Multi-piece Golf Ball Envelope Layer Hardness Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional golf balls with outer-hard and inner-soft hardness distributions effectively lower spin rates on driver shots but also reduce spin rates on approach shots, compromising controllability.
Innovation Solution
A multi-piece golf ball design featuring a spherical center covered by three or more envelope layers, where adjacent layers include regions with a hitting deformation ratio of 30% or more, and the outermost envelope layer has the lowest hardness, allowing independent control of spin rates on driver and approach shots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If outer-hard and inner-soft hardness distribution is adopted in the golf ball, then the spin rate on driver shots is lowered and flight distance is increased, but the spin rate on approach shots is also lowered and controllability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The golf ball is divided into multiple envelope layers (at least three layers: first envelope layer, second envelope layer, and third envelope layer) with different hardness characteristics. The first envelope layer has higher hardness than the second envelope layer, while the third envelope layer has higher hardness than the second envelope layer. This segmentation allows different regions to contribute differently to driver shots versus approach shots, resolving the contradiction between distance and controllability.
Solution Approach 2:
Each envelope layer is assigned specific hardness values and thickness ratios to optimize performance for different shot types. The first envelope layer (harder) contributes to lowering spin on driver shots for distance, while the second envelope layer (softer) and third envelope layer (harder) work together to maintain appropriate spin and controllability on approach shots. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction.
2Speed
If the spin rate on driver shots is lowered to increase flight distance, then the spin rate on approach shots is also reduced, but this compromises the controllability of approach shots
Solution Approach 1:
The envelope structure is segmented into three distinct layers with specific hardness relationships (first layer harder than second layer, third layer harder than second layer). This segmentation enables the ball to exhibit different spin characteristics for different shot types: lower spin on driver shots for distance, while maintaining higher spin and controllability on approach shots through the combined effect of the layered structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The golf ball utilizes a composite structure of multiple envelope layers made from materials with different hardness properties. The first envelope layer, second envelope layer, and third envelope layer are composed of materials selected to achieve specific hardness values, creating a composite structure that simultaneously optimizes for both distance (low driver spin) and controllability (maintained approach spin).
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball showing a small ratio of a spin rate on driver shots to a spin rate on approach shots. The present invention provides a multi-piece golf ball comprising a spherical center, three or more envelope layers covering the spherical center, and a cover covering the envelope layers, wherein adjacent two envelope layers are formed so as to include a region composed of elements having a hitting deformation ratio of 30% or more, the hitting deformation ratio being obtained by analyzing a specified golf ball model by a finite element method; and the envelope layer which is radially outwardly positioned of the adjacent two envelope layers has a lowest hardness among all the envelope layers.