Do you understand why average golfers should not play the same equipment as the pros? Probably, but I know that a lot of average golfers do not. How many times have you seen a 20+ handicapper playing “pro” or “tour” forged irons while hitting the most expensive balls they can find?

An Acushnet (aka Titleist) patent issued this week that does a nice job of explaining why golfers should select balls based upon the golf balls spin characteristics.

The spin rate of golf balls is the end result of many variables, one of which is the distribution of the density or specific gravity within the ball. Spin rate is an important characteristic of golf balls for both skilled and recreational golfers. High spin rate allows the more skilled players, such as PGA professionals and low handicapped players, to maximize control of the golf ball. A high spin rate golf ball is advantageous for an approach shot to the green. The ability to produce and control back spin to stop the ball on the green and side spin to draw or fade the ball substantially improves the player's control over the ball. Hence, the more skilled players generally prefer a golf ball that exhibits high spin rate.

On the other hand, recreational players who cannot intentionally control the spin of the ball generally do not prefer a high spin rate golf ball. For these players, slicing and hooking are the more immediate obstacles. When a club head strikes a ball, an unintentional side spin is often imparted to the ball, which sends the ball off its intended course. The side spin reduces the player's control over the ball, as well as the distance the ball will travel. A golf ball that spins less tends not to drift off-line erratically if the shot is not hit squarely off the club face. The low spin ball will not cure the hook or the slice, but will reduce the adverse effects of the side spin. Hence, recreational players prefer a golf ball that exhibits low spin rate.

So how are golf balls engineered to control the spin? One way is to control the weight distribution of the golf ball. Yet there are other ways (see here, or here).

The Acushnet patent that issued this week is USPN 7232384 titled “Perimeter Weighted Golf Ball.” The patent describes the invention as:

A perimeter weighted golf ball with a low compression core is provided. The core preferably comprises a diene polymer that has low cross-link density or not cross-linked with a reactive co-agent. This core has low compression and low specific gravity. The low specific gravity core is encased within a thin dense layer positioned outside of the centroid radius to provide the ball with a high moment of inertia. The same core can be encased within a plurality of intermediate layers having either increasing hardness or decreasing hardness to provide selective golf balls for either low swing speed players or advanced players. Alternatively, a thin layer of diene polymer highly cross-linked with reactive a co-agent may be incorporated into the ball to increase the hardness of the ball.

Isn’t golf technology great! Congratulations Acushnet.

Dave Dawsey - Monitoring Golf Ball Patents

PS – check out this prior post regarding high MOI golf balls

PPS – this is not the first Acushnet “perimeter weighted golf ball” patent, just check out USPN 6991563