Golf ball with very low compression and high COR

• US 7,918,748 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2009
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Ogg, Steven S., Bartels, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): GORDEN, RAEANN
• Application Number:
  US12/469,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20100087277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 473/373, 473/374, 473/367, 473/358, 473/371
• US Class Current: 473/371
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/005 Cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0065 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0067 Weight; Mass
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0078 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0083 Weight; Mass
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0087 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/098 Metal salts of carboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/375 containing six-membered aromatic rings C08K5/3725 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 9/00 Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of conjugated diene hydrocarbons

Abstract

A golf ball having a very low compression and a high COR is disclosed herein. The core preferably comprises a single neodymium-catalyzed polybutadiene, and has a diameter ranging from 1.575 inch to 1.62 inch with a PGA compression ranging from 20 to 45. The cover preferably has a thickness ranging from 0.038 inch to 0.045 inch, and a Shore D hardness ranging from 50 to 58. The golf ball preferably has a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.780, and a PGA compression ranging from 35 to 50.

Claims

1. A two-piece golf ball comprising:

a core comprising a single neodymium-catalyzed polybutadiene, zinc diacrylate ranging from 10 to 20 weight percent of the core, zinc oxide ranging from 10 to 17 weight percent of the core, zinc stearate in an amount of 3 to 8 weight percent of the core and zinc pentachlorothiophenol in an amount of 0.25 to 1.0 weight percent of the core, wherein the core has a mass ranging from 38 grams to 42 grams, a diameter ranging from 1.575 inch to 1.62 inch, and a PGA compression ranging from 20 to 30;

a cover disposed on the core, the cover composed of a material comprising a very-low modulus ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymer with partial neutralization of the acid groups with sodium ions in an amount of 5 to 20 weight percent of the cover material, a high acid ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymer with partial neutralization of the acid groups with sodium ions in an amount of 20 to 30 weight percent of the cover, a high acid ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymer with partial neutralization of the acid groups with zinc ions in an amount of 30 to 50 weight percent of the cover, an ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymer with partial neutralization of the acid groups with sodium ions in an amount of 5 to 15 weight percent of the cover, the cover having a thickness ranging from 0.038 inch to 0.045 inch, the cover material having a Shore D hardness ranging from 50 to 58;

wherein the golf ball has a diameter of at least 1.68 inches, a mass of at least 45 grams, a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.780, and a PGA compression ranging from 35 to 50.

2. The two-piece golf ball according to claim 1 wherein the core has a diameter of 1.59 inches.

3. The two piece golf ball according to claim 1 wherein the cover material has a Shore D hardness of 56.

4. A two-piece golf ball comprising:

a solid core comprising a single neodymium-catalyzed polybutadiene, zinc diacrylate ranging from 10 to 20 weight percent of the core, zinc oxide ranging from 10 to 17 weight percent of the core, zinc stearate in an amount of 3 to 8 weight percent of the core and zinc pentachlorothiophenol in an amount of 0.25 to 1.0 weight percent of the core, wherein the core has a mass ranging from 38 grams to 42 grams, a diameter ranging from 1.575 inch to 1.62 inch, and a PGA compression ranging from 20 to 30;

a cover disposed on the core, the cover composed of a material comprising a very-low modulus ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymer with partial neutralization of the acid groups with sodium ions in an amount of 5 to 20 weight percent of the cover material, a high acid ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymer with partial neutralization of the acid groups with sodium ions in an amount of 20 to 30 weight percent of the cover, a high acid ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymer with partial neutralization of the acid groups with zinc ions in an amount of 30 to 50 weight percent of the cover, an ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymer with partial neutralization of the acid groups with sodium ions in an amount of 5 to 15 weight percent of the cover , the cover having a thickness ranging from 0.038 inch to 0.045 inch, the cover material having a Shore D hardness ranging from 50 to 58;

wherein the golf ball has a diameter of at least 1.68 inches, a mass of at least 45 grams, a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.780, and a PGA compression ranging from 35 to 50.

5. A two-piece golf ball comprising:

a solid core having a mass ranging from 38 grams to 42 grams, a diameter ranging from 1.575 inch to 1.62 inch, and a PGA compression ranging from 20 to 30, the solid core comprising a single neodymium-catalyzed polybutadiene, zinc diacrylate ranging from 10 to 20 weight percent of the core, zinc oxide ranging from 10 to 17 weight percent of the core, zinc stearate in an amount of 3 to 8 weight percent of the core and zinc pentachlorothiophenol in an amount of 0.25 to 1.0 weight percent of the core;

a cover disposed on the core, the cover composed of a material comprising a very-low modulus ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymer with partial neutralization of the acid groups with sodium ions in an amount of 5 to 20 weight percent of the cover material, a high acid ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymer with partial neutralization of the acid groups with sodium ions in an amount of 20 to 30 weight percent of the cover, a high acid ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymer with partial neutralization of the acid groups with zinc ions in an amount of 30 to 50 weight percent of the cover, an ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymer with partial neutralization of the acid groups with sodium ions in an amount of 5 to 15 weight percent of the cover the cover having a thickness ranging from 0.035 inch to 0.050 inch, the cover material having a Shore D hardness ranging from 50 to 58;

wherein the golf ball has a diameter of at least 1.68 inches, a mass of at least 45 grams, a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.780, and a PGA compression ranging from 35 to 50.

6. A two-piece golf ball comprising:

a solid core having a mass ranging from 38 grams to 42 grams and a PGA compression ranging from 20 to 30, the solid core comprising a single neodymium-catalyzed polybutadiene, zinc diacrylate ranging from 10 to 20 weight percent of the core, zinc oxide ranging from 10 to 17 weight percent of the core, zinc stearate in an amount of 3 to 8 weight percent of the core and zinc pentachlorothiophenol in an amount of 0.25 to 1.0 weight percent of the core;

a cover disposed on the core, the cover composed of a material comprising a very-low modulus ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymer with partial neutralization of the acid groups with sodium ions in an amount of 5 to 20 weight percent of the cover material, a high acid ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymer with partial neutralization of the acid groups with sodium ions in an amount of 20 to 30 weight percent of the cover, a high acid ethylene/methacrylic copolymer with partial neutralization of the acid groups with zinc ions in an amount of 30 to 50 weight percent of the cover, an ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymer with partial neutralization of the acid groups with sodium ions in an amount of 5 to 15 weight percent of the cover the cover having a thickness ranging from 0.035 inch to 0.045 inch, the cover material having a Shore D hardness ranging from 50 to 58;

wherein the golf ball has a diameter of at least 1.68 inches, a mass of at least 45 grams, a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.790, and a PGA compression ranging from 35 to 50.