METAL WOOD CLUB
A wood-type golf club including a head comprising a body having a face, a sole, a crown, a toe and a heel and a coordinate system with an x-axis extending horizontally tangent to a center of the club face, a y-axis extending vertically from the center of the club face, and a z-axis extending horizontally through the center of the club face. A system is disposed within the body for adjusting club face angle at address comprising an element that is rotatable about a system axis that is substantially parallel to the y-axis to provide at least first and second club face angle positions at address. The element may be any shape which changes club face angle at address. The system axis may alternatively be substantially parallel to the z-axis. Or, the element may even comprise a plurality of interchangeable adjustment portions interchangeably mated with a body portion.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/206,191, filed Aug. 9, 2011, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/911,052, filed Oct. 25, 2010, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/560,903, filed on Nov. 17, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,824,277, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 29/245,472, now U.S. Pat. D532, 474, filed on Dec. 23, 2005, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to an improved golf club including a wood-type golf club head having modified sole plates which change golf club face angle at address in order to correct for variations/deviations in the striking surface.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONGolf club heads come in many different forms and makes, such as wood- or metal-type (including drivers and fairway woods), iron-type (including wedge-type club heads), utility- or specialty-type, and putter-type. Each of these styles has a prescribed function and make-up. The present invention relates primarily to hollow golf club heads, such as wood-type and utility-type (generally referred to herein as wood-type golf clubs).
Wood-type or metal-type golf club heads generally include a front or striking face, a crown, a sole and an arcuate skirt including a heel, a toe and a back. The crown and skirt are sometimes referred to as a shell. The front face interfaces with and strikes the golf ball. A plurality of grooves, sometimes referred to as “score lines,” may be provided on the face to assist in imparting spin to the ball and for decorative purposes. The crown is generally configured to have a particular look to the golfer and to provide structural rigidity for the striking face. The sole of the golf club is particularly important to the golf shot because it contacts and interacts with the ground during the swing.
The complexities of golf club design are well known. The specifications for each component of the club (i.e., the club head, shaft, grip, and subcomponents thereof) directly impact the performance of the club. Thus, by varying the design specifications, a golf club can be tailored to have specific performance characteristics.
The design and manufacture of wood-type club heads requires careful attention to club head construction. Among the many factors that must be considered are material selection, material treatment, structural integrity and overall geometrical design. Exemplary geometrical design considerations include loft, lie, face angle, horizontal face bulge, vertical face roll, face size, center of gravity, sole curvature, and overall head weight. The interior design of the club head may be tailored to achieve particular characteristics, such as by including hosel or shaft attachment means, perimeter weighting on the face or body of the club head, and fillers within hollow club heads. Club heads are typically formed from stainless steel, aluminum, or titanium and are cast, stamped, as by forming sheet metal with pressure, forged, or formed by a combination of any two or more of these processes.
The club heads may be formed from multiple pieces that are welded or otherwise joined together to form a hollow head, as is often the case of club heads designed with inserts, such as soleplates, or face plates, or crown plates. The multi-piece constructions facilitate access to the cavity formed within the club head, thereby permitting the attachment of various other components to the head such as internal weights and the club shaft. The cavity may remain empty, or may be partially or completely filled, such as with foam. An adhesive may be injected into the club head to provide the correct swing weight and to collect and retain any debris that may be in the club head. In addition, due to difficulties in manufacturing one-piece club heads to high dimensional tolerances, the use of multi-piece constructions allows the manufacture of a club head to a tight set of standards.
It is known to make wood-type golf clubs out of metallic materials. These clubs were originally manufactured primarily by casting durable metals such as stainless steel, aluminum, beryllium copper, etc. into a unitary structure comprising a metal body, face and hosel. As technology progressed, it became more desirable to increase the performance of the face of the club, usually by using a titanium material.
Players generally seek a metal wood driver and golf ball combination that delivers maximum distance and landing accuracy. The distance a ball travels after impact is dictated by the magnitude and direction of the ball's translational velocity, ball speed, and the ball's rotational velocity or spin. Environmental conditions, including atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature, and wind speed, further influence the ball's flight. However, these environmental effects are beyond the control of the golf equipment manufacturer. Golf ball landing accuracy is driven by a number of factors as well. Some of these factors are attributed to club head design, such as center of gravity and club face flexibility.
The sole of the golf club is particularly important to the golf shot because it contacts and interacts with the ground during the golf shot. There are many sole configurations to optimize the performance of the club. Typically, the sole of the club is slightly curved such that when the club head is placed on the ground, the leading edge is located above the ground. The curvature toward the front of the club generally provides bounce. Bounce assists in preventing the club from digging into the ground and substantially slowing club head speed. The curvature toward the trailing edge generally prevents the club head from getting caught on the ground during the back swing.
In fact, “club face angle” is a material factor affecting trajectory and direction. Club face angle is the angle of the club at address in relation to a desired target (i.e., a hole on the course). A club's face angle will vary based on at least two considerations. First, “lie angle” contributes to club face angle. A lie angle is formed between the center of the shaft and the ground line of the club at address and generally results from how high a player grips the club in relation to the ground when the golf club sole is resting on the ground just prior to the player swinging the golf club. Secondly, club face angle will change based on differences in the topography and terrain of the ground.
While lie angle may vary from player to player within a general range of from about 50° to about 65°, any difference in the topography of the ground at a given location on the golf course remains a constant for every golfer. Accordingly, manufacturers seek to provide golfers with clubs which are capable of correcting for these topographical variances of the ground notwithstanding the golfer's particular lie angle within this general range.
Prior clubs have addressed this issue in several ways. In one approach, golf club includes an adjustable shaft for correcting club face angle. The problem with this approach, however, is that adjusting the shaft may undesirably also change the loft of the golf club head, and thereby cancel out, at least in part, any correction.
In another approach, the golf club head is designed to include a modified sole that is integral with the head in order to compensate for irregularities in the terrain. However, this solution has proven undesirably expensive to golfers who may need several clubs, each having a differently contoured sole in order to adjust for different terrains on the course. And some golfers dislike the permanent nature and/or design of such golf club heads.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved golf club head providing a time-saving and cost-effective solution for adjusting club face angle in light of issues such as differences in topography on the golf course as well as optimized face angle for fitting a player.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA wood-type golf club of the invention addresses and resolves the disadvantages of prior attempts to correct/adjust club face angle on the green. In one embodiment of the invention, the wood-type golf club includes a head comprising a body having a face, a sole, a crown, a toe and a heel. The body has a coordinate system with an x-axis extending horizontally tangent to a center of the club face, a y-axis extending vertically from the center of the club face, and a z-axis extending horizontally through the center of the club face. A system is disposed within the body for adjusting club face angle at address comprising an element that is rotatable about a system axis that is substantially parallel to the y-axis to provide at least first and second club face angle positions at address. See for example,
The element interacts with the ground plane at address to change/modify the club face angle. The number of degrees by which the element changes/modifies the club face angle at address is related at least in part to the distance that the element extends outward from the sole. In one embodiment, the system changes the golf club angle by less than 1°. In another embodiment, the system changes the golf club angle by at least about 1°. In yet another embodiment, the system changes the golf club angle by at least about 2°. °. In still another embodiment, the system changes the golf club angle by at least about 3°. In a different embodiment, the system changes the golf club angle by greater than about 3°.
In one embodiment, the element has a cylindrically shaped base member that is flush with the sole and a protrusion formed on and protruding from the base member for changing/correcting the club face angle at address. Of course, the element may comprise any shape that is rotatable about the system axis that is substantially parallel to the y-axis, for example, being conically shaped, disc-shaped, wedge-shaped or tapered. And the protrusion may also comprise any shape or form capable of interacting with the ground at address and changing/correcting club face angle. In another embodiment, the element comprises a base member (without protrusion) wherein the base member extends past the sole at address to correct/change the club face angle.
In another embodiment of the golf club of the invention, the system is disposed within the body between the toe and the heel at a distance from the heel that is less than a distance from the toe. However, in a golf club of the invention, the system may alternatively be disposed within the body between the toe and the heel at a distance from the heel that is greater than or substantially similar to a distance from the toe.
In yet another embodiment, the body comprises a more than one system for changing club face angle at address spaced between the heel and the toe. In one embodiment, one of systems may be disengaged at will.
Any known fastening means may be used to secure or fasten the element and system within the body, including for example, mechanical locking means, welding or brazing, or adhesives, temporarily or permanently.
The system including the element may comprise any known material including for example plastic, composite, or metal.
In yet another embodiment, the wood-type golf club includes a head comprising a body having a face, a sole, a crown, a toe and a heel, wherein the body has a coordinate system with an x-axis extending horizontally tangent to a center of the club face, a y-axis extending vertically from the center of the club face, and a z-axis extending horizontally through the center of the club face; and wherein the body comprises a weight member that is adjustable in a vertical direction to move the center of gravity in the vertical direction and is rotatable about a system axis that is substantially parallel to the y-axis to adjust club face angle at address.
In a different embodiment of the invention, the wood-type golf club includes a head comprising a body having a face, a sole, a crown, a toe and a heel. The body has a coordinate system with an x-axis extending horizontally tangent to a center of the club face, a y-axis extending vertically from the center of the club face, and a z-axis extending horizontally through the center of the club face. A system is disposed within the body for adjusting club face angle at address comprising an element that is rotatable about a system axis that is substantially parallel to the z-axis to provide at least first and second club face angle positions at address. See, e.g.,
In still another embodiment, the wood-type golf club incorporates a head comprising a body having a face, a sole, a crown, a toe and a heel, wherein the sole is disposed between the toe and the heel. Further, the sole comprises a body portion and one of a plurality of interchangeable adjustment portions wherein the body portion is integral with the body and one of the plurality of interchangeable adjustment portions is interchangeably mated with the body portion such that for a club face angle X at address at location L, each of the plurality of interchangeable adjustment parts adjusts the club face angle X to a different club face angle Xa wherein n is the number of interchangeable adjustment portions. See, e.g.,
Preferred features of the present invention are disclosed in the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, and wherein:
A golf club shaft (not shown) is attached at hosel 22 and is disposed along a shaft axis A-A. The hosel 22 may extend to the bottom of the club head 10, may terminate at a location between the sole and crown portions 16 and 18 of the head 10, or the hosel 22 may terminate flush with the crown portion 26.
It is recommended that the inner volume 24 have a volume greater than 125 cubic centimeters, and more preferably greater than 175 cubic centimeters. Preferably, the mass of the inventive club head 10 is greater than 150 grams, but less than 220 grams; although the club head may have any suitable weight. The body 12 may be formed of sheets welded together or cast, preferably from steel, aluminum or titanium or any other suitable material or combination thereof.
The strike face 14 may be made by milling, casting, forging or stamping and forming. The face 14 may be made of any suitable material, including titanium, titanium alloy, carbon steel, stainless steel, beryllium copper, and other metals or composites. The face 14 may have any suitable thickness, and may be uniform or varied. As will be appreciated, the face 14 may be connected to the body 12 by any suitable means, including bonding and welding. Alternatively, the body 12 and face 14 may be cast simultaneously forming a homogeneous shell and eliminating the need to bond or otherwise permanently secure a separate face 14 to the body 12. Alternatively, the sole 16 or crown 18 may be formed separately and fitted to the remainder of the body 12 as is known to those of skill in the art.
The sole 16 preferably has a complex shape that accomplishes two objectives. The first objective is to provide a surface for the club head 10 to sit on in the address position that squares the face 14 to the target. The second objective is to provide a sole shape that gives more clearance to the ground at impact than would be available in a club head with a conventional sole. In order to achieve the first objective, an address portion or zero degree bounce portion 30 is provided. This portion is a sufficient area on the sole 16 on which the club head 10 may rest when placed at the address position by a golfer. The zero degree bounce portion 30 may be a flat portion provided on the sole 16. The zero degree bounce portion 30 may be directly centered behind the face 16 or, as illustrated, may be provided more toward the heel 28. As illustrated in
In order to achieve the second objective, a portion of the sole 16 is relieved to give it a multi-relief surface 32 with a negative bounce. Preferably, a negative bounce portion 34 is provided on the sole 16 in a center portion that is spaced from the face 14 of the club head 10. Thus, the club head 10 has two areas of bounce. As illustrated in
It will be appreciated that in one embodiment the toe 26 may be up at least 5 degrees at a first measurement, for example when the club head 10 sits at address, such that the face 14 measures square. At a second measurement, for example during impact with a golf ball, taken at a centered position the face 14 measures differently than the first measurement. For example, the face 14 may measure at least two degrees more open at the second measurement than the first measurement, or at least two degrees open at the second measurement than the first measurement. The centered position may comprise the negative bounce portion 34, which may be a substantially flat surface. When the first measurement occurs at the address position, the shaft angle βa preferably measures about 55 to 45 degrees. When the second measurement occurs at impact of the club head 10 with a golf ball, the shaft angle βi measures about 55 degrees to 60 degrees.
As illustrated in
The negative bounce portion 34 may have any desired overall shape; preferably the negative bounce portion 34 has a triangular shape as shown in
The cutaway portion 40 extends from the negative bounce portion 34 to the trailing edge 36 of to the club head 10. As illustrated in
As illustrated, the multi-relief surface 32 includes both the negative bounce portion 34 and the cutaway portion 40 and these form a triangular shape. The triangular shape forms an angle φ, angle φ is preferably about 35 to 50 degrees, and more preferably about 38 to 44 degrees. The negative bounce portion 34 and cutaway portion 40 have a length L, length L is preferably about 1 to 5 inches, and more preferably about 2 to 4 inches.
In general, to increase the sweet spot, the center of gravity of the club head is moved toward the bottom and back of the club head. This permits an average golfer to launch the ball up in the air faster and hit the ball farther. In addition, the moment of inertia of the club head is increased to minimize the distance and accuracy penalties associated with off-center hits. In order to move the weight down and back without increasing the overall weight of the club head, material or mass is generally taken from one area of the club head and moved to another. Materials can be taken from the face of the club, creating a thin club face, the crown and/or sole and placed toward the back of the club.
The e.g. adjustability may not substantially affect the dynamic loft of the club head. For example, for a 3 mm front-back e.g. shift the dynamic loft changes about 0.4 degrees. When the e.g. is moved back, the backspin may increase, for example between 100 and 300 rpm per 3 mm of e.g. movement toward the rear of the club head.
As illustrated, the tube 72 is preferably provided at an angle within the club head 50. The tube 72 is angled downward toward the face 54 of the club head 50, such that the tube 72 is provided within the plane formed by the z-axis and y-axis. The tube 72 may be angled by an angle δ, where δ is at least 1 degree from the plane W formed by the z axis and x axis. Preferably, the tube is angled downward toward the face 54 by at least 3 degrees from the plane W formed by the z-axis and x-axis. More preferably, the tube 72 is angled downward toward the face of the club head 50 by about 3 to 7 degrees from the plane W formed by the z-axis and x-axis. It will be appreciated that although the tube 72 is described herein as being provided within a plane formed by the y-axis and z-axis, the tube 72 may be offset in either direction from that plane by any desired amount.
Now referring to
It will be appreciated that a club having the weight system 70, such as the tube 72 and weight 74, may also include the multi-relief surface 32 on the sole 56 as described above. For example, in
It is envisioned that the orientation of the tube 72 may be set during manufacture, may be modified by the user, or may be modifiable by the manufacturer or a designated fitting location. The tube 72 has a diameter td of about 0.3 to 0.5 inch and a length t1 of about 2 to 3 inches. It will be appreciated that more than one tube 72 could be provided in the club head 50 at any one time as illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
While various descriptions of the present invention are described above, it should be understood that the various features of each embodiment could be used alone or in any combination thereof. Therefore, this invention is not to be limited to only the specifically preferred embodiments depicted herein. For example, the multi-relief surface sole may be combined in one club head with the weight system to move the e.g. of the club head. Further, it should be understood that variations and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention might occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. Accordingly, all expedient modifications readily attainable by one versed in the art from the disclosure set forth herein that are within the scope and spirit of the present invention are to be included as further embodiments of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is accordingly defined as set forth in the appended claims.
Claims
1. A wood-type golf club head comprising:
- a body having a face, a sole, a crown, a toe and a heel;
- the body having a coordinate system with an x-axis extending horizontally tangent to a center of the club face, a y-axis extending vertically from the center of the club face, and a z-axis extending horizontally through the center of the club face;
- a system disposed within the body for adjusting club face angle at address comprising an element that is rotatable about a system axis that is substantially parallel to the y-axis to provide at least first and second club face angle positions at address.
2. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the element interacts with the ground plane at address to change/modify the club face angle.
3. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the system changes the golf club angle by less than 1°.
4. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the system changes the golf club angle by at least about 1°.
5. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the system changes the golf club angle by at least about 2°.
6. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, the system changes the golf club angle by at least about 3°.
7. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the system changes the golf club angle by greater than about 3°.
8. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the element has a cylindrically shaped base member that is flush with the sole and a protrusion formed on and protruding from the base member for changing the club face angle at address.
9. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the element is disc-shaped.
10. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the element is wedge-shaped.
11. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the element is tapered.
12. The wood-type golf club head of claim 8, wherein the protrusion interacts with the ground at address changing club face angle.
13. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the system is disposed within the body between the toe and the heel at a distance from the heel that is greater than or substantially similar to a distance from the toe.
14. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a more than one system for changing club face angle at address spaced between the heel and the toe.
15. The wood-type golf club head of claim 14, wherein at least one of systems may be disengaged.
16. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the system is secured within the body with at least one of mechanical locking means, welding means, brazing, or an adhesive.
17. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a material selected from the group comprising plastic, composite, or metal.
18. A wood-type golf club head comprising:
- a body having a face, a sole, a crown, a toe and a heel;
- the body having a coordinate system with an x-axis extending horizontally tangent to a center of the club face, a y-axis extending vertically from the center of the club face, and a z-axis extending horizontally through the center of the club face;
- a system disposed within the body for adjusting club face angle at address comprising an element that is rotatable about a system axis that is substantially parallel to the z-axis to provide at least first and second club face angle positions at address.
19. The wood-type golf club head of claim 18, wherein the system is disposed within the body between the toe and the heel at a distance from the heel that is less than a distance from the toe.
20. A wood-type golf club head comprising:
- a body having a face, a sole, a crown, a toe and a heel;
- the body having a coordinate system with an x-axis extending horizontally tangent to a center of the club face, a y-axis extending vertically from the center of the club face, and a z-axis extending horizontally through the center of the club face; and
- wherein the body comprises a weight member that is adjustable in a vertical direction to move the center of gravity in the vertical direction and is rotatable about a system axis that is substantially parallel to the y-axis to adjust club face angle at address.
21. A wood-type golf club head comprising:
- a body having a face, a sole, a crown, a toe and a heel;
- the sole being disposed between the toe and the heel and comprising a body portion and one of a plurality of interchangeable adjustment portions;
- wherein the body portion is integral with the body and the one of the plurality of interchangeable adjustment portions is interchangeably mated with the body portion;
- such that for a club face angle X at address at location L, each of the plurality of interchangeable adjustment parts adjusts the club face angle X to a different club face angle Xn wherein n is the number of interchangeable adjustment portions.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 10, 2012
Publication Date: Nov 29, 2012
Inventors: Mark C. Myrhum (Del Mar, CA), Gery M. Zimmerman (Fallbrook, CA), Thomas Orrin Bennett (Carlsbad, CA), Christopher D. Harvell (Escondido, CA), Stephen S. Murphy (Carlsbad, CA)
Application Number: 13/571,650