Golf ball
Golf balls including at least one modified dimple group are disclosed. The modified dimple group comprises one or more modified dimples forming an axially symmetric pattern about a Correction Area Centroid located on an axis of symmetry at a latitude greater than 0°, where 0° represents the hemispherical pole and 90° represents the equator. The modified dimples can be altered, for example, by changing dimple coverage, dimple diameter, dimple depth, dimple edge angle, dimple volume, dimple cross-sectional shape, and/or dimple plan shape. Optionally, the dimples have a catenary cross-sectional shape and the modified dimples are altered by changing the shape factor and/or chord depth. Such modifications preferably produce a golf ball that flies more consistently regardless of orientation when struck than a corresponding golf ball without such modifications.
1. A golf ball having dimples on the outermost surface thereof, wherein the dimples consist of:
a majority of unmodified dimples having the same edge angle, and
a plurality of modified dimples having an edge angle that is from 1° to 4° different than the edge angle of the unmodified dimples;
wherein the modified dimples are arranged in a plurality of modified dimple groups, each modified dimple group consisting of modified dimples forming an axially symmetric pattern about a different geometric center located on a non-polar axis of the ball;
wherein the golf ball consists of two hemispheres having identical dimple patterns, each hemisphere comprising at least three modified dimple groups; and
wherein each of the plurality of modified dimple groups consists of modified dimples having at least two different diameters.
2. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the axially symmetric pattern formed by each of the modified dimple groups is identical.
3. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein each modified dimple group includes at least three modified dimples.
4. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the difference in diameter between any two modified dimples on the golf ball is 0.100 inches or less.
5. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the average dimple diameter of all modified dimples on the golf ball is 0.165 inches or greater.
6. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the average dimple diameter of all modified dimples on the golf ball is 0.160 inches or less.
7. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein each modified dimple group can be circumscribed by a circle having a diameter of 0.800 inches or less.
8. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein each modified dimple group includes at least four modified dimples.
9. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein each modified dimple group includes at least five modified dimples.
10. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein each modified dimple group includes at least six modified dimples.
11. A golf ball having dimples on the outermost surface thereof, wherein the dimples consist of:
a majority of unmodified dimples having the same edge angle, and
a plurality of modified dimples having an edge angle that is from 1° to 4° different than the edge angle of the unmodified dimples;
wherein the modified dimples are arranged in a plurality of modified dimple groups, each modified dimple group consisting of modified dimples forming an axially symmetric pattern about a different geometric center located on a non-polar axis of the ball;
wherein the golf ball consists of two hemispheres having identical dimple patterns, each hemisphere consisting of three modified dimple groups; and
wherein the axially symmetric pattern formed by each of the modified dimple groups includes a modified dimple having a center that is coincident with the geometric center of the pattern.
12. The golf ball of claim 11 , wherein each modified dimple group includes at least three modified dimples.
13. The golf ball of claim 11 , wherein the geometric center of each modified dimple group is located on an axis of the ball located at a latitude angle of greater than 45°.
14. The golf ball of claim 11 , wherein the difference in diameter between any two modified dimples on the golf ball is 0.100 inches or less.
15. The golf ball of claim 11 , wherein the average dimple diameter of all modified dimples on the golf ball is 0.165 inches or greater.
16. The golf ball of claim 11 , wherein the average dimple diameter of all modified dimples on the golf ball is 0.160 inches or less.
17. The golf ball of claim 11 , wherein each modified dimple group can be circumscribed by a circle having a diameter of 0.800 inches or less.
18. The golf ball of claim 11 , wherein each modified dimple group includes at least four modified dimples.
19. The golf ball of claim 11 , wherein each modified dimple group includes at least five modified dimples.
20. The golf ball of claim 11 , wherein each modified dimple group includes at least six modified dimples.