What makes a golf ball buzz/zing through air?

[kennay92]

Okay so when im at the range or whatever im hitting just as far if not further than other people but when there balls come off the face you can here them buzzing through the air. What makes it do that? Initial velocity? and if so why do my shots go just as far/further yet not do that?

[tws1098]

I do not have a definite answer for you but I would be willing to bet that it has to do with the rpms. It would make sense that a ball with higher rpms would make more sound.

[golfro]

i always thought that sound was due to the ball having some kind of imperfection...for example, if theres a scratch on the ball that is causing even the most remote wind resistance...with the ball spinning as fast it does, it could cause a little fluttering noise as it takes off.

[iacas]

Just the friction of the air vs. urethane (or surlyn or whatever), enhanced by the dimples.

[motteler621]

im not sure what it is but Ive only had it happen a few times. One time when I hit a 5 wood of the deck and the ball made that noise

[Bryan SD2]

It is NOT an imperfection on the cover. I've been to more than 75 PGA/Senior events... Heard that sound all the time. Usually when you are close to impact, say, less than 50 yards. The higher the velocity, the clearer the noise. I've heard it hundreds and hundreds of times.

I'm going with rpm's, velocity, and dimples moving the air around as the ball cuts through it, as previously posted.

[kennay92]

So in other words, there balls are going faster through the air then mine? I just dont get why mine dont do that/ are very faint yet have same or more distance.

[James_Black]

I played a guy who was hitting 200m 7i's (220 yards), the ball sounded like a rocket taking off. I haven't even heard PGA pro's hit shots like that.

[Zeph]

Is it the ball speed or amount of spin that cause one shot to really buzz and another not at all?

[kurisu]

So in other words, there balls are going faster through the air then mine? I just dont get why mine dont do that/ are very faint yet have same or more distance.

You are standing behind your own ball once it leaves the face of your club. That sound will be heard best from the sides. The friction against the air happens in front of the ball, not behind it, that's why you can't hear it when it's your ball.

Ask someone if they hear the sound when you hit the ball. They will probably say the same as you, i.e. when they hit the ball they only hear it faintly but they can hear others' people's balls very clearly.

[Lefty-Golfer]

A couple weeks ago I was on the range next to a guy I had never seen before at my club. Every time he swung there was little whistle on the back swing, a clean click / thump on contact and the ball hissed coming off the club. It was amazing the way he attacked a ball. I spoke with him briefly and came to find out he was a visiting touring pro....i kept a wedge in my hands for the rest of the time i was!! It was just stupid how well he struck the ball.

I was told one the difference between a 20 HC and a 0 is less then the difference between a touring pro and a 0. after that session on the range i now believe it.

[sblack5]

The ball hisses off the club due to velocity and spin. If you compress the ball really well rather than just smack it with the club you are very likely to hear it.

[tws1098]

So in other words, there balls are going faster through the air then mine? I just dont get why mine dont do that/ are very faint yet have same or more distance.

I think you are stuck on velocity instead of rpms. As someone else stated about the touring pro, he attacks the ball more aggressively. Sure the ball may go as far as the touring pro, but not many people hit the ball with the clubhead speed necessary to spin a ball back like they can. Like I said earlier I am not positive on this but it makes sense. This is why they talk about ball rpms being important when fitting for a driver.

[Open-Faced Club Sandwedge]

Okay so when im at the range or whatever im hitting just as far if not further than other people but when there balls come off the face you can here them buzzing through the air. What makes it do that? Initial velocity? and if so why do my shots go just as far/further yet not do that?

You're standing directly behind yours!

Not kidding, the disturbance the ball makes in the air (known as sound) as it "zings" off the club, does not propagate equally in all directions. It's a fairly high-frequency sound, and definitely very directional. Picture the sound waves coming off the ball like the wake of a boat. If the boat passes pretty close to a lilypad, then shortly after the boat goes by, that lilypad experiences quite a bit of vertical displacement as the ripples pass it. But picture the boat passing directly over the lilypad instead (this is an incredibly high-floating and smooth-bottom boat, which doesn't harm the lilypad as it passes). Just after the boat passes, the lily pad is not rocking up and down, because the wake is moving away from it. The sound your own ball makes is far louder to the guy in the next stall than it is to you. -Andrew

[TourSpoon]

The sound is from the air being heated and expanded rapidly which results in sound waves. Or is that thunder?

Velocity, lift, drag, spin, etc. all aid in the disturbance of air to make that really cool sound.

[nearwater]

Interesting read.
One thing I did notice was, balls hit by better players tend to make more of those cool noises than others. Mine doesn't.

Dan

[boogielicious]

The balls are alive. You are hearing their screams of pain.

[ohiolefty]

My balls are very loud.