Multi-piece Golf Ball Layer Hardness and Thickness Profile
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current golf balls, particularly those with highly neutralized resin materials, do not effectively manage spin rate and feel for amateur golfers with slower head speeds, lacking a five-piece configuration that optimizes layer hardness and thickness for improved performance.
Innovation Solution
A multi-piece solid golf ball design featuring a core encased in four layers: an inner envelope layer, an outer envelope layer, an intermediate layer, and a cover, where each layer is made of different highly neutralized resin materials, with the cover being thicker than the other layers and having a specific hardness profile to control spin rate and provide a soft feel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If highly neutralized resin materials are used in multiple layers, then the spin rate is reduced and distance is improved, but the feel at impact becomes too hard for amateur golfers
Solution Approach 1:
The golf ball is divided into five distinct layers (core, inner envelope layer, outer envelope layer, intermediate layer, and cover), each made of different highly neutralized resin materials with progressively increasing hardness. This segmentation allows each layer to contribute differently to spin control and impact feel, resolving the contradiction between reducing spin rate and maintaining soft feel.
Solution Approach 2:
Each layer is assigned specific local properties: the core and inner envelope layer use softer materials to provide cushioning and soft feel, while the outer envelope layer, intermediate layer, and cover use progressively harder materials to control spin rate. This local differentiation of material properties enables simultaneous optimization of both feel and spin characteristics.
2Speed
If the cover is made harder to reduce spin rate, then distance is improved, but the ball becomes less comfortable for slower head speed golfers
Solution Approach 1:
The multi-layer structure creates a dynamic system where the interaction between layers of different hardnesses adapts to various impact conditions. For amateur golfers with slower head speeds, the softer inner layers provide cushioning while the harder outer layers still control spin, making the ball adaptable to a wider range of head speeds while maintaining distance performance.
3Reliability
If five layers are used with different highly neutralized resin materials, then spin rate control and feel are optimized, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention systematically varies key parameters across the five layers: material composition (different highly neutralized resin materials), hardness (progressively increasing from core to cover), and thickness (optimized for each layer's function). These controlled parameter changes enable precise performance tuning while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through consistent layer-by-layer construction.
Data Source
AI summary
In a multi-piece solid golf ball having a core and four successive layers encasing the core—an inner envelope layer, an outer envelope layer, an intermediate layer and a cover, the inner envelope, outer envelope and intermediate layer are each formed of different highly neutralized resin materials, and the cover thickness is larger than the respective thicknesses of the inner envelope layer, outer envelope layer and intermediate layer. Also, the value (A)−(B) obtained by subtracting the material hardness (B) of the softest layer among the inner envelope layer, outer envelope layer and intermediate layer from the material hardness (A) of the cover is a Shore D hardness of 13 or more. This golf ball holds down the spin rate on full shots with a driver by amateur golfers having modest head speeds, and also has a soft and good feel at impact.