What began as a simple question about golf has turned into a state-level science achievement for two eighth graders at Unity Point School in Carbondale. Kelsey Holzmueller and Grady Mowery recently advanced to the Illinois State Science Fair after their project impressed judges at the regional competition held at Southern Illinois University.

The two students titled their project A Cure for Slices, focusing on a familiar challenge for many golfers. Ideally, a golf shot travels straight down the fairway, but many golfers struggle with slices—shots that curve away from the target. As Kelsey explains, “Our purpose was to figure out if the dimple pattern on a golf ball could change its flight path, and correct slices.”

Their project compared two different types of golf balls: a standard symmetrical golf ball commonly used by golfers and a specialized ball called a Polara ball, which features an asymmetrical dimple pattern designed to help correct hooks and slices.

The students designed their experiment carefully. Because winter weather made outdoor testing difficult, they used a golf simulator to collect consistent data. Grady’s father helped by performing the swings needed for the test. Using a nine iron, he hit a total of twenty shots with each type of golf ball. Some of the shots were intended to travel straight, while others were deliberately sliced.

From there, the students recorded the landing positions of each shot and analyzed the data using a statistical measure known as standard deviation. This measurement allowed them to determine how far each shot moved away from the intended center line. A smaller deviation meant the ball stayed closer to the target.

The results showed a clear pattern. Even when the golfer intentionally produced a slice, the Polara ball consistently landed closer to the center than the traditional golf ball. Kelsey notes, “We found that the asymmetrical ball stayed closer to the center even when the shot started to slice.” Grady added, “The Polara ball corrected the slice better than the regular ball.”

Interestingly, that design advantage is so effective that Polara balls are not allowed in professional tournaments. Their ability to correct a golfer’s mistakes gives players an advantage that professional competitions prohibit. For everyday golfers, however, the balls could be a helpful option for improving accuracy.

The project began early in the school year, with the students starting their planning in the fall. Like every eighth grader at Unity Point, Kelsey and Grady were required to complete a science fair project as part of their science coursework. Students could work individually or choose a partner, and the two decided to collaborate.

Although they joke that they “got stuck” with each other as partners, the teamwork clearly paid off. Their teacher, Mrs. Camasta, selected their project as one of the few from Unity Point that would move forward to the regional competition at SIU. Out of roughly sixty-five eighth graders in the class, only about thirteen projects advanced to regionals.

The regional competition included about 160 projects from middle and high school students across the area. From those entries, eight Unity Point projects earned a spot at the state competition. Kelsey and Grady’s project also received special recognition from the SIU STEM Research Center, which awarded them a certificate and a $100 prize.

Beyond the awards, both students say the project taught them valuable skills. Kelsey explains that the experience required them to collect data, organize their findings, and write a detailed report explaining their results. Grady adds that they also had to present their project and explain their conclusions clearly to judges.

The next step will come later this spring when the pair travels back to the SIU Student Center for the Illinois State Science Fair. There, they will present their project several times to different judges and evaluators.

For two students who began with a simple curiosity about golf, the experience has already shown how scientific thinking can answer real-world questions. And if their research is correct, the solution to a frustrating slice might just come down to the tiny pattern of dimples on a golf ball.