US 5,104,126 · Granted 1992-04-14
The Golf Ball That Mimics a Wound Ball's Flight Without the Winding
A golf ball made of solid pieces instead of wound yarn can still fly like an expensive traditional ball. The secret is layering materials—a dense core wrapped in soft, bouncy rubber, plus a specially designed dimple pattern that controls how air pushes on it during flight.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a multi-piece golf ball structure with three key components: a dense center core (specific gravity of at least 1.25), a low-density elastic rubber layer bonded directly around that core, and a patterned surface dimple design. What's protected here is the specific combination of these materials and the aerodynamic dimple structure that allows a molded ball to perform like a traditionally wound ball.
Why it matters
For decades, premium golf balls were wound—layers of elastic thread wrapped around a center, a labor-intensive and expensive process. This patent solved a manufacturing problem: how to produce a golf ball with similar flight characteristics using cheaper molded-piece construction. That matters because it could lower costs for manufacturers and eventually for golfers, while maintaining the performance players expect from top-tier equipment.
Real-world use
Every golfer who buys an affordable multi-layer golf ball at a sporting goods store is probably using technology descended from designs like this one—balls engineered to soar and curve like premium wound balls but made faster and cheaper.
Original USPTO abstract
A multi-piece molded golf ball which closely duplicates the aerodynamic characteristics of a top grade wound type golf ball. The ball comprises a dense center having a minimum specific gravity of 1.25; a molded encapsulating mass surrounding the center, wherein the material in contact with the center is further characterized as a low density resilient synthetic elastomer composition; and a patterned surface contouring of predetermined structure, contained within the outer surface of the golf ball.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 5,104,126
- Filing date
- 1991-07-08
- Grant date
- 1992-04-14
- Assignee
- Gentiluomo Joseph A
- Inventor(s)
- GENTILUOMO; JOSEPH A.
- CPC class
- B29D99/0042
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