Golf club head having a low and deep weight distribution

• US 20030087710A1
• Filed: 11/06/2001
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Scheie, Carl E., Thiel, Douglas J., Sheets, Jeffrey D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,676,535 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/344
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole 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

Abstract

An integral, hollow metal golf club head including a sole plate, a crown, a face, first and second side walls and a rear wall. The club head includes The sole plate has a rear sole portion. The crown has a rear crown portion. The upwardly and substantially vertically extends from the rear sole portion to the rear crown portion. The rear wall and the face connect the sole plate to the crown. The sole plate has a substantially planar central portion positioned between first and second outwardly and upwardly curved side portions. The central portion rearwardly extends from the face to the rear wall. The sole plate has first and second shoulders formed by the rearward extension of the central portion beyond the first and second rearmost points of the first and second side portions, respectively.

Claims

1. An integral, hollow metal golf club head comprising:

a sole plate having a rear sole portion;

a crown having a rear crown portion;

a strike face;

first and second side walls; and

a rear wall upwardly and substantially vertically extending from the rear sole portion to the rear crown portion, the first and second side walls, the rear wall and the face connecting the sole plate to the crown.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head is made of a metal selected from the group consisting of a titanium alloy, a stainless steel, and an aluminum alloy.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head is one of a wood-type head and a driver head.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a trailing edge is formed at the connection of the rear sole portion to the rear wall, wherein a leading edge is formed at the connection of the sole plate to the face, and wherein, when the sole plate is positioned on a substantially horizontal surface in a neutral play position, the vertical positions of trailing edge and the leading edge are substantially equal.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the sole plate has a substantially planar central portion positioned between first and second outwardly and upwardly curved side portions, and wherein the central portion rearwardly extends from the face to the rear wall.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the sole plate, the rear wall, the first and second side walls and the crown are single walled structures.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the crown has a first thickness, and wherein the sole plate has a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the second thickness varies and increases away from the strike face.

9. The golf club head of claim 1 further comprising a hosel upwardly extending from the crown and positioned adjacent to the face.

10. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the sole plate, the rear wall, the crown and the first and second side walls are formed as a single piece, and wherein the face is welded to the crown, the first and second side walls and the sole plate.

11. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the crown, the face, the rear wall and the first and second side walls are formed as a single piece, and wherein the sole plate is welded to the rear wall, the face and the first and second side walls.

12. A single walled, hollow metal golf club head having a geometric center and a center of gravity, the club head comprising:

a crown having a rearwardly extending rear crown portion, the crown having a first thickness;

a sole plate having a rearwardly extending and substantially planar rear sole portion, the sole plate having a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness;

a toe portion;

a heel portion;

a strike face extending between the toe portion and heel portion, the face having an upper edge;

a hosel upwardly extending from the crown and disposed at the heel portion adjacent to the face; and

a side wall upwardly extending from the sole plate to the crown, the center of gravity of the club head being lower than the geometric center of the club head, and being rearward of a vertical plane that extends through a centerline of the hosel and is substantially parallel to the upper edge of the face.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the second thickness varies and increases away from the strike face.

14. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the golf club head is made of a metal selected from the group consisting of a titanium alloy, a stainless steel, and an aluminum alloy.

15. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the golf club head is one of a wood-type head and a driver head.

16. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the side wall includes a rear wall and first and second side walls, and wherein the sole portion is generally planar.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein a trailing edge is formed at the connection of the sole plate to the rear wall, wherein a leading edge is formed at the connection of the sole plate to the face, and wherein, when the sole plate is positioned on a substantially horizontal surface in a neutral play position, the vertical positions of trailing edge and the leading edge are substantially equal.

19. The golf club head of claim 16 further comprising a crown, wherein the crown has a first thickness, and wherein the sole plate has a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness.

20. The golf club head of claim 19, wherein the second thickness varies and increases away from the strike face.

21. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the golf club head is made of a metal selected from the group consisting of a titanium alloy, a stainless steel, and an aluminum alloy.

22. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the golf club head is one of a wood-type head and a driver head.

23. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the rear wall substantially vertically and upwardly extends from the sole plate.

18. An integral, hollow metal golf club head comprising:

a strike face;

a rear wall; and

a sole plate having a substantially planar central portion positioned between first and second outwardly and upwardly curved side portions, the central portion rearwardly extending from the face to the rear wall, the first and second side portions rearwardly extending to first and second rearmost points on the sole plate, respectively, the sole plate having first and second shoulders formed by the rearward extension of the central portion beyond the first and second rearmost points of the first and second side portions, respectively.