Wood type golf clubs

• US 5,251,901 A
• Filed: 03/01/1993
• Issued: 10/12/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Solheim, John A., Serrano, Anthony D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, Steven B.
• Application Number:
  US08/024,791
• Time in Patent Office: 225 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167 R, 273/167 A, 273/167 E-167 H, 273/169, 273/171, 273/172, 273/173, 273/77 A
• US Class Current: 473/338
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• 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 53/0466 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 wood type golf club includes a head attached to one end of a shaft. The head has a total head weight which is used in calculating a swingweight for the golf club. A face portion on a body in the club head is arranged for impacting a golf ball, and a sole plate is attached to a bottom portion of the club head. In order to resist twisting movements of the club head when impacting a golf ball at off-center points located on the body face portion, the sole plate has a majority of its weight concentrated around its perimeter by providing a cavity in an interior surface of the sole plate. The body and the sole plate each have an individual weight which is less than the total head weight. The sole plate is selected from a plurality of sole plates formed of identical material but having different weights. The weight of the selected sole plate is equal to the total head weight minus the weight of the body thereby eliminating the use of additional weighted inserts in the body.

Claims

1. A wood type golf club comprising:

a shaft;

a head attached to one end of said shaft, said head including a heel, a toe, and a body having a face portion arranged for impacting a golf ball;

a sole plate attached to a bottom portion of said body, said sole plate having a weight and a substantially circular cavity formed in a center section thereof which decreases the sole plate weight in said center section while increasing the sole plate weight in perimeter sections thereof, said cavity having an outer edge extending in a generally circular path, said sole plate also having a ledge circumscribing said cavity and contacting said bottom portion of said body, said outer edge of said cavity defining an inner extremity of said ledge with said ledge extending outwardly in all directions from said outer edge of said cavity and having an upper surface which is elevated above a bottom surface of said cavity; and

said perimeter sections of said sole plate including a heel perimeter section located adjacent said heel of said head, a toe perimeter section located adjacent said toe of said head, a forward central perimeter section located forwardly of said cavity between said heel and toe sections, and a rearward perimeter central section located rearwardly of said cavity between said heel and toe sections, said ledge extending through all of said sole plate perimeter sections.

2. The wood type golf club of claim 1, wherein:

said heel section of said sole plate concentrates a first proportion of the sole plate weight in said heel of said head;

said toe section of said sole plate concentrates a second proportion of the sole plate weight in said toe of said head; and

said first and second proportions together constitute more than 50 percent of said majority of the sole plate weight.

3. The wood type golf club of claim 1, wherein:

said sole plate has an interior surface and an exterior surface; and

said cavity is formed in the interior surface of said sole plate.

4. The wood type golf club of claim 3, wherein said cavity has inclined side walls which form an acute angle with a bottom surface of said body.

5. The wood type golf club of claim 1, wherein said cavity is located generally intermediate said heel and said toe of said head.

6. The wood type golf club of claim 5, wherein said body is formed of wood, and wherein said sole plate is made of metal.

7. The wood type golf club of claim 1, wherein said cavity is formed in an interior surface of said sole plate and wherein said bottom surface thereof is spaced from a bottom surface of said body when said sole plate is attached to said bottom portion of said body.

8. The wood type golf club of claim 1, wherein said sole plate heel perimeter section has a generally triangular shape in plan view, and wherein said sole plate toe perimeter section and said sole plate forward and rearward central perimeter sections are each generally C-shaped in plan view.