Fairway Wood-Type Golf Clubs with High Moment of Inertia

• US 20140038748A1
• Filed: 10/04/2013
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Thomas, James S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,072,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• 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 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• 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

Fairway wood-type golf clubs as described herein may include: (a) a club head with a volume of at least 300 cc; (b) a shaft member attached to the club head, wherein the golf club has a length between 37 and 43 inches; and (c) a grip or handle member attached to the shaft member. The club head may further include: (1) a ball striking face, wherein the ball striking face has a loft angle between 12 and 32 degrees; and (2) a club head body engaged or integrally formed with the ball striking face, with a sole portion that includes a ground-engaging surface.

Claims

1. A fairway wood-type golf club, comprising:

a fairway wood-type golf club head including;

a club head body including a heel portion, a toe portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a rear portion, and

a ball striking face having a variable face thickness, wherein the ball striking face is engaged with or integrally formed as part of the club head body extending from the toe portion to the heel portion, and further wherein the ball striking face has a central region having a first face thickness, a perimeter region having a second face thickness thinner than the first face thickness, and at least one transition region at least partially transitioning from the first face thickness to the second face thickness, wherein the transition region is located on an interior of the club head opposite the ball striking face and the transition region gradually slopes and transitions the face thickness between the thicker central region and the thinner perimeter region,

a hosel member engaged with at least a portion of the club head; and

a shaft member engaged with the hosel member, such that the golf club has a length between 37 and 43 inches,

wherein the ball striking face includes a loft angle defined as an angle of the ball striking face in relation to the shaft member, and the loft angle is between 15 and 28 degrees,

wherein the club head has a volume of at least 380 cc.

2. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 1, wherein the loft angle is between 20 and 25 degrees.

3. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 2, wherein the club head has a volume of at least 460 cc.

4. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 1, the loft angle is between 18 and 28 degrees.

5. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 1, wherein the club head has a maximum length dimension from the heel portion to the toe portion that ranges from 4 to 6 inches, wherein the club head has a maximum breadth dimension from the ball striking face to the rear portion that ranges from 4 to 6 inches, wherein the club head has a maximum height dimension from the sole portion to the crown portion that ranges from 1 to 3.5 inches, wherein the club head has a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.75, wherein the club head has a moment of inertia Izz of at least 4000 g-cm², and wherein the club head has a weight that ranges from 170 to 250 grams.

6. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 1, wherein the club head has a maximum length dimension from the heel portion to the toe portion that ranges from 4.5 to 5.5 inches, wherein the club head has a maximum breadth dimension from the ball striking face to the rear portion that ranges from 4.5 to 5.5 inches, wherein the club head has a maximum height dimension from the sole portion to the crown portion that ranges from 1.25 to 3 inches, wherein the club head has a volume of at least 400 cc, wherein the loft angle is between 16 and 28 degrees, wherein the club head has a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.80, wherein the club head has a moment of inertia Izz of at least 4200 g-cm², and wherein the club head has a weight that ranges from 180 to 240 grams.

7. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 1, wherein the club head has a maximum length dimension from the heel portion to the toe portion that ranges from 4.5 to 5 inches, wherein the club head has a maximum breadth dimension from the ball striking face to the rear portion that ranges from 4.5 to 5 inches, wherein the club head has a maximum height dimension from the sole portion to the crown portion that ranges from 1.5 to 2.5 inches, wherein the club head has a volume of at least 420 cc, wherein the loft angle is between 18 and 28 degrees, wherein the club head has a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.82, wherein the club head has a moment of inertia Izz of at least 4500 g-cm², and wherein the club head has a weight that ranges from 185 to 230 grams.

8. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 1, wherein a majority of the club head body is constructed from at least one member selected from the group of:

titanium metal or titanium-containing alloy materials.

9. A fairway wood-type golf club, comprising:

a fairway wood-type golf club head including;

a club head body including a heel portion, a toe portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a rear portion, and

a ball striking face engaged with or integrally formed as part of the club head body, and wherein the ball striking face has a variable thickness, and further wherein the ball striking face has a first area having a first thickness, a second area having a second thickness, and at least one transition region at least partially transitioning from the first thickness to the second thickness, and wherein the ball striking face includes a loft angle defined as an angle of the ball striking face in relation to the shaft member, and the loft angle is between 16 and 28 degrees,

wherein the club head has a moment of inertia Izz of at least 5000 g-cm²;

wherein the club head has a volume of at least 400 cc, wherein the club head has an overall length dimension of at least 4.5 inches, wherein the club head has a ratio of the overall length dimension to an overall breadth dimension of at least 0.94, and wherein the club has a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.80, and

a shaft member engaged with the club head, wherein the golf club has a club length between 37 and 43 inches.

10. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 9, wherein the first area is a central region of the ball striking face and the second area is a perimeter region of the ball striking face around the central region, wherein the first thickness of the central region is thicker than the second thickness of the perimeter region.

11. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 9, wherein the at least one transition region is located on an interior of the club head and gradually slopes from the first thickness to the second thickness.

12. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 9, wherein the club head has a moment of inertia Izz of at least 5500 g-cm².

13. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 9, wherein the club head has a moment of inertia Izz of at least 5900 g-cm².

14. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 9, wherein the club head has a volume of at least 460 cc.

15. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 14, wherein the loft angle is between 20 and 25 degrees.

16. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 9, wherein the club head body constitutes a multi-part construction.

17. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 9, wherein a majority of the club head body is constructed from at least one member selected from the group of:

titanium metal or titanium-containing alloy materials.

18. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 9, wherein a majority of the ball striking face is constructed from at least one member selected from the group of:

titanium metal or titanium-containing alloy materials.

19. A fairway wood-type golf club, comprising:

a fairway wood-type golf club head including;

a club head body including a heel portion, a toe portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a rear portion, and

a ball striking face having a variable face thickness, wherein the ball striking face is engaged with or integrally formed as part of the club head body extending from the toe portion to the heel portion, and further wherein the ball striking face has a central region having a first face thickness, and a perimeter region having a second face thickness thinner than the first face thickness;

a hosel member engaged with at least a portion of the club head; and

a shaft member engaged with the hosel member, such that the golf club has a length between 37 and 43 inches,

wherein the ball striking face includes a loft angle defined as an angle of the ball striking face in relation to the shaft member, and the loft angle is between 16 and 28 degrees,

wherein the club head has a maximum length dimension from the heel portion to the toe portion that ranges from 4.5 to 5.5 inches, wherein the club head has a maximum breadth dimension from the ball striking face to the rear portion that ranges from 4.5 to 5.5 inches, wherein the club head has a maximum height dimension from the sole portion to the crown portion that ranges from 1.25 to 3 inches, wherein the club head has a volume of at least 400 cc, wherein the club head has a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.80, wherein the club head has a moment of inertia Izz of at least 4200 g-cm², and wherein the club head has a weight that ranges from 180 to 240 grams.

20. A fairway wood-type golf club, comprising:

a fairway wood-type golf club head including;

a club head body including a heel portion, a toe portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a rear portion, and

a ball striking face having a variable face thickness, wherein the ball striking face is engaged with or integrally formed as part of the club head body extending from the toe portion to the heel portion, and further wherein the ball striking face has a central region having a first face thickness, and a perimeter region having a second face thickness thinner than the first face thickness;

a hosel member engaged with at least a portion of the club head; and

a shaft member engaged with the hosel member, such that the golf club has a length between 37 and 43 inches,

wherein the ball striking face includes a loft angle defined as an angle of the ball striking face in relation to the shaft member, and the loft angle is between 20 and 25 degrees,

wherein the club head has a maximum length dimension from the heel portion to the toe portion that ranges from 4.5 to 5 inches, wherein the club head has a maximum breadth dimension from the ball striking face to the rear portion that ranges from 4.5 to 5 inches, wherein the club head has a maximum height dimension from the sole portion to the crown portion that ranges from 1.5 to 2.5 inches, wherein the club head has a volume of at least 420 cc, wherein the loft angle is between 18 and 28 degrees, wherein the club head has a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.82, wherein the club head has a moment of inertia Izz of at least 4500 g-cm², and wherein the club head has a weight that ranges from 185 to 230 grams.