Variable Face Thickness Golf Club Head for Off-Center Strike Consistency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern fairway wood and hybrid golf club heads face challenges in achieving consistent distance due to spin profile changes and reduced COR at off-center strikes, leading to inconsistent performance compared to driver-type heads, which have larger face surfaces and higher COR limits.
Innovation Solution
The integration of slot technology, variable face thickness (VFT), and a coefficient of restitution feature (CORF) in the golf club head design, which normalizes COR across the face, reduces spin variations, and optimizes launch angle to enhance consistent distance and reduce dispersion for off-center shots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fairway wood and hybrid golf club heads use traditional designs, then manufacturing is simpler, but COR and distance consistency deteriorate at off-center strikes
Solution Approach 1:
The club face is divided into multiple thickness zones with different COR characteristics. The variable face thickness design segments the face into high COR regions and low COR regions, allowing each zone to contribute differently to overall performance. This segmentation enables the face to provide higher COR at off-center strikes while maintaining control at center strikes.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the club face are given different local properties through variable face thickness. The face thickness varies locally to create specific COR zones, with thinner regions providing higher COR and thicker regions providing lower COR. This local quality variation allows optimization of distance consistency across different strike locations.
2Reliability
If driver-type heads with larger face surfaces are used, then COR limit and distance are improved, but adaptability to fairway wood and hybrid club designs deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The variable face thickness design creates a universal solution that can be applied across different club types including fairway woods, hybrids, and drivers. The same VFT technology and COR zone segmentation approach works universally across these club types, allowing each to achieve optimized COR consistency despite their different size and design requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The face thickness parameter is varied across different regions of the club face to achieve desired COR characteristics. By changing the thickness parameter locally, the design achieves high COR at off-center strikes while maintaining appropriate COR at center strikes, adapting the performance characteristics to suit different club types and strike locations.
3Reliability
If slot technology and VFT are integrated, then COR normalization and distance consistency are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integration of slot technology with variable face thickness creates segmented zones with different COR characteristics. The slots are positioned to work in conjunction with the VFT zones, creating a coordinated system that normalizes COR across the face. This segmentation approach, while complex, provides precise control over spin variations and distance consistency.
4Speed
If COR is increased across the face, then distance gains are improved, but spin control at off-center strikes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the club face are given different local COR properties through variable face thickness. Thinner regions provide higher COR and ball speed, while thicker regions provide lower COR and better spin control. This local quality variation allows the face to optimize both ball speed and spin control at different strike locations simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
A golf club head comprises a face and a golf club head body. The face includes a toe end, a heel end, a crown end, and a sole end. The face defines a thickness from an outer surface to an inner surface of the face. The face defines a leading edge, the leading edge being the forwardmost edge of the face. The golf club head body is defined by a crown, a sole, and a skirt. The crown is coupled to the crown end of the face. The sole is coupled to the sole end of the face. The skirt is coupled to the sole and the crown. The golf club head body defines a trailing edge, the trailing edge being the rearwardmost edge of the golf club head body.