Nike, Inc.

Kerby LaVar Maxwell

Arthur Parker Molinari

Yasushi Ichikawa

Bradley C Tutmark

Chia-Chyi Cheng

Takahisa Ono

Aaron Bender

Yutaka Kabeshita

Seisuke Tomita

A golf ball having windings of strands made of a highly neutralized acid polymer is disclosed. The presence of a high acid content may cause the highly neutralized acid polymer to exhibit certain material properties. For example, the high acid content may cause an increased hardness and an increased flexural modulus. A high hardness may result in a golf ball exhibiting increased distance off the tee, or increased COR, among other desirable play characteristics. The hardness of the golf ball corresponds with the feel of the golf ball. The construction of a golf ball including wound strands may provide a soft feel. Thus, providing windings of bands made from a highly neutralized acid polymer may provide a golf ball with an increased distance off the tee and a soft feel.

Golf ball having windings containing a highly neutralized acid polymer

Generally disclosed is a golf ball having a core and a cover layer. The cover layer includes areas that are hard corresponding to the dimples, and areas that are soft corresponding to the land between the dimples. The cover layer may comprise two different materials, such as polyurethane and ionomer, that are laterally adjacent to each other in the cover layer. Alternatively, the cover layer may be selectively coated with a coating material having a different hardness, such as polyurethane or ionomer. As a result of the arrangement of the hard dimples and the soft land, the golf ball achieves reduced spin, and greater distances, when struck with a larger force (such as during a dive) while also achieving increased spin, and better control, when struck with a smaller force (such as during a chip).

Golf ball with cover layer having zones of differing materials

A golf ball having a golf ball core, one or more intermediate layers and a cover layer is disclosed. The golf ball core may include an inner core having radial appendages. The radial appendages may protrude from the inner core in a spherically symmetrical pattern. The radial appendages may be formed from the same material as the inner core. The one or more intermediate layers may surround the inner core and fill the voids between the radial appendages.

Golf ball core having radial appendages

A golf ball is provided capable of having various characteristics based on having an aggregated layer core. The golf ball includes an inner core, an outer shell enclosing the inner core, and an intermediate core enclosing the inner core. The intermediate core includes sublayers thermoplastically fused together to form an aggregated intermediate core layer having overall characteristics formed as a combination of the sublayer characteristics. A method of forming a golf ball core having an aggregated layer core can include forming a first and second stack of nested cups, thermoplastically bonding each of the stacks to each other to form first and second aggregated cups, arranging the aggregated cups around a golf ball inner core, and bonding the aggregated cups to each other. In some configurations, the sublayers can include ultrathin sublayers less than 20 microns thick, and in some configurations, the sublayers can include injection molded sublayers.

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

Kerby LaVar Maxwell