High performance golf ball having a reduced-distance

• US 7,481,723 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2005
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Morgan, William E., Sullivan, Michael J., Jordan, Michael D., Aoyama, Steven, Hebert, Edmund A., Ladd, Derek A.
• Primary Examiner(s): GORDEN, RAEANN
• Application Number:
  US11/214,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20060019772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 473/378, 473/368, 473/367
• US Class Current: 473/378
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2043/001 Short-distance or low-velocity balls for training, or for playing on a reduced area
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00065 located around the pole or the equator
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0012 Dimple profile, i.e. cross-sectional view
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0021 Occupation ratio, i.e. percentage surface occupied by dimples
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0061 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0077 Physical properties
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0078 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/008 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0083 Weight; Mass
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0089 Coefficient of drag
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/009 Coefficient of lift
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0094 Rebound resilience
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0096 Spin rate

Abstract

A high performance golf ball having a reduced overall distance while maintaining the appearance of a high performance trajectory. The golf ball includes a combination of low CoR core and cover materials coupled with a less aerodynamic dimple pattern that achieves a reduction in carry and overall distance of 15 and 25 yards versus a conventional golf ball, while still providing the look, sound, feel and apparent flight of a conventional golf ball. A high performance golf ball having a reduced distance is also achieved by controlling dimensionless coefficients of lift/weight and drag/weight at certain Reynolds numbers and spin ratios for various CoR.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

at least one piece or layer, said ball having a lift to weight ratio greater than 1.5 at a Reynolds number of about 205,000 and a spin rate of about 2900 RPM, a CoR in a range of from 0.50 to 0.78, and a weight in a range of 1.40 to 1.62 ounces, wherein dimples cover at least 55% of an outer surface of the ball.

2. The ball of claim 1, wherein the CoR is in the range of from 0.60 to 0.78, wherein said golf ball is comprised of a core and a cover and the core is comprised of polybutadiene, butyl rubber, a co-reaction agent and peroxide.

3. The ball of claim 2, wherein the CoR is in the range of from 0.64 to 0.76 and the butyl rubber is halogenated.

4. The ball of claim 1, wherein the weight is in the range of 1.45 to 1.60 ounces.

5. The ball of claim 1, wherein the weight is in the range of 1.50 to 1.59 ounces.

6. The ball of claim 1, wherein the ball has an outer diameter of between 1.675 inches to 1.695 inches.

7. The ball of claim 1, wherein the ball has a drag to weight ratio that is greater than 2.4 at a Reynolds number of 205,000 and a spin rate of 2900 RPM.

8. The ball of claim 1, wherein the ball has dimples covering at least 65% of the outer surface.

9. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the at least one piece or layer comprises an ionomer, non-ionomer, or polyurethane.

10. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the golf ball comprises a core, a casing or inner cover layer, and a cover.

11. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the inner cover or casing layer comprises an ionomer and the cover comprises a polyurethane.

12. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the at least one piece or layer comprises a core and a cover, the core comprising a polybutadiene, a co-reaction agent, a peroxide, and at least one of a butyl rubber, a halogenated butyl rubber, a butyl rubber copolymer, a sulfonated butyl rubber, a polyisobutylene, an ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber, a copolymer of isobutylene and methylstyrene, or a styrene butadiene rubber.

13. The golf ball of claim 12, further comprising an inner cover layer and a cover layer.

14. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the inner cover layer comprises an ionomer.

15. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the cover layer comprises a urethane.

16. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the cover comprises an ionomer or a non-ionomer.