Just who has the balls to succeed?

Potentially one of the best-kept secrets from club golfers worldwide is the 30-month battle that's been brewing between the titans of the golf retail industry – Callaway and Titleist.

Unassuming golfers browse pro shops and must wonder in amazement at the truly remarkable steps forward in technology over the past few decades. But I wonder how many know what is currently going on behind the scenes of the two largest companies in the golf business?

Technology has remodelled the game over the past 30 years and, in particular, the last 15-20. The introduction of graphite shafts and titanium-headed drivers was instrumental in improving the distance of golfers' tee-shots.

Distance soon became an obsession throughout every level of the game, and after significant progression in the hardware, came futuristic enhancements in the ball.

The modern ball is made up of four components:

Essentially the independent components of a golf ball have been engineered to interact and produce efficiency and greater control.

And it doesn't stop there – dimples. The engineering improvements in dimple patterns have enabled golf balls to fly through the air with much less drag and even when the ball is spinning at high velocity, such as with a lofted iron, it is given a much truer trajectory.

Anyway, enough rant about technology – so what's going on with the big boys then? To keep it short Callaway sued the parent company of Titleist (Acushnet) in 2006 over Titleist's alleged use of four of Callaway's golf ball technology patents in their Pro V1 range of balls.

Titleist Pro V1s are considered by the leading professionals and amateurs around the world as the No 1 ball in golf and they have been on retail store shelves around the globe since 2000.

In 2003 Callaway acquired Topflite and with it the intellectual rights and patent portfolio, and the four patents in question have allegedly originated from this purchase.

Callaway were aggrieved, but seemingly not enough to pursue a legal case straight away. For whatever reason, they decided to leave it a few years – some may suggest to allow the Pro V1 range to establish itself into the leading ball in the world and then claim royalty rights.

Hmm? Now would a company really do that?

So what does it mean for the future of the Pro V1 or indeed Titleist?

Time will tell, however the latest round of legal proceedings has dropped in favour of Callaway.

This could potentially see the removal of the Pro V1 ball from shops as early as January 1, 2009 as well as hefty back-payment of royalties. However the word from Titleist is that they have re-engineered the ball to conform to patent law.

My question to Titleist: will the new ball be as good?