| abstract |
A golf ball including an improved mantle composition which results in improved performance characteristics. The composition includes a soft, flexible resin, such as an elastomer, and a quantity of at least one hardness-enhancing material, such as a quantity of fibers or fiber segments, such as glass, carbon, aramid, and/or metallic fibers, and, optionally, at least one ionomer. The hardness-enhancing material can constitute about 1 to about 30 wt % of the intermediate layer. The composition of the intermediate layer enables the golf ball to maintain initial speed and distance of known golf balls, while improving upon spin rate and playability. Alternatively, spin rate and playability can be maintained, while improving upon the initial speed and distance. |