Golf club with improved head

Abstract

A golf club includes a sharp edge at the intersection of the bottom or heel surface of the club head and the front face of the club head, allowing the club to be easily swung through obstacles such as those usually encountered in the area of the golf course commonly known as “the rough”. The heel or bottom of the golf club head has a substantially flat surface, stabilizing the golf club during the swing. The sharp edge is formed at the intersection of the face and the bottom and does not include a blade or extension and does not extend from the plane of the face or the heel.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a golf club. More particularly, the present invention relates to a golf club for hitting a golf ball resting in a location from which it is difficult to directly access, such as thick rough in which the club head may experience resistance or obstacles in making contact with the golf ball.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

[0002] A golf club is used to hit a golf ball which may be sited at various positions on a golf course, such as a teeing green, a fairway, the rough, a bunker or the like, under various conditions. In some locations, such as on a green or a fairway, there are generally few obstacles between the golf club and the golf ball other than the inherent difficulty in executing an accurate swing. For example, on a teeing or putting green or fairway, the surface on which the golf ball rests generally is not covered or obscured by obstacles or debris such as tall grass and other plants. However, when a golf ball is lying on a site which is obscured by debris or obstacles such as thick rough, sand, stones or dirt, the golf club may experience resistance as it is swung through the obstacles, and plant or other material may even wrap around or catch the club, interfering with the swing and the impact on the golf ball and reducing club head speed at moment of impact.

[0003] Prior art golf clubs are known that have sharp edges for improving performance in conditions such as the rough. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,911 to Katayama describes a golf iron having a knife edge. However, in the golf club of Katayama, the sole or bottom of the head has a curved bottom surface with an indentation and the knife edge extends slightly outward and downward from the bottom surface. Thus, the knife edge may cause the club to dig into the ground or turf during the swing. Further, the Katayama design alters the weight distribution of the club by including rearward projections on the club head and thus affecting the user's golf swing. The weight change of the club due to the Katayama design can present a problem as golf clubs are usually sold in “matched sets,” the object being to produce maximum efficiency with a standard swing for each club in the set.

[0004] Therefore, there exists a need for a golf club which allows a golfer to swing easily through obstacles such as those found in the rough and does not alter the usual swing for the golfer by changing the weight distribution in the club. There is a further need for such a golf club to provide a stable swing, and not to cause the golf club to get caught in an obstacle or dig into the golf ball or the ground.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] A golf club according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a sharp edge formed at the intersection of the bottom or heel surface of the golf club head and the front face of the golf club head, allowing the golf club to be easily swung through obstacles, such as rough. The heel or bottom of the golf club includes a substantially flat surface, stabilizing the golf club during the swing. The sharp edge is formed at the intersection of the face and the bottom of the golf club head but does not include a blade or a sharpened extension and thus also does not extend below the plane of the face or bottom of the golf club.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1 depicts a portion of a golf club according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention having a sharp edge at the intersection of the face and bottom of the golf club head.

[0007] FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a portion of the golf club of FIG. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0008] FIG. 3 illustrates a portion of a golf club head according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention having a sharp edge formed at the intersection of the face and bottom of the golf club head which extends up a portion of the gulf club shaft.

[0009] FIG. 4 illustrates another view of a golf club head and shaft according to an exemplary embodiment of the present prevention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In the following description, various aspects of the present invention will be described. For purposes of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes can be made to practice the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure provided herein.

[0011] FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a golf club according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a portion of the golf club of FIG. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the golf club 1 includes a head 5 connected to a shaft 50. The head 5 can further include, for example, a face 10, a back 20 and a sole 30. Golf head 5 can be formed of, for example, a super hardened material such as titanium or other suitable material. The sole 30 may be termed a heel or bottom.

[0012] The head 5 is connected to, for example, a neck or hosel 40 which is preferably formed with the head 5 as one unitary piece. The face 10 preferably includes an inclined surface to provide loft which varies with the club number in a set. For example, the higher the number, the greater the loft. The face 10 can include, for example scores 11 or similar texture 11 known in the art to enhance the contact of the club head 5 and a golf ball. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a sharpened edge 50 is formed at the intersection of the face 10 and the sole 30. Conventional golf clubs typically include a leading edge which is not sharpened.

[0013] In an alternative exemplary embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 3, the sharp edge 50 may extend up a portion of the hosel 40 or the shaft 50, indicated as sharpened edge 45 extending up hosel 40. The extension of sharpened edge 45 can vary as decided by the manufacturer of the golf club 5, although sufficient material is needed on the hosel 40 or shaft 50 to form sharpened edge 45 (e.g., a solid member 40 may be easier to use for forming sharpened edge 45 than a hollow member for hosel 40).

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment, the bottom of the sole 30 is a substantially smooth, flat surface which is angled so that the plane of the sole 30 is at a 90 degree angle with respect to the shaft 50. Preferably, when the club 1 is swung and the head 5 is at the bottom of the arc of the swing, the plane of the sole 30 is parallel to the plane of the ground, and is at a 90 degree angle to the shaft 50. In such a manner, the sole 30 provides a guide keeping the head 5, and thus the face 10 and sharpened edge 50, at a proper angle as the club 1 is swung and as the face 10 contacts the golf ball. Keeping the face 10 at the proper angle results in a more accurate and powerful strike. Keeping the edge 50 at a proper angle prevents the sharpened edge 50 from either being at too low an angle, and possibly digging into the ground, or being at too high an angle, and striking the golf ball. In alternate exemplary embodiments, the angle of the sole 30 relative to the shaft 50 and the ground may be at other angles, depending upon the angle of deflection, or “loft” of the striking face of the club. However, the sole, or bottom of the club should be parallel to the ground at the moment of impact to insure maximum efficiency. The function of the flat sole or bottom of the club is, for example, to help prevent the club from digging down into the ground, or slanting upward so that the ball is struck and cut by the club.

[0015] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the face 10 and sole 30 meet to form a sharpened edge 50. Accordingly, the edge 50 is in the form of a wedge or axe, rather than in the form of a long, thin blade. The sharpened edge 50 should not extend substantially beyond the sole 30 or the plane formed by the face 10. Further, the cutting surface of edge 50 is part of a solid wedge formed by the club head and this is not a blade as in a “knife”. Further, the cutting surface of edge 50 should not cause the club 1 to dig into the ground or turf during the swing, as the edge 50 does not extend significantly outward or downward from the head 5, and because the flat sole 30 provides a stabilizing and guiding surface. In addition, since the edge 50 does not extend outward or downward from the head 5, the cutting surface should not cause the club 1 to cut into the golf ball. Edge 50 can be formed of the same material as club head 5 or edge 50 can be formed of a suitable super hardened material such as titanium so that edge 50 does not need to be regularly sharpened, even if club head 5 is not formed of the same material.

[0016] In use, when swinging to hit a golf ball located in an area with obstructions, such as the rough, the sharp edge 50 allows the club 1 to be swung through the rough with minimal resistance, allowing the head 5 to have maximum speed and force when contacting the golf ball.

[0017] Preferably, during manufacturing, a golf club iron of a standard shape and dimensions and having a flat sole 30 is sharpened to produce a sharp edge 50 at the intersection of the sole 30 and face 10. Conventional processes can be used to form and sharpen the sharpened edge 50, such as by grinding and polishing. Alternatively, sharpened edge 50 can be formed during the manufacturing process for the golf club. Preferably, the sole 30 is sharpened from the bottom edge, rather than the face edge, to maintain the integrity of the face 10, which often contains scores or texture 11 to provide a desired effect to the movement of the golf ball when struck by face 10, as is known in the art. For example, in most golf club designs, the face includes certain patterns or textures, such as grooves, which aid in transferring momentum, spin, or other mechanical energy from the head 5 to the golf ball. In alternate embodiments the sharp edge 50 may be formed using different methods, such as by sharpening an edge of the face 10. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the club head sole 30 can have grooves or cutouts as desired but the sole 30 should provide a substantially flat planar surface across the entire dimensions of the sole 30.

Claims

1. A golf club comprising:

a shaft;

a head connected to the shaft, the head including at least:

a face portion;

a heel portion, the heel portion having a substantially flat bottom surface, the heel portion intersecting with the face and a sharp edge being defined by the intersection of the heel portion and the face portion.

2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein a lower portion of the shaft includes a sharp edge.

3. The golf club of claim 1, wherein a hosel joins the head and the shaft, the hosel having a sharp edge.

4. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the golf club is an iron.

5. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the sharp edge is coterminous with a horizontal plane formed by the heel portion.

6. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the sharp edge is coterminous with the face portion.

7. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the head includes a bottom portion extending rearward from a bottom of the face portion, the substantially flat bottom surface extending from the sharp edge to a rear edge of the bottom portion.

8. A golf club comprising:

a shaft;

a head connected to the shaft, the head including at least:

a face;

a substantially flat bottom; and

a sharpened axe-like edge formed at the intersection of the heel and the face.