Multi-Material Putter Face for Consistent Off-Center Ball Speed
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Golfers struggle to consistently impact a golf ball at the same location with a putter-type golf club head, leading to unpredictable ball speed and travel direction due to variation in strike location, which affects energy transfer, impact feel, and sound.
Innovation Solution
A putter-type golf club head with a multi-material striking surface that varies in material composition away from the geometric center to achieve consistent ball speeds across the striking surface, using a softer, more flexible first material surrounded by a harder, less flexible second material to normalize impact efficiency and sound.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a single-material striking surface is used, then the club head structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but ball speed varies significantly across different impact locations
Solution Approach 1:
The striking surface is divided into multiple zones with different material properties. The first material is positioned at the geometric center to maximize energy transfer for center strikes, while the second material surrounds it to provide different characteristics for off-center strikes. This local differentiation of material properties ensures consistent ball speed across various impact locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite striking surface composed of two distinct materials with different properties. The first material (at the center) and second material (surrounding) are combined to create a multi-functional surface that optimizes performance for both center and off-center strikes, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and ball speed consistency.
2Reliability
If the striking surface material is uniform, then the manufacturing process is simple, but impact feel and sound vary with strike location
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the striking surface are assigned different material properties to provide consistent impact feel and sound regardless of where the ball strikes. The first material at the center and second material surrounding it are selected to optimize the sensory feedback for their respective zones, ensuring reliability across variations in strike location.
3Manufacturing precision
If a multi-material striking surface is implemented, then ball speed consistency across impact locations is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The striking surface incorporates locally differentiated materials where the first material is positioned at the geometric center and the second material surrounds it. This targeted material placement optimizes ball speed consistency for different impact zones while allowing for manageable manufacturing complexity through zoned construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite structure with two materials having different properties, where the first material is located at the center and the second material forms the surrounding area. This composite approach achieves superior ball speed consistency across impact locations while maintaining a structured manufacturing process.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of putter-type golf club head comprising a striking surface capable of achieving consistent ball speeds across the striking surface to account for various ball impact locations are described herein. The striking surface has at least two materials that differ in concentration away from the geometric center of the striking surface to provide this consistency. Consistent (or uniform) ball speed is achieved throughout the striking surface as the portion of the golf ball that contacts the striking surface interacts with at least two materials having a differing material characteristic.