What makes a golf ball buzz/zing through air?

[paininthenuts]

On 10/5/2010 at 11:19 PM, kennay92 said:

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?

Perhaps they had bees on them ?

[jkelley9]

When I'm at the range, using the crappy range balls, I can hear when I hit the ball this way on clean shots. And I don't hit the ball particularly fast (~102 mph SS). I usually only hear it when I've compressed the ball well, making a "loose" swing (not tensed up), and taken a light (target size) divot. Even if the ball is worn to death.

[natureboy]

On 10/6/2010 at 5:00 AM, kurisu said:

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.

This is my experience as well, though sometimes I can hear my own if it's a shorter iron (more spin) and flighted a bit lower or the wind is right or the range quieter than normal.

Balls with intact covers tend to produce a FFSSHHH sound while rips or dings in the cover more likely to produce a BZZZ.

[Piz]

The dimples lower the velocity at which turbulent air flow is induced. So maybe that ripping noise is nothing but a drag crisis - like when you are having trouble deciding which spikes go with what golf bag.

[Buckeyebowman]

On 10/5/2010 at 7:02 PM, iacas said:

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

What he said!

On 10/6/2010 at 0:23 AM, kennay92 said:

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.

It's not just faster ball speed, it's more backspin! The dimples of the golf ball "chopping" into the air to help keep the ball aloft. See kurisu's post for additional info.

Most people have no idea how the aerodynamics of ball flight works. But this was figured out long ago with the "feathery" ball! This was the most responsive, roundest, smoothest ball that had yet been developed. It was revolutionary! Yet, over time, golfers discovered that the more scuffed the leather cover became, the better it would fly!

Caddies figured this out as well, and began to sharpen one edge of their belt buckles so they could cut grooves into the surface of their client's golf balls to, hopefully, give their man a better game and maybe make more money.

And I once read an article where a leading manufacturer made some state of the art golf balls with no dimples! Golf Digest asked Nicklaus to come out and hit a few of these. He'd smash a Driver, and the ball would fall out of the sky like a dead duck about 180-190 out!

Dimples are our friends!

[iacas]

12 hours ago, Buckeyebowman said:

And I once read an article where a leading manufacturer made some state of the art golf balls with no dimples! Golf Digest asked Nicklaus to come out and hit a few of these. He'd smash a Driver, and the ball would fall out of the sky like a dead duck about 180-190 out!

I'd be incredibly impressed if he could fly them 150. Assuming they were similar to these… https://thesandtrap.com/b/balls/caesar_featherie_dimpleless_golf_ball_review

[Strandly]

Ball probably has a huge crack in it if you're hearing a buzzing sound.  Whenever I've hit a cracked ball it sounded like a helicopter.

[freshmanUTA]

On October 5, 2010 at 11:23 PM, kennay92 said:

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.

odds are yours do but I guess maybe you hear the impact/feel sounds before you hear the buzzing and by the time you would be able to hear the buzzing the balls too far away?

[Rainmaker]

The only time I've ever heard this sound is when my current instructor hits off the mat. It sounds like "Whomp! Fizzzzzzzz".  I've stood next to lots of people hitting at the range and on the course and that's the only time I've heard it. Could be that most people make this sound and I just haven't heard it - but I've always considered it the by product of high swing speed and excellent contact. 

[Piz]

Forgot to mention...for a explanation check out The Physics of Baseball by Robert K. Adair.  He begins his chapter on the flight of the baseball with a more general description of the forces acting upon a sphere moving thru a fluid medium: size, weight, spin rate, spin direction, initial velocity, wind direction, surface texture, air density, etc...

[WUTiger]

Years ago when I was a caddie, I got so I could hear an inbound ball humming on the wind. I ducked and avoided getting hit a couple of time.

[bones75]

On 3/9/2014 at 1:56 PM, Dirtyzecret said:

Sometimes when im in hot shape with my wedges I get buzzing from the 60 degree and the ball have insane backspin, so it has to do with the spin I think.

Same for me.  If i'm hitting well and getting lots of backspin on the greens, those are the days I can hear the buzzing from my own hits.  All the way up to mid irons it makes a pronounced sound.  I also think it has more do w/ spin than velocity.

[Double_AA]

Wow I’ve done it a few times and I thought it was how you knew you hit a compressed shot 🤦‍♂️ 

[AlDena]

I've only heard this once. I was standing 10 yards in front of my partner, to the side, and he drills a 3W, and this thing just sizzles past me. I said "Wow, did you hear that!"  He said, "Hear what?"

Now, if I could only figure out why my TM R540 driver sparks sometimes when I tee off.

[Mr Puddle]

On 10/6/2010 at 12:02 AM, iacas said:

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

No, I have a few friends who always make the ball buzz regardless of the ball they his. None of the players in question are low handicappers, and don't have the ability to make the ball spin at will. There is one answer, and one answer only, SPEED

[iacas]

3 hours ago, Mr Puddle said:

No, I have a few friends who always make the ball buzz regardless of the ball they his.

I don't understand why you said "no" and then made the post that you made.

The sound is simply a matter of the ball moving through the air. Even a golfer who isn't capable of "spinning the ball at will" generates spin on a golf ball, which increases the friction of the air against the bottom of the ball.

Friction makes the ball have speed. Fire a ball with all the "SPEED" you want in a vacuum and you're not getting the sound.

[Double_AA]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

I don't understand why you said "no" and then made the post that you made.

The sound is simply a matter of the ball moving through the air. Even a golfer who isn't capable of "spinning the ball at will" generates spin on a golf ball, which increases the friction of the air against the bottom of the ball.

Friction makes the ball have speed. Fire a ball with all the "SPEED" you want in a vacuum and you're not getting the sound.

+1  The majority of the sound you hear would have to be from the ball having high rpm which sends vibrations through the air (Definition of sound).  This sound is easier to hear from the side and in front of the ball because the ball itself would actually block most of the sound behind it. If you hit the ball with no spin you would not hear anything unless you manage to break the sound barrier (good luck). Also yes it would be impossible to hear a golf ball in a vacuum because there is no air in a vacuum, and thus no vibration. The golf ball would turn the energy from the spin into heat instead.  - Engineer 🤓

[downbylaw11]

have definitely heard the old 'compression' theory being the reason for the hiss.  Never actually hear any science behind it, but it would make sense that trapping the ball would cause that sound, as it's simply something that happens with good ball strikers who are hitting the ball with a lot of spin, and with likely more speed than the average player.  This being said, when I play early morning rounds and it's very quiet outside, I can definitely hear this noise quite a bit from most of my balls, especially the lower lofted ones