Multi-Layer Golf Ball Cover and Mid Layer Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing golf balls fail to achieve a balance between flight performance and control performance, particularly with drivers and short irons, due to issues with spin rates and resilience, especially under new R&A rules that restrict spin with iron clubs and in rough conditions.
Innovation Solution
A golf ball design featuring a core, a surrounding layer, a mid layer, and a cover with specific hardness and thickness ratios, where the mid layer is harder than the cover and the surrounding layer, and the cover is soft enough to invade grooves on short irons, reducing slipping and enhancing spin, while the mid layer suppresses spin on drivers for improved flight distance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a soft polyurethane cover is used to enhance spin performance on short irons, then control performance is improved, but flight distance is reduced due to excessive spin with drivers
Solution Approach 1:
The golf ball is divided into multiple functional layers: a soft cover layer (Shore D 30-40) for spin control on short irons, and a harder intermediate layer (Shore D 40-55) for flight performance with drivers. This segmentation allows each layer to optimize for its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the golf ball have different hardness properties tailored to specific functions. The cover layer has lower hardness (higher elasticity) for maximum spin on wedges and short irons, while the intermediate layer has higher hardness for reduced spin and improved flight distance with drivers.
2Productivity
If a hard external cover is used to reduce spin on drivers, then flight distance is improved, but spin performance on short irons is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The cover structure is segmented into multiple layers with different hardness properties. The inner cover layer is softer for spin generation, while the outer intermediate layer is harder for flight stability, allowing the ball to achieve both high spin on short irons and low spin on drivers.
Solution Approach 2:
The golf ball uses composite material construction with at least two different materials having different Shore D hardness values. This composite structure enables the ball to exhibit different performance characteristics depending on the club used: soft cover for spin on wedges, harder intermediate layer for flight with drivers.
3Strength
If the cover thickness is increased to improve durability, then structural strength is enhanced, but spin rate is reduced due to reduced groove invasion
Solution Approach 1:
The cover system is segmented into a thin soft cover layer optimized for groove invasion and spin generation, combined with a thicker harder intermediate layer that provides structural strength and durability. This allows the ball to maintain both thin-cover spin characteristics and robust structural integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
Golf ball 2 has spherical core 4, surrounding layer 6 situated on the external side of the core 4, mid layer 8 situated on the external side of the surrounding layer 6, cover 10 situated on the external side of the mid layer 8, and paint layer 12 situated on the external side of the cover 10. The mid layer 8 has a thickness Tm of 0.1 mm or greater and 1.2 mm or less. The ratio (Tc/Tm) of the thickness Tc of the cover 10 to the thickness Tm of the mid layer 8 is no greater than 0.50. The cover 10 has a Shore D hardness Hc of no greater than 35. The Shore D hardness Hm of the mid layer 8 is greater than the Shore D hardness Hc of the cover 10. The base material of the surrounding layer 6 is an ionomer resin. The base material of the mid layer 8 is a polyurethane. The base material of the cover 10 is a polyurethane.