Force Focusing Golf Club

Abstract

A golf club includes a shaft, a grip, and a club head. The shaft is coupled to the grip and to the club head. The club head includes a substantially rigid shell, a club face, and a contact area. The substantially rigid shell includes a conventional shape that has a toe area, a heel area, a sole area, a top area, and a back area. The club face is mechanically coupled to the substantially rigid shell to provide a face of the club head. The contact area is within the substantially rigid shell and positioned proximal to the club face. The contact area includes a plurality of force-focusing layers that functions to concentrate impact forces of the club head towards an area on the club face that makes contact with a golf ball during contact with the golf ball.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club comprises:
 a shaft;   a grip coupled to a first end of the shaft; and   a club head coupled to a second end of the shaft, wherein the club head includes:
 a substantially rigid shell; 
 a club face mechanically coupled to the substantially rigid shell to provide a face of the club head; and 
 a contact area positioned proximal to the club face and to the substantially rigid shell, wherein the contact area includes at least one force-focusing layer that includes a plurality of force-focusing cells, wherein a force-focusing cell of the plurality of cells includes one or more angled side walls, wherein an angle of an angled side wall of the one or angled side walls is a function of concentration of force in an area of the club face at contact with a golf ball. 
   
     
     
         2 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one force-focusing layer further comprises:
 a first force-focusing layer that includes a first plurality of force-focusing cells; and   a second force-focusing layer that includes a first plurality of force-focusing cells.   
     
     
         3 . The golf club of  claim 2  further comprises:
 the second plurality of force-focusing cells including a first set of force-focusing cells and a second set of force-focusing cells, wherein a first force-focusing cell of the first set of force-focusing cells has a first weight, wherein a second force-focusing cell of the second set of force-focusing cells has a second weight, wherein the second weight is greater than the first weight, wherein the first force-focusing cell is in a middle area of the second plurality of force-focusing cells, and wherein the second force-focusing cell is in a perimeter area of the second plurality of force-focusing cells. 
 
     
     
         4 . The golf club of  claim 2  further comprises:
 the first layer including a first plurality of interconnected force-focusing cells as the first plurality of force-focusing cells; and 
 the second layer including a first plurality of interconnected force-focusing cells as the second plurality of force-focusing cells. 
 
     
     
         5 . The golf club of  claim 2  further comprises:
 the first layer including a first plurality of independent force-focusing cells as the first plurality of force-focusing cells; and 
 the second layer including a first plurality of independent force-focusing cells as the second plurality of force-focusing cells. 
 
     
     
         6 . The golf club of  claim 2  further comprises:
 a first force-focusing cell of the first plurality of force-focusing cells having a first size; and 
 a second force-focusing cell of the second plurality of force-focusing cells having a second size, wherein the second size is larger than the first size. 
 
     
     
         7 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the club head comprises one of:
 a driver club head;   a fairway wood club head;   a hybrid club head; or   an iron club head.   
     
     
         8 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the club head comprises:
 a contact area backing mechanically coupled to the substantially rigid shell, wherein the contact area backing provides a substantially rigid surface for a layer of the at least one force-focusing layer.   
     
     
         9 . A clubhead comprises:
 a substantially rigid shell;   a club face mechanically coupled to the substantially rigid shell to provide a face of the club head; and   a contact area positioned proximal to the club face and to the substantially rigid shell, wherein the contact area includes at least one force-focusing layer that includes a plurality of force-focusing cells, wherein a force-focusing cell of the plurality of cells includes one or more angled side walls, wherein an angle of an angled side wall of the one or angled side walls is a function of concentration of force in an area of the club face at contact with a golf ball.   
     
     
         10 . The clubhead of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one force-focusing layer further comprises:
 a first force-focusing layer that includes a first plurality of force-focusing cells; and   a second force-focusing layer that includes a first plurality of force-focusing cells.   
     
     
         11 . The clubhead of  claim 10  further comprises:
 the second plurality of force-focusing cells including a first set of force-focusing cells and a second set of force-focusing cells, wherein a first force-focusing cell of the first set of force-focusing cells has a first weight, wherein a second force-focusing cell of the second set of force-focusing cells has a second weight, wherein the second weight is greater than the first weight, wherein the first force-focusing cell is in a middle area of the second plurality of force-focusing cells, and wherein the second force-focusing cell is in a perimeter area of the second plurality of force-focusing cells. 
 
     
     
         12 . The clubhead of  claim 10  further comprises:
 the first layer including a first plurality of interconnected force-focusing cells as the first plurality of force-focusing cells; and 
 the second layer including a first plurality of interconnected force-focusing cells as the second plurality of force-focusing cells. 
 
     
     
         13 . The clubhead of  claim 10  further comprises:
 the first layer including a first plurality of independent force-focusing cells as the first plurality of force-focusing cells; and 
 the second layer including a first plurality of independent force-focusing cells as the second plurality of force-focusing cells. 
 
     
     
         14 . The clubhead of  claim 10  further comprises:
 a first force-focusing cell of the first plurality of force-focusing cells having a first size; and 
 a second force-focusing cell of the second plurality of force-focusing cells having a second size, wherein the second size is larger than the first size. 
 
     
     
         15 . The clubhead of  claim 9  comprises one of:
 a driver club head; 
 a fairway wood club head; 
 a hybrid club head; or 
 an iron club head. 
 
     
     
         16 . The clubhead of  claim 9  further comprises:
 a contact area backing mechanically coupled to the substantially rigid shell, wherein the contact area backing provides a substantially rigid surface for a layer of the at least one force-focusing layer.