Golf Club Head with Adjustable Weighting

• US 20060178228A1
• Filed: 02/07/2005
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Inventors: DiMarco, Thomas J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,147,573 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/334
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A golf club head (20) with an adjustable weight member (50) is disclosed herein. The weight member (50) is preferably positioned within a recess (40) of the golf club head (20). The weight member (50) is attached to a cable (42) and moved to a desired location and locked in place within a recess (40). The weight member (50) is preferably composed of a material having a greater density than the density of the material of a body (22) of the golf club head (20).

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face, a crown and a sole, the body having an arc-like recess extending from a heel end of the body to a toe end of the body;

a cable extending from a heel end of the arc-like recess to a toe-end of the arc-like recess, the cable connected to the body at the heel end of the arc-like recess and at the toe-lend of the arc-like recess;

at least one weight member attached to the cable within the arc-like recess and movable along the cable within the arc-like recess, the at least one weight member capable of movement about the cable from a locked position to a movement position.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the at least one weight member comprises a body that is composed of a material having a density greater than the density of the material of the body of the golf club head.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the at least one weight member comprises a body that is composed of a tungsten material and the body of the golf club head is composed of a stainless steel material.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 further comprising a second weight member attached to the cable within the arc-like recess and movable along the cable within the arc-like recess, the second weight member capable of movement about the cable from a locked position to a movement position.

5. The golf club head according to claim 4 wherein each of the at least one weight member and the second weight member is composed of a nickel-tungsten chromium alloy material.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the sole of the body comprises a ribbon portion and a bottom portion, and wherein the recess is located along the ribbon portion and the recess has a height ranging from 0.5 centimeter to 4.0 centimeters, a depth ranging from 0.2 centimeter to 2.0 centimeter, and an arc length ranging from 2 centimeters to 20 centimeters.

7. The golf club head according to claim 6 wherein the at least one weight member has a thickness ranging from 0.2 centimeter to 2.0 centimeters, a height ranging from 0.5 centimeter to 4.0 centimeters and a length ranging from 1.0 centimeter to 5.0 centimeters.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the at least one weight member has a mass ranging from 5 grams to 25 grams.

9. The golf club head according to claim 8 wherein the body of the golf club head has a mass ranging from 90 grams to 250 grams.

10. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face, a crown and a sole with a ribbon portion and a bottom portion, the body having an arc-like recess extending from a heel end of the body to a toe end of along the ribbon portion of the sole, the body composed of a titanium alloy material and having a volume ranging from 130 cubic centimeters to 475 cubic centimeters and a mass ranging from 180 grams to 250 grams; and

a cable extending from a heel end of the arc-like recess to a toe-end of the arc-like recess, the cable connected to the body at the heel end of the arc-like recess and at the toe-lend of the arc-like recess;

a plurality of weight members attached to the cable within the arc-like recess and movable along the cable within the arc-like recess, each of the plurality of weight members capable of movement about the cable from a locked position to a movement position.

11. The golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the recess has a height ranging from 0.5 centimeter to 4.0 centimeters, a depth ranging from 0.2 centimeter to 2.0 centimeter, and an arc length ranging from 2 centimeters to 20 centimeters.

12. The golf club head according to claim 10 wherein each of the plurality of weight members has a mass ranging from 5 grams to 25 grams.

13. The golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the position of the plurality of weight members can adjust the position of the center of gravity of the golf club head.

14. The golf club head according to claim 10 wherein each of the weight members has a thickness ranging from 0.2 centimeter to 2.0 centimeters, a height ranging from 0.5 centimeter to 4.0 centimeters and a length ranging from 1.0 centimeter to 5.0 centimeters.

15. The golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the body is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of steel alloys, titanium alloys, titanium, magnesium, magnesium alloys, aluminum and aluminum alloys.

16. The golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the arc-like recess of the body extends along 50% to 95% of the arc-length of the ribbon portion.

17. The golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the plurality of weight members has a mass ranging from 5% to 25% of the mass of the golf club head.

18. The golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the cable is composed of steel and has a diameter ranging from 0.1 centimeter to 0.5 centimeter.

19. The golf club head according to claim 10 further comprising connection means for connecting the cable to the body, the connection means comprising a first threaded bolt placed through a first loop at a heel end of the cable and threadingly connected into a first aperture in the body of the club head and a second threaded bolt placed through a second loop at a toe end of the cable and threadingly connected into a second aperture in the body of the club head.

20. A method for providing a golfer with a golf club having a center of gravity oriented for the golfer, the method comprising:

determining a desired center of gravity location of a golf club for a golfer from the group of far heel ward, mid-heel ward, slight heel ward, neutral, slight toe ward, mid-toe ward and far toe ward;

positioning a plurality of weight members locations to achieve the desired center of gravity location, the golf club comprising a golf club head comprising

a body having a face, a crown and a sole, the body having an arc-like recess extending from a heel end of the body to a toe end of the body,

a cable extending from a heel end of the arc-like recess to a toe-end of the arc-like recess, the cable connected to the body at the heel end of the arc-like recess and at the toe-lend of the arc-like recess,

each of the plurality of weight members attached to the cable within the arc-like recess and movable along the cable within the arc-like recess, each of the plurality of weight members capable of movement about the cable from a locked position to a movement position.