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

Disclosed herein is a multi-layer golf ball having a central core, an inner cover layer containing a non-ionomeric polyolefin material and a filler, and an outer cover layer comprising a resin composition. The combined thickness of the inner and outer cover layer preferably is at least about 0.10 inches. The golf ball has a coefficient of restitution of at least about 0.750. When the inner cover layer contains a non-ionomeric material and the outer cover layer contains, e.g., an ionomer, the golf ball of the invention can be configured to have playability properties comparable to those of golf balls which contain substantially higher quantities of ionomer. A method for forming the golf ball described above also is disclosed.

Golf ball and method of making same

A three-piece solid golf ball comprising a center core, an intermediate layer, and a cover. The center core (1) has a diameter of at least 29 mm, a hardness in the range of 45-80 JIS C and a specific gravity of less than 1.4. The intermediate layer (2) has a thickness of at least 1 mm, a specific gravity of less than 1.2, and a hardness of at least 85 on JIS C scale. The cover (3) has a thickness of 1-3 mm and a hardness of 50-85 JIS C. The ball has a good total balance of properties in that feeling and controllability are improved at no sacrifice of flying performance and durability.

Three-piece solid golf ball

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

Disclosed herein are polyurethane golf ball compositions. The compositions are prepared by adding a UV absorber to a polyol prior to reacting the polyol with an isocyanate to form a prepolymer, which is then reacted with a curing agent to form the polyurethane.

Golf ball compositions

The disclosure relates to golf balls and more particularly, to golf ball cover compositions. The disclosure is concerned primarily with composition and method for the enhancement of the color of a golf ball cover by the use of an optical brightener in conjunction with a pigmented golf ball cover composition. This invention is concerned with the enhancement of the color of white golf ball covers. When used in conjunction with a white pigmentation system, the optical brighteners in question enhance the color in the blue spectrum range in order to give the cover a whiter appearance.

Optical brighteners in golf ball covers

An aerodynamically symmetrical golf ball is provided including a patterned outer surface having 492 dimples arranged in twenty triangles based upon an inscribed modified icosahedron lattice on the surface of the ball. As a result of the modification of the lattice, a predetermined spacing exists between two in-line rows of dimples on opposite sides of an equatorial line about said ball, the spacing being created by the modification of th icosahedron on the surface of the ball.

Dimpled golf ball

The present invention is directed to a golf ball cover comprising a blend of copolymers wherein one or more of the copolymers is a low cost nonionic copolymer and one or more of the copolymers is an ionic copolymer. Surprisingly, a golf ball cover comprising the non-ionic/ionic copolymer blend exhibits no loss in C.O.R., and has equal resistance to cutting and cracking when compared to top grade golf ball covers made with one of the conventional 100% ionic copolymer blends. In particular, the present golf ball cover comprises from about 95 to about 80 pphr of one or more ionic copolymers, and from about 5 to about 20 pphr of one or more non-ionic copolymers, the latter being selected from the group consisting of a copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid, a copolymer of ethylene and methacrylic acid, a copolymer of polypropylene and acrylic acid, a terpolymer of ethylene, acrylic acid and a lower alkyl acrylate, and a terpolymer of ethylene, methacrylic acid and a lower alkyl acrylate, and blends thereof.

Golf ball cover having an ionic copolymer/non-ionic copolymer blend

The present invention is directed to restricted or limited flight golf balls. Specifically, new elastomeric blends are provided for forming the cores of one piece or multi-layered balls having the desired reduced coefficient of restitution (C.O.R.) values necessary for restrictive flight performance (i.e. elastomeric blends having C.O.R. values when cured of about 0.560 to about 0.670, with C.O.R. values of about 0.560 to about 0.640 being preferred for the core composition of multi-layered restricted flight golf balls). This is accomplished utilizing the elastomeric blends of the invention without sacrificing the compression (hardness), weight and feel of the resulting cured product. The core compositions can be coated with standard cover stock compositions and/or additional layered compositions when utilized for the formation of multi-layered balls and/or configured with an inefficient dimple pattern to provide restricted flight golf balls having carrying distances about 45-50 yards shorter than that of standard range balls.

Restricted flight golf ball

A game ball core comprising a thermoplastic resin or blend of resins, a chemical blowing agent, a nucleating agent, peroxide crosslinking agent and other minor additives is disclosed. The molded cellular core is sufficiently durable to withstand a synthetic cover molding process at elevated temperatures.

Terence Melvin

Papers

Optical brighteners in golf ball covers

Dimpled golf ball

Golf ball cover having an ionic copolymer/non-ionic copolymer blend

Restricted flight golf ball

Game balls having improved core compositions