You’ve probably never thought twice about the dimples on a golf ball. They’re just there—part of what makes a golf ball a golf ball. But those little indentations represent over a century of engineering innovation, fierce patent battles, and billions of dollars in competitive advantage.

The science is fascinating. The patent strategy is instructive. And if you’re in the business of protecting innovation, there are lessons here that apply far beyond the fairway.

The Science: Why Smooth Balls Fail

In the early days of golf, balls were smooth. And they didn’t fly very well. Golfers noticed that older, scuffed-up balls actually traveled farther than new ones. That observation launched decades of aerodynamic research.

The Aerodynamics of Dimples

When a smooth ball moves through the air, the airflow separates from the surface relatively early, creating a large wake of turbulent air behind the ball. This wake creates drag—the force that slows the ball down.

Dimples change everything. They create a thin layer of turbulent air that clings to the ball’s surface longer, delaying the point where the airflow separates. The result: a smaller wake, less drag, and a ball that flies farther.

It’s Not Just About Having Dimples

The details matter enormously:

• Number of dimples — Most balls have 300–500 dimples, but the exact count varies by design
• Dimple depth — Typically 0.010 inches, but variations of thousandths of an inch affect performance
• Dimple diameter — Usually 0.14–0.15 inches, but varies across the ball’s surface
• Dimple shape — Circular, hexagonal, oval, truncated—each creates different aerodynamic effects
• Dimple pattern — How dimples are arranged affects symmetry and flight consistency
• Edge angle — The sharpness of the dimple edge changes airflow characteristics

Small changes to any of these variables can add yards to a drive or improve accuracy in wind. That’s why golf ball manufacturers spend millions on R&D—and why they aggressively protect what they discover.

The Patent Wars: Protecting Every Dimple

Golf ball dimples are one of the most heavily patented areas in sports equipment. Titleist, Callaway, Bridgestone, TaylorMade, and others have built extensive patent portfolios protecting their dimple innovations.

What Gets Patented

A quick search of the USPTO database reveals thousands of golf ball patents. They cover:

• Dimple patterns — The geometric arrangement of dimples across the ball surface
• Dimple shapes — Hexagonal dimples, catenary curves, varying depths within a single dimple
• Dimple combinations — Using multiple dimple sizes or shapes on the same ball
• Aerodynamic properties — Claims directed to specific lift and drag coefficients
• Manufacturing methods — How to mold consistent dimple patterns at scale
• Testing methods — Techniques for measuring aerodynamic performance

The Competitive Stakes

Golf is a $7+ billion equipment industry. The difference between a ball that flies 5 yards farther and one that doesn’t can mean hundreds of millions in market share. Patents are the weapon of choice.

When Callaway introduced its HX ball with hexagonal dimples, competitors took notice—and their patent attorneys took action. When Bridgestone developed its dual-dimple technology, it filed patents in multiple countries to protect its global position.

These companies aren’t just protecting products. They’re protecting the ability to exclude competitors from an entire approach to solving an aerodynamic problem.

The Patent Portfolio Strategy

Major golf ball manufacturers don’t rely on a single patent. They build portfolios:

• Core patents — Broad claims covering fundamental dimple innovations
• Improvement patents — Narrower claims on refinements and variations
• Design-around blockers — Patents on alternative approaches competitors might try
• Manufacturing patents — Protection for the processes that enable consistent production

A competitor who wants to enter the market faces a minefield. Even if they design around one patent, they may trip over another. That’s the point.

What Golf Ball Dimples Teach Us About Patent Strategy

Whether you’re making golf balls, power electronics, or medical devices, the same principles apply.

1. Small Details Can Be Big Innovations

A dimple is a tiny depression in a plastic sphere. It seems trivial. But the right dimple design is worth millions.

Don’t dismiss your “small” innovations as unpatentable. The feature that seems obvious to you—because you spent months figuring it out—may be exactly what separates your product from competitors. That’s worth protecting.

2. The Details in the Claims Matter

Golf ball patents don’t just claim “a ball with dimples.” They claim specific depths, diameters, patterns, and arrangements. The specificity is strategic.

Too broad, and the patent may be invalid over prior art. Too narrow, and competitors design around it easily. The art is finding the right level of specificity—broad enough to matter, narrow enough to hold up.

3. Portfolios Beat Single Patents

No golf ball company relies on one patent. They file multiple patents covering different aspects of the same innovation—and continue filing as they improve.

A single patent is a fence. A portfolio is a wall. Competitors can often find a way over a fence. A well-constructed wall forces them to go somewhere else entirely.

4. Patents Require Technical Depth

Writing a strong golf ball patent requires understanding fluid dynamics, materials science, and manufacturing processes. A patent attorney who doesn’t understand the technology can’t write claims that capture what actually matters.

The same is true in your industry. A patent attorney drafting claims for a power supply needs to understand switching frequencies, thermal management, and EMI. One drafting claims for a medical device needs to understand anatomy, physiology, and clinical workflows.

Generic claim language written by someone who doesn’t understand the technology produces generic patents that don’t protect much.

5. Innovation Happens in Crowded Spaces

Golf ball dimples have been around for over a century. You might think everything has been invented. Yet companies continue to patent new dimple designs, and those patents continue to provide competitive advantage.

Don’t assume your field is too crowded for meaningful patents. If you’ve solved a problem in a new way—even an incremental way—that solution may be patentable. The question isn’t whether others are working in the same space; it’s whether your specific solution is novel and non-obvious.

The Bottom Line

Next time you tee up a golf ball, take a second to appreciate those dimples. They’re the result of over a century of engineering innovation—and a case study in how to protect technical advances through smart patent strategy.

The principles that apply to golf balls apply to your innovations too:

• Small details can create big competitive advantages
• Claim specificity is strategic—too broad or too narrow both fail
• Portfolios provide stronger protection than single patents
• Technical depth in patent drafting matters
• Crowded fields still offer opportunities for meaningful patents

Whether you’re designing dimples or circuit boards, the goal is the same: protect the innovation that sets you apart.