Reduced Ground Resistance Patents (Class 473/328)
  • Patent number: 8303429
    Abstract: A golf club having a golf club head 20 with a keel zone that makes the actual face angle of the golf club appear differently when the golf club is at address. The golf club head 20 has a keel zone that is preferably 0.5 inch wide in the fore-aft direction and 1.0 inch wide in the heel-toe direction, which changes the appearance of the face angle while the golf club is at address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Matthew T. Cackett, Alan Hocknell
  • Patent number: 8287400
    Abstract: Fairway wood-type golf clubs as described herein may include: (a) a club head with a volume of at least 300 cc; (b) a shaft member attached to the club head, wherein the golf club has a length between 37 and 43 inches; and (c) a grip or handle member attached to the shaft member. The club head may further include: (1) a ball striking face, wherein the ball striking face has a loft angle between 12 and 32 degrees; and (2) a club head body engaged or integrally formed with the ball striking face, with a sole portion that includes a ground-engaging surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventor: James S. Thomas
  • Patent number: 8282506
    Abstract: An iron-type golf club head having a rear cavity with an undercut portion is disclosed herein. The undercut portion is present in less than 360 degrees of the rear cavity. Further, the undercut portion is preferably discontinuous. Further, the under portion preferably has sharp angles at segments of the rear cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventor: Denver Holt
  • Patent number: 8277335
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a body defining an interior cavity. The body includes a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown. The body has a forward portion and a rearward portion. The club head includes a face positioned at the forward portion of the body. The face defines a striking surface having an ideal impact location at a golf club head origin. Some embodiments of the club head form a club head for a fairway wood that has a high moment of inertia, a low center-of-gravity and a thin crown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd P. Beach, Joseph Henry Hoffman, Scott Taylor, Sang S. Yi
  • Patent number: 8272974
    Abstract: A hybrid type golf club head is disclosed herein. The hybrid golf club head preferably has an increased heel/toe camber to minimize drag through rough when a golfer swings the hybrid golf club. A sole of the hybrid golf club head is relieved to allow for the face angle to open without the leading edge lifting too high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Philip A. Mickelson, Daniel M. Stevens, William C. Watson, Alan Hocknell, Luke R. Williams, Roger Cleveland
  • Patent number: 8235841
    Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club, includes a head with a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball, a body connected to the face, and a channel located in the body. The channel is configured to influence the characteristics of the impact of a ball on the face, such as by flexing or compressing in response to the force of the impact, exerting a response or reaction force on the face, changing the motion or behavior of the face, and other manners. The head may also include a pair of channels that have a gap between them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: John T. Stites, Robert Boyd, Rick Wahlin, Andrew G. V. Oldknow
  • Patent number: 8226501
    Abstract: Aspects of this disclosure relate to a golf club head which includes a wood type golf club head body including a ball striking face portion at a front side thereof, a rear side opposite the front side, a crown portion, and a sole portion. Further, the sole or crown or rear portion of the golf club head body may be configured so that the golf club head body includes a bump portion which protrudes from the sole or crown or rear portion and an indented portion which recedes into the sole or crown or rear portion and creates a recess in the sole or crown or rear portion of the golf club head body. Further, the bump portion and the indented portion may be configured so that a center of gravity of the club head body is nearer to one of the heel edge of the club head body and the toe edge of the club head body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: John T. Stites, Gary G. Tavares
  • Publication number: 20120184391
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a golf club head with an improved striking surface. The grooves are machined into the strike surface with tight tolerances and angled relative to a leading edge of the golf club head. The sole of the golf club head is contoured so that the effective bounce and leading edge height are controlled when the golf club head is rotated to an opened orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Inventors: Gregory D. Johnson, Robert W. Vokey
  • Patent number: 8216086
    Abstract: A wedge-type golf club having a plurality of parallel grooves offset at an angle with respect to the base of the club face. The grooves provide enhanced backspin and control on a golf ball when struck with the club face open. The grooves are beneficial for “getting the ball up” and stopping the ball on the green using an open face approach.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Inventor: Steve Beaulieu
  • Patent number: 8197355
    Abstract: An iron-type golf club head having a coated stepped sole is disclosed herein. The coated stepped sole is stepped such that the sole surface furthest from the face is raised away from the turf to minimize the turf contact through a golfer's swing particularly for the longer, less lofted irons. The surface friction is reduced by applying a thin dense chromium coating thorough electroplating to the stepped sole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventor: J. Andrew Galloway, Sr.
  • Publication number: 20120115628
    Abstract: A golf putter (1) having, relative to its cross-sectional area in the horizontal plane (in use), a relatively small ground-contacting area; (2) wherein the putter head is made of different materials, wherein one material is relatively dense and constitutes the core of the head, including the ball-contacting face, and another material is relatively less dense and constitutes the periphery of the head; (3) whose base is at an angle to the ground when the putter is held upright, whereby lying the base on the ground provides increased loft on the face of the putter; and/or (4) having, on its top side, extending normal to its face, an area of contrasting appearance defining an arrow in the line of the putt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Inventor: Derek Christopher WOODS
  • Publication number: 20120108356
    Abstract: A golf club apparatus includes a shaft, a grip and a head. The head is attached to the shaft. The head further includes a main body having a ball contacting surface or club face; a heel portion, a toe portion and a sole portion. The shaft attached to the main body proximate the heel portion and the toe portion is distal from an attachment point of the shaft. The sole portion corresponds to the bottom of the main body and is positioned between the toe portion and the heel portion and the leading edge to the trailing edge. A leading edge is an edge formed at the intersection of the club face and the sole portion. The sole portion has a plurality of substantially triangularly shaped or v-shaped grooves therein with axes. Each of the axes is between 0 degrees and 180 degrees to the plane of the club face. This angle is also combined with varying levels of bounce, camber, radius and sole width creating various options within a certain degree of a wedge or iron.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Inventor: James Patrick Harrington
  • Patent number: 8162775
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, and a skirt extending between the crown and the sole and between the toe and the heel. The club head includes a drag-reducing structure that may include one or both of a continuous groove extending from a front portion to a rear edge of the toe, and along an entire length of the skirt, and a substantially V-shaped recess formed in the sole and having a vertex positioned proximate the ball striking face and the heel and away from the skirt and the toe, and a pair of legs extending to a point proximate the toe and away from the ball striking face, and curving toward the skirt and away from the ball striking face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary G. Tavares, Robert Boyd, John Thomas Stites
  • Patent number: 8142309
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a golf club head with an improved striking surface. The grooves are machined into the strike surface with tight tolerances and angled relative to a leading edge of the golf club head. The sole of the golf club head is contoured so that the effective bounce and leading edge height are controlled when the golf club head is rotated to an opened orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Gregory D. Johnson, Robert W. Vokey
  • Publication number: 20120040772
    Abstract: A golf club includes a face for striking a golf ball and a sole. The face including a leading edge. The sole extends from the face leading edge. The sole includes at least one channel. Each channel includes a first end adjacent to the leading face leading edge, a second end spaced from the first end, a first sidewall and a second sidewall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Inventor: Carlyle Potter
  • Publication number: 20110294595
    Abstract: A golf club head is provided with a body that has an address position with a zero degree bounce portion on the sole and a center sole position with a multi-relief surface of the sole having a negative bounce portion. The negative bounce portion may comprise a negative 0.5 to a negative 4.0 degree surface. In one embodiment, the multi-relief surface may comprise the negative bounce portion and a cutaway portion extending to the back of the sole, which may have a depth of about 0.05 to 0.5 inch from a regular sole surface. In another embodiment, the golf club head includes a weight system to adjust the center of gravity. In one embodiment, the weight system is a tube having a weight at one end that may be inserted into the golf club head to move the center of gravity at least forward and backward within 6 mm and up and down within 6 mm. Preferably, the tube is angled downward toward the face by at least 3 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas Orrin Bennett, Michael Scott Burnett, Daniel S. Callinan, Christopher D. Harvell, Jeffrey W. Meyer, Stephen S. Murphy
  • Patent number: 8052541
    Abstract: A golf club that positions a golfer to establish a desired viewpoint of a golf ball when preparing to strike the golf ball with the golf club. The golf club includes an elongated shaft, a grip provided adjacent to a proximate end of the shaft that the golfer grips to hold the golf club while striking the golf ball during a golf swing, and a club head coupled adjacent to a distal end of the shaft and including a face exposed at a surface of the head for contacting the golf ball during the golf swing. A visual indicator is provided to the club head, wherein the visual indicator is observable by the golfer to indicate that the golfer is positioned in at least one of a predetermined longitudinal direction relative to the club head and a predetermined lateral direction relative to the club head to afford the golfer the desired viewpoint of the golf ball before striking the golf ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Inventor: Stephen T. Ross
  • Patent number: 8043165
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an iron-type golf club head in which the sole portion has a main surface and a stepped surface. Further, the sole portion comprises a chromium coating. The invention creates a unique combination of head shape and surface friction coefficients that minimize the bad effects of turf impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventor: J. Andrew Galloway
  • Publication number: 20110256954
    Abstract: A golf club head with multi-component construction. The golf club head includes heel and toe portions that generally provide ground contacting surfaces and a raised central region. A center of gravity of the club is located outside of an envelope defined by the outer surface of the club head below the raised central region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2010
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Inventor: Peter L. Soracco
  • Patent number: 8021247
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for a golf club providing an excellent orientation of the club head in the target direction. The disclosed golf club comprises a head having a striking surface, a grip having a butt end, and a shaft connecting the head at its upper end, and the grip at its lower end; wherein the butt end comprises an aiming notch oriented perpendicular to the plane of zero loft of the striking surface, and wherein the head comprises stabilizing profiles on its lower face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Inventor: Louis Philippe Brolly
  • Patent number: 7997998
    Abstract: A golf club head is provided with a body that has an address position with a zero degree bounce portion on the sole and a center sole position with a multi-relief surface of the sole having a negative bounce portion. The negative bounce portion may comprise a negative 0.5 to a negative 4.0 degree surface. In one embodiment, the multi-relief surface may comprise the negative bounce portion and a cutaway portion extending to the back of the sole, which may have a depth of about 0.05 to 0.5 inch from a regular sole surface. In another embodiment, the golf club head includes a weight system to adjust the center of gravity. In one embodiment, the weight system is a tube having a weight at one end that may be inserted into the golf club head to move the center of gravity at least forward and backward within 6 mm and up and down within 6 mm. Preferably, the tube is angled downward toward the face by at least 3 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Thomas Orrin Bennett, Michael Scott Burnett, Daniel S. Callinan, Christopher D. Harvell, Jeffrey W. Meyer, Stephen S. Murphy
  • Patent number: 7988565
    Abstract: A head 2 is hollow. The head 2 has a sole part 8. The sole part 8 has a groove forming part k1 having a recessed outer surface g1 and a protruding inner surface s1. The sole part 8 has a first groove forming part k1 and a second groove forming part k1. The first groove forming part k1 and the second groove forming part k1 have a front-back directional length. A distance between the first groove forming part k1 and the second groove forming part k1 in a toe-heel direction is wider toward a back of the head. Preferably, the first groove forming part k1 and the second groove forming part k1 exist on a back of a face surface 13. Preferably, the sole part 8 has a connecting groove part r1. The connecting groove part r1 is formed by connecting a front end of the first groove forming part k1 to a front end of the second groove forming part k1 with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventor: Hiroshi Abe
  • Publication number: 20110151995
    Abstract: A customizable golf club head is disclosed herein. The customizable golf club head includes a body comprising a crown and a sole and a removable skid plate attached to the sole, wherein the removable skid plate affects the face angle of the golf club head at address. The face angle of the golf club can be further altered by removing the first skid plate and replacing it with a second skid plate having a structure that, when the second skid plate is affixed to the golf club head, causes the golf club head to have a different face angle at address.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: CALLAWAY GOLF COMPANY
    Inventor: D. CLAYTON EVANS
  • Publication number: 20110118051
    Abstract: Fairway wood-type golf clubs as described herein may include: (a) a club head with a volume of at least 300 cc; (b) a shaft member attached to the club head, wherein the golf club has a length between 37 and 43 inches; and (c) a grip or handle member attached to the shaft member. The club head may further include: (1) a ball striking face, wherein the ball striking face has a loft angle between 12 and 32 degrees; and (2) a club head body engaged or integrally formed with the ball striking face, with a sole portion that includes a ground-engaging surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: Nike, Inc.
    Inventor: James S. Thomas
  • Patent number: 7922597
    Abstract: A golf putter generally has a nearly flat sole surface, multiple or decorative sight lines used to align the putter with the target, or target line. This new design has an extremely rounded sole surface from heel to toe and from the ball striking face to the rear of the putter head. This works extremely well when putting through taller fringe grasses off the green. The well rounded heel and toe and leading angular surface contribute to stabilizing the orientation of the ball striking face when putting from extremely sloped side hill lies in the taller fringe grasses. It has a single brightly colored sight line from the ball striking face to the rear of the putter head to eliminate a majority of visual clutter. This focuses the golfers eyes completely on the sight line, target line, and center of the golf ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Inventor: Valentine George Feret
  • Patent number: 7918747
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a golf club head with an improved striking surface. The grooves are machined into the strike surface with tight tolerances. The grooves have sharp edges, radiused ends, and a draft angle between about 2° and 12°. The striking face is machined such that it has a uniform texture with a roughness of more than 40 Ra. The face may be selectively textured to enhance certain shots that the golfer may perform. This may include providing a plurality of distinct sets of texturing to accommodate a plurality of different shots. The grooves may contain a plurality of portions, including a radiused or angled portion, a portion having substantially parallel walls, a portion having a v-shape, and a curved portion. The grooves may also be characterized by various dimensions, including draft angle, inclusive side wall angle, width, depth, cross-sectional area, spacing, and pitch ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Inventors: Gregory D. Johnson, Robert W. Vokey
  • Publication number: 20110077101
    Abstract: A golf club with a plurality of rails wherein the plurality of rails is capable of improving turf interaction for various turf conditions with various turf undulations is disclosed herein. More specifically, the present invention discloses a metal wood type golf club having a plurality of rails on its sole that is capable of changing the lie angle of the metal wood type golf club head by varying the combination of the rails on the sole that comes into contact with the ground to provide improved turf interaction for various types of lies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas Orrin Bennett, Thomas C. Morris, Thomas W. Preece, Douglas E. Roberts
  • Patent number: 7905794
    Abstract: A golf club that positions a golfer to establish a desired viewpoint of a golf ball when preparing to strike the golf ball with the golf club. The golf club includes an elongated shaft, a grip provided adjacent to a proximate end of the shaft that the golfer grips to hold the golf club while striking the golf ball during a golf swing, and a club head coupled adjacent to a distal end of the shaft and including a face exposed at a surface of the head for contacting the golf ball during the golf swing. A visual indicator is provided to the club head, wherein the visual indicator is observable by the golfer to indicate that the golfer is positioned in at least one of a predetermined longitudinal direction relative to the club head and a predetermined lateral direction relative to the club head to afford the golfer the desired viewpoint of the golf ball before striking the golf ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Inventor: Stephen T. Ross
  • Publication number: 20110039632
    Abstract: A golf club head is provided with a body that has an address position with a zero degree bounce portion on the sole and a center sole position with a multi-relief surface of the sole having a negative bounce portion. The negative bounce portion may comprise a negative 0.5 to a negative 4.0 degree surface. In one embodiment, the multi-relief surface may comprise the negative bounce portion and a cutaway portion extending to the back of the sole, which may have a depth of about 0.05 to 0.5 inch from a regular sole surface. In another embodiment, the golf club head includes a weight system to adjust the center of gravity. In one embodiment, the weight system is a tube having a weight at one end that may be inserted into the golf club head to move the center of gravity at least forward and backward within 6 mm and up and down within 6 mm. Preferably, the tube is angled downward toward the face by at least 3 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas Orrin Bennett, Michael Scott Burnett, Daniel S. Callinan, Christopher D. Harvell, Jeffrey W. Meyer, Stephen S. Murphy
  • Publication number: 20100331099
    Abstract: A golf putter having an improved club head construction comprising a tapered toe and heel, and cut-out portions to distribute weight towards the toe and heal of the club to preventing twisting and to prevent club head interaction with the ground during stroke. In an aspect, the club head further includes alignment indicator lines on an upward facing mounting surface and a alignment indicator line along a shaft connection portion that extends forwardly of the striking face of the club head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventor: Don Sanderson
  • Publication number: 20100323811
    Abstract: A hybrid type golf club head is disclosed herein. The hybrid golf club head preferably has an increased heel/toe camber to minimize drag through rough when a golfer swings the hybrid golf club. A sole of the hybrid golf club head is relieved to allow for the face angle to open without the leading edge lifting too high.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: 2180 RUTHERFORD ROAD
    Inventors: PHILIP A. MICKELSON, DANIEL M. STEVENS, WILLIAM C. WATSON, ALAN HOCKNELL, LUKE R. WILLIAMS, ROGER CLEVELAND
  • Publication number: 20100292020
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, and a skirt extending between the crown and the sole and between the toe and the heel. The club head includes a drag-reducing structure that may include one or both of a continuous groove extending from a front portion to a rear edge of the toe, and along an entire length of the skirt, and a substantially V-shaped recess formed in the sole and having a vertex positioned proximate the ball striking face and the heel and away from the skirt and the toe, and a pair of legs extending to a point proximate the toe and away from the ball striking face, and curving toward the skirt and away from the ball striking face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Inventors: Gary G. Tavares, Robert Boyd, John Thomas Stites
  • Patent number: 7824277
    Abstract: A golf club head is provided with a body that has an address position with a zero degree bounce portion on the sole and a center sole position with a multi-relief surface of the sole having a negative bounce portion. The negative bounce portion may comprise a negative 0.5 to a negative 4.0 degree surface. In one embodiment, the multi-relief surface may comprise the negative bounce portion and a cutaway portion extending to the back of the sole, which may have a depth of about 0.05 to 0.5 inch from a regular sole surface. In another embodiment, the golf club head includes a weight system to adjust the center of gravity. In one embodiment, the weight system is a tube having a weight at one end that may be inserted into the golf club head to move the center of gravity at least forward and backward within 6 mm and up and down within 6 mm. Preferably, the tube is angled downward toward the face by at least 3 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Thomas Orrin Bennett, Michael Scott Burnett, Daniel S. Callinan, Christopher D. Harvell, Jeffrey W. Meyer, Stephen S. Murphy
  • Publication number: 20100234126
    Abstract: A driver type golf club head (20) preferably having a body (21) defined by a crown (22), a face (23) and a sole (24). The face (23) has an elevated height, h1, as measured from a lower edge (23b) of the face (23) to the ground. The height, h1, is preferably at least 0.3 inch from the ground.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2009
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: CALLAWAY GOLF COMPANY
    Inventors: MATTHEW T. CACKETT, ALAN HOCKNELL
  • Publication number: 20100210372
    Abstract: A golf putter generally has a nearly flat sole surface, multiple or decorative sight lines used to align the putter with the target, or target line. This new design has an extremely rounded sole surface from heel to toe and from the ball striking face to the rear of the putter head. This works extremely well when putting through taller fringe grasses off the green. The well rounded heel and toe and leading angular surface contribute to stabilizing the orientation of the ball striking face when putting from extremely sloped side hill lies in the taller fringe grasses. It has a single brightly colored sight line from the ball striking face to the rear of the putter head to eliminate a majority of visual clutter. This focuses the golfers eyes completely on the sight line, target line, and center of the golf ball.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Inventor: Valentine George Feret
  • Publication number: 20100130302
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an iron-type golf club head in which the sole portion has a main surface and a stepped surface. Further, the sole portion comprises a chromium coating. The invention creates a unique combination of head shape and surface friction coefficients that minimize the bad effects of turf impact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2009
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Applicant: CALLAWAY GOLF COMPANY
    Inventor: J. ANDREW GALLOWAY
  • Patent number: 7713138
    Abstract: A wood type club is provided. A toe-side part and a heel-side part located between the crown part and the sole part of the head are provided with at least one concave groove opened outward in a horizontal direction and extending from the face part to the back part in a longitudinal direction to guide an air stream to the head in a swing action; and a whole or part of the concave groove has a curved part bulging outwardly so that an angle in which a concave groove bottom formed from an inlet of the concave groove to an inside thereof is inclined inward with respect to a line perpendicular to the face part is smaller than an angle in which a line connecting an inlet of the concave groove bottom and an outlet thereof is inclined inward with respect to the line perpendicular to the face part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Inventors: Tomohiko Sato, Sunao Umemura, Yutaka Kawata, Mitsuhiro Saso
  • Patent number: 7704155
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a golf club head is presented having a sole with three recessed cavities for attachment to a hosel-bending tool. In another embodiment, a golf club head is presented having a sole that includes one predetermined contact area proximal to the toe edge of the sole. In another embodiment, a golf club head is presented having a sole in which pads of material are incorporated that may be milled to vary the relief of the sole and to modify mass characteristics of the club head. Yet another embodiment presents a golf club head having a body with a cavity to receive a cartridge that has a constant density and weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Thomas Orrin Bennett, Christopher D. Harvell, Stephen S. Murphy, Eddie G. Perez, Michael Scott Burnett
  • Publication number: 20100041493
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an iron-type golf club that may be included in a set. In particular, the inventive golf club includes an adjustable hosel coupling and a mechanism for altering the sole configuration. The golf club may be included in a set having a progressive sole configuration that provides desired bounce for each club within the set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Inventors: Karl A. Clausen, Douglas E. Roberts
  • Patent number: 7628709
    Abstract: A method of fitting a golf putter to an individual golf stroke of a person which comprises the steps of: (a) providing a golf putter to a person comprising a shaft with a proximal end and a distal end, an attachment means for pivotably attaching a putter head to the distal end of the shaft, an elongate flat blade having opposed ends and a top side and a bottom side and pivotably attached on the top side to the attachment means allowing for selection of a desired angle of the blade relative to the shaft, one or more weights removably connected to the elongate flat blade, and an adjustable runner having a height and attached to the bottom side of the elongate flat blade; (b) determining the golf stroke of the person; (c) adjusting a runner height to the golf stroke of the person; (d) weighting the putter with the one or more weights to set a center of mass of the head to a point behind a contact area of the blade with a golf ball, particular to the golf stroke of the person; (e) pivoting the shaft with respe
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Inventor: Lanny Leo Johnson
  • Patent number: 7618330
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a golf club, comprising a shaft and a golf club head disposed at one end of the shaft. The golf club head has a face on a front of the golf club head, a cavity surface on a back of the golf club head, and a bottom flange extending from a bottom edge of the face to a bottom edge of the cavity. The bottom flange has a plurality of grooved channels extending across a width of the bottom flange of the golf club head, such that the golf club head provides a flow path, permitting a medium to flow through the grooved channels, thereby reducing resistance to motion of the golf club head during play.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Inventors: John Joseph Krewalk, Michael Malerba
  • Patent number: 7607991
    Abstract: A putter club head has a longitudinal body and a means of attaching a shaft thereto. The body may be solid, hollow, or partially hollow or solid. If hollow or partially hollow, the body may have a weighted mass therein. Such a weighted mass may be located towards a front section of the club head near a ball striking surface. The means to attach a shaft is located in the rear section of said body in proximity to the distal end of the rear section of said body. The shaft may curve and bend so that it is oriented near the center of the body and towards a golfer addressing a golf ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Momentus Golf
    Inventor: James W. Sorenson
  • Patent number: 7572193
    Abstract: A golf club head comprises: a face portion having a front face forming a club face and a rear face facing a hollow; a sole portion extending backward from the face portion and having an outer surface forming an undersurface of the head and an inner surface facing the hollow, the sole portion provided with a tubular part whose hole forms a socket; and a weight member secured in the socket. The tubular part protrudes from the inner surface of the sole portion into the hollow. The sole portion is provided on the outer surface with at least one stiffening groove so that said at least one stiffening groove forms at least one stiffening rib on the, inner surface of the sole portion, and the stiffening groove is partially included in a vicinity zone which is defined as extending 10 mm from the socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventor: Masatoshi Yokota
  • Publication number: 20090181789
    Abstract: The present invention is a unique fairway wood type golf club. The club is a high moment of inertia fairway wood type golf club characterized by a long blade length with a long heel blade length section, while having a small club moment arm and all the benefits afforded therefrom. The fairway wood incorporates the discovery of unique relationships among key club head engineering variables that are inconsistent with merely striving to obtain a high MOIy using conventional golf club head design wisdom. The resulting fairway wood has a face closing moment of inertia (MOIfc) that provides golfers with a feel similar to that of a modern driver or hybrid golf club.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Inventors: Tim Reed, Michael R. Guerrette, Glive Roberts
  • Publication number: 20090124410
    Abstract: A metal wood type golf club head including a club head body and means for attachment to a golf shaft, the club head body including a frontal ball striking face having a center of percussion thereon, a rear face, a heel, toe, and top crown, and a rigid, non-deformable bottom sole having a forward section and at least one additional rear section. The forward section provides a friction surface and is defined by a bounce angle extending downwardly from said frontal ball striking face to prevent the leading edge of the club head from digging into the turf or ground during the execution of a golf shot. The rear section of the bottom sole is a reduced friction surface and is recessed upwardly into the club head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Inventor: Guerin D. Rife
  • Patent number: 7513835
    Abstract: Golf club heads are described. The present invention is directed to golf club heads that have a thicker and heavier top line region and a thinner and lighter sole region than conventional designs. The novel golf club heads of the invention have a low tendency to get stuck in turf, change the face angle upon impact providing a stronger hitting position, increase the club head speed, and provide straighter and increased flight distance. Golf club irons, fairway woods, and driver are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Inventor: Peter Angelo Belmont
  • Patent number: 7507166
    Abstract: The golf club is adapted for chip shots and has an upright shaft having a top grip and a bottom end; and a club head having (a) a hosel portion, (b) a trapezoidal clubface with a predetermined angle of loft, a longer leading edge and a relatively short trailing edge, (c) a sole plate having a similar profile to the clubface and defining a bounce angle with respect to a horizontal plane normal to the axis of the shaft, and (d) two opposite side walls in the shape of isosceles triangles for connecting the respective sets of opposing side edges of the clubface and sole plate with the apexes of the triangular side walls pointing away from each other. The leading edge of the clubface defines two acute angled points diverging forwardly of the club head to neutralize rough elements of sand, weed and other barriers and reach out to hit a nestled ball back to the fairway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Inventor: Man-Young Jung
  • Publication number: 20090029794
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a head body having a grounding face. The grounding face has a front portion and a rear portion. The rear portion of the grounding face is formed with a recessed portion. The recessed portion is provided with at least one protruding boss. Thus, the contact area between the grounding face of the head body and the ground is reduced largely by provision of the recessed portion to reduce the friction and resistance of the grounding face of the head body and to increase the striking force of the head body so as to increase the travel distance of the golf ball and to increase the striking effect of the head body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2007
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Inventor: Yung-Hsiung Chen
  • Publication number: 20090029795
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf clubs and methods of manufacture are generally described herein. A golf club has a shaft and a body coupled to the shaft. The body has a toe end, a heel end opposite the toe end, a front end, a back, end opposite the front end, a front face at the front end, a top wall, and a bottom wall opposite the top wall. The body also has a body height measured in a first direction substantially normal to the bottom wall as measured from the bottom wall to a top point of the front face. The body also has a center of gravity and a center of gravity height measured in the first direction along a center of gravity line that extends from the bottom wall to the center of gravity. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Inventors: Brad Schweigert, Marty Jertson, Michael Nicolette
  • Patent number: 7470200
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a heel end, a toe end, a front wall arranged for impacting a golf ball, and a crown extending between the heel and toe ends. The crown has a front portion and a rear portion. A sole extends between the heel and toe ends and extends between the front wall and the crown rear portion. The sole includes a primary portion and a relief portion. The sole relief portion extends rearwardly away from the front wall and upwardly toward the crown rear portion when the sole primary portion is positioned on a substantially horizontal surface. The sole relief portion may vary in thickness and may include a weight pad. The golf club head may have a hollow interior cavity with the crown curving inwardly toward the cavity between its front and rear portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Richard R. Sanchez