# Crushing a golf ball with your hand - possible? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 31, 2014, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crushing-a-golf-ball-with-your-hand-possible/708589 "2014-12-31T03:13:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sciency](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Sciency](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sciency)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crushing-a-golf-ball-with-your-hand-possible/708589/1 "2014-12-31T03:13:04Z")
[http://youtu.be/65nNcNiwJHM?t=1m34s](http://youtu.be/65nNcNiwJHM?t=1m34s) ^^^This is the famous video of James Bond’s vilain crushing a golf ball with his hand. I don’t think it’s possible. But then again I’ve seen one finger push ups, 1000+ pounds deadlifts and I’ve read about string theory. So how much force do you think it would require to do this? ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crushing-a-golf-ball-with-your-hand-possible/708589/3 "2014-12-31T03:33:39Z")
30-40 years ago, pro Golfer [Andy Bean](http://www.pressdemocrat.com/csp/mediapool/sites/PressDemocrat/News/story.csp?cid=2182949&sid=555&fid=181) was known to BITE through a golf ball. That was when the good golf balls were a soft cover balata ball that had a outer core of tightly wound rubber band and soft smaller ball inner core. I don’t think a high quality golf ball from the 1960’s could be crushed by a man’s fist. No matter how strong he is. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crushing-a-golf-ball-with-your-hand-possible/708589/4 "2014-12-31T04:24:11Z")
Yes, for large values of hand or low values of golf ball. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crushing-a-golf-ball-with-your-hand-possible/708589/5 "2014-12-31T05:00:29Z")
Considering the force of regular golf hits on the ball, I’m doubting it. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crushing-a-golf-ball-with-your-hand-possible/708589/6 "2014-12-31T14:39:24Z")
Try crushing a tightly-wound ball of rubber bands and get back to us. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crushing-a-golf-ball-with-your-hand-possible/708589/7 "2014-12-31T14:57:23Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > 30-40 years ago, pro Golfer [Andy Bean](http://www.pressdemocrat.com/csp/mediapool/sites/PressDemocrat/News/story.csp?cid=2182949&sid=555&fid=181) was known to BITE through a golf ball. I am trying to imagine the circumstances under which it would occur to me to try to take a bite out of a golf ball. As to the OP, I doubt it is possible. [Charles Vansart](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDQQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oldtimestrongman.com%2Fblogs%2Fnew-blog%2F2014-01%2F02-786-charles-vansittart-man-iron-grip&ei=Pw2kVM-xA4HOgwS1lYTACQ&usg=AFQjCNHerhdL4LFQsEIDuH0VJs8eNEArxg&sig2=OxYhdwJEnjEcf-g28zFRCg), an old vaudeville performer, is said to have been able to squeeze a new tennis ball until it burst (as well as bend railroad spikes), and to [bend an English penny](http://www.bobwhelan.com/history/gripstrength.html)in his fingers, but a golf ball is another matter altogether. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crushing-a-golf-ball-with-your-hand-possible/708589/8 "2014-12-31T15:06:24Z")
Perhaps one of those prank exploding golf balls? ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crushing-a-golf-ball-with-your-hand-possible/708589/9 "2014-12-31T15:10:03Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I am trying to imagine the circumstances under which it would occur to me to try to take a bite out of a golf ball. To win a bar bet would be my first guess. > [@Shodan](#): > > but a golf ball is another matter altogether. \ But a golf ball is another matter \ ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crushing-a-golf-ball-with-your-hand-possible/708589/10 "2014-12-31T15:12:50Z")
Surely you can’t be serious. Regards, Shodan