HIGH LOFT, LOW CENTER-OF-GRAVITY GOLF CLUB HEADS

• US 20120172146A1
• Filed: 12/29/2011
• Published: 07/05/2012
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 9,358,430 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 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 head includes a body defining an interior cavity. The body includes a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown. The body has a forward portion and a rearward portion. The club head includes a face positioned at the forward portion of the body. Embodiments include golf club heads having high static loft angles, low centers of gravity, or both high static loft angles and low centers of gravity.

Claims

1. 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 also having a forward portion and a rearward portion, and a face positioned at the forward portion of the body,

wherein the face has a static loft angle greater than or equal to 11 degrees, and

wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity that is 7 mm or more 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.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity that is between 7 mm and 40 mm below the geometric center of the face of the golf club head as measured along the z-axis of the golf club head.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity that is between 7 mm and 20 mm below the geometric center of the face of the golf club head as measured along the z-axis of the golf club head.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the face of the golf club head has a static loft angle of between 11 degrees and 33 degrees.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the face of the golf club head has a static loft angle of between 11 degrees and 19 degrees.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the projection of the center of gravity onto the face of the golf club head is below the geometric center of the face of the golf club head.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about a golf club head center-of-gravity x-axis, I_xx, greater than 250 kg-mm².

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a Delta 1 value of less than or equal to 25 mm.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a roll radius of 100 mm or greater.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the sole portion is formed of a first material, and the crown portion and the skirt portion are formed of a second material, the first material being denser than the second material.

11. 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.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more weight ports formed in the body; and

at least one weight configured to be retained at least partially within one of the one or more weight ports.

13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body has a volume of between 250 and 460 cm³.

14. A golf club head, comprising:

a club head body having an external surface with a heel portion, a toe portion, a crown, a sole, and a ball striking face,

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

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.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the club head body has a center of gravity that is 7 mm or more below the geometric center of the ball striking face of the club head body as measured along a z-axis of the club head body having an origin at the geometric center.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the ball striking face of the club head body has a static loft angle greater than or equal to 11 degrees.

17. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the club head body has a center of gravity that is between 7 mm and 40 mm below the geometric center of the ball striking face of the club head body as measured along the z-axis of the golf club head, and wherein the club head body has a static loft angle of between 11 degrees and 33 degrees.

18. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the club head body has a moment of inertia about a club head body center-of-gravity x-axis, I_xx, greater than 250 kg-mm².

19. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the club head body has a Delta 1 value of less than or equal to 25 mm.

20. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the ball striking face of the club head body has a roll radius of 200 mm or greater.

21. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the sole is at least partially formed of a material that is denser than the material used to form the crown.

22. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the sole is formed at least partially of tungsten or includes one or more tungsten plates or weights.

23. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the crown has an inverted or concave shape.

24. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the crown has one or more openings, and wherein one or more corresponding panels are placed in the one or more openings, the panels being formed of a material that is less dense than a material used to form the crown.

25. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the club head body has a volume of between 250 and 460 cm³.