocity is V and mass is M, gives the ball's velocity at impact as:

V ball = M system / (M system + M ball ) x (1 + E) x V club head

You'll notice that the mass of both the ball and the system are fixed, as is the coefficient of restitution (E), so the only factors you can control are the velocity of the club head, and a center hit on the ball.