Method for designing golf club and golf club

• US 8,661,879 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A School Corporation Kansai University, Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: A School Corporation Kansai University, SRI Sports Limited (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Hiroshi, Onuki, Masahide, Iwatsubo, Takuzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Noori, Max
• Application Number:
  US12/956,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20110130214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 73/650.1, 73/650.3, 73/650.7
• US Class Current: 73/65.01
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3608 Attachments on the body, e.g. for measuring, aligning, restraining A63B69/0059, A63B69/3673 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3676 for putting A63B69/3608, A63B69/3661, A63B69/3667 and A63B69/3697 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30

Abstract

A designing method of the present invention includes the steps of: measuring a golf swing to obtain a measured result; obtaining a swing model provided with a link model and joint torque data based on the measured result, the link model having at least two links; performing simulation for swing the golf club using the swing model; and obtaining head information in a specific situation during a swing based on a result of the simulation. In the designing method, a plurality of specifications of the golf club and/or the plurality of swing models are used to obtain the plurality of head information, and stability is evaluated using a difference between the head information. In the designing method, it was found that a great lateral moment of inertia of a head and a small depth of a center of gravity of the head contribute to the stability.

Claims

1. A method for designing a golf club comprising the steps of:

measuring a golf swing to obtain a measured result;

obtaining a swing model provided with a link model and joint torque data based on the measured result, the link model having at least two links;

performing simulation for swing the golf club using the swing model; and

obtaining head information in a specific situation during a swing based on a result of the simulation,

wherein the link model includes a link corresponding to a part of a swing subject and a link corresponding to at least a part of the golf club;

a plurality of specifications of the golf club and/or the plurality of swing models are used to obtain the plurality of head information; and

stability is evaluated based on the head information,

wherein the plurality of specifications of the golf club is used to obtain the plurality of head information, and

wherein the stability is evaluated based on sensitivity obtained by dividing a difference between the head information by a difference between the specifications.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a part of the swing subject is a region between a neck part of a human body and a hand part thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the head information is a head speed, a locus of head, a hitting point or a face angle, and

wherein the specific situation is immediately before impact.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the head information for calculating the sensitivity is a head speed, a locus of head, a hitting point, or a face angle.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the specifications for calculating the sensitivity are a position of a center of gravity of a head and/or a moment of inertia of the head.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the locus of head is a blow angle or swing path angle.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein a swing model is used.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of swing models by the same person is used.

9. A golf club designed by the method of claim 1.

10. A golf club having a position of a center of gravity of a head and/or a moment of inertia of the head designed by the method of claim 5.

11. The golf club according to claim 10, wherein a lateral moment of inertia of the head is equal to or greater than 5000 g·

cm², and

wherein a depth of a center of gravity of the head is equal to or less than 18 mm.

12. A method for designing a golf club comprising the steps of:

measuring a golf swing to obtain a measured result;

obtaining a first swing model provided with a link model based on the measured result, the link model having at least two links;

performing simulation for a first swing of a golf club with a first specification using the first swing model;

measuring head information during a first swing;

performing simulation for a second swing of a golf club with a second specification using the first swing model;

measuring head information during a second swing; and

calculating sensitivity by dividing a difference between the head information of the first swing and the second swing by a difference between the first and second specifications.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the head information is a head speed, a locus of head, a hitting point, or a face angle.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first and second specifications are a position of a center of gravity of a head or a moment of inertia of the head.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

obtaining a second swing model provided with a link model based on the measured result, the link model having at least two links;

performing simulation for a third swing of a golf club with the first specification using the second swing model;

measuring head information during a third swing;

performing simulation for a fourth swing of a golf club with the second specification using the second swing model;

measuring head information during a fourth swing; and

calculating sensitivity by;

calculating a first difference between the head information of the first swing and third swing;

calculating a second difference between the head information of the second swing and fourth swing,

calculating a third difference between the first difference and the second difference; and

dividing the third difference by a difference between the first and second specifications.