Golf Club Sole Channels to Reduce Turf Digging and Twisting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing golf clubs with ground engaging structures on the sole fail to prevent excessive digging into the turf or sand, leading to reduced club head speed, twisting, and inaccurate shots, particularly when striking the ball off-center.

Innovation Solution

The golf club head features elliptical ground engaging members with flat upper surfaces and open channels between them, designed to minimize digging and stabilize the club head, enhancing its movement through the ground and maintaining face alignment during off-center impacts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If ground engaging structures are added to the sole to prevent excessive digging, then the club head stability is improved, but the club head speed is reduced and twisting occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclub head stabilityVSAvoidclub head speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The sole is segmented into multiple ground engaging members spaced apart from each other, creating open channels between them. This segmentation allows the club head to maintain stability through distributed ground engagement while reducing twisting and preserving club head speed by avoiding a solid, restrictive sole structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The ground engaging members are positioned at specific locations on the sole to provide localized stability where needed, while the open channels between them preserve speed and reduce twisting. The local quality of the sole structure varies between the engaging members (providing stability) and the channels (providing speed and reducing twist).

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Stability of the object's composition

If ground engaging structures are added to the sole to prevent excessive digging, then the club head stability is improved, but the accuracy of the shot is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclub head stabilityVSAvoidshot accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The segmented ground engaging members with open channels between them provide stability during off-center impacts while maintaining shot accuracy. The spacing and configuration of the members ensure the club head remains stable without introducing unwanted twisting that would compromise accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The ground engaging members are designed with specific dimensional parameters including a width-to-length ratio between 0.2 and 0.5, and spacing between members of 0.1 to 0.3 inches. These parameter optimizations balance stability and accuracy by controlling how the club head interacts with the ground during impact.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Stability of the object's composition

If a solid sole structure is used to engage the ground, then the club head stability is improved, but the club head cannot move through the turf or sand easily

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclub head stabilityVSAvoidease of movement through ground

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The solid sole is segmented into spaced ground engaging members with open channels between them. This allows the club head to move through turf or sand easily while maintaining stability through the distributed ground engaging members, combining the benefits of both solid and open sole designs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The open channels act as intermediaries between the club head and the ground, facilitating easy movement through turf or sand while the ground engaging members provide the necessary stability. The channels mediate the interaction between the club head and ground material.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 design reduces club head twisting and increases swing speed, resulting in more accurate and consistent shots, achieving better distance and direction control, thereby improving score performance.

Implementation Method 1

These channels facilitate removal of excess ground material rearwardly through the channels and beyond the club head during execution of a golf shot as the club head strikes the ground. The open channels between the ground engaging members are wider adjacent the leading edge and rear surface and narrower midway on the sole creating a venturi fluid flow effect

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVenturi effect: Venturi Effect

Data Source

PatentUS20260014427A1Iron and wedgetype golf clubs with ground engaging sole structures and open channelstherebetween

Publication Date: 2026.01.15 SHEETS JEFFERY D

AI summary

An iron type golf club head, having a bottom sole including shaped ground engaging members having a bounce structure to prevent or reduce digging of the sole of the club head into the ground including open channels adjacent to each shaped ground engaging members to provide a path for debris from the turf as the club head contacts the turf resulting in the bottom sole being maintained above the ground during the execution of a conventional golf shot for improved performance of distance and or direction to an intended target resulting in lower scores.