Golf Club Face Damping Structure for Uniform Ball Speed
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional golf clubs struggle with inconsistent ball flight distances due to varying launch velocities across the striking face, especially when off-center strikes occur, and lack a pleasant sound upon impact.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of an elastomer element between the striking face and the back portion of the golf club head, which can be adjusted for compression, to control deflection and enhance uniformity of ball speeds and sound characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a traditional golf club head is used with a thin striking face, then ball speed is increased for center strikes, but ball speed becomes inconsistent for off-center strikes and deflection is excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The striking face is designed with non-uniform thickness, being thinnest at the center and progressively thicker toward the periphery. This local variation in thickness allows the center to flex more for high ball speed while the thicker periphery provides structural support for consistent off-center strikes, resolving the contradiction between speed and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The striking face is designed to have dynamic flexibility rather than rigid stability. By making the face thin and flexible at the center, it can dynamically adjust its deflection based on impact location, providing optimal ball speed for center strikes while maintaining sufficient stability for off-center strikes through the tapered thickness profile
2Speed
If the striking face is made thinner to increase ball speed, then center strike performance improves, but deflection control becomes difficult and sound quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The striking face thickness varies locally, being thinnest at the center to maximize ball speed and progressively thicker toward the periphery to control deflection. This gradient thickness profile allows the face to exhibit appropriate flexibility at each location, resolving the contradiction between speed generation and deflection control
Solution Approach 2:
The club head employs a composite construction combining a thin striking face with a thicker periphery portion and damping elements. This composite structure allows the thin face to generate ball speed while the thicker supporting structures and damping materials control deflection and improve sound quality
3Reliability
If damping elements are added to control ball speed uniformity, then off-center strike performance improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The damping function is merged with the structural support function by integrating damping elements into the periphery portion of the club head. This combination allows the periphery to simultaneously provide structural support for the thin striking face and damping for ball speed uniformity, reducing overall device complexity while achieving the desired reliability improvement
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 elastomer element provides more uniform ball speeds and improved sound quality by reducing deflection at the center of the striking face while maintaining or enhancing overall distance, regardless of impact location.
Implementation Method 1
Incorporation of an elastomer element between the striking face and the back portion of the golf club head, which can be adjusted for compression, to control deflection
Implementation Method 2
the elastomer element provides more uniform ball speeds and improved sound quality by reducing deflection at the center of the striking face
Data Source
AI summary
A golf club head including a striking face, a periphery portion, and a support arm spaced from the rear surface of the striking face, a first damping element residing between the support arm and the rear surface of the striking face, wherein the first damping element comprises a front surface in contact with the rear surface of the striking face and a rear surface in contact with the support arm, wherein the periphery portion comprises a sole, and a second damping element located between the first damping element and the sole, a front portion of the second damping element in contact with the rear surface of the striking face, a rear surface of the second damping element in contact with the support arm.