Golf Ball Core Hardness Gradient for Low Spin
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current golf ball designs fail to achieve a balance between high flight distance and low spin rate on driver shots, as existing methods either enhance initial speed or launch angle but not both simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
A golf ball with a spherical core having an absorbance difference of 0.024 or more between its surface and center, measured at 1560±30 cm−1 using Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry, featuring a rubber composition with a base rubber, α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid, crosslinking initiator, and carboxylic acid, which creates an outer-hard inner-soft structure, reducing spin rate and increasing flight distance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a core having high resilience is used, then initial speed is enhanced, but spin rate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The core is designed with a hardness distribution where the center region has lower hardness (softer) and the outer region has higher hardness (harder). This local quality variation allows the center to deform and store energy for high initial speed while the harder outer region controls the spin rate by providing appropriate resistance during impact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter of hardness throughout the core volume. By controlling the hardness distribution parameter - softer at center, harder at outer region - the core achieves optimized performance where the softer center enhances initial speed through greater deformation while the harder outer region suppresses spin rate.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a core having hardness increasing toward the surface is used, then launch angle increases and spin rate decreases, but initial speed is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The core implements local quality variation with a gradient hardness distribution. The center portion is designed softer to maximize deformation and energy storage for high initial speed, while the outer portion is designed harder to control spin rate and support launch angle. This localized property optimization resolves the contradiction between speed and spin control.
Solution Approach 2:
The hardness parameter is varied continuously or in steps from the center to the surface of the core. The parameter change profile - lower hardness at center transitioning to higher hardness at outer region - enables simultaneous achievement of high initial speed (through center softness) and low spin rate (through outer hardness).
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The golf ball achieves a great flight distance on driver shots with a lower spin rate due to the specific hardness distribution and absorbance difference, enhancing both launch angle and distance without compromising resilience.
Implementation Method 1
a molded and crosslinked product obtained from a rubber composition essentially comprising a base rubber, a filler, an organic peroxide, an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid and/or a metal salt thereof
Implementation Method 2
the spherical core has an absorbance difference between absorbance measured at a surface thereof and absorbance measured at a center thereof of 0.024 or more, with respect to an absorption peak appeared at 1560±30 cm−1 when measuring the spherical core with a Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball showing a great flight distance on driver shots. The present invention provides a golf ball comprising a spherical core and at least one cover layer covering the spherical core, wherein the spherical core has a difference between absorbance of the absorption peak appeared at 1560±30 cm−1 at a surface thereof and absorbance of the absorption peak appeared at 1560±30 cm−1 at a center thereof of 0.024 or more, when measuring the spherical core with a Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer.