LOW LIFT GOLF BALL
A golf ball having a plurality of dimples formed on its outer surface, the outer surface of the golf ball being divided into plural areas, a first group of areas containing a plurality of first dimples and a second group of areas containing a plurality of second dimples, each area of the second group abutting one or more areas of the first group, the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions being configured such that the golf ball is spherically symmetrical as defined by the United States Golf Association (USGA) Symmetry Rules, and such that the golf ball exhibits a lift coefficient (CL) of less than about 0.275 over a range of Reynolds Number (Re) from about 120,000 to about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
1 . A golf ball having a plurality of dimples formed on its outer surface, the outer surface of the golf ball being divided into plural areas, a first group of areas containing a plurality of first dimples and a second group of areas containing a plurality of second dimples, each area of the second group abutting one or more areas of the first group, the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions being configured such that the golf ball is spherically symmetrical as defined by the United States Golf Association (USGA) Symmetry Rules, and such that the golf ball exhibits a lift coefficient (CL) of less than about 0.275 over a range of Reynolds Number (Re) from about 120,000 to about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
2 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CL of less than about 0.270 over a range of Re from about 120,000 to about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
3 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CL of less than about 0.255 over a range of Re from about 120,000 to about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
4 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CL of less than about 0.260 over a range of Re from about 130,000 to about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
5 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CL of less than about 0.255 over a range of Re from about 130,000 to about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
6 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CL of less than about 0.240 over a range of Re from about 130,000 to about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
7 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CL of less than about 0.250 over a range of Re from about 140,000 to about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
8 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CL of less than about 0.240 over a range of Re from about 140,000 to about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
9 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CL of less than about 0.226 over a range of Re from about 140,000 to about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
10 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CL of less than about 0.240 over a range of Re from about 150,000 to about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
11 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CL of less than about 0.227 over a range of Re from about 150,000 to about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
12 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CL of less than about 0.213 over a range of Re from about 150,000 to about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
13 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CL of less than about 0.225 over a range of Re from about 160,000 to about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
14 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CL of less than about 0.215 over a range of Re from about 160,000 to about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
15 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CL of less than about 0.202 over a range of Re from about 160,000 to about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
16 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CL of less than about 0.211 over a range of Re from about 170,000 to about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
17 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CL of less than about 0.202 over a range of Re from about 170,000 to about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
18 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CL of less than about 0.190 over a range of Re from about 170,000 to about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
19 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CL of less than about 0.200 at a Re of about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
20 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CL of less than about 0.192 at a Re of about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
21 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CL of less than about 0.181 at a Re of about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,500 rpm.
22 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the areas in the first group are of different shape from the areas in the second group.
23 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the areas are arranged to form a spherical polyhedron.
24 . The golf ball of claim 23 , wherein the areas of the first group are triangular and the areas of the second group are square.
25 . The golf ball of claim 24 , wherein the areas together form a cuboctahedral shape.
26 . The golf ball of claim 24 , wherein the first dimples are of smaller diameter than the second dimples.
27 . The golf ball of claim 26 wherein the first dimples are of deeper depth than the second dimples.
28 . The golf ball of claim 24 wherein each triangular shape area borders at least one square shape area.
29 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein some of the dimples are spherical and some are truncated.
30 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein each area contains the same number of dimples.
31 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface has a total of 504 dimples.
32 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the dimples in each area are of at least two different sizes.
33 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the dimple radius in the first areas is in the range from about 0.05 to about 0.06 inches.
34 . The golf ball of claim 33 wherein the dimple radius in the second areas is in the range from about 0.075 to about 0.095 inches.
35 . The golf ball of claim 33 wherein the dimple chord depth in the first areas is in the range from about 0.0075 to about 0.01 inches.
36 . The golf ball of claim 35 wherein the dimple chord depth in the second areas is in the range from about 0.0035 to about 0.008 inches.
37 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the areas together form a spherical polyhedron shape selected from the group consisting of cuboctahedron, truncated tetrahedron, truncated cube, truncated octahedron, truncated dodecahedron, truncated icosahedron, truncated icosahedron, truncated cuboctahedron, icosidodecahedron, rhombicuboctahedron, rhombicosidodecahedron, rhombitruncated cuboctahedron, rhombitruncated icosidodecahedron, snub cube, snub dodecahedron, cube, dodecahedron, hexahedron, icosahedron, octahedron, and tetrahedron.
38 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface is divided into at least four areas of dimples.
39 . The golf ball of claim 38 wherein the outer surface is divided into a plurality of areas of dimples in the range from four to thirty two areas of dimples.
40 . The golf ball of claim 39 wherein the areas are of the same shape.
41 . The golf ball of claim 39 , wherein the areas are of at least two different shapes.
42 . The golf ball of claim 39 , wherein the areas are of three different shapes.
43 . The golf ball of claim 40 , wherein the areas include at least two different shapes selected from triangles, squares, pentagons, hexagons, octagons, and decagons.