Variable Thickness Golf Club Striking Face

Solution Overview

Problem

Current golf club technologies have not adequately addressed the geometry of variable face thickness profiles to ensure high COR and uniform CT across the striking face, leading to inefficiencies in ball speed and potential non-conformity with governing body limits.

Innovation Solution

A golf club head design featuring a striking face with a central region of constant thickness, a transition region with varying thickness that decreases radially from the central region, and a perimeter region with multiple sub-regions of constant thickness, optimized to distribute CT uniformly and maximize ball speed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the thickness of the striking face is increased to improve structural soundness and reduce CT values, then the golf club remains compliant with governing body limits, but the COR and ball speed at the center of the striking face decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural soundnessVSAvoidball speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The striking face is designed with variable thickness where the central region has reduced thickness (0.5mm to 2.0mm) to maximize COR and ball speed, while the peripheral region has increased thickness (2.0mm to 4.0mm) to maintain structural integrity and control CT values. This local differentiation allows each region to optimize its function without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The striking face is segmented into distinct regions (central region and peripheral region) with different thickness characteristics. The central region is separated from the peripheral region by a transition zone, allowing independent optimization of COR in the center and CT control at the periphery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Speed

If the thickness of the striking face is decreased to increase COR and ball speed, then distance is improved, but the golf club may exceed CT limits set by governing bodies

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveball speedVSAvoidcompliance with governing body limits

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The striking face is designed with variable thickness where the central region has reduced thickness (0.5mm to 2.0mm) to maximize COR and ball speed, while the peripheral region has increased thickness (2.0mm to 4.0mm) to maintain structural integrity and control CT values. This local differentiation allows each region to optimize its function without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The striking face is segmented into distinct regions (central region and peripheral region) with different thickness characteristics. The central region is separated from the peripheral region by a transition zone, allowing independent optimization of COR in the center and CT control at the periphery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of manufacture

If the thickness of the striking face is made uniform to simplify manufacturing, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but the ability to optimize both COR and CT across different locations is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidCT uniformity across striking face

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The striking face is designed with variable thickness where the central region has reduced thickness (0.5mm to 2.0mm) to maximize COR and ball speed, while the peripheral region has increased thickness (2.0mm to 4.0mm) to maintain structural integrity and control CT values. This local differentiation allows each region to optimize its function without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The thickness parameter of the striking face is varied continuously or in steps from the central region to the peripheral region, transitioning from 0.5mm to 2.0mm in the center to 2.0mm to 4.0mm at the periphery. This parameter change enables optimization of both COR and CT across different locations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 achieves more uniform CT measurements across the striking face, minimizing variance and the likelihood of non-conformity, while maximizing ball speed and ensuring compliance with governing body limits.

Implementation Method 1

Varying the thickness of the back portion of the striking face of the golf club head, and therefore the overall thickness of the striking face, improves the performance of the golf club head by adjusting the flexural stiffness of the striking face

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFlexural stiffness:

Data Source

PatentUS20250121262A1Golf club head with improved variable thickness striking face

Publication Date: 2025.04.17 ACUSHNET CO

AI summary

A golf club head with improved striking face performance is disclosed herein. More specifically, a golf club head includes a striking face with a thickened central region surrounded by transition region that reduces radially in thickness as it extends away from the central region is disclosed. The striking face geometry results in more uniform characteristic time measurements across a large percentage thereof.