After seeing the logo on Nike Golf staff players’ hats for the early part of 2011, the company introduced its new 20XI golf ball on Tuesday.
The primary technology behind the ball is not in its layering – a recent trend in ball development – but rather in the core of the ball, with a hard rubber core long accepted as a given. In the 20XI, Nike introduces a core made of a material called “resin,” a polymer material designed to be lighter, while increasing moment of inertia (MOI) and promoting higher ball speed.
The idea is that a lighter golf ball will travel further, increasing distance, while making the core lighter will allow for perimeter weighting for the ball, similar to how golf clubs are styled to provide forgiveness on poor hits.
“For many years, golf ball development has primarily been focused on the number of layers with a solid rubber core,” said Rock Ishii, Nike Golf’s Product Development Director for golf balls, in a release. “We believe that there wasn’t really anywhere else to go as far as technology advancement in these areas, and felt that the next window of opportunity was in the exploration of various materials for the core.”
Taking four years to develop, the 20XI was designed in a joint effort between Nike Golf and DuPont.
In the introductory release, Nike Golf staffer Stewart Cink said, “[Nike Golf has] been able to increase the gap between driver spin and wedge/iron spin. With this ball, I have 2mph more speed off of the driver and I’m hitting it 10 yards farther. Nike has developed a ball that goes faster and has found materials that spin more with the wedges and less with the driver.”
The 20XI line will have two models – a spin and distance ball, similar to past lines. Each will retain for $45.99.
Source : progolftalk.nbcsports.com
