Abstract: A golf ball including a core and a cover layer, wherein the golf ball has a weight of about 1.39 oz to about 1.62 oz, and at a Reynolds number of about 207,000 and a non-dimensional spin ratio of about 0.095, the golf ball has a lift-to-weight ratio of greater than about 1.7 and a drag-to-weight ratio of greater than about 2.7.

Abstract: A golf ball comprising a core and a cover layer surrounding the core, where at least one of the core and the cover layer includes a polymer composition of a highly neutralized acid polymer and a sugar ester HLB modifier such that the sugar ester HLB modifier is present from about 15 wt % to about 40 wt % of the polymer composition.

Abstract: A golf ball including an inner core layer formed from a thermoset rubber composition and having a first surface hardness; a thermoplastic outer core layer having a second surface hardness, an inner surface hardness, and being formed from a copolymer of ethylene and an ?,?-unsaturated carboxylic acid, an organic acid or salt thereof, and sufficient cation source to fully-neutralize the acid groups of the copolymer; an inner cover layer; and an outer cover layer; wherein the first surface hardness is less than the second surface hardness by at least 5 Shore C and less than the inner surface hardness by at least 5 Shore C.

Abstract: A golf ball including a unitary core having a volume, an outer surface, a geometric center, and an outermost transition volume adjacent to the outer surface, the core being formed from a substantially homogenous composition; and a cover layer including ionomer, metallocene-catalyzed polymer, polyester, polyamide, non-ionomeric thermoplastic elastomer, copolyether-ester, copolyether-amide, polycarbonate, polybutadiene, polyisoprene, or polystyrene block copolymer. The outermost transition volume is disposed between the core outer surface and the geometric center, the transition volume has an outer portion congruent with the core outer surface, and comprises the outermost 45% of the core volume or less. Both a hardness of the core outer surface and a hardness within the outermost transition volume are less than the hardness of the geometric center to define a negative hardness gradient.

Abstract: A golf ball comprising a thermoplastic inner core layer that has a geometric center hardness greater than its surface hardness to define a “negative” hardness gradient. An outer core layer is disposed about the inner core and is formed from a substantially homogenous thermoset composition, typically rubber, and has an inner surface hardness substantially less than its outer surface hardness to define a “positive” hardness gradient. An inner cover layer is disposed about the outer core layer and an outer cover layer is disposed about the inner cover layer.

Abstract: A golf ball comprising an inner core having an outer surface and a geometric center and being formed from a substantially homogenous composition such that the geometric center has a hardness of 56 to 80 Shore C and the outer surface has a hardness of 50 to 75 Shore C. An outer core layer is disposed about the inner core and has an outer surface having a hardness of 85 to 98 Shore C and an inner surface having a hardness of 68 to 78 Shore C and being formed from a second substantially homogenous rubber composition. A cover layer is disposed about the outer core layer. The hardness of the second outer surface is greater than the hardness of the inner surface to define a positive hardness gradient of +7 to +30 Shore C, and the hardness of the first outer surface is lower than the hardness of the geometric center to define a negative hardness gradient of ?1 to ?15 Shore C.

Abstract: A golf ball comprising a thermoplastic inner core layer that has a geometric center hardness greater than its surface hardness to define a “negative” hardness gradient. An outer core layer is disposed about the inner core and is formed from a substantially homogenous thermoset composition, typically rubber, and has an inner surface hardness less than its outer surface hardness to define a “positive” hardness gradient. An inner cover layer is disposed about the outer core layer and an outer cover layer is disposed about the inner cover layer. The “negative” hardness gradient of the inner core is typically ?1 to ?5 Shore C and the “positive” hardness gradient of the core layer is less than 25 Shore C points. The difference between the inner core surface hardness and the outer core inner surface hardness, ?h, should be less than 25 Shore C points.

Abstract: A golf ball comprising a thermoplastic inner core layer that has a geometric center hardness greater than its surface hardness to define a first “negative” hardness gradient. An outer core layer is disposed about the inner core and is formed from a substantially homogenous thermoset composition, typically rubber, and has an inner surface hardness greater than its outer surface hardness to also define a “negative” hardness gradient. An inner cover layer is disposed about the outer core layer and an outer cover layer is disposed about the inner cover layer. The “negative” hardness gradient of the inner core is typically ?1 to ?5 Shore C and the “negative” hardness gradient of the core layer is typically at least ?1 Shore C but less than ?7 Shore C. The difference between the inner core surface hardness and the outer core inner surface hardness, ?h, should be at least ?3 Shore C.

Abstract: A golf ball comprising a thermoplastic core having an outer diameter of 1.51 inches to 1.59 inches and having an outer surface and a geometric center, each having a hardness; an outer cover layer; and an inner cover layer disposed between the core and the outer cover layer; wherein the thermoplastic core has been exposed to a gradient-initiating solution comprising a silane having the formula: wherein R? is a non-hydrolysable organofunctional group, X is a hydrolysable group, and n is 0-24, such that the hardness of the outer surface is greater than the hardness of the geometric center to define a positive hardness gradient of 5 Shore C or greater.

Abstract: A method of making a golf ball including the steps of providing a preform including an uncured polybutadiene composition; coating the preform with a cure-altering material including a hydroquinone compound, a benzoquinone compound, a resorcinol compound, or a quinhydrone compound; curing the coated preform at a predetermined temperature to form a crosslinked golf ball core having an outer surface having a first hardness and a geometric center having a second hardness greater than the first to define a negative hardness gradient; and forming a cover layer about the core to form the golf ball.

Abstract: A golf ball including a core and a cover layer, wherein the golf ball has a weight of about 1.39 oz to about 1.62 oz, and at a Reynolds number of about 138,000 and a non-dimensional spin ratio of about 0.142, the golf ball has a lift-to-weight ratio of greater than about 0.9 and a drag-to-weight ratio of greater than about 1.2.

Abstract: A golf ball comprising an inner core having an outer surface and a geometric center and being formed from a substantially homogenous rubber composition, the rubber composition comprising a base rubber and a resorcinol such that the geometric center has a hardness of 40 to 60 Shore C and the outer surface has a hardness of 70 to 95 Shore C. An outer core layer is disposed about the inner core and has an outer surface having a hardness of 50 to 75 Shore C, an inner surface having a hardness of 51 to 76 Shore C, and is formed from a substantially homogenous composition. A cover layer is disposed about the outer core layer. The hardness of the inner core outer surface is greater than the hardness of the geometric center to define a positive hardness gradient of greater than 20 Shore C, and the hardness of the outer core outer surface is lower than the hardness of its inner surface to define a negative hardness gradient of ?1 to ?5 Shore C.

Abstract: A golf ball including a core and a cover layer, wherein the golf ball has a lift to weight ratio greater than about 1.7 at a Reynolds number of about 207,000 and a non-dimensional spin ratio of about 0.095, a COR of 0.790 or less, and a weight of about 1.39 to 1.62 oz; and wherein the cover layer has an outer surface including dimples covering 55% to 75% of the outer surface.

Abstract: A golf ball including a core and a cover layer, wherein the golf ball has a weight of about 1.39 oz to about 1.62 oz, and at a Reynolds number of about 207,000 and a non-dimensional spin ratio of about 0.095, the golf ball has a lift-to-weight ratio of greater than about 1.7 and a drag-to-weight ratio of greater than about 2.4.

Abstract: A golf ball includes an inner core having a first outer surface and a geometric center and being formed from a first substantially homogenous composition such that the inner core has a hardness of about 60 Shore C to about 90 Shore C; an intermediate layer disposed about the inner core and being formed from a second substantially homogenous rubber-based composition such that the outer core layer has a hardness of about 20 Shore D to about 80 Shore D; and a cover layer disposed about the intermediate layer. A hardness of the first outer surface is 61 Shore C to 83 Shore C and is lower than a hardness of the geometric center to define a negative hardness gradient having a magnitude of up to ?10.

Abstract: A golf ball includes an inner core having a first outer surface and a center formed from a homogenous composition such that the inner core has a hardness of 40 to 80 Shore C; an outer core layer disposed about the inner core having a second outer surface and an inner surface, formed from a homogenous composition such that the outer core layer has a hardness of 60 to 90 Shore C; and a cover layer including at least two layers. The center, first and second outer surfaces, and inner surface each have a hardness, the first outer surface hardness being lower than the center hardness to define a negative hardness gradient, and the second outer surface hardness being greater than the inner surface hardness by 10 to 20 Shore C to define a positive hardness gradient.

Abstract: A golf ball including a core and a cover layer, wherein the golf ball has a weight of about 1.39 oz to about 1.62 oz, and at a Reynolds number of about 184,000 and a non-dimensional spin ratio of about 0.106, the golf ball has a lift-to-weight ratio of greater than about 1.4 and a drag-to-weight ratio of greater than about 2.0.

Abstract: A golf ball comprising a thermoplastic inner core layer that has a geometric center hardness greater than its surface hardness to define a “negative” hardness gradient. An outer core layer is disposed about the inner core and is formed from a substantially homogenous thermoset composition, typically rubber, and has an inner surface hardness substantially less than its outer surface hardness to define a “positive” hardness gradient. An inner cover layer is disposed about the outer core layer and an outer cover layer is disposed about the inner cover layer. The “negative” hardness gradient of the inner core is typically ?1 to ?5 Shore C and the “positive” hardness gradient of the core layer is typically at least 25 Shore C. The difference between the inner core surface hardness and the outer core inner surface hardness, ?h, should be at least 25 Shore C.

Abstract: A golf ball including a core and a cover layer, wherein the golf ball has a weight of about 1.39 oz to about 1.62 oz, and at a Reynolds number of about 161,000 and a non-dimensional spin ratio of about 0.122, the golf ball has a lift-to-weight ratio of greater than about 1.2 and a drag-to-weight ratio of greater than about 1.5.

Abstract: A golf ball including a core and a cover layer, wherein the golf ball has a weight of about 1.39 oz to about 1.62 oz, and at a Reynolds number of about 230,000 and a non-dimensional spin ratio of about 0.085, the golf ball has a lift-to-weight ratio of greater than about 1.9 and a drag-to-weight ratio of greater than about 3.0.