Methods for manufacturing a golf ball

A method for manufacturing a golf ball comprising:

• positioning a golf ball sub-part within a mold, wherein a mold cavity is defined between the golf ball sub-part and the mold;
• holding the golf ball sub-part in the mold using at least one retractable mold pin;
• injecting molten molding material into the mold cavity;
• receiving feedback sensor data indicative of a rate of movement of a melt front of the molten molding material being injected into the mold cavity;
• retracting the at least one mold pin when the feedback sensor data indicates a position of the melt front corresponding to a predetermined trigger point position;
• and
• filling the mold cavity with the molten molding material,
• wherein the mold defines a spherical mold cavity,
• wherein the molten molding material is injected into the mold cavity at an equator of the spherical mold cavity,
• wherein the at least one mold pin comprises at least two mold pins,
• wherein the at least two mold pins are spaced equally apart from each other and are each spaced an equal distance from a pole of the spherical mold cavity,
• wherein the mold comprises at least two temperature sensors that are spaced equally apart from each other and are each spaced an equal distance from the pole of the mold cavity, wherein the at least two temperature sensors are spaced farther from the pole than the at least two mold pins, and
• wherein the feedback sensor data is received from the at least two temperature sensors.

A method for manufacturing a golf ball comprising:

• positioning a golf ball sub-part within a mold, wherein a mold cavity is defined between the golf ball sub-part and the mold;
• holding the golf ball sub-part in the mold using at least one retractable mold pin;
• injecting molten molding material into the mold cavity;
• receiving feedback sensor data indicative of a rate of movement of a melt front of the molten molding material being injected into the mold cavity;
• retracting the at least one mold pin when the feedback sensor data indicates a position of the melt front corresponding to a predetermined trigger point position;
• and
• filling the mold cavity with the molten molding material,
• wherein the mold defines a spherical mold cavity,
• wherein the molten molding material is injected into the mold cavity at an equator of the spherical mold cavity,
• wherein the mold comprises at least two first temperature sensors that are spaced substantially equally apart from each other along a first latitudinal line and are each spaced substantially an equal distance from a pole of the spherical mold cavity,
• wherein the first latitudinal line is spaced farther from the pole than the at least one mold pin,
• wherein the mold comprises at least two second temperature sensors that are spaced substantially equally apart from each other along a second latitudinal line and are each spaced substantially an equal distance from the pole of the mold cavity,
• wherein the second latitudinal line is spaced farther from the pole than the first latitudinal line, and
• wherein receiving feedback sensor data indicative of the rate of movement of the melt front comprises receiving data from the at least two first temperature sensors, receiving data from the at least two second temperature sensors, and comparing the data received from the at least two first temperature sensors with the data received from the at least two second temperature sensors.