Abstract: The present invention provides a golf ball having an outer surface with recessed and/or raised features thereon and having markings shaped as letters or figures formed on the outer surface. The markings are depressions of a substantially uniform depth from the outer surface and are characterized by (1) or (2) below: (1) letting S be the number of the depressions of a substantially uniform depth from the outer surface and N be the total number of dimples on the outer surface, the ratio S/N×100 is 100% or less; (2) the markings are circular or elliptical, or are polygonal. The aerodynamic performance of the golf ball is improved by arranging the depressions of substantially uniform depth evenly on the surface of the ball.

Abstract: The invention provides a golf ball composed of a core, a cover having a plurality of dimples on an outside surface thereof, and an intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover. The intermediate layer is formed of a highly neutralized resin material, and has a Shore D hardness below 50 and a thickness of at least 1.7 mm but not more than 6.0 mm. The cover and the intermediate layer have a difference in Shore D hardness therebetween (cover Shore D hardness?intermediate layer Shore D hardness) of from 13 to 35. The cover and the intermediate layer have a combined thickness greater than 3 mm. The ball as a whole has a deflection, when compressed under a final load of 130 kgf from an initial load of 10 kgf, of at least about 2.0 mm but not more than about 4.0 mm.

Abstract: The invention provides a golf ball composed of a core, a cover having a plurality of dimples on an outside surface thereof, and an intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover. The core has a deflection, when compressed under a final load of 130 kgf from an initial load of 10 kgf, of at least 3.0 mm but not more than 5.0 mm. The intermediate layer is formed of a highly neutralized resin material, and has a Shore D hardness of at least 40 but not more than 60 and a thickness of at least 1.7 mm but not more than 4.0 mm. The number of dimples is at least 272 but not more than 348. The golf ball, through a combination of dimples which do not cause a loss of lift in the low-velocity, low-spin rate region of the ball trajectory and a low-spin construction, travels farther and is therefore beneficial for competitive use by both skilled and amateur golfers.

Abstract: The invention provides a golf ball that is molded using a golf ball mold composed of a pair of mold halves, each having a hemispherical cavity, which when separably mated form an interior spherical cavity, the golf ball comprising a surface that includes an equator located at a place which corresponds to the parting line of the mold and a pole located at each of two vertices on either side of the equator, wherein the ball has on the surface thereof one or more dimple that lies across the equator and additionally has, at and near the poles, dimples some or all of which are formed to either a shallower depth or a smaller volume than dimples of the same diameter in other regions. The invention enables golf balls having numerous dimples formed thereon to be efficiently produced with a split mold. The golf balls thus obtained have a high symmetry performance.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a golf ball having on its surface a number of dimples and a number of edges separating dimples from each other, wherein the edges are formed from a plurality of edge elements joined together such that some of the joining parts of the edge elements assume a smoothly curved shape as viewed from above. The golf ball has improved aerodynamic performance due to dimples and achieves a long flying distance.

Abstract: A golf ball includes a multiplicity of dimples on a spherical surface of the golf ball. The dimples are rotation-symmetric of a specific angle about a rotational axis which connects both poles of the golf ball to each other while passing through the center of an equatorial plane of the golf ball, and any great circle line not crossing any one of the dimples is not present on the spherical surface of the golf ball. The golf ball is excellent in flight distance and flight uniformity.

Abstract: The invention provides a golf ball having a surface on which are formed a plurality of dimples having a circular outer edge that defines the dimple contour. Each dimple has formed therein, near a portion inside the dimple, a raised region with a circular edge, and also has formed therein, between the circular edge of the raised region and the circular outer edge of the dimple, a ring-like wall having a curved cross-sectional shape. The raised region has a top face which is substantially flat, and a height which is at most 60% of the dimple depth from the circular outer edge to the deepest position on the ring-like wall. In this golf ball, the distance of travel can be increased due to an air resistance-decreasing effect and a lift-maintaining effect.

Abstract: In a golf ball, a plurality of flat surface regions, typically hexagonal plane regions are defined on the ball surface. The proportion of the land area in the golf ball surface area is reduced to below 20%, eventually reducing the air resistance of the ball in flight and drastically improving the flight performance.

Abstract: The invention provides a golf ball composed of a core, a cover, and an intermediate layer between the core and the cover, which ball has a surface with a plurality of non-circular dimples thereon. The cover is harder than the intermediate layer. The ball surface has land areas with intervals therebetween of from 0.05 to 1.0 mm, the lands having outer surfaces that define an outermost peripheral face of the ball. The non-circular dimples have non-circular inside corners that are curved. The ball satisfies conditions (I) to (IV) below: (I) (core initial velocity)?(ball initial velocity)?0; (II) 0.87?(deflection of intermediate layer-covered sphere)/(core deflection)?0.97; (III) combined thickness of intermediate layer and cover?3.0 mm; and (IV) (ball deflection)/(deflection of intermediate layer-covered sphere)?0.98. The golf ball of the invention has an increased distance and a stable flight performance.

Abstract: In a golf ball having, on a spherical surface, numerous dimples in a plurality of types of differing diameter, the dimples include smallest size dimples having a diameter of 2.7 mm or less and largest size dimples having a diameter of 4.3 mm or less. At least 50% of the total number of dimples are dimples in which an arc that connects mutually opposing positions on a wall of the dimple at a 70% dimple depth level with a deepest position on the dimple wall has a radius of curvature R of at least 15 mm.

Abstract: A ballistic trajectory method for a golf ball is disclosed wherein a ballistic trajectory of a golf ball having a plurality of dimples formed on the surface thereof when the golf ball is hit to fly at an arbitrary number of rotations and an arbitrary initial speed can be estimated and ballistic trajectory and flight characteristics of the golf ball can be evaluated without depending upon experimental evaluation which is based on an actual model thereby to allow a golf ball to be developed efficiently. The ballistic trajectory of the golf ball when the golf ball is hit to fly is estimated by successively calculating the flight distance and the height of the ball after every lapse of a very short period of time after the ball is hit to fly until it drops to the ground making use of arithmetic operation by a computer.

Abstract: The invention provides a golf ball composed of a core, a cover, and an intermediate layer between the core and the cover, which ball has a surface with a plurality of non-circular dimples thereon. The cover is harder than the intermediate layer. The ball surface has land areas with intervals therebetween of from 0.05 to 1.0 mm, the lands having outer surfaces that define an outermost peripheral face of the ball. The non-circular dimples have non-circular inside corners that are curved. The ball satisfies conditions (I) to (IV) below: (I) (core initial velocity)?(ball initial velocity)?0; (II) 0.87?(deflection of intermediate layer-covered sphere)/(core deflection)?0.97; (III) combined thickness of intermediate layer and cover?3.0 mm; and (IV) (ball deflection)/(deflection of intermediate layer-covered sphere)?0.98. The golf ball of the invention has an increased distance and a stable flight performance.

Abstract: The invention provides a golf ball that is molded using a golf ball mold composed of a pair of mold halves, each having a hemispherical cavity, which when separably mated form an interior spherical cavity, the golf ball comprising a surface that includes an equator located at a place which corresponds to the parting line of the mold and a pole located at each of two vertices on either side of the equator, wherein the ball has on the surface thereof one or more dimple that lies across the equator and additionally has, at and near the poles, dimples some or all of which are formed to either a shallower depth or a smaller volume than dimples of the same diameter in other regions. The invention enables golf balls having numerous dimples formed thereon to be efficiently produced with a split mold. The golf balls thus obtained have a high symmetry performance.

Abstract: The invention provides a golf ball with a ball surface having a plurality of non-circular dimples thereon, wherein mutually neighboring dimples have contour lines therebetween which are arranged so as to be substantially parallel and are separated by an interval of 0.05 to 1.0 mm, land areas defined by the substantially parallel contour lines have an outer surface which forms the outermost peripheral face of the ball, and the non-circular dimples have a non-circular shape with inside angles that are curved. This arrangement endows the ball with a distinctive, aesthetically pleasing appearance on account of the dimple pattern composed largely of non-circular dimples. Moreover, even though numerous non-circular dimples are arranged on the surface of the ball, the high surface coverage and air resistance-lowering effect enable the distance traveled by the ball to be increased.

Abstract: In a golf ball composed of a resilient solid core and a resin cover which encloses the core and has on an outside surface thereof numerous circular dimples, the cover has a maximum thickness of 0.5 to 1.5 mm and is made of a polyurethane elastomer having a Shore D hardness of 40 to 58; the total number of dimples on the cover is from 390 to 420, of which 40 to 80 are small-diameter dimples with a diameter of 2.0 to 2.7 mm; and the dimples are arranged so that total planar surfaces circumscribed by dimple edges which delineate boundaries between individual dimples and surrounding land areas that form an outermost surface of the ball account for 74 to 84% to an imaginary sphere defined by the surface of the ball having no dimples thereon. The golf ball of the invention does not readily lose lift even near the highest point in the trajectory of the ball when it has been hit, and thus can beneficially increase the distance of travel.

Abstract: A golf ball has a spherical surface bearing a plurality of plan view circular dimples and plan view non-circular dimples, which non-circular dimples have at a top edge position a contour length of at least 20 mm and account for at most 10% of all the dimples. The ball has a surface with a novel and unique aesthetic appearance, and exhibits an excellent flight performance.

Abstract: A multi-piece solid golf ball is composed of a multilayer core having at least an inner core layer and an outer core layer, one or more cover layer which encloses the core, and numerous dimples formed on a surface of the cover layer. The golf ball is characterized in that at least one cover layer is made primarily of an ionomer resin, the following hardness conditions (1) to (3) are satisfied: (JIS-C hardness of cover)?(JIS-C hardness at center of core)?27, ??(1) 23?(JIS-C hardness at surface of core)?(JIS-C hardness at center of core)?40, and ??(2) 0.50?[(deflection amount of entire core)/(deflection amount of inner core layer)]?0.75, ??(3) the number of dimples is from 250 to 390 dimples, and the ball has an initial velocity of at least 76.8 m/s. These features enable the ball to travel a longer distance.

Abstract: A golf ball has a plurality of linearly or curvilinearly extending ridge-like lands on its spherical surface. The percent occupation of the total of land areas relative to the overall area of a phantom spherical surface assumed at the level of the top of lands can be reduced to substantially zero.

Abstract: A solid golf ball is composed of a solid core and a cover of one or more layers which encloses the core and has on a surface thereof numerous dimples. The solid core has a diameter of 38.7 to 39.6 mm and a deflection hardness of 3.0 to 4.0 mm. The cover has a Shore D hardness of 59 to 70 and has 313 to 371 dimples formed thereon. The ball has an initial velocity of at least 76.8 m/s, a coefficient of lift (CL) when hit of at least 0.165 at a Reynolds number of 70,000 and a spin rate of 2,000 rpm, and a coefficient of drag (CD) when hit of not more than 0.230 at a Reynolds number of 180,000 and a spin rate of 2,520 rpm. The golf ball has a carry which is long enough to make the ball advantageous for competitive play, in addition to which it has a good feel when hit and excellent durability to cracking with repeated impact.

Abstract: A golf ball has a plurality of polygonal dimples, each with an interior wall that includes areas formed by a plurality of flat surfaces. The ball retains a good carry without a decline in flight performance. In addition, the many novel and distinctive dimples formed on the surface of the ball cause it to glitter from the irregular reflection of light by the dimples, imparting to the ball an attractive appearance that makes it highly desirable to the consumer.