Written By: Tony Covey
What does a glass of water, a microwave, an internet connected computer and a golf ball have in common?
If you somehow came up with “They’re all part of a Nike patent application for an adjustable tackiness golf ball“, congratulations, you nailed it.
Also, you should probably get yourself checked out, because that kind of association…that kind of thinking…it’s not normal. Of course, it’s that occasional bit of way outside the box weirdness that never fails to remind me why I genuinely appreciate Nike’s presence in the golf industry (even if they, from time to time, frustrate the hell out of me).
RZN 3.0
In case you haven’t broken the habit of ignoring Nike’s RZN core golf balls (and it’s hard to blame you, the first couple of generations were worthy of your indifference), you should probably know that Generation 3, which includes the Premium/Tour-Level RZN Black, RZN Platinum balls is excellent. It’s Nike’s best work since the Tour D, and I’d venture to say that RZN is finally better.
Largely lost in the talk about the new RZN balls and their Speedlock Cores is what Nike calls Spin-Optimized coating. Others have compared it Srixon’s Spinskin, but all your really need to know is that Nike put coating on the cover of the golf ball designed to increase tackiness, and increase spin on those shots where the ball has a tendency to slide up the face.
What if that was only the beginning?
What if you could somehow adjust your golfball’s level of tackiness, and effectively adjust short game spin precisely to your desired level?
Wouldn’t that be something?
US20140135145 – Golf Ball with Adjustable Tackiness
If I’m reading it right, that’s exactly what this Nike Patent for a “Golf Ball with Adjustable Tackiness” is all about.
Maybe that means soaking the golf ball in a glass of water for a period of time. According to the patent application, the golfer could determine the precise period of soaking time with the aid of some sort of golf ball soaking software that could be installed locally, or available via the internet…hence the computer part of all this.
The potential apparently also exists to zap your golf ball in the microwave. Again…the precise period of time likely determined with the help of Nike’s Sticky Balls App (sorry…couldn’t resist. I’m a child).
What About the USGA?
We haven’t done any testing to determine if spin-optimized coatings actually increase spin, but I can tell you that the new RZN balls spin better than the old ones. Whether that’s a matter of the sticky stuff getting the job done, or other, more mundane improvements to the ball, I can’t really say.
What makes this Adjustable Tackiness stuff so interesting to me is that, to the best of my knowledge, this isn’t the sort of thing the USGA is currently prepared to take on.
Great…we might as well start looking forward to the 2017 sticky dimple rule.
The practical application of this patent would be a product that doesn’t so much seek to skirt the USGA’s rules on golf ball performance, it feels much more like a clever…dare I say, Innovative (you’re welcome, Nike) solution to the problems created by the groove rule.
You know…assuming any of this becomes reality.
Have Your Say?
What do you think of Nike’s idea for an adjustable tackiness golf ball? Is this something you’d consider putting into play?
proside
10 years ago
Neat idea. My first thought was about wet course conditions changing the playability but if the soak time takes a while which I would assume is a factor then incidental exposure would not be an issue. I would think that in a worst case scenario of prolonged wet course play swapping the ball out every few holes or more would be needed but considering the heated fluid aspect of the patent, cold water would not affect it.
Bloody love Nike innovation!!!!!!