Abstract: Provided is a golf ball including a core, an intermediate layer, and a cover. A relationship between surface hardness of an intermediate layer-encased sphere and surface hardness of the ball satisfies a predetermined relational expression. With an initial velocity of the ball and a deflection under a predetermined load applied to the ball optimized, and letting a value of (initial velocity of core×weight of core) be Ciw, a value of [(initial velocity of intermediate layer-encased sphere?initial velocity of core)×(weight of intermediate layer-encased sphere?weight of core)] be Miw, and a value of [(initial velocity of ball?initial velocity of intermediate layer-encased sphere)×(weight of ball?weight of intermediate layer-encased sphere)] be CViw, the following expression is satisfied: 2500?Ciw+Miw+CViw?2650. A volume occupancy ratio of dimples is set to a predetermined range.

Abstract: In a golf ball having a core of at least one layer and a cover of at least one layer encasing the core, at least one layer of the cover is formed of a resin composition which includes (I) a polyurethane or a polyurea, (II) a thermoplastic polyester elastomer and (III) an aromatic vinyl elastomer. The thermoplastic polyester elastomer serving as component (II) and the aromatic vinyl elastomer serving component (III) have specific respective contents and properties, including Shore D hardnesses and rebound resiliences. The golf ball has an excellent controllability on approach shots without a loss of distance on driver shots. In addition, the scuff resistance and moldability are good.

Abstract: A multi-piece solid golf ball includes a core, an intermediate layer, and a cover, in which the core is formed of a rubber composition, the intermediate layer and the cover are formed of a resin composition, and a specific gravity of the intermediate layer is set to at least 1.05, or a relationship among a core surface hardness, a surface hardness of an intermediate layer-encased sphere, and a ball surface hardness satisfies the following condition: ball surface hardness<surface hardness of intermediate layer-encased sphere>core surface hardness and the core has a specific cross-sectional hardness profile, thereby to have a superior distance on full shots with clubs from a driver to an iron, good durability on repeated impact, and good controllability in the short game when used by amateur users who are advanced players.

Abstract: A golf ball includes a core, an intermediate layer, and a cover, in which an initial velocity is not more than 76.0 m/s, a deflection when the ball is compressed under a specific load is at least 2.8 mm, and letting a value of (initial velocity of core×weight of core) be Ciw, a value of [(initial velocity of intermediate layer-encased sphere?initial velocity of core)×(weight of intermediate layer-encased sphere?weight of core)] be Miw, and a value of [(initial velocity of ball?initial velocity of intermediate layer-encased sphere)×(weight of ball?weight of intermediate layer-encased sphere)] be CViw, the condition is of Ciw+Miw+CViw?2,550 is satisfied, thereby to be capable of making a distance for reducing a distance on shots with a driver and an iron by average hitters smaller.

Abstract: In a golf ball for professional golfers and skilled amateurs which has a single-layer core, a cover and at least one intermediate layer therebetween, the intermediate layer has a specific gravity of at least 1.05, the sphere the sphere obtained by encasing the core with the intermediate layer (intermediate layer-encased sphere) and the ball have a surface hardness relationship which satisfies the condition: (surface hardness of intermediate layer-encased sphere)>(surface hardness of ball). The core has a diameter of from 35.5 to 39.5 mm and a distinctive hardness profile that satisfies specific conditions. The ball is endowed with both an excellent flight performance and excellent durability to repeated impact.

Abstract: A method is provided for manufacturing golf balls having markings of excellent definition and durability printed on the surface thereof. The method includes the steps of: (1) applying at least one treatment selected from the group consisting of corona discharge treatment, ultraviolet irradiation treatment, chlorine treatment and primer coating treatment to the surface of a golf ball; (2) forming a sublayer at a place on the treated surface of the golf ball that corresponds to the marking; and (3) forming the marking on the sublayer by inkjet printing.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus that estimates a hit feeling of a golf ball, includes a characteristic amount obtainment unit configured to obtain a characteristic amount of a striking sound which an estimation target ball generates as a sound source upon the estimation target ball being struck and an estimation unit configured to estimate a hit feeling of the estimation target ball based on correlation information and the characteristic amount obtained by the characteristic amount obtainment unit. The correlation information indicates correlation, for a plurality of kinds of test balls, between a hit feeling which a testing golfer feels at the time of striking a test ball and a characteristic amount of a striking sound which the test ball generates as a sound source upon the test ball being struck.

Abstract: A golf ball made up of components such as a coating layer, a cover layer, an intermediate layer and a core includes, within such a component, a material that contains a phase-change material. The phase-change material is preferably normal paraffin having a melting point of between 5° C. and 40° C. and is preferably used in the form of microcapsules. This golf ball suppresses changes in the ball temperature itself in response to changes in the ambient air temperature during use of the ball, enabling the optimal properties that have been designed into the ball to be maintained.

Abstract: The image processing device comprises: a position identification section for identifying positions of two reference points and a position of physical characteristic point of the subject in the moving image; an angle acquisition section for obtaining an angle of a line segment connecting the two reference points with respect to the image plane; a conversion ratio calculation section for calculating a conversion ratio indicating a ratio between the length in the moving image and the length in real space; and a coordinate calculation section for calculating position coordinates of at least one of: the two reference points and the physical characteristic point of the subject in the image plane in the real space, based on the calculated conversion ratio and at least one of: the identified positions of the two reference points and the identified position of the physical characteristic point of the subject.

Abstract: The golf ball includes a core having an inner layer core and an outer layer core, a single-layered intermediate layer and cover, wherein the inner layer core is formed of a rubber composition, the intermediate layer and the cover are formed of a resin composition, and a relationship between an initial velocity of the inner layer core, an initial velocity of the entire core, an initial velocity of an intermediate layer-encased sphere, and an initial velocity of a ball satisfies the following conditions: (initial velocity of ball)<(initial velocity of intermediate layer-encased sphere) (initial velocity of intermediate layer-encased sphere)?(initial velocity of entire core)?0.70 (m/s) (initial velocity of entire core)?(initial velocity of inner layer core)?0.20 (m/s) and a specific gravity of the intermediate layer and a deflection of the golf ball when compressed under a predetermined load are set within specific ranges.

Abstract: In a golf ball having a core, envelope layer, intermediate layer and cover, the core has a specific hardness profile, the resin materials making up either or both of the envelope layer and the intermediate layer has a material hardness on the Shore D hardness scale of at least 65 and has a specific gravity of at least 1.05, and the Shore C hardness relationships among the core center, surface of the envelope-encased layer and surface of the intermediate layer-encased sphere satisfy the following conditions: surface hardness of envelope layer-encased sphere<surface hardness of intermediate layer-encased sphere,??(1) surface hardness of intermediate layer-encased sphere?center hardness of core?40.??(2) This ball achieves a good distance on shots with utility and iron clubs, is receptive to spin in the short game, and has a soft feel at impact on all shots, making it useful to amateur golfers.

Abstract: In a golf ball having a core, an intermediate layer and a cover, the ball and the sphere obtained by encasing the core with the intermediate layer have respective surface hardnesses such that (surface hardness of ball)<(surface hardness of intermediate layer-encased sphere); the ball has an initial velocity of ?75.0 m/s; and the core has a hardness profile in which the center hardness, the hardness at a midpoint between the core center and core surface, and the hardnesses at specific positions inward from the midpoint and at specific positions outward from the midpoint are optimized. Given the possibility that the rules limiting the distance traveled by a golf ball on shots by long hitters will change, this ball reduces the drop-off in distance on driver shots and iron shots taken by average hitters while increasing the drop-off in distance on driver shots taken by long hitters.

Abstract: In a golf ball having a core and a cover with a plurality of dimples on the surface, the cover is formed primarily of polyurethane, the dimples have a specific volume occupancy ratio and the ball has a diameter of at least 42.8 mm. In an impact test carried out by hitting the ball with a driver at a head speed of 40 m/s, the sum t1+t2 of the time t1 required from initial contact by the driver with the ball for deformation of the ball to reach a maximum and the time t2 required from the state of maximum ball deformation for the ball and driver to separate is 660 ?sec or less. This golf ball makes it possible for golfers who have a high head speed and ordinary golfers who do not to compete without relying excessively on superiority in terms of distance.

Abstract: A golf ball material contains (i) fine particles that have an average particle size of less than 300 ?m and are composed of a crosslinked multi-component copolymer having conjugated diene units, non-conjugated olefin units and aromatic vinyl units; and (ii) a thermoplastic resin. The conjugated diene units include butadiene units, the non-conjugated olefin units include units selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene and 1-butene units, the aromatic vinyl units include styrene units, and the content of the conjugated diene units in the multi-component copolymer is 5 wt % or more. This golf ball material is soft, has an excellent rebound resilience and also has a good processability.

Abstract: In a golf ball for professional golfers and skilled amateurs which has a single-layer core, a cover and at least one intermediate layer therebetween, the sphere obtained by encasing the core with the intermediate layer (intermediate layer-encased sphere) and the ball have a surface hardness relationship which satisfies the condition: (surface hardness of intermediate layer-encased sphere)>(surface hardness of ball). The core has a diameter of from 35.5 to 39.5 mm and a distinctive hardness profile that satisfies specific conditions. The ball is endowed with both an excellent flight performance and excellent durability to repeated impact.

Abstract: The golf ball includes a core, an intermediate layer, and a cover, in which the core is formed of a rubber composition into a single layer or a plurality of layers, the intermediate layer and the cover are both formed of a single-layer resin composition, and a relationship between an initial velocity of the core, an initial velocity of a sphere (intermediate layer-encased sphere) in which the core is encased with the intermediate layer, and an initial velocity of a sphere (ball) in which the intermediate layer-encased sphere is encased with the cover satisfies the following two conditions: (initial velocity of ball)<(initial velocity of intermediate layer-encased sphere) 0.60?(initial velocity of intermediate layer-encased sphere)?(initial velocity of core)?1.00 (m/s). and the specific deflection is 3.00 mm or less, and a specific gravity of the intermediate layer is 1.05 or more.

Abstract: A golf ball composed of a core and a cover has a spin rate and a launch angle on approach shots at a head speed (HS) of 20 m/s or 10 m/s that satisfy formulas (1) and (2) below: Spin W/Spin D?0.70??(1) Ang W/Ang D<1.20??(2). Here, Spin D is the spin rate (rpm) under dry conditions, Spin W is the spin rate (rpm) under wet conditions, Ang W is the launch angle (°) under wet conditions and Ang D is the launch angle (°) under dry conditions. The golf ball suppresses a decrease in the spin rate on approach shots in rainy weather and thus has an improved controllability, making it especially useful to professional golfers and skilled amateurs who desire a high spin performance around the green.

Abstract: In a golf ball having a core, an intermediate layer and a cover, the core is formed of a rubber composition and the intermediate layer and the cover are each formed of a resin composition. The core, the intermediate layer-encased sphere and the ball have respective initial velocities which together satisfy the following two conditions: (initial velocity of ball)<(initial velocity of intermediate layer-encased sphere), 0.65?(initial velocity of intermediate layer-encased sphere)?(initial velocity of core)?1.15 m/s. Also, letting C and B be the respective deflections in millimeters of the core and the ball when compressed under a specific load, the value of C?B is 1.20 mm or more. This golf ball can achieve a superior distance on shots with a utility club and on shots with irons, and exhibits a good durability to repeated impact and a good controllability in the short game.

Abstract: In a golf ball having a core, an envelope layer, an intermediate layer and a cover, the core is formed of a rubber composition and the envelope layer, the intermediate layer and the cover are each formed of a resin composition. The core, the envelope layer-encased sphere, the intermediate layer-encased sphere and the ball have respective initial velocities which together satisfy the following three conditions: (initial velocity of ball)<(initial velocity of intermediate layer-encased sphere), (initial velocity of intermediate layer-encased sphere)?(initial velocity of envelope layer-encased sphere)?0.60 m/s, and 0.50?(initial velocity of envelope layer-encased sphere)?(initial velocity of core)?1.08 m/s. This golf ball can achieve a superior distance on shots with a utility club and with irons, and exhibits a good durability to repeated impact, a good controllability in the short game and a good feel at impact.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire a video of a swing of a golfer who strikes a golf ball with a golf club, a calculation unit configured to calculates a feature amount of the swing from the video, and a conversion unit configured to convert the feature amount into an estimated value of a behavior of a golf club head by substituting the feature amount into a conversion formula.