Golf Ball Indicia Alignment for Putting Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Golfers face challenges in accurately striking and applying the right force while putting due to the lack of effective visual aids on traditional golf balls.
Innovation Solution
A golf ball with multiple distinct primary indicia aligned on its surface, featuring different spacing and positioning to guide the golfer in aligning the ball with the intended path and applying the appropriate force, including supplemental indicia for enhanced visibility and psychological support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional golf balls without visual aids are used, then the ball design remains simple, but the golfer cannot accurately align the ball with the intended path or apply the right force
Solution Approach 1:
The visual aid system is segmented into multiple distinct primary indicia (at least three) positioned at different locations on the ball surface. Each indicia serves as a separate reference point, allowing the golfer to systematically align the ball by matching specific indicia with corresponding putter positions or target markers, thereby improving alignment accuracy without creating a single complex visual element
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the ball surface are assigned different visual characteristics through strategically positioned primary indicia with different spacing arrangements. The indicia are placed in specific locations (e.g., front, side, rear positions) with varying distances between them, creating localized visual cues that provide directional and distance information specific to each region of the ball
2Measurement precision
If multiple primary indicia with different spacing are added to guide force application, then putting force control improves, but the visual complexity of the ball increases
Solution Approach 1:
The primary indicia are pre-positioned on the ball surface in specific spacing arrangements before the putting action occurs. The different spacing between indicia (e.g., wider spacing for longer putts, narrower spacing for shorter putts) is predetermined, allowing the golfer to quickly select the appropriate visual reference without needing to calculate or adjust during the putting motion, thereby improving force application precision
Solution Approach 2:
The visual aid system utilizes variations in spacing parameters between primary indicia to encode different force level information. By changing the distance between indicia pairs, the system provides multiple visual reference configurations that correspond to different putt distances and required forces, enabling precise force control through simple visual comparison
3Ease of operation
If supplemental indicia are added for enhanced visibility and psychological support, then golfer confidence improves, but the overall visual prominence complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Supplemental indicia are placed in specific local regions of the ball, typically between or adjacent to the primary indicia. These supplemental elements have different visual characteristics (such as different sizes, colors, or styles) that make them distinct from but complementary to the primary indicia, providing additional visual guidance without overwhelming the main alignment references
Solution Approach 2:
The visual aid system employs asymmetric design by differentiating between primary indicia (which provide the main alignment reference) and supplemental indicia (which provide secondary guidance or psychological support). This asymmetric hierarchy ensures that the most important visual information stands out while supplementary information provides additional context without creating visual confusion
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed to a golf ball having multiple indicia for aiding a golfer in positioning the golf ball with the intended ball path. In one embodiment, the golf ball has at least three distinct primary indicia aligned on the golf ball within a quarter of the circumference of the golf ball. The primary indicia includes a first primary indicia which is spaced a first distance from a second primary indicia, and a third primary indicia which is spaced a second distance from the second primary indicia. In an embodiment, the two distances are different. In another embodiment the distances are the same. Other versions have supplemental indicia positioned between the primary indicia and/or can be positioned proximate the first and/or third primary indicia. The supplemental indicia are preferably lighter in color intensity than the primary indicia so that the primary indicia is more readily visible to a golfer when the golfer is ready to putt.