Golf club and golf club head

• US 5,297,794 A
• Filed: 01/14/1993
• Issued: 03/29/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lu, Clive S.
• Original Assignee: Lu, Clive S.
• Inventors: Lu, Clive S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US08/004,546
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167 R-77 A, 273/77 R, 273/193 R, 273/194 R, 273/194 A, 273/194 B, 273/162 R, 273/186.2, 273/187.4
• US Class Current: 473/337
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0495 moving on impact, slidable, spring or otherwise elastically biased
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• 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

Abstract

A golf club includes a flexible shaft, a grip at a proximal end of the shaft and a club head at a distal end of the shaft. The club head includes a body portion and a weight. The weight furnishes at least twenty to twenty-five percent (20-25%) of the total club head mass and is mounted to the body portion so as to allow limited relative movement therebetween. Specifically, the weight is mounted directly behind the golf ball striking face of the body portion of the club head. The weight is preferably formed from at least two wedge-shaped blocks that may be oriented to shift weight toward the toe or heel as desired. When striking a golf ball, the golf ball striking face of the club head is interdisposed between the weight and the golf ball so as to prevent direct contact between the weight and ball thereby reducing the potential for spin application to the ball.

Claims

1. A golf club for efficiently striking a golf ball so as to allow shot making with improved accuracy and resulting distance, comprising:

a flexible shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;

a grip, connected to said proximal end of said shaft, for holding said golf club;

a club head connected to said distal end of said shaft, said club head having a toe end, a heel end adjacent said shaft, a center of gravity between said toe end and heel end, a centrally located cavity in a rear surface thereof so as to provide perimeter weighting and a front face for striking a golf ball;

said golf club being characterized by an integral and adjustable multi-piece weight received in said cavity at a single mounting position behind said front face, said multi-piece weight being selectively mounted in one of three orientations with each of said orientations individually allowing for a shifting of the center of gravity of said club head respectively toward, the toe end, toward the heel end or toward an intermediate, centerline position.

2. The golf club set forth in claim 1, wherein said multi-piece weight includes at least two identical wedge-shaped blocks, each of said blocks continuously varying in both mass and thickness from a relatively thin end to an opposite, relatively thick end whereby when said blocks are in the first of said orientations said thick end of both blocks are aligned toward said toe end so as to shift the center of gravity of said club head toward said toe end;

in the second of said orientations said thick end of both blocks are aligned toward said heel end so as to shift the center of gravity of said club head toward said heel end; and

in the third of said orientations the thin end of one block and the thick end of another block are aligned toward both the toe and heel ends so as to shift the center of gravity of said club head toward said intermediate centerline position directly between said heel and toe ends.

3. The golf club set forth in claim 2, wherein said blocks each include matching apertures and fasteners are provided that pass freely through said apertures and engage said club head so as to secure said blocks in said recess while maintaining limited play between said blocks and said club head to allow relative movement therebetween.

4. The golf club set forth in claim 3, wherein said blocks have a mass equal to or greater than the golf ball being struck with said golf club.

5. The golf club set forth in claim 3, wherein said blocks have a mass comprising between 15-25% of the total weight of said club head and are required to be in said cavity to maintain the swing weight and the structural integrity of said club head.

6. The golf club set forth in claim 3, wherein said blocks are substantially U-shaped.

7. The golf club set forth in claim 1, wherein said weight has a mass equal to or greater than the ball being struck by said club.

8. A golf club for efficiently striking a golf ball so as to allow shot making with improved accuracy and resulting distance, comprising:

a flexible shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;

a grip, connected to said proximal end of said shaft, for holding said golf club;

a club head, connected to said distal end of said shaft, said club head including a body portion and a weight, said body portion and weight having an overall mass M with said weight having a mass of at least 0.15 M;

means for mounting said weight on said body portion while providing limited relative movement therebetween; and

means for decoupling said weight from direct contact with the golf ball during striking of the golf ball whereby the potential for applying hook or slice spin to the golf ball is substantially reduced.

9. The golf club set forth in claim 8, wherein said weight has a mass of at least 0.25 M.

10. The golf club set forth in claim 8, wherein said club head has a mass of substantially 235-299 grams and said weight has a mass of at least 45 grams.

11. The golf club set forth in claim 8, wherein said weight comprises at least two wedge-shaped blocks, each of said blocks continuously varying in both mass and thickness from a relatively thin end to an opposite, relatively thick end;

said blocks being mounted on said body portion in one of three orientations;

in the first of said orientations said thick end of both blocks are aligned toward said toe end so as to shift the center of gravity of said club head toward said toe end;

in the second of said orientations said thick end of both blocks are aligned toward said heel end so as to shift the center of gravity of said club head toward said heel end; and

in the third of said orientations the thin end of one block and the thick end of another block are aligned toward both the toe and heel ends so as to shift the center of gravity of said club head toward an intermediate, centerline position directly between said heel and toes ends.

12. The golf club set forth in claim 11, wherein said blocks each include matching apertures and fasteners are provided that pass freely through said apertures and engage said body portions of said club head so as to secure said blocks in position while maintaining limited play between said blocks and said body portion to allow relative movement therebetween.

13. The golf club set forth in claim 12, wherein said blocks are substantially U-shaped.

14. The golf club set forth in claim 8, wherein said body portion includes a wall forming a ball striking face and said weight is mounted to said body portion behind said wall whereby said wall is interdisposed between said weight and said golf ball when striking said golf ball with said golf club.

15. A head for a golf club, comprising:

a body portion having a mass M;

a weight having a mass of at least 0.15 M;

means for mounting said weight to said body portion while providing limited relative movement therebetween; and

means for decoupling said weight from direct contact with a golf ball during striking of the golf ball whereby the potential for applying hook or slice spin to the ball is substantially reduced.

16. The golf club set forth in claim 15, wherein said weight has a mass of at least 0.25 M.

17. The golf club set forth in claim 15, wherein said club head has a mass of substantially 235-299 grams and said weight has a mass of at least 45 grams.

18. The golf club set forth in claim 15, wherein said weight comprises at least two wedge-shaped blocks, each of said blocks continuously varying in both mass and thickness from a relatively thin end to an opposite, relatively thick end;

said blocks being mounted on said body portion in one of three orientations;

in the first of said orientations said thick end of both blocks are aligned toward said toe end so as to shift the center of gravity of said club head toward said toe end;

in the second of said orientations said thick end of both blocks are aligned toward said heel end so as to shift the center of gravity of said club head toward said heel end; and

in the third of orientations the thin end of one block and the thick end of another block are aligned toward both the toe and heel ends so as to shift the center of gravity of said club head toward an intermediate, centerline position directly between said heel and toes ends.

19. The golf club set forth in claim 18, wherein said blocks each include matching apertures and fasteners are provided that pass freely through said apertures and engage said body portions of said club head so as to secure said blocks in position while maintaining limited play between said blocks and said body portion to allow relative movement therebetween.

20. The golf club set forth in claim 15, wherein said body portion includes a wall forming a ball striking face and said weight is mounted to said body portion behind said wall whereby said wall is interdisposed between said weight and the golf ball when striking the golf ball with said golf club.