Golf club

• US 4,762,322 A
• Filed: 08/05/1985
• Issued: 08/09/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Spalding & Evenflo Companies Incorporated
• Inventors: McDermott, Bernard, Swistro, Dominick J., Mahaffey, Steven J., Molitor, Robert P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US06/762,573
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167 H, 273/167 F, 273/169, 273/171, 273/DIG. 8, 273/80 A, 273/77 R, 273/77 A, 273/78, 273/170, 273/172, 273/173, 273/174, 273/175
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/005 Club sets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 273/08 Urethane

Abstract

Disclosed is a unified set of golf clubs, from wood clubs through wedge clubs, in which loft and lie angles, face progression, and club lengths are coordinated and correlated. The center of gravity of each club is lower, further back and more centered on the club face than is usual. In addition, each golf club of the set features a sole width of at least 1.25 inches. The center of gravity of each club head is located no more than 0.7 inch above the sole and at least 0.5 inch from the centerline of the club shaft.

The club heads of this invention may be fabricated as a hollow metal shell. Alternatively, the club heads may be formed of a low density, high strength material such as reaction injection molded polyurethane. In such an embodiment weighted inserts are molded into and encapsulated within the polyurethane.

Claims

1. A golf club comprising a head and a shaft, said head being shaped to define a ball striking face, a crown and a sole,

said sole being disposed on the bottom of said head, the width of the sole, measured at the widest portion of the sole, being at least 1.25 inches, said sole width being defined as the distance between the front edge of the sole and the rear edge of the sole wherein the front edge of the sole is defined by the intersection of the sole curve of the club and the lower edge of the striking face, and the rear edge of the sole is defined by the intersection of the sole curve and the back curve of the club,

said club head having a center of gravity located substantially at the midpoint of the horizontal dimension of the ball striking face of the club, at least 0.5 inch behind a centerline of the shaft extending through the club head, and not more than 0.7 inch above the sole.

2. The club of claim 1 wherein said head defines a face comprising a surface integral with the remaining body of the club head.

3. The club of claim 1 having a loft angle of at least 22°

.

4. The club of claim 1 wherein said head comprises metal defining a hollow interior, and a hosel.