Disclosed herein is a multi-layer golf ball having a soft outer cover. The golf ball has an inner cover layer with a Shore D hardness of 60 or more, and an outer cover with a Shore D hardness of 55 or less, and more preferably 50 or less. In a particularly preferred form of the invention, the outer cover comprises one or more polyurethane materials. The golf ball of the invention has exceptionally soft feel and high spin rates on short shots of 80 yards or less and, particularly, 40 yards or less, while maintaining good distance and average spin on full shots.

Multi-layer golf ball

The present invention encompasses a golf ball having a diameter and being comprised of a core and a cover, wherein the core is further comprised of a fluid mass at the center of the ball, and a first, solid, non-wound mantle layer surrounding the fluid mass, wherein the first mantle layer comprises a copolymer or terpolymer of ethylene and an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid, the acid being neutralized at least 80% by a salt of an organic acid, a cation source, or a suitable base of the organic acid, and wherein the cover comprises polyurethane, polyurea, or a polyurea/polyurethane hybrid. Preferably, the rate of spin decay is at least 10% of an initial spin rate of the golf ball over the entire ball flight.

Multilayer golf ball

This invention relates to methods of using cationic ionomers in golf ball cover compositions. Further, this invention relates to golf balls which have covers and cores and which incorporate urethane ionomers. The polyurethane golf ball cover has improved resiliency and initial velocity through the addition of an alkylating agent such as t-butyl chloride to introduce ionic interactions in the polyurethane and thereby produce cationic type ionomers.

Golf ball covers

The present invention is directed to golf ball cover compositions containing blends of high or low carboxylic acid based copolymers and ethylene copolymers such as ethylene alkyl acrylates. The carboxylic acid groups of the blends are neutralized with metal cations. Golf balls produced with the cover molded thereon exhibit desired properties of distance and high coefficient of restitution without substantially sacrificing and/or improving characteristics like playability and durability when compared to existing covers comprising ionomeric resin blends.

Golf ball cover compositions

The present invention is directed towards a multi-layer golf ball which comprises a core, a cover layer and at least one intermediate layer disposed between the core and cover, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a polyether-type polyurethane and optionally, a second thermoplastic component such as polyetherester block copolymer, polyesterester block copolymer, polyetheramide block copolymer, dynamically vulcanized thermoplastic elastomer, functionalized styrene-butadiene elastomer, thermoplastic polyurethane, thermoplastic polyesters, metallocene polymer or blends thereof and a density-modifying filler such as zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or blends thereof.

Multi-layered golf ball and composition

A thermoplastic composition of (a) an acid copolymer, (b) a salt of a high molecular weight, monomeric organic acid; (c) a thermoplastic polymer selected from copolyetheresters, elastomeric polyolefins, styrene diene block copolymers, elastomeric polyolefins thermoplastic polyurethanes and copolyetheramides; (d) cation source; and (d) optionally a filler. Also included is use of such compositions in components of one-, two- and three-piece golf balls or multi-layered golf balls made therefrom.

Highly-resilient thermoplastic elastomer compositions

Ionomers derived from ethylene/methacrylic acid or ethylene/acrylic acid copolymers, containing high levels of acid neutralized with lithium, zinc and sodium are blended in defined amounts to form compositions with very high resilience. The compositions are highly suitable for use as golf ball covers.

High-resilience ionomeric compositions for golf ball covers

The invention provides compositions useful in the manufacture of one-, two- and three-piece golfballs comprising blends of a copolyetherester or copolyetheramide, an expoxy-containing compound, and an acid-containing ethylene copolymer ionomer.

Compositions useful in the manufacture of golfballs

Novel, soft, low modulus ethylene copolymer ionomer compositions containing an acrylate softening monomer, neutralized with magnesium or lithium ions possess a higher level of resilience at a given level of PGA Compressibility than known ionomers. The advantage is maintained in certain blend compositions with harder ionomers for blends having a neat-sphere PGA Compression below about 155. Both unblended and blended compositions will be useful as golf balls and components of golf balls, for one-piece balls, centers, cores and covers of golf balls.

Soft ionomer compositions and blends thereof and use thereof as golf ball structural materials

A thermoplastic composition is provided, comprising (a) an acid copolymer, (b) a salt of a high molecular weight, monomeric organic acid; (c) a thermoplastic resin; (d) a cation source; and (e) optionally, a filler. Also provided are one-, two- and three-piece golf balls, and multi-layered golf balls comprising the composition of the invention.

John Francis Hagman

Papers

Highly-resilient thermoplastic elastomer compositions

High-resilience ionomeric compositions for golf ball covers

Compositions useful in the manufacture of golfballs

Soft ionomer compositions and blends thereof and use thereof as golf ball structural materials

Highly-resilient thermoplastic compositions