Golf ball incorporating an innermost hollow portion

A golf ball comprising:

• a core comprising:
• an innermost aspherical hollow portion having a volume Vahp;
• surrounded by a shell layer that is formed from a thermoplastic composition and has an inner surface comprising a plurality of symmetrically spaced extensions that border and define a shape of the innermost aspherical hollow portion;
• wherein the plurality of extensions and innermost aspherical hollow portion, combined, form a phantom sphere having a diameter of from about 0.15 inches to about 1.1 inches;
• and
• wherein the plurality of extensions have a combined total volume ETV such that Vahp≧ETV>0.20 (ETV+Vahp);
• and
• wherein the shell layer is at least partially non-continuous, having a plurality of hollow spaces therein that extend from the inner surface to an outer surface of the shell layer and are symmetrically spaced within the shell layer;
• and
• at least one outer core layer that is formed about the outer surface;
• wherein the inner surface has an inner surface hardness and the outer surface has an outer surface hardness greater than the inner surface hardness by up to about 7 Shore C to define a first hardness gradient;
• and
• wherein the outer core layer has a second hardness gradient;
• and
• at least one cover layer disposed about the outer core layer.

A golf ball comprising:

• a core comprising:
• a shell layer that is formed from a thermoplastic composition and has an inner surface comprising a plurality of symmetrically spaced extensions that border and define a shape of an innermost aspherical hollow portion;
• wherein the innermost aspherical hollow portion comprise from about 2% to about 30% of a total volume of the golf ball;
• and
• wherein the shell layer is at least partially non-continuous, having a plurality of hollow spaces therein that extend from the inner surface to an outer surface of the shell layer and are symmetrically spaced within in the shell layer;
• and
• at least one outer core layer that is formed about the outer surface;
• wherein the inner surface has an inner surface hardness and the outer surface has an outer surface hardness greater than the inner surface hardness by up to about 7 Shore C to define a first hardness gradient;
• and
• wherein the outer core layer has a second hardness gradient;
• and
• at least one cover layer disposed about the core.