Golf Balls and Other Game Balls Having Improved Launch Monitor or Motion Tracking Visibility

Abstract

A ball having enhanced visibility to video camera- or radar-based launch monitoring and/or tracking systems includes a core, an intermediate layer, a cover or outer surface having a reflective material incorporated therein or applied thereto. The reflective material may be retro-reflective crystals, reflective metal, a conductive polymer, or a reflective coating. The reflective material may be added to an ink used to print indicia on the ball, or incorporated into a paint or other coating applied to the ball. The reflective material may be applied during manufacture of a ball, or existing balls may be retrofitted to contain a reflective material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf ball, comprising:
 a golf ball interior structure;   a cover surrounding the golf ball interior structure and including a plurality of dimples;   a finish material provided over at least a portion of an exterior of the cover; and   a reflection system incorporated into a base material of at least one of the cover or the finish material, wherein the reflection system includes at least one member selected from the group consisting of: reflective metal material or retro-reflective crystals dispersed within the base material, wherein the reflection system is exposed over no more than 4.5% of an exterior surface of the golf ball;   wherein the golf ball reflects at least 5% more incident radiation during flight from a golf club than a comparative golf ball and does not include the reflective metal material or retro-reflective crystals but is otherwise the same as the golf ball.   
     
     
         2 . The golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein the incident radiation is radio wave radiation. 
     
     
         3 . The golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein the incident radiation is incident radiation emitted from a system tracking the flight of the golf ball. 
     
     
         4 . The golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein the incident radiation is radiation with a frequency in the range of about 10.514 GHz to about 10.536 GHz. 
     
     
         5 . The golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein the reflective metal material comprises silver particles with an average particle size of at least 50 μm. 
     
     
         6 . The golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein the golf ball reflects at least 25% more incident radiation during flight from a golf club than the comparative golf ball. 
     
     
         7 . The golf ball according to  claim 6 , wherein the golf ball reflects at least 50% more incident radiation during flight from a golf club than the comparative golf ball. 
     
     
         8 . The golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein the reflection system is asymmetrically exposed over only a localized portion of the exterior surface of the golf ball. 
     
     
         9 . The golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein the finish material is an ink. 
     
     
         10 . A golf ball, comprising:
 a golf ball interior structure;   a cover surrounding the golf ball interior structure and including a plurality of dimples;   a finish material provided over at least a portion of an exterior of the cover; and   a reflection system;   wherein the reflection system is exposed over no more than 11%% of an exterior surface of the golf ball;   wherein the reflection system is asymmetric and is exposed over only a localized portion of the exterior surface of the golf ball; and   wherein the golf ball reflects at least 5% more incident radiation during flight from a golf club than a comparative golf ball that does not include the reflection system but is otherwise the same as the golf ball.   
     
     
         11 . The golf ball according to  claim 10 , wherein the reflection system comprises glass spheres with a diameter between about 10 and about 150 μm. 
     
     
         12 . The golf ball according to  claim 10 , wherein the reflection system is exposed over no more than 1.6% of the exterior surface of the golf ball. 
     
     
         13 . The golf ball according to  claim 10 , wherein the reflection system is exposed over no more than 0.18% of the exterior surface of the golf ball. 
     
     
         14 . The golf ball according to  claim 10 , wherein the reflection system is incorporated into a base material of at least one of the cover or the finish material. 
     
     
         15 . The golf ball according to  claim 10 , wherein the reflection system is provided over the finish material, and
 wherein the golf ball further comprises a second finish material provided over the reflection system.   
     
     
         16 . A golf ball comprising:
 a core;   at least one intermediate layer encasing the core;   a cover encasing one of the at least one intermediate layer;   a coating encasing the cover to form an exterior surface of the coating;   a reflection system comprising a base material and a reflective material asymmetrically attached to the exterior surface of one of the at least one intermediate layer;   wherein the reflection system is exposed over no more than 11% of the exterior surface of the one of the at least one intermediate layer to which the reflection system is attached; and   wherein the golf ball reflects at least 5% more incident radiation during flight from a golf club than a comparative golf ball that does not include the reflection system but is otherwise the same as the golf ball.   
     
     
         17 . The golf ball according to  claim 16 , wherein the reflection system comprises an ink. 
     
     
         18 . The golf ball according to  claim 16 , wherein the reflective material comprises at least one reflective metal. 
     
     
         19 . The golf ball according to  claim 16 , wherein the incident radiation is one or more of radio wave radiation or microwave radiation. 
     
     
         20 . The golf ball according to  claim 16 , wherein the reflection system is exposed over no more than 4.5% of the exterior surface of the one of the at least one intermediate layer to which the reflection system is attached.