Rounded Clubface Putter Head for Alignment Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional putter designs often result in misalignment and unwanted skidding or bouncing of the golf ball due to the flat club face, leading to missed putts and increased strokes, as the clubface may not be properly aimed when viewed from different angles on the putting green.
Innovation Solution
A putter head design featuring a cylindrical leading portion with a rounded exterior surface and a trailing portion comprising a center arm, heel arm, and toe arm, forming a W-shape with convex and concave angles, which provides a stable striking face and alignment features, allowing the putter to remain aimed correctly regardless of viewing angle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a flat club face is used in conventional putter designs, then the manufacturing is simple, but the golf ball skids or bounces when struck and deviates from the intended target
Solution Approach 1:
The putter head incorporates a rounded club face surface instead of a flat surface. This curvature allows the golf ball to roll smoothly along the rounded surface during impact, preventing skidding and bouncing, thereby improving putting accuracy while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standard forming processes
2Measurement precision
If the golfer views the ball from behind to determine trajectory, then the target can be properly identified, but the clubface may not be properly aimed when viewed from a different angle
Solution Approach 1:
The putter head features an asymmetric design with a rounded club face and a specific mass distribution created by the trailing portion geometry. This asymmetric configuration provides alignment features and visual cues that remain consistent from different viewing angles, allowing the golfer to maintain proper aim regardless of their position relative to the ball
3Stability of the object's composition
If mass is distributed laterally in the putter head, then rotational inertia increases and twisting during stroke is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The putter head is divided into distinct functional segments: a cylindrical leading portion containing the rounded club face, and a trailing portion with specific mass distribution. This segmentation allows the lateral mass distribution to be achieved through the geometry of the trailing portion, providing rotational stability without requiring additional components or complex internal structures
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 putter head design ensures accurate alignment and prevents skidding or bouncing, allowing golfers to maintain proper aim and improve putting accuracy by distributing mass laterally and increasing rotational inertia, thus reducing twisting during the stroke.
Implementation Method 1
a cylindrical leading portion comprising a heel end, a toe end, an axis that extends through a center of the heel end and a center of the toe end in a first direction, and a rounded exterior surface that extends from the heel end to the toe end... at least a portion of the front face forms a striking face for contacting a golf ball
Implementation Method 2
a trailing portion comprising: a center arm that extends rearwardly from a center portion of the rear face in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction; a heel arm that extends rearwardly and inwardly from a first lateral portion of the rear face adjacent to the heel end; a toe arm that extends rearwardly and inwardly from a second lateral portion of the rear face adjacent to the toe end... distributing mass laterally and increasing rotational inertia, thus reducing twisting during the stroke
Data Source
AI summary
A putter head for a freestanding golf putter includes: a cylindrical leading portion including a heel end, a toe end, an axis that extends through a center of the heel end and a center of the toe end in a first direction, and a rounded exterior surface that extends from the heel end to the toe end, the rounded exterior surface including a front face and a rear face; and a trailing portion including: a center arm that extends rearwardly from a center portion of the rear face in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction; a heel arm that extends rearwardly and inwardly towards the center arm from a first lateral portion of the rear face; and a toe arm that extends rearwardly and inwardly towards the center arm from a second lateral portion of the rear face.