Composite Sole Weight Ports for Adjustable Golf Club Heads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional golf club heads with a center of gravity positioned rearward from the front face experience deleterious effects such as increased side-spin and reduced backspin for off-center hits, limiting face size and club length due to mass distribution and dynamic loft issues, and require new club heads for weight adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A golf club head with integrally formed composite sole weight ports that house removable metal weights, allowing adjustable center of gravity and moment of inertia by positioning external weights at specific locations, using a composite and metal combination for improved material construction and weighting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the center of gravity is positioned further rearward from the front face to increase moments of inertia, then forgiveness for off-center hits is improved, but side-spin increases and ball flight robustness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The weight distribution is segmented into multiple adjustable weights positioned at different locations within the club head, allowing independent optimization of moments of inertia and center of gravity position to reduce side-spin while maintaining forgiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The weighting system is made dynamic and adjustable, allowing the center of gravity and moment of inertia to be optimized for different swing speeds and hit locations, preventing excessive side-spin while maintaining high moments of inertia for forgiveness
2Area of stationary object
If the face size is increased to provide more hitting area, then the club head volume is improved, but the mass distribution becomes insufficient and dynamic loft effects increase
Solution Approach 1:
The club head uses composite materials including titanium and stainless steel with different densities, combined with adjustable weights, to achieve optimal mass distribution across a large face area while controlling dynamic loft effects through precise center of gravity positioning
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the club head have different material properties and weight distributions optimized for their specific function, with heavier weighting in strategic locations to control dynamic loft while maintaining large face area for forgiveness
3Speed
If the club length is increased to improve head speed, then the club length is improved, but the percentage of hits in perimeter regions increases causing deleterious effects
Solution Approach 1:
The weighting system allows dynamic adjustment of the center of gravity position to optimize performance for longer club lengths, compensating for increased perimeter hit dispersion by adjusting weight distribution to maintain optimal ball flight characteristics
Solution Approach 2:
The moment of inertia and center of gravity position are adjusted as variables to optimize the trade-off between club length for head speed and face area for hit distribution, allowing customization for longer clubs while minimizing deleterious perimeter effects
4Adaptability or versatility
If the swing weight is adjusted by manufacturing new club heads, then the center of gravity and moment of inertia are changed, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The weight system is segmented into removable and adjustable components that can be independently positioned and configured, allowing swing weight adjustment without remanufacturing the entire club head, reducing complexity while maintaining adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The weighting system is designed to be dynamic and reconfigurable, allowing users to adjust the center of gravity and moment of inertia by repositioning weights within the club head, providing adaptability without the complexity of custom manufacturing for each configuration
Data Source
AI summary
A golf club head having a face component, a crown, and a composite sole with one or more weight ports for receiving one or more weight inserts is disclosed herein. At least part of each of the weight ports is integrally formed in the composite sole, and each of the weight ports include a weight receiving region for receiving a weight and a screw receiving region for receiving a screw that secures the weight in the weight port.