Four Piece Golf Balls - A Look At Their Construction

Four piece golf balls are a relatively new invention that allows even greater control on the golf course. In the beginning golf balls were made of solid formable materials in one piece and often with a smooth surface. As understandings of aerodynamics grew the knowledge that dimples in the surface of the ball would allow it a greater speed to cut through the air with. That knowledge also began to transform how experts thought about the composition of a golf ball. Knowing what the differences are in golf balls will improve your game and make you an expert in the game of golf. There are many elements that make for a great game of golf but when it comes right down to it—it's all about the ball.

Layering a ball with several different materials each best suited to give optimum performance grew over the years from game improving two layer balls that far exceeded the performance of the single molded materials. Inner cores at the time were made from lighter weight materials while a second 'coat' was applied to give the ball form and solid body. As manufacturers learned that the speed was enhanced even more by a softer ball that would compress more upon impact with the club a three piece ball with a softer outer shell became the focus and the original outer hard shell became thinner as a less dense and more flexible inner 'shell' formed the ball while allowing it to 'crush' at impact.

The three layer ball was the predecessor to the four piece ball that now dominates the professional high level shots. With these marvelous balls there is no comparison to golf in the early days. Equipment manufacturers left the 1500s far behind with the super technology of the modern era of golf.

Golf balls are now designed with specific needs in mind for every type of shot. Balls for added speed, added distance, added maneuverability and spin all require specifics in the inner workings of the little round sphere so often taken for granted.

The complexity of the study of golf ball perfection goes even further than simply a number of layers and reasons for such needs. Each manufacturer makes two, three, and four layer balls with different materials for different reasons. When searching for the perfect golf ball to accomplish specific shots every element in the making of the balls you are considering needs to be taken into consideration.

Callaway makes a four layer golf ball with a dual core interior that makes for lighter, faster speed in flight while Bridgestone makes its B330 series with a double mantle to ensure a superior compression for excellent backspin.

There are four elements of a golf ball that you need to take into consideration in order to fully understand what is important to the skill shot you seek, they are the core, the cover, the layer just under the cover and the lastly the dimples.

The Cover

There are two basic types of covers the first of which are Surlyn blends. These produce a very hard shell on a ball which is not particularly maneuverable. For high handicap players these are the best types of covers however, as they are the most stable and while not allowing for much in the way of backspin, will generally go where they are hit even if your swing is not perfect.

The second type of cover is the 'Balata'. This is a soft, highly compressible covering that allows for maximum performance in difficult shots. These types of covers absolutely demand perfection and stability in swing and stance as a mishit will go everywhere but where you hope it will.

The Core

Golf balls are still largely created with rubber inner cores to keep it from imploding. Some of the higher performance golf balls are now created with a thermoplastic elastromer compound that forms a resin core that is sturdy and strong yet lighter in weight than solid plastic. Lower handicap players use the later type of ball to get extra speed and distance on all of their shots.

Sub Layers

It is right here where the four layer balls differ from any other high performance golf ball. Most balls made for maximum performance have at least the three basic layers—the cover, the core, and the dimples but the super performing four layer balls will have a sub layer just beneath the surface that is made up of a viscous material that provides extreme cushion and compression along with a lighter weight. This creates less drag both in the air and on the ground and allows greater spin, and angles to e accomplished.

The Dimples

The more the better is the general theory as a great number of dimples on the ball allow for faster speeds and greater distance. The dimples make the ball more aerodynamic but higher handicap players are better advised to stick with fewer dimples and slower balls until they learn how to control the trajectory in order to get the most out of high performance golf balls.

When choosing your golf balls select wisely and you will get the most out of every swing.