Golf club face thickness optimization method

A computer-implemented method to optimize a structure of a putter head for ball speed robustness, the computer-implemented method comprising:

• a) running a sampling method on a processor to create a plurality of face thickness points and a plurality of body thickness points to fill a design space using a finite element analysis (“FEA”) program to create a plurality of performance characteristics for the putter head;
• b) inputting the plurality of face thickness points for the putter head and the plurality of body thickness points for the putter head into the FEA program running on the processor to generate a function for durability of the putter head;
• c) inputting the plurality of face thickness points for the putter head and the plurality of body thickness points for the putter head into the FEA program running on the processor to generate a function for ball speed robustness of the putter head;
• d) generating, at the processor, a surrogate model from inputting into the processor the plurality of performance characteristics for the putter head, the function of the ball speed robustness of the putter head, and the function for durability of the putter head;
• e) using, at the processor, the surrogate model in an optimization algorithm to provide an approximation of a lower sample space;
• repeating the above mentioned steps a-e in sequence until the surrogate model converges with the FEA for a predetermined objective to form an optimized structure of the putter head for ball speed robustness and maintaining an overall putter head mass of between 340 and 360 grams;
• manufacturing the optimized structure of the putter head by forming, forging, metal-injection molding, printing by a three-dimensional printer, casting or milling.