While sports balls may seem a little mundane at times, they are actually fascinating. There is a rich history to every ball in every sport in the world and we wanted to share a few of the best with you. Read on to find out three fascinating facts about …balls.
Golf balls have changed a lot
When you look at a golf ball it is clear to see it has been designed to a high level. The size, weight and pimpling are all there to make it fly far on the fairways. Golf balls were made using feathers until the 19th century. The leather pouch was stuffed with chicken or goose feathers and painted white. The ball was expensive to make and not that durable. It appears that the modern ball is a little more advanced.
Tennis balls and the color yellow
Every tennis ball I have seen has been yellow (or green if you want to call it that). However, it was only in 1986 that the first yellow tennis ball was used at Wimbledon. Before that, they used white balls.
The world cup ball
The 2014 football World Cup began to be created all the way back in 2011. It took 2 and a half years for Adidas to finalize the ball. The final decision was a colorful ribbon pattern that emulated the bracelets worn traditionally by Brazilians. The ball went through rigorous testing with Adidas aiming to create a ball that could stand up to any conditions.
If that doesn’t make you fascinated by balls then we don’t know what will. To think that tradition stops the advance of technology for so long, to think that a ball can be in design for two and a half years before its release, to think that something as iconic as the color of a tennis ball has only been around for a few decades. Balls are fascinating!