Golf club velocity enhancement
A golf club includes a club head that has one or more air passages extending from its front face to its rear face, so that when the club is swung in a ball-striking action air in the path of the club head is transferred from a pressurized zone on the head front face through the air passages into a low pressure wake area behind the club head. The air transfer action minimizes resistance to club movement, so as to contribute to a faster club head speed and a longer ball travel.
This Invention relates to golf clubs and particularly to an improved golf club head that will enable the golfer to swing the golf club so that the club head has a greater velocity (as compared with the velocity of a generally similar conventional golf club). The present invention relates to club head velocity enhancement.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ARTThe club head continues the arcuate movement to an elevated point away from the golfer's body, while the golf ball is propelled forwardly from the ball-striker face of the club head. The golf ball travel distance is generally proportional to the club head velocity at the moment when the club head makes contact with the ball; i.e. a higher club head velocity at the ball contact moment will generally produce a desirably longer ball travel.
One obstacle to a higher club head velocity is the air resistance or turbulence associated with arcuate travel of the club head from the starting (elevated) position to the ball contact position (at or near ground level).
The low pressure wake area exerts a suction effect on the club head, to reduce the club head velocity. At the same time the pressurized area 20 proximate to the front face 14 of the club head also has a retarding (or reducing) effect on the club head velocity. To sum up, the suction effect of suction wake area 24 and the pressurizing effect in area 20 are additive to provide a total air resistance contributing to an undesired loss of club head speed. The present invention concerns an air passage system designed to reduce the total air resistance that contributes to an undesired loss of club head speed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe invention involves a golf club head having one or more air passages extending from the front face of the club head to the trailing face of the club head, so that during a ball-striking event some of the air in front of the club head is transferred through the passage(s) to the wake area behind the club head. This transfer of air partially reduces the air pressure in front of the club head while at the same time raising the air pressure in the low pressure wake area behind the club head. The net effect of this air transfer is to reduce the air resistance to club head movement, thereby promoting a faster club head speed and greater golf ball travel distance.
Before describing the golf club of the present invention, it is believed that a better understanding of the invention can be realized by first describing the conventional prior art golf club, as shown, e.g., in
Air in zone 20 proximate to the club head front face 14 is pressurized by the advancing club so as to offer some resistance to continued club head motion. Air in the path of the club head is displaced outwardly by pressurized air in zone 20 to points beyond the peripheral edges of front face 14, as indicated by numeral 22A. The displaced air than collapses back toward the club head side surfaces 17 to flow, as much as possible, along those surfaces. Numeral 22B designates the collapsing air.
At some point the air separates from side surfaces 17 to form a low pressure wake area 24 proximate to curvilinear rear face 16. Numeral 11 designates generally the imaginary separation plane, i.e. the point(s) where the boundary air layer on surfaces 17 can no longer control or hold the main air stream on the club surface. In actuality, the rear surface 16 of the club head is moving so fast in a right-to-left direction that the air cannot collapse toward the club head centerline 19 rapidly enough to keep pace with club head movement. Rear face 16 tends to produce a vacuum in wake area 24, thereby generating turbulence that prevents the collapsing air from attaching to surface 16.
It will be seen that resistance to club head motion in a right-to-left direction is provided by the pressurized air condition in zone 20 plus the low pressure suction condition in turbulent wake area 24. The result is an undesired loss of club head speed.
The air passage means comprises a first slot-shaped air passage 30 having an entrance opening proximate to upper edge 32 of the club front face 14 and a second slot-shaped air passage 30 having an entrance opening proximate to lower edge 34 of the club front face 14. Front face 14 can be defined by a metal place 28 having a relatively hard ball-striker surface (face). Each air passage 30 extends from front face 14 entirely through the club head body to form an exit opening 33 in curvilinear rear face 16. Motion of the club head in a right-to-left direction provides the motive force for transferring air from pressurized zone 20 through air passages 30 into depressurized wake area 24. The net effect is to reduce the air resistance to club head motion, thereby facilitating an increased (enhanced) velocity for a greater ball travel distance.
Each exit opening 33 is located in an area of curvilinear rear face 16 that communicates with wake area 24, so that air exiting each passage immediately raises the pressure in wake area 24, thereby reducing wake area turbulence and minimizing the suction effect on rear face 16.
As best shown in
While specific forms of the invention are shown in the drawings, it will be appreciated that some variations and alternate designs can be used while still practicing the invention.
Claims
1. In a golf club that comprises a three dimensional club head having a ball-striker front face, a curvilinear rear face, and side surfaces that taper in a direction from the front face to the rear face: the improvement comprising an air passage means extending from the ball-striker front face to the rear face, so that during a ball-striking event some of the air proximate to the front face flows through said air passage means into a wake area behind the rear face.
2. The improvement of claim 1, wherein said air passage means comprises at least one sleeve positioned in said club head to reinforce the club head against structural failure.
3. The improvement of claim 1, wherein the club head front face has an upper edge and a lower edge; said air passage means comprising a first passage system receiving air from a front face area proximate to said upper edge, and a second passage system receiving air from a front face area proximate to said lower edge.
4. The improvement of claim 3, wherein each said passage system comprises a slot-shaped air passage.
5. The improvement of claim 3, wherein each said passage system comprises plural corner-free passages spaced along the club head front face.
6. The improvement of claim 5, wherein each said corner-free passage is defined by a sleeve formed separately from the club head to reinforce the club head against structural failure.
7. The improvement of claim 1, wherein said ball-striker front face has an imaginary center that constitutes the optimal ball-strike point; said air passage means comprising plural air passages spaced substantial distances from said optimal ball-strike point, whereby the air passages do not come into contact with a golf ball during a normal ball-striking event.
8. The improvement of claim 7, wherein each said air passage is spaced from said optimal ball-strike point by a distance that is approximately equal to the radius of a conventional golf ball.
9. The improvement of claim 8, wherein each said air passage is defined by a sleeve formed separately from the club head to reinforce the club head against structural failure.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 28, 2008
Publication Date: Jan 28, 2010
Inventor: Daniel J. Doran (Appleton, WI)
Application Number: 12/220,667
International Classification: A63B 53/04 (20060101);