Golf Club Head Sole Structure for Off-Center COR Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing golf club designs struggle to maintain high coefficient of restitution (COR) for off-center strikes, particularly low on the face, due to rigid edges and challenges in manufacturing coefficient of restitution features that affect center of gravity (CG) location and mass distribution.
Innovation Solution
A golf club head design with a coefficient of restitution feature (CORF) in the sole and modular weight ports allows for a low and forward CG, decoupling the face from the sole, and incorporating removable weight pads to optimize mass distribution and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If coefficient of restitution features are added to the face to improve COR for off-center strikes, then COR is improved, but manufacturing complexity and difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The face is divided into multiple zones with different thicknesses, creating variable thickness regions that function as coefficient of restitution features. This segmentation allows different portions of the face to have optimized properties for their specific location, improving COR for off-center strikes while using standard manufacturing processes for each segment.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the face are given different thicknesses to optimize local performance. The face thickness varies from the center to the edges, with thinner regions at certain locations to increase flexibility and COR. This local quality approach maintains overall manufacturability while achieving superior COR characteristics in specific zones.
2Reliability
If weight is added to optimize center of gravity location and mass distribution, then golf performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Adjustable weight ports are incorporated into the club head structure, allowing weights to be positioned in specific locations to counterbalance the variable thickness regions. This enables precise control of center of gravity location and mass distribution, optimizing golf performance while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure through modular weight placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The weight system is made adjustable and reconfigurable, allowing the mass distribution to be dynamically changed based on performance requirements. Weights can be moved between different ports or removed entirely, providing flexibility in optimizing center of gravity location without permanently complicating the base structure.
3Reliability
If the face is decoupled from the sole to improve flexibility and COR, then coefficient of restitution is improved, but structural strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection between the face and sole is segmented rather than continuous, with the face thickness varying to create flexible zones. This segmentation allows the face to flex independently in certain regions, improving COR, while maintaining structural integrity through the overall club head design and strategic placement of thicker regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The face is designed with thin film characteristics in specific regions, creating flexible zones that can deform during impact to increase coefficient of restitution. These thin regions are strategically placed to provide flexibility where needed while maintaining overall structural strength through the club head's global architecture and reinforcement in non-impact zones.
Data Source
AI summary
A golf club head includes a golf club body including a crown, a sole, and a skirt connected between the crown and the sole, the golf club body including a front including a leading edge and a back including a trailing edge, and a hosel connected to the golf club body; a face connected to the front of the golf club body, the face including a geometric center, the golf club head including modifiable boundary conditions.