Composite-Stiffened Golf Club Head for Stiffness and Sound

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing golf club designs struggle to balance lightweight constructions with desirable acoustic characteristics and performance, failing to improve stiffness and minimize undesirable sound and feel during impact.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a composite stiffening member with specific dimensions and materials, such as a thermoplastic carbon composite, affixed to the metallic body of the golf club head, which enhances stiffness and improves acoustic signature.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Weight of moving object

If thinner shell thickness and lightweight materials are used to increase discretionary mass, then distance performance is improved, but acoustic characteristics deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclub head weightVSAvoidacoustic characteristics

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials by combining a metallic body (titanium or steel) with a composite sole panel (carbon fiber reinforced polymer). This composite construction allows the club head to achieve both lightweight properties for distance performance and sufficient stiffness for acceptable acoustic characteristics, resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and acoustic quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by using different materials in different parts of the club head. The metallic body provides strength and weight efficiency, while the composite sole panel provides acoustic damping and stiffness. This localized material selection allows each region to contribute its specific properties to the overall performance, balancing weight, distance, and acoustic characteristics

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Weight of moving object

If thinner shell thickness is used to increase discretionary mass, then distance performance is improved, but stiffness deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclub head weightVSAvoidclub head stiffness

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The composite sole panel made from carbon fiber reinforced polymer provides high stiffness-to-weight ratio. This allows the club head to maintain sufficient stiffness for effective ball contact and energy transfer while keeping overall weight reduced for improved distance performance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The sole panel is specifically designed with composite materials to provide localized stiffness enhancement in the area that contacts the ball, while other portions of the club head can be optimized for weight reduction. This local quality approach ensures stiffness is provided exactly where needed for performance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS12611577B2Golf club head

Publication Date: 2026.04.28 ACUSHNET CO

AI summary

A golf club head, including a metallic body, a composite panel affixed to the metallic body, the composite panel having a substantially constant thickness, and a composite stiffening member affixed to the composite panel, the composite stiffening member extending into the interior cavity, wherein the composite stiffening member height is at least twice the composite stiffening member width and wherein the composite stiffening member length is at least five times the composite stiffening member height, wherein the composite panel comprises a thermoplastic composite.