Golf Club Head Shaft Socket with Local Stress-Reducing Features

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Solution Overview

Problem

The impact of a golf club head on a golf ball generates significant stress on the face, which can lead to material failure and reduced performance.

Innovation Solution

Incorporation of stress reducing features (SRFs) on the crown, sole, toe, and heel of the golf club head, featuring apertures or recesses that distribute impact force and enhance deflection, reducing peak stress on the face.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If the face of the golf club head is made thinner to reduce weight and improve ball speed, then the coefficient of restitution increases, but the face becomes more susceptible to stress and potential failure during impact

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoefficient of restitutionVSAvoidface durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The club head is divided into multiple functional zones: a stress reducing feature (SRF) zone and a non-SRF zone. The SRF zone, located at the crown, sole, toe, or heel, contains apertures or recesses that segment the stress distribution path, allowing the thin face to deflect without concentrating stress at a single point. This segmentation enables the face to be thinner while maintaining durability through distributed stress management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If stress reducing features with apertures are added to the club head to reduce peak stress on the face, then face stress is reduced and deflection is increased, but the structural complexity of the club head increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveface stress resistanceVSAvoidclub head structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The stress reducing features are applied locally at specific zones (crown, sole, toe, or heel) rather than uniformly across the entire club head. The SRF zones contain apertures or recesses that provide stress reduction functionality only where needed, while the non-SRF zones maintain the traditional solid structure. This localized application reduces overall structural complexity while achieving the stress reduction benefit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The SRFs effectively reduce peak stress on the face by up to 25% and increase deflection by over 11%, allowing for a thinner face design without compromising durability, while maintaining compliance with USGA regulations.

Implementation Method 1

The SRFs effectively reduce peak stress on the face by up to 25% and increase deflection by over 11%

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectStress distribution:

Implementation Method 2

selectively increasing deflection of the face

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic deflection: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS12357883B2Golf club head having a shaft connection system socket

Publication Date: 2025.07.15 TAYLOR MADE GOLF CO INC

AI summary

A high characteristic time golf club incorporating a shaft connection system socket extending from the bottom portion of the golf club head into the interior of the outer shell toward the top portion of the club head.