Invented by Engle; Courtney N., Dytko; John S., Madson; Michael R., Jones; Douglas E., Cooper; Scott, Acushnet Company
Golf balls might look simple, but every tiny detail of their design matters in how they fly, how far they go, and how much control a player has. This article will help you understand a new patent application for a golf ball that brings together careful engineering and smart science to change how golf balls perform. Let’s break down why this matters, what science is behind it, and what makes this new golf ball different from anything before.
Background and Market Context
Golf is a sport where small changes can make a big difference. For many years, golfers and makers of golf equipment have wanted balls that go farther, stay straighter, and are easier to control. The standard golf ball has a core and a cover, usually with dimples on the outside. These dimples are not just for looks—they help the ball move through the air better. But even small tweaks in these features can change how the ball acts in flight.
The golf ball market is very competitive. Companies try to create balls that fit different types of players, from beginners to pros. Some golfers want more distance off the tee, while others want more spin for better control near the green. There are rules set by groups like the United States Golf Association (USGA) that limit how fast and how far a golf ball can go, so balls must be designed carefully to stay within these limits.
Golf ball makers are always looking for new ways to help golfers get better results. They use new materials, new patterns of dimples, and different ways to build the inside of the ball (the “core”). They also have to think about how the ball will behave when hit with different clubs, at different speeds, and in different weather. Making a ball that works well for everyone is a huge challenge.
This new patent application shows a fresh approach. It’s not just about making a ball go farther or spin more—it’s about pairing the right aerodynamics with the right construction. The goal is to give golfers more control and a more predictable flight, while still keeping the ball within the rules. This is important for both everyday players and pros, as even a small change in ball flight can affect scores and enjoyment of the game.
As golfers become more aware of the technology behind their equipment, they want to know exactly what makes a ball special. Companies are responding by being more open about how their balls are made and what benefits they offer. This patent is a good example of that trend, with lots of detail about how the ball’s design affects its movement through the air.
Scientific Rationale and Prior Art
To understand this new golf ball, it helps to know some basics about how balls fly and what has been tried before.
How Dimples Work: Dimples on a golf ball are there for a reason: they help the ball move through the air by creating a thin layer of swirling air (“boundary layer”) that sticks to the ball’s surface longer. This reduces drag, which is the force that slows the ball down. The dimples also help create lift, which is the force that keeps the ball in the air longer. The way the dimples are arranged, their size, depth, and shape all matter.
Measuring Performance: Scientists use numbers called “drag coefficient” (CD) and “lift coefficient” (CL) to describe how much drag and lift a ball gets. These numbers depend on the ball’s speed, spin, and the air it’s moving through. “Reynolds number” and “spin ratio” are terms that help describe these conditions. The patent uses these numbers to describe exactly how the new ball is designed to behave.
Testing Methods: Over the years, many ways have been developed to measure these forces. Indoor ranges with special screens or sensors track the ball’s flight, speed, and spin. By changing the dimple pattern or the ball’s construction, engineers can see how each change affects flight.
What’s Been Done Before: There have been many patents for golf balls with different dimple patterns, different numbers of dimples, and different materials. Some balls have two layers (core and cover), while others have three, four, or even more. Some try to get more distance, while others are about more spin or a softer feel. But most past designs focused on just one thing at a time—either the aerodynamics or the construction—not both together in a balanced way.
Rules and Limits: The USGA has set rules for weight, size, and speed. Balls can’t be heavier than 1.620 ounces or smaller than 1.680 inches in diameter. There are also limits on initial velocity and “coefficient of restitution” (how bouncy the ball is). Balls that break these rules can’t be used in official play. This means designers have to get creative to make balls that perform well but don’t break the rules.
Prior Patents: Many earlier patents have described ways to make balls with better lift or less drag, but usually by changing only one feature, like making the dimples deeper or using a new type of rubber for the core. Some have tried to match dimple patterns to ball constructions, but not with the level of detail and balance shown in this new application. The idea of matching specific aerodynamic profiles (like certain CD and CL values) with specific core weights, sizes, and materials is a newer approach.
What Was Missing: Before this patent, there wasn’t a clear way to match a ball’s outside features (the dimples and their effect on air) with its inside (the core and other layers) to get a balanced flight and feel. Designs often had to choose between more distance, more spin, or a softer feel, but not all at once. This patent aims to bring those together, using a “Flight Factor” and “Speed Factor” to guide the design.
Invention Description and Key Innovations
This new golf ball patent brings together many small details into a bigger idea: matching how the ball moves through the air with how it’s built inside. Here’s how it works, in simple terms.
Core and Cover—The Basics: The ball has at least a core (the inside) and a cover (the outside). Sometimes there are more layers in between, like a “casing” or extra core layers. The core is made from special rubber blends, sometimes with butyl or styrene-butadiene added for different effects. The cover is usually made from ionomer, urethane, or similar materials that are tough but can still give a soft feel.
Size and Weight: The ball fits within the USGA rules, with a weight between 1.600 and 1.620 ounces, and a diameter between 1.680 and 1.700 inches. The core itself is large, often 1.525 inches or more in diameter, and heavy—sometimes over 1.3 ounces. Making the core bigger changes the way the ball bounces and flies.
Dimple Patterns—The Key to Aerodynamics: The cover has a special dimple pattern, not just in how many dimples but also in their sizes and arrangement. The patent describes patterns with anywhere from about 280 to 380 dimples, using up to nine different dimple sizes on the same ball. The average dimple diameter is between about 0.14 and 0.18 inches. Surface coverage by dimples can be as high as 84%. This mix of dimple sizes and spacing changes how air moves around the ball, affecting drag and lift.
Drag and Lift—The Numbers: The ball is designed so that its drag coefficient (CD) and lift coefficient (CL) fall within certain narrow ranges at key flight conditions. For example, at a Reynolds number of 220,000 and a spin ratio of 0.070, CD is between 0.225 and 0.235. Similar ranges are set for other speeds and spins. The ratio of drag to lift (CD/CL) is carefully chosen to create different “flight windows”—balls can be made to fly higher or lower depending on this ratio.
Integrated Drag Area (DA): Instead of just looking at drag at one point, the patent defines an “integrated drag area,” which is like a summary of drag over a key part of the ball’s flight. This is calculated using the drag coefficient at different speeds and spins, and it gives a better picture of how the ball will really behave when hit hard. The DA is set between 13,750 and 14,750, a range that is higher than many modern “distance” balls, meaning these balls are a bit slower through the air. This actually helps with control and consistency, especially for golfers who don’t always hit the ball perfectly.
Compression and COR—The Bounce and Feel: The ball’s “compression” (how much it squishes when hit) and COR (how bouncy it is) are matched to the dimple pattern. For softer balls (compression under 60), the COR is higher (up to 0.815), making them still lively. For firmer balls (compression over 100), the COR is lower, making the ball less bouncy and easier to control on short shots. Special formulas link compression and COR, so each ball can be tuned to a certain feel and performance.
Flight Factor and Speed Factor: These are new ideas introduced in the patent. “Flight Factor” is a number that combines the ball’s drag area, core weight and size, dimple properties, initial velocity, and COR. It gives a way to balance all these features for the best performance. The “Speed Factor” looks at how well the ball turns clubhead speed into ball speed—important for getting the most distance without breaking the rules. By tuning these factors, balls can be designed for more control, more spin, higher or lower flight, or just to fit a certain player’s swing speed.
Matching Aerodynamics and Construction: The biggest innovation is how the dimple pattern and the ball’s inside are matched. For example, a “high drag” dimple pattern (more air resistance) is paired with a “slower” core (less bouncy) to keep the ball from flying too far or too high. Or, a “medium drag” pattern can be matched with a faster core for a ball that goes farther but still stays under control. This matching is done using the Flight Factor and Speed Factor as guides.
Flexible for Different Players: The patent gives lots of options: two-layer, three-layer, four-layer balls; different dimple patterns; different core formulas. This means balls can be made for beginners who want more help getting the ball in the air, for skilled players who want more control, or for those who want a mix of distance and feel. By giving clear recipes for how to put these parts together, the patent makes it easier to make balls for every type of golfer.
More Realistic Performance: The new designs also focus on how the ball acts with different clubs. For example, the difference in distance between this ball and a modern “distance” ball is biggest when hit with a driver, but much smaller with a wedge. This is because slower club speeds mean air resistance matters less. So, players won’t lose as much distance on short shots, but will have more control on long ones—a big benefit for many golfers.
Manufacturing Details: The patent gives specifics on materials for each layer—polybutadiene, butyl rubber, ionomers, urethanes, and more. It also details how much of each additive to use for the right mix of hardness, bounce, and feel. These details help make sure the balls can actually be made in a factory, not just on paper.
Putting It All Together: The patent includes “construction packages” (recipes for how to build the ball) and “dimple patterns” (maps of how to arrange the dimples). By picking one from each, makers can build balls with very specific flight and feel profiles, all within the rules. The result is a menu of golf balls, each with its own unique mix of distance, control, spin, and feel, ready to suit any golfer’s needs.
Conclusion
This new golf ball patent is a big step forward in matching the science of flight with the art of ball construction. By carefully pairing dimple patterns with specific core and cover designs, and by using new ways to measure and balance performance (the Flight Factor and Speed Factor), it offers golfers more choices and more control over their game. The attention to detail in both aerodynamics and materials means balls can be made for every type of player, from those wanting more distance to those seeking more spin or a softer feel. As a result, this invention doesn’t just improve one part of the golf ball—it brings everything together for a better, more consistent game. For golfers, that means more confidence, more options, and, hopefully, lower scores.
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