1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to three-piece solid golf balls comprising a center core, an intermediate layer, and a cover and more particularly, to three-piece solid golf balls which are improved in feeling on impact, controllability, and durability.
2. Prior Art
Among a variety of golf balls, thread-wound golf balls and solid golf balls are now popular. The solid golf balls are currently increasing to be a mainstream product. Among them, two-piece solid golf balls consisting of a core and a cover are most widespread.
Most amateur golfers are fond of two-piece solid golf balls which have excellent flying performance and durability although these balls have the disadvantages of a very hard feel on hitting and low control due to rapid ball separation on hitting. For this reason, many of professional golfers and skilled amateur golfers who impose weight on feeling and control prefer wound golf balls, especially wound golf balls using a soft balata cover, to two-piece solid golf balls. The wound golf balls are superior in feeling and control, but inferior in flying distance and durability to the two-piece solid golf balls.
Under the present situation that two-piece solid golf balls and wound golf balls have contradictory characteristics as mentioned above, players make a choice of golf balls depending on their own skill and taste.
In order to develop solid golf balls having a hitting feel approximate to the wound golf balls, two-piece solid golf balls of the soft type have been considered. For such two-piece solid golf balls of the soft type, soft cores must be used. If the cores are soft, however, repulsion becomes low with a concomitant loss of flying performance and durability is considerably deteriorated. That is, the superior flying performance and durability which are a characteristic of two-piece solid golf balls are lost, and in an extreme case, the balls become unacceptable for practical use.
Controllability, which is required even on full shots with drivers, is most important on control shots like approach shots. In an exemplary situation that the next shot should fly beyond the bunker and a short distance from the green edge to the cup, the player who is either professional or amateur will naturally wish to hit a ball with a minimal run. Such controllability of a golf ball largely depends on spin properties.
On a full shot with a club having a relatively large loft, the club loft is dominant to that the ball itself so that almost all balls are given an appropriate amount of spin and few balls overrun. However, on a approach shot over a short distance of 30 or 50 yards, balls will significantly vary in run or controllability. The major factor causing such a difference is not a basic structure, but the identity of cover material. In two-piece solid golf balls, however, covers made of soft material are effective for improving controllability, but detrimental for gaining flying distance.