Golf club head

• US 20060035722A1
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Beach, Todd P., Anderson, David, Vincent, Benoit
• Granted Patent: US 7,198,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• 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 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A club head for a golf club comprises a strike face and an outer shell. The strike face and the outer shell define a head volume of the club head. The club head has a first axis that extends generally horizontally and parallel to the strike face, a first moment of inertia about the first axis, a second axis that lies generally vertically and perpendicular to the first axis, a second moment of inertia about the second axis, and a center of gravity lying below a horizontal centerline of the club head. The first moment of inertia in units of kg-mm² is greater than or equal to approximately 77 plus 0.46 times the head volume in units of cm³.

Claims

1-29. -29. (canceled)

30. A golf club head comprising:

an outer shell;

a strike plate coupled to the outer shell, the strike plate having a strike face, the outer shell and the strike face defining a club head volume;

a heel/toe axis extending through a center of gravity of the club head, generally parallel to the strike face, and generally horizontal relative to a ground plane when the club head is at an address position; and

a rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis, wherein the rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis is related to the club head volume by the equation Iyy≧

0.46*HV+77, where Iyy is the rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis in units of kg-mm² and HV is the club head volume in units of cm³.

31. The golf club head of claim 30, wherein the center of gravity is disposed below a horizontal centerline of the club head.

32. The golf club head of claim 31, wherein the center of gravity is disposed at least 1 mm below the horizontal centerline.

33. The golf club head of claim 32, wherein the center of gravity is disposed more than 2 mm below the horizontal centerline.

34. The golf club head of claim 30, wherein the club head has a total mass of less than 250 grams.

35. The golf club head of claim 34, wherein the club head has a total mass of less than 230 grams.

36. The golf club head of claim 35, wherein the club head has a total mass of less than 210 grams.

37. The golf club head of claim 30, wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 180 grams to about 210 grams.

38. The golf club head of claim 30, wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 200 grams to about 250 grams.

39. The golf club head of claim 30, further comprising a hosel coupled to the outer shell and a hosel axis extending axially through the hosel, wherein a horizontal distance measured between the center of gravity and the hosel axis is between about 12 mm to about 25 mm.

40. The golf club head of claim 39, wherein the horizontal distance measured between the center of gravity and the hosel axis is between about 16 mm to about 20 mm.

41. The golf club head of claim 40, wherein the horizontal distance measure between the center of gravity and the hosel axis is between about 17 mm to about 18 mm.

42. The golf club head of claim 30, wherein the head volume is between about 200 cm³ to about 450 cm³.

43. The golf club head of claim 42, wherein the head volume is between about 200 cm³ to about 300 cm³.

44. The golf club head of claim 30, wherein the head volume is greater than 300 cm³.

45. The golf club head of claim 30, wherein the head volume is less than 200 cm³.

46. The golf club head of claim 30, wherein the strike plate and outer shell are comprised of titanium or a composite material.

47. The golf club head of claim 30, further comprising:

a vertical axis extending through the center of gravity of the club head generally perpendicular to the heel/toe axis; and

a rotational moment of inertia about the vertical axis greater than 250 kg-mm².

48. The golf club head of claim 47, wherein the rotational moment of inertia about the vertical axis is greater than 300 kg-mm².

49. The golf club head of claim 30, further comprising a plurality of removable weights coupled to the outer shell.

50. The golf club head of claim 49, wherein the club head has a total mass, and wherein the removable weights comprise about 10% to about 40% of the total mass.

51. A golf club head comprising:

an outer shell;

a strike plate coupled to the outer shell, the strike plate having a strike face, the outer shell and the strike face defining a club head volume;

a heel/toe axis extending through a center of gravity of the club head, generally parallel to the strike face, and generally horizontal relative to a ground plane when the club head is at an address position; and

a rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis, wherein the rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis is related to the club head volume by the equation Iyy≧

0.46*HV+107, where Iyy is the rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis in units of kg-mm² and HV is the club head volume in units of cm³.

52. The golf club head of claim 51, wherein the center of gravity is disposed below a horizontal centerline of the club head.

53. The golf club head of claim 52, wherein the center of gravity is disposed at least 1 mm below the horizontal centerline.

54. The golf club head of claim 53, wherein the center of gravity is disposed more than 2 mm below the horizontal centerline.

55. The golf club head of claim 51, wherein the club head has a total mass of less than 250 grams.

56. The golf club head of claim 55, wherein the club head has a total mass of less than 230 grams.

57. The golf club head of claim 56, wherein the club head has a total mass of less than 210 grams.

58. The golf club head of claim 51, wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 180 grams to about 210 grams.

59. The golf club head of claim 51, wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 200 grams to about 250 grams.

60. The golf club head of claim 51, further comprising a hosel coupled to the outer shell and a hosel axis extending axially through the hosel, wherein a horizontal distance measured between the center of gravity and the hosel axis is between about 12 mm to about 25 mm.

61. The golf club head of claim 60, wherein the horizontal distance measured between the center of gravity and the hosel axis is between about 16 mm to about 20 mm.

62. The golf club head of claim 61, wherein the horizontal distance measure between the center of gravity and the hosel axis is between about 17 mm to about 18 mm.

63. The golf club head of claim 51, wherein the head volume is between about 200 cm³ to about 450 cm³.

64. The golf club head of claim 63, wherein the head volume is between about 200 cm³ to about 300 cm³.

65. The golf club head of claim 51, wherein the head volume is greater than 300 cm³.

66. The golf club head of claim 51, wherein the head volume is less than 200 cm³.

67. The golf club head of claim 51, wherein the strike plate and outer shell are comprised of titanium or a composite material.

68. The golf club head of claim 51, further comprising:

a vertical axis extending through the center of gravity of the club head generally perpendicular to the heel/toe axis; and

a rotational moment of inertia about the vertical axis greater than 250 kg-mm².

69. The golf club head of claim 68, wherein the rotational moment of inertia about the vertical axis is greater than 300 kg-mm².

70. The golf club head of claim 51, further comprising a plurality of removable weights coupled to the outer shell.

71. The golf club head of claim 70, wherein the club head has a total mass, and wherein the removable weights comprise about 10% to about 40% of the total mass.