Abstract: Disclosed is a golf club head, which comprises a hosel for receiving a golf club shaft, a club head body having a heel and toe, the club head body being hollowed rearwards to form an attachment opening, a weight protuberance jutting out from the part of the attachment opening near the toe to optimize the weight center of the club head body, a separate ball striking plate tightly fitted into the attachment opening, a shock absorption part consisting of a plurality of concentric circular steps cut in the rear surface of the ball striking plate, and a connection opening formed in the ball striking plate so as to grasp the weight protuberance when fitting the ball striking plate into the attachment opening, whereby the ball striking plate resiliently absorbs the impact of striking a golf ball, and the weight protuberance shifts the weight center from the heel to the toe.

Abstract: A golf club head (20) having a striking plate (30) and means for vibration attenuation (35) disposed thereon. The vibration attenuation means (35) may be composed of a low-density. metallic, a polymer material, or a filled polymer material. The striking plate (30) may have a uniform thickness or a variable thickness. The overall thickness of the striking plate (30) and vibration attenuation means (35) is preferably in the range of 0.100 inch to 0.250 inch. The striking plate (30) is preferably composed of steel or titanium.

Abstract: An iron type golf club head having a rear surface having upper and lower portions; the upper portion being defined by a blade type iron structure between a top ridge surface and the lower portion; and a lower peripheral weight on the lower portion of the rear surface forming a rear cavity between the bottom sole surface the said upper portion.

Abstract: A putter head formed of a first material having a heel, a toe, a back, a top, a sole and a face forming the designated impact surface with a golf ball. The face comprising a generally planar surface extending from the heel to the toe and from the top to the sole. A plurality of horizontal rows of apertures are formed along substantially horizontal planes through the face into a body area between the face and the back. The apertures are formed to selected and different depths depending upon their location on the face. A filler of selected weight per unit area may be added to selected apertures. A putter head of selected weight, balance and feel is provided.

Abstract: A golf club head that allows a user to customize the location of the center of gravity. The golf club head comprises a club head having a hollow cavity with a weighting port. The weighting port allows a user to place weighting material inside the hollow cavity, customizing the location of the center of gravity, the swing weight, the total weight, and the balance of the golf club.

Abstract: A golf club vibration dampening and sound attenuation system including an elongated shaft, a club head, a resilient insert assembly, a dampener, and a grip. The shaft has a distal shaft end and a proximal shaft end. The club head is coupled to the distal shaft end, and includes a front wall and a sole portion. The front wall has a rearwardly sloped front strike side and a rear side. The sole portion rearwardly extends from a lower region of the rear side. The rear side and the sole portion define a cavity and a recess. The recess downwardly extends into the sole portion. A resilient insert assembly is positioned in and substantially fills the recess. The insert assembly is coupled to one or both of the sole portion and the lower region. The dampener is disposed within the shaft and has at least one annular radially extending projection.

Abstract: A putter head including a toe portion, a heel portion, a generally vertically extending wall and an insert. The wall has a front strike face, a rear surface, an upper layer, and a lower layer. The upper layer, the lower layer and the rear surface each extend from the heel portion to the toe portion to define a recess rearwardly extending into the wall from the strike face. The rear surface of the wall is formed with variable thickness thereby providing the recess with a variable rearward depth. The insert substantially fills the recess and connects to the wall. The insert has a front surface, a top surface, a bottom surface and a rear surface. The front surface is exposed, while the top and bottom surfaces are substantially covered by the wall.

Abstract: A customizable golf putter head includes a face member and a back body both of which may be selected from a plurality of differently configured face members and back bodies. The face member has a cavity formed in its rear surface, and the back body has a mating section that is positioned within the cavity of the face member so that a parting line between the face member and the back body is concealed below a top ledge of the face member when the putter head is assembled. A hosel selected from a plurality of differently configured hosels is mounted on the face member, and an elastomeric membrane is positioned within the cavity of the face member so as to be interposed between the face member and the back body.

Abstract: A golf club vibration dampening and sound attenuation system including an elongated shaft, a club head, a resilient insert assembly, a dampener, and a grip. The shaft has a distal shaft end and a proximal shaft end. The club head is coupled to the distal shaft end, and includes a front wall and a sole portion. The front wall has a rearwardly sloped front strike side and a rear side. The sole portion rearwardly extends from a lower region of the rear side. The rear side and the sole portion define a cavity and a recess. The recess downwardly extends into the sole portion. A resilient insert assembly is positioned in and substantially fills the recess. The insert assembly is coupled to one or both of the sole portion and the lower region. The dampener is disposed within the shaft and has at least one annular radially extending projection.

Abstract: A golf club head is disclosed that comprises a body having a striking face and a sole, wherein a recess is formed in the sole. An insert is located within the sole recess, the insert including a core and an intermediate layer that at least partially separates the core from the recess wall. The intermediate layer has a hardness and a modulus of elasticity that are less than that of the core, such that when the golf club head is used to strike a golf ball, the resulting vibrations are dissipated by compression of the intermediate layer and movement of the core with respect to the intermediate layer.

Abstract: There is provided a golf ball with a low spin rate, a high launch angle and an increased flight distance, characterized in a ratio of a primary natural frequency of the golf ball in a direction in which the ball deforms (in a longitudinal direction) (fn) and a primary natural frequency of the ball in a vibration mode in a direction of torsion, i.e., a ratio fc/fn provided in a range: 2.22≦(fc/fn)≦2.45. This relationship is satisfied by a golf ball for example having a core formed of a plurality of layers and having a center smaller in complex modulus than the core's outermost layer or having a cover with a complex modulus adjusted to have a large value.

Abstract: The present invention is a golf club (30) having a club head main body (34) with a recess (38), an polymer insert (40) in the recess (38), an isolation layer (52) and a weight body (50). The polymer insert (40) is composed of a thermosetting polyurethane material having a Shore D hardness in the range of 42 to 55, and a Bayshore rebound in the range of 51 to 60. The preferred thermosetting polyurethane material is formed from a p-phenylene diisocyanate prepolymer and a curing agent. The golf club (30) is preferably a putter, however, it may be a wood or an iron. The particular thermosetting polyurethane provides a soft striking face for feel and a good rebound for distance. The weight body (50) is preferably composed of a tungsten alloy, and the isolation layer (52) is preferably composed of a thermoplastic polyurethane.

Abstract: A golf club head having a face section with a polymer surface can provide a more efficient impact between a golf ball and the golf club head. By utilizing a polymer surface with desired material properties of stress, strain and damping levels, the face section will incur higher strain and strain rate levels than the golf ball. These lower internal stresses within the golf ball yield a more efficient impact with a golf club head.

Abstract: Described are athletic devices containing superelastic components capable of producing a spring force in response to a deflection. The superelastic components improve the performance of athletic devices by increasing the contact duration between the active element of the device and objects the devices are configured to exert force. The superelastic components of also provide increased resistance to breakage or plastic deformation of the athletic device, especially when exposed to frequent deflections. Superelastic components are able to decrease the weight of the athletic device without sacrificing strength. The superelastic components also enable applying a specific spring force at a flex point of the device to enhance the dynamic response resulting from a desired deflection.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for increased hitting efficacy in a sporting implement. Energy absorption characteristics are adjusted so as to vary over the hitting surface of the sporting implement. This may be employed to equalize the hitting performance of the sporting implement with respect to different locations of impact thereon.

Abstract: A shock-absorbing golf club head includes a front recess in the striking face of a golf club head, having a plurality of through holes communicating with a rear recess in order to form a shock-absorbing layer when the front recess and the rear recess are formed into shape. A metal face plate affixed to the striking face is mounted in the front recess. When shock-absorbing material is put into the front and rear recesses, a double layer for shock-absorbing is formed, thereby adding shock-absorbing, shock-lessening, and stability to the golf club head to give better ball control.

Abstract: An insert for a golf club, and method of forming said insert, comprising a material formed from the conversion reaction of an amount of polybutadiene, a free radical source, and a cis-to-trans catalyst, which reaction occurs at a sufficient temperature to form a polybutadiene reaction product which comprises an amount of trans-polybutadiene greater than the amount of trans-polybutadiene present before the conversion reaction. Further, a golf club having a toe and an opposite heel, a sole portion, and an opposite top portion, a forwardly facing exposed strike face and an opposite rearwardly facing exposed back face portion, comprising a recess defined in the strike face, the recess having a bottom surface spaced from the back face portion and a side wall surface extending between the bottom surface and the strike face for disposing the insert.

Abstract: Golf shots lose both distance and directional accuracy when the ball is struck at a clubface location not aligned with (i.e. directly in front of) the clubhead center of gravity (a “mishit”). High moment of inertia clubhead designs (i.e., extreme toe heel weighting) only partially reduce mishit distance loss and are limited by practical clubhead size and weight. The subject invention reduces, or totally eliminates mishit distance loss regardless of clubhead moment of inertia via designs which absorb more ball impact energy for on-center hits versus mishits thus equalizing distance. The invention allows for the use of integral or attached metal or plastic faceplates without impeding the function of such variable energy absorbing mishit corrective devices, thereby greatly improving clubhead durability, feel, and practicality, especially for irons and putters.

Abstract: The golf club of the present invention is comprised of an elongated shaft and a club head, where the club head further includes a striking face, a front toe region, a rear heel region, and opposing top and bottom edges. The elongated shaft is coupled to a hosel. Between the hosel and face there is defined a juncture region. The club also includes a small cavity, filled with a non-metallic material, which is located in the juncture region. In addition to enlarging the sweet spot of the club, the filled cavity serves to dampen or eliminate vibrations that are established in the club body as the striking face contacts a ball during the course of a typical golf swing.

Abstract: In the metal iron golf club head (1), the rigidity of the medium sensitivity region (5) which is a region on the heel side and excluding the vicinity of the face center (3) is made lower than the rigidity of the low sensitivity region (4) so as to approximate the natural frequency of the metal iron golf club head to the natural frequency of the ball as well as to ensure the strength in the face portion (2).

Abstract: A modular-design putter head, having an extruded main body with detachable, heat treated face and hosel bracket. A unique floating-face feature impart trampoline effect when a ball is struck. A flexible hosel, fastened at two points at the rear of the main body acts as a spring for softer touch. Acoustical properties are enhanced with an internal echo chamber which can be filled with foam. A further departure of the traditional putter design and method of manufacture involve the use of extruded metal to form the main putter head. The extruded stock can be cut to desired lengths allowing for economical production of different weight putter heads.

Abstract: A golf club head with a polymer insert having indicia printed directly on its surface is disclosed herein. The polymer insert is disposed in a recess of the club head, and is preferably composed of a thermosetting material. Preferably, an UV curable ink is utilized for the indicia. The UV ink is printed on the external surface of the insert through a transfer pad printing process, and then cured with UV energy. Preferably, the golf club head is a putter, and the insert is composed of a thermosetting polyurethane. The insert is preferably white, and the indicia is preferably multi-colored.

Abstract: Golf club heads and sets of golf club heads are provided with a thin front face for striking a golf ball and a peripheral weighting surrounding the back of the front face and defining a cavity. An insert is formed in the cavity behind at least a portion of the front face. The golf club heads may also include a weight member which is locked onto the club head by the insert.

Abstract: A shock-absorbing golf-club head includes a front recess in the striking face of a golf-club head, extending to the top and the rear portion of the striking face and communicating with a rear recess by means of plural through holes. The front recess is mounted on with a metal face plate having circumferential dented edge to be fixedly engaged with the striking face synchronously when shock-absorbing material is formed into shape and affixed to both front and rear recess so as to form a double-deck shock-absorbing layer to acquire an effect of shock-absorbing, shock-lessening and stability of controlling golf balls.

Abstract: A head for a child's golf club includes a body with a face for striking a golf ball and a shank extending from the body. The shank is configured to be securely attached to a shaft of the golf club. A protective coating covers the head except the face to absorb the reactive force when striking a golf ball. The protective coating is a resilient, flexible material and is rubber in the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Abstract: A golf club putter including a putter head with a curved bottom surface, a front face with a full-face cavity, an adapter molded into the full-face cavity, and a back surface with a weight-reducing cavity formed therein. The volumes of the full-face and weight reducing cavities are substantially equal to keep the putter head relatively balanced. The adapter is made of a polyurethane material with a hardness of at least Shore A 90 durometer. The inside surface of the adapter is mechanically or adhesively bonded to the inside surface of the full-face cavity thereby enabling the entire energy of impact when a ball is struck to be transmitted throughout the putter head, thereby providing a softer felling to the user. The front and back cavities reduce the mass along the central, transverse axis of the putter head, thereby decreasing the torque about the shaft, which enables the user to more easily maintain the front face in a perpendicularly aligned position during the swing.

Abstract: The present invention is a golf club (30) having a club head main body (34) with a recess (38), an polymer insert (40) in the recess (38), an isolation layer (52) and a weight body (50). The polymer insert (40) is composed of a thermosetting polyurethane material having a Shore D hardness in the range of 42 to 55, and a Bayshore rebound in the range of 51 to 60. The preferred thermosetting polyurethane material is formed from a p-phenylene diisocyanate prepolymer and a curing agent. The golf club (30) is preferably a putter, however, it may be a wood or an iron. The particular thermosetting polyurethane provides a soft striking face for feel and a good rebound for distance. The weight body (50) is preferably composed of a tungsten alloy, and the isolation layer (52) is preferably composed of a thermoplastic polyurethane.

Abstract: A variety of novel club heads and iron golf clubs with the novel heads are provided by reexamining the conventional views that iron golf clubs with a low center of gravity have good performance, and introducing a new criterion for evaluation to obtain iron golf clubs capable of sending the ball better distance. A club head includes a face forming portion having a face formed on the forward surface thereof, and a sole forming portion extending rearwardly from the lower end of the face forming portion. The sole forming portion has a sole formed on the bottom thereof. The sole forming portion is provided with one of a hole, a hollow portion and a filling portion near the face forming portion.

Abstract: The golf putter head of the present invention is made of a uniform mixture of a base and a filler. The filler is chosen from materials with a high density such as metals, while the base is selected from low density materials such as plastics. The blend of the base and the filler into a uniform composite produces a putter head of unique feel and characteristics. The preferred filler for the composite is metal which adds weight and density to the total material. The metal added ranges from 50 to 95 percent by weight, depending upon the particular plastic and metal combined to achieve the desired results. The blend of metal and plastic provides a composite which is light enough to swing easily with enough weight to give a balanced feel to the putter head and furthermore, the resiliency of the material provides a good reliable response when striking a golf ball. The uniformity of the composition obviates a plastic-metal interface which can separate or mesh incorrectly leading to an inconsistent feel.

Abstract: A striking face for golf clubs, such as a driver, iron or putter, includes zones of the same or different material arranged to create a desired “feel” to the golfer and/or produce a desired effect on the golf ball. For instance, the zones can be arranged to create a variation in mechanical properties across the striking face. The zones can be created by using “pixels” such as round or hexagonal rods arranged with their central axes perpendicular to the striking face. Pixels of a first material such as a shape memory alloy such as superelastic NiTi can be arranged in one or more concentric patterns and the remainder of the striing face can be made up of pixels of a second material such as beta-titanium, martensitic NiTi or stainless steel. The superelastic NiTi pixels can thus create a sweet spot on the striking face of the club.

Abstract: A variety of novel clubheads and iron golf clubs with the novel heads are provided by reexamining the conventional views that iron golf clubs with a low center of gravity have good performance, and introducing a new criterion for evaluation to obtain iron golf clubs capable of sending the ball better distance. A clubhead includes a face forming portion having a face formed on the forward surface thereof, and a sole forming portion extending rearwardly from the lower end of the face forming portion. The sole forming portion has a sole formed on the bottom thereof. The sole forming portion is provided with one of a hole, a hollow portion and a filling portion near the face forming portion.

Abstract: A variety of novel clubheads and iron golf clubs with the novel heads are provided by reexamining the conventional views that iron golf clubs with a low center of gravity have good performance, and introducing a new criterion for evaluation to obtain iron golf clubs capable of sending the ball better distance. A clubhead includes a face forming portion having a face formed on the forward surface thereof, and a sole forming portion extending rearwardly from the lower end of the face forming portion. The sole forming portion has a sole formed on the bottom thereof. The sole forming portion is provided with one of a hole, a hollow portion and a filling portion near the face forming portion.

Abstract: A golf club head has a strike face and an opposite back face portion. The strike face defines a recess having a bottom surface and a side wall surface extending between the bottom surface and the strike face. An insert is disposed within the recess. The insert has two portions. The first portion has a passageway extending from a front surface of the insert to a back surface of the insert, and the second portion forms a portion of the strike face. The insert is configured so that the passageway is spaced from the strike face. A vibration dampening material is disposed within the passageway.

Abstract: A golf club head is disclosed. The golf club head includes a body having a front face, a rear face, a top and a bottom. The club head also includes a viscoelastic member positioned within the body and in direct contact with the front face of the body. The viscoelastic member counters force applied to the front face of the body when a golf ball is struck.

Abstract: A golf club head having a force absorbing mass located behind the ball striking face and a force transmitting arcuate member connected between the mass and a rear surface of the club head. Impact forces are transmitted through the arcuate member into the force absorbing mass where they are dissipated.

Abstract: Disclosed is a golf club head, preferably a putterhead, comprising a striking face with an intended strikepoint, and a variable energy absorbing means incorporated such that maximum energy is absorbed when a golf ball is struck on the intended strikepoint and progressively less energy is absorbed as the ball is struck on the striking face at distances incrementally remote from the intended strikepoint along a horizontal axis. In preferred embodiments, the energy absorbing elements are comprised of a plurality of adjacent viscoelastic elements of predetermined and varying energy absorption. The adjacent viscoelastic elements are arranged such that energy absorption is greatest at the intended strikepoint, the plurality of adjacent viscoelastic elements cooperating to reduce the variance of, and optimally to equalize, the distance a golf ball travels when struck at the intended strikepoint, or points on the striking face remote from the intended strikepoint, with an otherwise identical stroke.

Abstract: A putter head includes a main body with a front face upon which is carried a resilient ball-striking pad. The pad comprises a fibrous material having a resiliency so that impact forces when the head strikes a ball are elastically absorbed while imparting an optimum kinetic feel to the user. The fibrous material also produces an optimum reaction force against the ball for propelling it outwardly from the putter head. Certain embodiments provide for recessing the pad in the face of the head for providing a backing layer between the pad and recess, and for releasably attaching the pad to the face.

Abstract: A golf club head with impact control and improved flexing having an inner end adapted to be fastened to a shaft, an outer end, a front face and a back face. The front face and the back face are defined on opposite sides of a wall which is disposed between the inner and outer ends. The front face is an impact face adapted to hit a golf ball. A cavity is formed by a perimeter frame surrounding the back face. A plurality of mutually parallel ribs on the back face extend along the wall between an inner end portion and an outer end portion of the frame. The ribs extend mainly parallel to a top of the club head.

Abstract: The putter head of the present invention has an elastomeric core that provides resonant feedback having an amplitude corresponding to applied force. Te putter head includes a peripherally weighted body having a uniform first density. The body has a full depth cavity extending along a first axis from a planar front face of the body to a rear face of the body. The opposite ends of the cavity are exposed on the front and rear faces of the body. The cavity and the first axis are perpendicular to the front face of the body. An elastomeric core is mounted within the cavity so as to completely fill the cavity. The core is mounted solely by frictional adhesive engagement between an outer perimeter surface of the core and a surface of the cavity. The core has a uniform second density and opposite front and rear faces. The front face of the core is coplanar with the front face of the body.

Abstract: A golf club head has a strike face and an opposite back face portion. The strike face defines a recess having a bottom surface and a side wall surface extending between the bottom surface and the strike face. An insert is disposed within the recess. The insert has a peripheral edge spaced from the side wall surface to define a peripheral groove. A vibration dampening material is disposed within the groove.

Abstract: A golf wood-club head includes a rear shell member, a face member inclinedly affixed in front of the rear shell member, a hosel, and a L-shaped connecting stem. The L-shaped connecting stem has a head connecting member horizontally and integrally extended from a side of the rear shell member, and a shaft connecting member inclinedly and upwardly extended from the head connecting member for combining together with the hosel. A ring groove is provided around the head connecting member, and a shock absorbing ring is situated around the ring groove for absorbing vibration transferring from the club head. Therefore, the golf wood-club head can increase the horizontal distance between the golf head and the player's hand without changing the lie angle of the wood-club head and the vertical distance between the golf head and the player's hand.

Abstract: A front face part of a golf club head is made thin plate-shape and existent grooves are on the front surface, gaps are established between the front face part and a head main body, and the front face part is combined with thin rib-shaped members only to the rear of the front surface portions of the front face part where the existent grooves are located and further the other ends of the rib-shaped members are combined with the head main body. By this structure, when hitting a ball in the rough, pressures become very high on edges of the grooves because it is hard around there. The edges cut off grass etc. and dig into a ball, and more backspin is produced.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a golf club head which has a club head body, a means to attach the club head body to a shaft, a striking face wall to address a ball during a golf club stroke and a bottom surface adapted to pass adjacent the ground during the golf club stroke, includes a vibration damping member of shock-absorptive material disposed within the club head body and extending in a plane outside the plane containing the striking face wall. The vibration damping member is preferably disposed either substantially perpendicular to the striking face wall or substantially parallel to the bottom surface. The damping member preferably abuts the striking face wall without penetrating therethrough.

Abstract: A golf club having an elastomer head which is easily constructed of relatively inexpensive components making the club particularly suitable as an introductory golf club for teaching the game of golf to youths, is described. The club comprises a metal insert configured to a desired shape, an elastomeric material molded around the metal insert, and a pad at the back of the striking head. A shaft is attached to the metal insert.

Abstract: A golf club head having a face insert plate. The face insert plate is affixed to a faceplate mounting surface wherein a plurality of channels are formed. The channels preferably have a depth that is increased in a lower region of a face of the club head. An elastomeric binding material and damping agent is provided within the channels to affix the face insert plate to the face plate mounting surface and to provide a vibration damping function. In a preferred form, the faceplate mounting surface comprises a base wall of a face insert receiving cavity or recess that is formed within a main body of the club head.

Abstract: A variety of novel clubheads and iron golf clubs with the novel heads are provided by reexamining the conventional views that iron golf clubs with a low center of gravity have good performance, and introducing a new criterion for evaluation to obtain iron golf clubs capable of sending the ball better distance. A clubhead includes a face forming portion having a face formed on the forward surface thereof, and a sole forming portion extending rearwardly from the lower end of the face forming portion. The sole forming portion has a sole formed on the bottom thereof. The sole forming portion is provided with one of a hole, a hollow portion and a filling portion near the face forming portion.

Abstract: A golf club head has a recess in a striking face and annular groove formed around the recess. A metal layer is fitted in the recess and an annular resin layer is formed in the annular groove to surround the metal layer. Then preparatory work for plating the whole head can be done quickly, and club heads after treated with plating may be of excellent quality, resulting in lower cost.

Abstract: A golf club head having improved weight distributions to enhance important moments of inertia of the club head. A hollowed out toe rim cavity is provided in the toe portion of the periphery of the club head which is filled with a lightweight compressible material. The toe rim cavity and insert combination relocates the center of gravity of the club toward the heel, making the club easier to close at impact. The toe rim cavity and insert also redistribute mass on the toe portion of the club, increasing the moment of inertia about the horizontal axis of the club head. The insert also attenuates the vibrations generated at impact between the club head and a golf ball.

Abstract: A golf clubhead having a cavity back design and a three piece construction. The clubhead body portion includes a strike face insert cavity for receiving a strike face insert and further includes a central aperture. An additional recess is formed within the strike face insert cavity and may receive vibration dampening material. The sizes of the strike face insert cavity, vibration dampening insert recess and aperture may be progressively varied, or varied in other desirable manners in accordance with the particular golf club characteristics, to improve weight distribution and/or vibration dampening and to increase strike face surface area.

Abstract: An improved high impact metal clubhead with a unique reinforced composite face wall, increased radius of gyration, and a positive lift air foil surface contour. The composite face wall includes an impact supporting wall rigidified by a pattern of integrally cast reinforcing bars that extend forwardly, rather than rearwardly, from the supporting wall. The reinforced supporting wall is covered by a very hard plastic ball striking insert that is cast in situ over the supporting wall. The increase in radius of gyration is accomplished by extending the heel and toe portions of the clubhead along the face wall further from the geometric center of the head, beyond present day parameters for high impact clubheads. And the positive lift is effected by contouring the top wall of the clubhead downwardly and rearwardly from the base wall more severely almost to the plane of the sole plate, and flattening the rear wall so it is almost co-planar with the sole plate.