FAIRWAY WOOD CENTER OF GRAVITY PROJECTION

• US 20120220387A1
• Filed: 05/10/2012
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Beach, Todd P., Johnson, Matthew David, Sargent, Nathan T., Willett, Kraig Alan, Penney, Michelle, Kronenberg, Marc, Hoffman, Joseph Henry, Greensmith, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 8,430,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/307
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/023 adjustable angular orientation
• 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 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

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. The face defines a striking surface having an ideal impact location at a golf club head origin. Embodiments include club heads for a fairway wood that at least one of a high moment of inertia, a low center-of-gravity, a thin crown and a high coefficient of restitution.

Claims

1. A golf club, comprising:

a shaft;

a club head defining an interior cavity, a sole defining a bottom portion of the club head, a crown defining a top portion of the club head, a skirt portion defining a periphery of the club head between the sole and crown, a face defining a forward portion of the club head, and a hosel by which the shaft is attached to the club head;

a channel positioned in the sole of the club head and extending into the interior cavity of the club head, the channel extending substantially in a heel-to-toe direction and having a channel length and a channel width, the channel comprising a front channel wall, a rear channel wall, and an upper channel wall extending between the front and rear channel walls, with the upper channel wall comprising a curve defining an inner radius of between about 0.8 mm and about 1.2 mm and an outer radius of between about 1.5 mm and about 2.5 mm;

a weight port positioned in the sole of the club head rearward of and adjacent to the channel, the weight port extending into the interior cavity of the club head;

at least one weight having a weight mass between about 0.5 grams and about 20 grams, the at least one weight configured to be installed at least partially within the weight port positioned in the sole of the club head;

wherein the front wall of the channel and the rear wall of the channel define an included angle β

that is between about 10°

to about 30°

;

wherein the club head has;

a height less than about 45 mm;

a volume of between about 180 cm³ and about 210 cm³;

an above ground center-of-gravity location, Zup, less than about 18 mm; and

a center of gravity horizontally rearward of a center of the face less than about 30 mm.

2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the club head has a center of gravity (CG) projection that is lower than about 2.0 mm above a center of the face.

3. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the club head has a center of gravity (CG) projection that is lower than about 1.0 mm above a center of the face.

4. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the club head has a center of gravity (CG) projection that is lower than a center of the face.

5. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the face has a loft angle of from about 13 degrees to about 28 degrees.

6. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the channel has a channel depth that is greater than about 10 mm.

7. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the channel has a channel depth that is greater than about 20% of the club head height.

8. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the channel has a channel depth that is greater than about 25% of the club head height.

9. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the channel has a channel depth that is greater than about 30% of the club head height.

10. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the club head has a depth of at least about 75 mm.

11. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the club head has a depth of at least about 85 mm.

12. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the hosel defines a hosel opening adapted to receive a tip end of the shaft and the club head further includes a head-shaft connection mechanism comprising:

a hosel insert mounted in the hosel opening and having internal splines on an inner surface thereof;

a screw having a head defining a bearing surface adapted to engage an internal bearing surface of the club head;

a sleeve mounted on the lower end portion of the shaft and adapted to be inserted into the hosel opening, the sleeve having an upper portion defining a thrust surface adapted to engage a bearing surface of the hosel, a threaded lower opening for receiving the screw, and a lower portion having a plurality of longitudinally extending external splines protruding from an external surface thereof, the external splines having a configuration complementary to the splines on the inner surface of the hosel insert;

wherein the shaft can be secured to the club head by inserting the sleeve into the hosel opening so that the external splines on the sleeve engage the internal splines on the hosel insert and inserting the screw through an opening in the sole and into the threaded opening of the sleeve, and then tightening the screw so that the bearing surface of the screw head engages the internal bearing surface of the club head.

13. The golf club of claim 12, wherein the head-shaft connection mechanism further comprises a washer having an inclined annular surface configured to contact an inclined surface of the screw when the screw is inserted through the sole region and securing the sleeve and shaft to the body, and wherein the inclined surface of the screw and the inclined annular surface of the washer are configured to make 360 degrees of contact with each other when the shaft and the hosel are coupled in any of the plurality of different configurations.

14. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity, a sole portion positioned at a bottom portion of the body, a crown portion positioned at a top portion of the body, and a skirt portion positioned around a periphery of the body between the sole and crown, the body also having a forward portion and a rearward portion and a maximum above ground height; and

a face positioned at the forward portion of the body;

wherein the maximum above ground height of the body is less than about 46 mm;

wherein the golf club head has an above ground center-of-gravity location, Zup, less than about 18.5 mm; and

wherein a center of gravity of the body is horizontally rearward of a center of the face less than about 30 mm; and

wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution (COR) having a value of at least about 0.80 as measured at three locations including a first location at a center of the club face and two locations spaced by 7.5 mm on either side of the center of the club face along a horizontal axis passing through the center of the club face.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution (COR) having a value of at least about 0.78 as measured at a point that is 7.5 mm below the center of the club face along a vertical axis passing through the center of the club face.

16. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution (COR) having a value of at least about 0.80 as measured at a point that is 7.5 mm below the center of the club face along a vertical axis passing through the center of the club face.

17. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein a difference in a first coefficient of restitution (COR) as measured at the center of the club face and a second coefficient of restitution as measured at a point that is 7.5 mm below the center of the club face along a vertical axis passing through the center of the club face is less than 0.03.

18. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein a difference in a first coefficient of restitution (COR) as measured at the center of the club face and a second coefficient of restitution as measured at a point that is 7.5 mm below the center of the club face along a vertical axis passing through the center of the club face is less than 0.02.

19. The golf club head of claim 14, further comprising a mass member attached to the sole portion of the body through a boss projecting into the interior cavity.

20. The golf club head of claim 19, further comprising a flexible boundary disposed on the body between the mass member and the face.

21. The golf club head of claim 20, wherein the flexible boundary comprises a gap between the mass member and the sole portion of the body.

22. A golf club, comprising:

a shaft;

a club head defining an interior cavity, a sole defining a bottom portion of the club head, a crown defining a top portion of the club head, a skirt portion defining a periphery of the club head between the sole and crown, a face defining a forward portion of the club head, and a hosel by which the shaft is attached to the club head;

a weight port positioned in the sole of the club head, the weight port extending into the interior cavity of the club head;

at least one weight comprising tungsten and having a weight mass between about 0.5 grams and about 20 grams, the at least one weight configured to be installed at least partially within the weight port positioned in the sole of the club head;

wherein at least the sole, crown, and skirt portions of the body comprise steel;

wherein the club head has;

a height less than about 45 mm;

a volume of between about 180 cm³ and about 210 cm³;

an above ground center-of-gravity location, Zup, less than about 18 mm; and

a center of gravity horizontally rearward of a center of the face less than about 30 mm.

23. The golf club of claim 22, wherein a striking portion of the face comprises steel.

24. The golf club of claim 22, wherein a striking portion of the face comprises an alloy of titanium.

25. The golf club of claim 22, further comprising:

a channel positioned in the sole of the club head and extending into the interior cavity of the club head, the channel extending substantially in a heel-to-toe direction and having a channel length and a channel width, the channel comprising a front channel wall, a rear channel wall, and an upper channel wall extending between the front and rear channel walls.

26. The golf club of claim 25, wherein the upper channel wall comprises a curve defining an inner radius of between about 0.8 mm and about 1.2 mm and an outer radius of between about 1.5 mm and about 2.5 mm.

27. The golf club of claim 25, wherein the front wall of the channel and the rear wall of the channel define an included angle β

that is between about 10°

to about 30°

.

28. The golf club of claim 22, wherein the club head has a coefficient of restitution (COR) having a value of at least about 0.80 as measured at three locations including a first location at a center of the club face and two locations spaced by 7.5 mm on either side of the center of the club face along a horizontal axis passing through the center of the club face.

29. The golf club of claim 22, wherein the club head has a coefficient of restitution (COR) having a value of at least about 0.78 as measured at a point that is 7.5 mm below the center of the club face along a vertical axis passing through the center of the club face.

30. The golf club of claim 22, wherein the club head has a coefficient of restitution (COR) having a value of at least about 0.80 as measured at a point that is 7.5 mm below the center of the club face along a vertical axis passing through the center of the club face.

31. The golf club of claim 22, wherein a difference in a first coefficient of restitution (COR) as measured at a center of the club face and a second coefficient of restitution as measured at a point that is 7.5 mm below the center of the club face along a vertical axis passing through the center of the club face is less than 0.03.

32. The golf club of claim 22, wherein a difference in a first coefficient of restitution (COR) as measured at a center of the club face and a second coefficient of restitution as measured at a point that is 7.5 mm below the center of the club face along a vertical axis passing through the center of the club face is less than 0.02.