Golf Ball Dent on 2020 Mercedes in Pittsburgh, PA

One of the most common causes of car dents we see this time of year is golf ball damage. Whether you’re parked near a golf course or driving on a road that runs alongside a golf course, it’s not uncommon for golf balls to strike your car and leave behind really gnarly damage. It’s that time of year when the temperature is warming up, buds are starting to show on the trees, and you know what that means! Golfers are flocking to golf courses all over!

That means we get more calls about golf ball dents, and clients who are just sick about the damage to their cars, trucks, and SUVs.  We had one such client, his name was Kurt, from the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area.  He wasn’t golfing at the time, but his 2020 Mercedes was parked near a golf course.  He came back to his car to see a perfect round dent the size of a golf ball on the hood.  He was just sick about it and being a previous customer, he called us right away.  He brought his car to our shop and had our technicians assess the damage.  It was a long shot because the ball hit hard enough to stretch the metal, but because there was access to get a tool on it from behind, and the paint was still intact, they decided to give it all they had.  Kurt scheduled his repair and dropped off his car.  We were able to completely remove the dent from his hood, and he was incredibly happy!

Car dents can happen to any vehicle, and they can be caused by a variety of factors. But every spring and throughout the summer months, we receive so many inquiries about dents from golf balls. 

Can this be repaired using paintless dent repair?  How much will the repair cost?  It’s actually one of the most common causes of car dents. Fortunately, the majority of the time there it is possible to fix these dents without having to undergo a full body repair. This method is known as paintless dent repair.

Paintless dent repair, also known as PDR, is a technique used by trained professionals to remove dents from a car without damaging the paint or the original finish of the vehicle. Paintless dent repair is a great option for damage caused by golf balls.  To understand how PDR works, it’s essential to know how car body panels are constructed. Most car panels are made from a thin sheet of metal that is then coated with a layer of paint. When a dent occurs, the metal panel is pushed inward, creating a small crease or indentation. In traditional body shop dent repair methods, the panel is sanded down, and the affected area is filled with body filler before being repainted. This process can be time-consuming, expensive, and definitely will compromise the integrity of the car’s original paint job.

In contrast, paintless dent repair uses a combination of specialized tools and techniques to gently massage the metal back into its original position. The technician will access the dent from the backside of the panel and use a variety of metal rods and picks to push and pull the dent out from the inside. The process is done by a skilled technician with precision and control, so as not to damage the surrounding metal or paint.

One of the most significant advantages of PDR is that it is much quicker than traditional dent repair methods. Depending on the size of the dent, the repair can be completed in as little as a few hours. Additionally, because there is no need for sanding, filling, or repainting, the cost of PDR is typically much lower than traditional dent repair methods. You can learn about the difference in the repair process by watching this video!

If your car has been struck by a golf ball, it’s essential to have it inspected by a trained professional. They will assess the damage and determine if PDR is an appropriate method for repairing the dent.

When it comes to repairing dents, and dents caused by golf balls in particular, there are some key things we look for in determining if paintless dent repair is the right option.  Obviously, how hard or fast the ball is moving when it comes into contact with your vehicle is a key component in the severity of the damage.

1. Is The Paint Intact?  If the paint is cracked or “spiderwebbed” chances are good that if we push on the metal, it will cause more damage to your paint.  This is not a reason to not let us look at it to be sure, but that will need to be addressed.

2. Is The Metal Stretched? 

You may be asking yourself, “Can metal stretch?” The answer is yes, it absolutely can.  Think of a sweater on a hanger, I’m sure you’ve seen the little stretchy bumps on the shoulders left by the hanger.  Same concept, as you can’t “unstretch” metal.  We do have an option called a heat induction, where we use a heat tool to shrink the metal although it is just a small amount, most times that can be enough.  We can measure the depth of your dent with a dent depth gauge so we can inform you of the likelihood of a good repair.

3. Did The Golf Ball Divots Imprint on Your Paint?  Say WHAT?!?  Yes, we have had a few cases where the golf ball hit the car so hard that the divots in the ball actually imprinted in the paint, so while we can repair the dent, that new flaw in the paint can not be fixed without traditional body work.  Sounds crazy right?  It’s true though, and we’ve seen it more than once.