Transcript Titleist Golf Balls - Kansas State University

Titleist Golf Balls
Presentation By:
Steven Copp
Nathan Hands
Why Golf Balls
In 2004, sports equipment sales topped
$14 billion.
Golf equipment had the largest portion
of these sales, equaling $2.42 billion.
(Dr. Noble’s notes)
Golf ball sales topped $504 million in
2004 (USA Today)
Why Titleist Golf Balls
Titleist calls itself the #1 ball in golf, their right.
In 2004, Titleist accounted for 132 worldwide tour
wins, 100 more than their nearest competitor
Titlesit has accounted for an average of 45% of
the market over the past few years
Charts: Chris O'Riley, Golf Digest
Organization & Purpose
Overview of the history of the golf ball
Describe and compare the 2005 Titleist product line based
on technology, cost, and type of golfer ball is designed for
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Pro V1x
Pro V1
NXT Tour
NXT
DT SoLo
Review of Research
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Golf Digest Hot List
Robot Test
Golf Balls 101 Ratings
Selecting the Right Ball
History of Golf Balls
Feathery Cube
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1618 – The “featherie” replaced the original wood ball. This
leather-covered ball stuffed with goose or chicken feathers.
was expensive and fragile and used for almost four
centuries.
The Gutta-Percha
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1848 - The first "Gutta" ball created. Gutta-percha is the
evaporated milky juice or latex produced from a tree and
was rolled into a sphere
The Hand Hammered Gutta
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Created by hammering the softened gutta-perched ball with
a sharp edged hammer to give the ball an even pattern of
“nicks” that greatly improved its play. Later, iron molds or ball
presses were used to create markings on the ball.
History of Golf Balls
The Bramble
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The most popular pattern of the gutta-era and was also
used on some early rubber balls.
The Rubber Ball
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1898 - featured rubber thread wound around a solid
rubber core. Early gutta-percha gave way to the Balata
cover that was developed in the early 1900’s. A variety of
dimple patterns gave way to the aerodynamically
superior dimple pattern first
used in 1908.
The Modern Ball
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1932 - standardized weight maximum of 1.620 oz.and
diameter minimum of 1.680 in. was established by the
USGA. A max initial velocity of 250 feet/second
was added later.
History of Golf Balls
Switch From Wound to Solid Core
Early 90’s - balls had either small solid
rubber center or liquid filled rubber center
wound with thread
 Late 90’s - Solid core 2-piece and
eventually 3-piece balls were introduced,
popularity grew rapidly
 2005, not a single golf ball
manufacturer included a wound
ball in their product offerings
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Pro V1x
Inner Core
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Material: Polybutadiene
Type: Solid
Casing
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Material: Ionomer
Thickness: .035”
Cover
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Composition: Urethane Elastomer
Thickness: .030”
Dimples
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Shape: Spherical
Pattern: Icosahedron
Total number: 332
Number of types: 7
Pro V1x
Core
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Soft, high velocity dual core for lower spin
and greater control
Ionomer casing layer
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High velocity and low spin for long distance
Urethane elastomer
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High performance cover for improved control with
full iron shots
Tour level ball that is only designed for a very
fast and powerful swing (105-120mph)
MSRP: $58/dozen, Golf USA: $45/dozen
Pro V1
Inner Core
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Material: Polybutadiene
Type: Solid
Diameter: 1.530”
Casing
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Material: Ionomer
Thickness: .045”
Cover
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Composition: Urethane Elastomer
Thickness: .030”
Dimples
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Shape: Spherical
Pattern: Icosahedron
Total number: 392
Number of types: 5
Pro V1
Core
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Soft for outstanding feel
Ionomer casing layer
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Lower driver spin for longer distance
Urethane elastomer cover
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High performance, soft, and thin cover for drop-andstop greenside control
Tour quality and should be used by experienced
players with a tour level swing speed (105-120
mph)
MSRP: $58/dozen, Golf USA: $45/dozen
NXT Tour
Inner Core
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Material: Polybutadiene
Type: Solid
Outer Core
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Material: Polybutadiene
Diameter: 1.580”
Cover
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Composition: Soft Fusablend
Thickness: .050”
Dimples
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Shape: Spherical
Pattern: Icosahedron
Total number: 392
Number of types: 5
NXT Tour
Dual core
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Large core provides more speed at a softer
compression.
Faster, softer core lowers the spin and results in
longer distance.
Fusablend Cover
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Soft cover provides more short game spin and
control into the green
Durable
Good ball for experienced players
MSRP: $36/dozen, Golf USA: $27/dozen
NXT
Core
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Material: Polybutadiene
Diameter: 1.550”
Cover
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Composition: Fusablend
Thickness: .065”
Dimples
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Shape: Spherical
Pattern: Icosahedron
Total number: 392
Number of types: 5
NXT
Core
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Provides more speed and lower spin at a
softer compression
Fusablend cover
Soft feel
 Durable
Can suit any player in all aspects of the game
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MSRP: $36/dozen, Golf USA: $26/dozen
DT SoLo
Core
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Material: Polybutadiene
Diameter: 1.550”
Cover
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Composition: Na/Zn Suryln
Thickness: .065”
Dimples
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Shape: Spherical
Pattern: Icosahedron
Total number: 392
Number of types: 5
DT SoLo
Core
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Soft compression gives soft fell on all shots
High velocity
Lower driver spin for longer distance
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Low spin helps minimize unintentional hook and slice
Longer drives for low and moderate swing
speeds
Surlyn cover
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Soft feel
Durable (guaranteed cut-proof)
Suitable for all players especially
beginners who have trouble with
straight shots.
MSRP $28/dozen, Golf USA: $22/dozen
Tour Performance - Balls generally have more technology
and cost more. Balls that have multilayer technology designed
to optimize performance off the tee and around the green for
low handicap players.
Value Performance - Simpler design when compared to
performance balls and are the best bargain for average golfers.
They give you distance and ball-flight benefits that can help
the mid- to high-handicapper navigate the golf course.
Tour
Performance
Titleist Pro V1/Pro
V1x
Score: 100.0.
• What THE JUDGES
say: “Constitute
everything a golf ball
can be (provided you
are not a low-speed,
low-spin player). Their
supremacy in the
marketplace begins
with their command of
the technology. Under
any system of
evaluation, it cannot
be beat.”
Value
Performance
Titleist NXT/NXT Tour
Score: 100.0.
• What THE JUDGES
say: "Depending on
your skill level, these
low-spinning balls might
offer more scoring
potential than their big
brother for much less
cash. This is plenty of
ball for people who work
for a living. What do you
give up by playing this
ball? Nothing, other
than the ability to spin
that half-wedge from 40
yards."
Robot Test
A robot test conducted at Golf Laboratories in San
Diego, suggested that there are some subtle
differences between multilayer (Pro V1/V1x), two
piece performance (NXT/NXT Tour) and two piece low
compression balls.
Driver swung at an average swing speed (90 miles per
hour) produced similar distances and spin (revolutions
per minute)
8-iron swung at average speed (78 mph) produced
similar distances as well, however it produced more
spin in the multilayer and two-piece performance ball.
Half-wedge shot produced significantly more spin in
the multilayer ball than the two-piece models.
Ratings by Golf Balls 101
Distance
Loft
Spin
Durability
Price
Pro V1x
E
E
E
E
P
Pro V1
E
E
G
E
P
NXT Tour
E
E
F
G
F
NXT
G
G
F
G
F
DT SoLo
G
G
F
G
G
E – Excellent; G – Good; F – Fair; P - Poor
Selecting the Right Ball
Why do you play golf?
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What is your price range
What kind of a player are you
High/low handicap
 High, moderate, or low swing speed
 How much do you spin the ball
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Questions?