High loft, low center-of-gravity golf club heads

• US 10,143,903 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2017
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Greaney, Mark Vincent, Woolley, Brandon H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US15/830,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20180185723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, 473244-248
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A golf club and golf club head having a high static loft angle, low forward center of gravity, and enhanced z-axis gear effect via a large roll radius and/or tightly controlled moment of inertia about the CG x-axis, Ixx, associated with upward and downward twisting of the club head.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a club head body having an external surface with a heel portion, a toe portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, a ball striking face having a thickness no greater than 2.5 mm, and a hosel integrally formed with the club head body and extending outward from the club head body proximate to a crown and heel transition region;

a club head volume between about 130 cm³ and 220 cm³ and a club head weight of between about 190 and 225 grams;

wherein the ball striking face has a static loft angle of at least 12 degrees;

wherein the ball striking face of the club head body has a geometric center;

wherein the golf club head has a Delta 1 value no greater than 14.4 mm;

wherein the crown portion has one or more openings, and wherein one or more corresponding panels are placed in the one or more openings, the panels having a first material density and a first portion thickness;

wherein a portion of the body located below a geometric center of the face is formed of a second material having a second material density and a second portion thickness, wherein the second material density is at least twice the first material density of the panels; and

wherein a weight is connected to the sole portion and the weight has a third material density that is greater than the second material density.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity that is 5-20 mm below the geometric center of the face of the golf club head as measured along a z-axis of the golf club head having an origin at the geometric center.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the moment of inertia about the golf club head center-of-gravity x-axis, I_xx, is 150-250 kg-mm².

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the club head body has a center of gravity whose projection onto the ball striking face of the club head body is located off-center from the geometric center in a direction toward the sole portion.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the sole portion is at least partially formed of a material that is denser than the material used to form the crown portion.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the sole portion is formed at least partially of tungsten or includes one or more tungsten plates or weights.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the one or more panels are formed of a composite material.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the second material is formed of a titanium alloy.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the second material is formed of a steel alloy.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the third material is formed of a tungsten alloy.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the sole portion is formed of the second material and at least a portion of the sole portion has a sole thickness that is at least twice the first portion thickness.

12. A golf club head, comprising:

a club head body having an external surface with a heel portion, a toe portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, a ball striking face having a thickness no greater than 2.5 mm, and a hosel integrally formed with the club head body and extending outward from the club head body proximate to a crown and heel transition region;

a club head volume between about 80 cm³ and 150 cm³ and a club head weight of between about 210 and 240 grams;

wherein the ball striking face has a static loft angle of at least 12 degrees;

wherein the ball striking face of the club head body has a geometric center;

wherein the golf club head has a Delta 1 value no greater than 14.4 mm;

wherein the crown portion has one or more openings, and wherein one or more corresponding panels are placed in the one or more openings, the panels having a first material density and a first portion thickness;

wherein a portion of the body located below a geometric center of the face is formed of a second material having a second material density and a second portion thickness, wherein the second material density is at least twice the first material density of the panels; and

wherein a weight is connected to the sole portion and the weight has a third material density that is greater than the second material density.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the sole portion is formed of the second material and at least a portion of the sole portion has a sole thickness that is at least twice the first portion thickness.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the one or more panels are formed of a composite material and the second material is formed of a steel alloy.

15. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the one or more panels are formed of a composite material and the second material is formed of a titanium alloy.

16. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the golf club head has a roll radius of 300 mm or greater.

17. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity that is 5-20 mm below the geometric center of the face of the golf club head as measured along a z-axis of the golf club head having an origin at the geometric center.

18. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity, a sole portion positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown portion positioned at a top portion, and a skirt portion positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown, the body having a forward portion and a rearward portion, and a face positioned at the forward portion of the body, the face having a thickness no greater than 2.5 mm, and a hosel integrally formed with the club head body and extending outward from the club head body proximate to a crown and heel transition region;

wherein the face has a static loft angle is at least 12 degrees;

wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity between 5-20 mm below the geometric center of the face of the golf club head as measured along a z-axis of the golf club head having an origin at the geometric center;

wherein the golf club head has a Delta 1 value no greater than 14.4 mm;

wherein a first portion of the body located above the geometric center of the face is formed of a non-metallic material having a non-metallic material density and a first portion thickness of less than 0.7 mm;

wherein a second portion of the body located below the geometric center of the face is formed of a metallic material having a metallic material density that is at least twice the non-metallic material density;

wherein at least a portion of the sole portion is formed of the metallic material and has a sole thickness that is at least twice the first portion thickness; and

wherein a weight is attached to the sole portion and the weight is formed of a metallic material having a density greater than the density of the second portion of the body.

19. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein the second portion of the body is formed of a titanium alloy.

20. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein the golf club head has a roll radius of 300 mm or greater.