Momentum transfer golf club

• US 5,306,008 A
• Filed: 09/04/1992
• Issued: 04/26/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Frank Kinoshita
• Original Assignee: Frank Kinoshita
• Inventors: Kinoshita, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Mark S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US07/940,460
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167 R-167 K, 273/77 R, 273/77 A, 273/164.1, 273/187.6, 273/80 A
• US Class Current: 473/242
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/00 Golf clubs

Abstract

This invention relates to a category of golf clubs ranging from the driver to a seven wood, and ranging from a one iron to high lofted sand wedges. Improved performance is achieved by giving proper consideration to the difference in the velocity of the club head toe relative to the velocity of the heel at impact. Also, to achieve improved transfer of the club head momentum to the golf ball, this invention uses a high moment of inertia interconnect 21 traversing through, or along, the horizontal plane intersecting the club head effective center of gravity, wherein said beam rigidly interconnects the heel-toe mass sections. These improvements will enhance the playability of these golf clubs by providing golf clubs affording increased distance with less dispersion.

Claims

1. A golf club comprising a rigid club head, a shaft and a grip;

said club head being rigidly shaped to define a club face, a heel, a sole, a toe, a crown, and a hosel, a heel section, a toe section, a toe mass section, a heel mass section, and an interconnect;

said club face having a front being adapted to strike a golf ball;

said club face having upper and lower edges, toe and heel boundary limits;

said heel being the portion of said club head where the sole and hosel meet;

said sole defining a bottom surface of said club head which normally rests on the ground when said golf club is held in the address position;

said toe being the part of the club head that is the farthest away from said heel of said club head;

said crown defining a curved top portion of said club head;

said hosel being that portion of said club head that is designed to interfit with said shaft;

said hosel being integrally attached to said club head;

said club head having an effective center of gravity substantially at the midpoint of the toe and heel boundary limits of said club face;

said heel section being the portion, of said club head, having boundary limits starting at a vertical plane intersecting the effective center of gravity and ending at a heel extremity;

said toe section being the portion, of said club head, having boundary limits starting at a vertical plane intersecting the effective center of gravity and ending at a toe extremity;

said vertical plane being perpendicular to said club face;

said effective center of gravity affording dynamic balancing so that the moment of the toe section momentum equals the moment of the heel section momentum at impact;

said heel section having a weight of from 1.05 to 1.15 greater than the weight of said toe section;

said toe mass section having a concentrated weight of from 7 to 30 percent of the weight of said club head and being located at the proximity of the toe;

said heel mass section having a concentrated weight of from 10 to 33 percent of the weight of said club head and being located at the proximity of the heel;

said interconnect rigidly connecting said toe mass section to the heel mass section, traversing substantially through a horizontal plane intersecting said effective center of gravity;

said interconnect being an intrinsic part of said club head and having a rearward dimension measured horizontally from the club face along said vertical plane of at least 0.5 inch affording a high moment of inertia interconnect;

said grip being adhesively attached to said shaft; and

said shaft being attached to said club head.

2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said crown of said club head has a mark or plurality of marks indicating the locus or loci between said vertical plane and the top portion of said crown.

3. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said club face has a distinguishing mark or plurality of marks indicating the location of said effective center of gravity as viewed from the front of said club face.

4. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said crown of said club head has a mark or plurality of marks indicating the locus or loci between said vertical plane and the top portion of said crown, and wherein said club face has a distinguishing mark or plurality of marks indicating the location of said effective center of gravity as viewed from the front of said club face.

5. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the club face has a roll radius of 8 inches to 50 inches and a bulge radius of 8 inches to 50 inches.

6. A golf club comprising a rigid club head, a shaft and a grip;

said club head being rigidly shaped to define a club face, a heel, a sole, a toe, a crown, and a hosel, a heel section, a toe section;

said club face having a front being adapted to strike a golf ball;

said club face having upper and lower edges, toe and heel boundary limits;

said heel being the portion of said club head where the sole and hosel meet;

said sole defining a bottom surface of said club head which normally rests on the ground when said golf club is held in the address position;

said toe being the part of the club head that is the farthest away from said heel of said club head;

said crown defining a curved top portion of said club head;

said hosel being that portion of said club head that is designed to interfit with said shaft;

said hosel being integrally attached to said club head;

said club head having an effective center of gravity substantially at the midpoint of the toe and heel boundary limits of said club face;

said heel section being the portion, of said club head, having boundary limits starting at a vertical plane intersecting the effective center of gravity and ending at a heel extremity;

said toe section being the portion, of said club head, having boundary limits starting at a vertical plane intersecting the effective center of gravity and ending at a toe extremity;

said vertical plane being perpendicular to said club face;

said effective center of gravity affording dynamic balancing so that the moment of the toe section momentum equals the moment of the heel section momentum at impact;

said heel section having a fixed non-adjustable configuration affording a weight of from 1.05 to 1.15 greater than a fixed non-adjustable weight of said toe section so that the moment of the heel section momentum equals the moment of the toe section momentum at impact;

said heel section momentum being derived by due consideration to the different velocity of the toe and heel sections at impact;

said toe section momentum being derived by due consideration to the different velocity of the toe and heel sections at impact;

said grip being adhesively attached to said shaft; and

said shaft being attached to said club head.

7. The golf club of claim 6, wherein said crown of said club head has a mark or plurality of marks indicating the locus or loci between said vertical plane and the top portion of said crown.

8. The golf club of claim 6, wherein said club face has a distinguishing mark or plurality of marks indicating the location of said effective center of gravity as viewed from the front of said club face.

9. The golf club of claim 6, wherein said crown of said club head has a mark or plurality of marks indicating the locus or loci between said vertical plane and the top portion of said crown, and wherein said club face has a distinguishing mark or plurality of marks indicating the location of said effective center of gravity as viewed from the front of said club face.

10. The golf club of claim 6, wherein the club face has a roll radius of 8 inches to 50 inches and a bulge radius of 8 inches to 50 inches.

11. A golf club head;

said club head being rigidly shaped to define a club face, a heel, a sole, a toe, a crown, and a hosel, a heel section, a toe section, a toe mass section, a heel mass section, and an interconnect;

said club face having a front being adapted to strike a golf ball;

said club face having upper and lower edges, toe and heel boundary limits;

said heel being the portion of said club head where the sole and hosel meet;

said sole defining a bottom surface of said club head which normally rests on the ground when said golf club is held in the address position;

said toe being the part of the club head that is the farthest away from said heel of said club head;

said crown defining a curved top portion of said club head;

said hosel being that portion of said club head that is designed to interfit with said shaft;

said hosel being integrally attached to said club head;

said club head having an effective center of gravity substantially at the midpoint of the toe and heel boundary limits of said club face;

said heel section being the portion, of said club head, having boundary limits starting at a vertical plane intersecting the effective center of gravity and ending at a heel extremity;

said toe section being the portion, of said club head, having boundary limits starting at a vertical plane intersecting the effective center of gravity and ending at a toe extremity;

said vertical plane being perpendicular to said club face;

said effective center of gravity affording dynamic balancing so that the moment of the toe section momentum equals the moment of the heel section momentum at impact;

said heel section having a weight of from 1.05 to 1.15 greater than the weight of said toe section;

said toe mass section having a concentrated weight of from 7 to 30 percent of the weight of said club head and being located at the proximity of the toe;

said heel mass section having a concentrated weight of from 10 to 33 percent of the weight of said club head and being located at the proximity of the heel;

said interconnect rigidly connecting said toe mass section to the heel mass section, traversing substantially through a horizontal plane intersecting said effective center of gravity;

said interconnect being an intrinsic part of said club head and having a rearward dimension measured horizontally from the club face along said vertical plane of at least 0.5 inch affording a high moment of inertia interconnect;

12. The golf club of claim 11, wherein said crown of said club head has a mark or plurality of marks indicating the locus or loci between said vertical plane and the top portion of said crown.

13. The golf club of claim 11, wherein said club face has a distinguishing mark or plurality of marks indicating the location of said effective center of gravity as viewed from the front of said club face.

14. The golf club of claim 11, wherein said crown of said club head has a mark or plurality of marks indicating the locus or loci between said vertical plane and the top portion of said crown, and wherein said club face has a distinguishing mark or plurality of marks indicating the location of said effective center of gravity as viewed from the front of said club face.

15. The golf club of claim 11, wherein the club face has a roll radius of 8 inches to 50 inches and a bulge radius of 8 inches to 50 inches.

16. A golf club head;

said club head being rigidly shaped to define a club face, a heel, a sole, a toe, a crown, and a hosel, a heel section, a toe section;

said club face having a front being adapted to strike a golf ball;

said club face having upper and lower edges, toe and heel boundary limits;

said heel being the portion of said club head where the sole and hosel meet;

said sole defining a bottom surface of said club head which normally rests on the ground when said golf club is held in the address position;

said toe being the part of the club head that is the farthest away from said heel of said club head;

said crown defining a curved top portion of said club head;

said hosel being that portion of said club head that is designed to interfit with said shaft;

said hosel being integrally attached to said club head;

said club head having an effective center of gravity substantially at the midpoint of the toe and heel boundary limits of said club face;

said heel section being the portion, of said club head, having boundary limits starting at a vertical plane intersecting the effective center of gravity and ending at a heel extremity;

said toe section being the portion, of said club head, having boundary limits starting at a vertical plane intersecting the effective center of gravity and ending at a toe extremity;

said vertical plane being perpendicular to said club face;

said effective center of gravity affording dynamic balancing so that the moment of the toe section momentum equals the moment of the heel section momentum at impact;

said heel section having a fixed non-adjustable configuration affording a weight of from 1.05 to 1.15 greater than a fixed non-adjustable weight of said toe section so that the moment of the heel section momentum equals the moment of the toe section momentum at impact;

said heel section momentum being derived by due consideration to the different velocity of the toe and heel sections at impact;

said toe section momentum being derived by due consideration to the different velocity of the toe and heel sections at impact.

17. The golf club of claim 16, wherein said crown of said club head has a mark or plurality of marks indicating the locus or loci between said vertical plane and the top portion of said crown.

18. The golf club of claim 16, wherein said club face has a distinguishing mark or plurality of marks indicating the location of said effective center of gravity as viewed from the front of said club face.

19. The golf club of claim 16, wherein said crown of said club head has a mark or plurality of marks indicating the locus or loci between said vertical plane and the top portion of said crown, and wherein said club face has a distinguishing mark or plurality of marks indicating the location of said effective center of gravity as viewed from the front of said club face.

20. The golf club of claim 16, wherein the club face has a roll radius of 8 inches to 50 inches and a bulge radius of 8 inches to 50 inches.