Will a scuffed golf ball fly straight?

I have often wondered what those small imperfections and blemishes will do to a golf ball and your golf game. Others do too. In fact, the original golf balls were smooth. The first golfers soon discovered that scuffing the ball would make it fly further. Baseball pitchers have known about the advantages of a scuffed ball even if they are sometimes outside the rules. Others have looked at the golf ball in more philosophical ways, relating the condition of a golf ball to the ups and downs we face in life.

For me, I am interested from a technical view. Do those scuffs change the aerodynamics of the ball? Will it still fly straight, or in the case of those of us more swing challenged, can it correct that proverbial slice by spinning less.

Most golfers prefer not to use a scuffed ball. The golf ball industry understands this and leverages the high turn to its financial advantage.

Of course most us still ask the golf gods for the answers to our golf prowess, and blame them when it goes wrong. As we move toward Spring, make sure you get your equipment tuned up along with your swing.

So, should you hit a scuffed ball, my research suggests that most of our weekend golf swings are not consistent enough to see the difference. But, if you on the 18th tee with lots of water right and left, your lowest round within your grasp, well.., it all depends on how confident you are when you make that swing.