Though golfers mostly succeed by having exceptional mental toughness mixed with physical ability, it may surprise some to learn a tiny detail on a golf ball can make a significant difference.

Not only do ball markings help differentiate one ball from another during a tournament, it can help golfers concentrate and make more accurate shots than they would without them.

Iowa junior Vince India started marking his ball with a cross this summer. The cross, which resembles cross hairs of a rifle scope, helps the Deerfield, Ill., native line up his putts and drives.

Because a player is allowed to pick up his ball when it is on the putting green, India can use the lines to point a direct path to the hole. He matches the lines with a thick line in the middle of his putter for more accurate putts.

“I didn’t really do a good job of lining up my club correctly on putts and drives before,” India said. “The first time I tried it this summer, I shot amazingly, and I have been doing it ever since.”

Sophomore Chris Brant uses a similar tactic, but only marks one singular line down the side of his ball.

“I saw a lot of the pros like Tiger [Woods] doing it when I was younger, so it kind of made sense for me to try it,” he said.

Sophomore Barrett Kelpin uses three large dots in the form of a triangle around the ball number.

Kelpin had an incident in seventh grade when he mistook another competitor’s ball for his own and ended up hitting it. The mistake was costly — he was taken out of contention for the tournament win.

“It made a big impression on me,” he said. “Once that happens to you, you never let it happen again.”

Sophomore Brad George marks his ball with five tiny dots. The design resembles the No. 5 side of a die.

He knew he needed a marking, and he decided to sketch his favorite number.

“To be perfectly honest, I don’t really remember how I came up with it, but I knew I wanted to get a five on there somehow,” he said. “I guess what I came up with was the best way possible at the time.”

But not all golfers on the Iowa squad care about what is written on their ball.

Junior Brad Hopfinger said he doesn’t use any specific designs on his ball, though he does make sure to mark something so his ball will be unique during tournament play.

“I just kind of go with whatever is working, but I always do dots,” he said. “Some people are really superstitious about it, but I don’t think it makes any difference.”