A ball is usually a flat, oblong-shaped object with many different purposes. It’s most commonly used in ball sports, in which the action of the game normally follows the trajectory of the ball when it’s thrown, kicked or hit. Balls can also be utilized for simpler recreational activities, like juggling or catching.
Early balls were made from metal alloys that were extremely hard but not durable enough to stand up to the impact of a direct hit. This led to the development of ball bearings, which are an important element of many modern day sports balls, including soccer balls. Ball bearings add torque and spin to a ball, helping to increase its ability to travel long distances and to make it more challenging to throw. In ball sports, this is particularly important because the ball has to travel over long, narrow areas like the floor of a soccer field or the green of a golf course.
Over the years, ball bearings have developed into much stiffer materials. New ball types include plastics that have high tensile strengths and are often reinforced with Kevlar. These new plastic balls are typically covered with an inner sphere made of steel or aluminum to help prevent scratches. They may also feature a core made of nickel-plated steel that helps make the ball wear longer, resisting the effects of constant handling and constant re-entry into the pocket.
One type of ball bearing is called an inner ring. Inside an inner ring, a layer of hard material – usually steel – forms a sheath over the ball. This provides the ball bearings with an additional level of hardness so that they will not bend or break under the pressure of continuous swinging. A ring shape also helps keep the balls upright and inside the pockets of golf clubs. Ring shaped balls are used in many professional and popular styles of golf.
Inner ring balls can be further reinforced with Kevlar for added strength. A Kevlar outer ring surrounds the ball bearings. To improve flight, the inner ring is laminated with PVC. The combination of a PVC outer ring and a strong inner ring provides even more structure to ball bearings. In addition, they are highly durable and very low maintenance.
Another type of ball play is called middle high. These balls are used primarily to help develop power, distance and consistency in a player’s game. Middle high balls offer more control than other kinds of balls, including lobs, because they are more of a performance ball. With this in mind, the weight of a middle high ball is typically between three and five pounds. Middle high balls are more difficult to swing, but they can produce a higher degree of effectiveness when used in practice or in tournaments.