Golf club

• US 5,803,829 A
• Filed: 05/29/1997
• Issued: 09/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: S-I-N-C Corporation
• Original Assignee: SINC Corporation
• Inventors: Hayashi, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US08/865,515
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 473/282, 473/297, 473/316, 473/326, 473/333
• US Class Current: 473/326
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0495 moving on impact, slidable, spring or otherwise elastically biased
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 49/00 Stringed rackets, e.g. for tennis strings therefor A63B51/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/08 with special arrangements for obtaining a variable impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/04 Movable ballast means A63B15/005 takes precedence

Abstract

A golf club of the invention is basically formed of a head, grip and shaft for connecting the head and grip. The head of the golf club has a sweet spot on a face surface thereof. A hollow passage extending through the grip, shaft and head is formed in the golf club, and reaches a location behind the sweet spot at the face surface of the head. Weighted materials, such as iron beads are contained in the hollow passage. When the golf club is swung to a top of back swing, the iron beads are positioned adjacent the forward end of the grip, i.e., such as the lowest end of the golf club. However, when the golf club is swung to a point of impact, the iron beads, or other materials reach the sweet spot at a high speed in receipt of a centrifugal force of the golf club to thereby increase a driving force to be applied to a ball. Thus, a flying distance of the ball can be greatly increased without changing the exterior shape or material of the face surface of the head.

Claims

1. A golf club comprising:

a grip;

a shaft having a hollow portion therein, said shaft being attached to said grip;

a head having a front surface, a sweet spot on the front surface, and a hollow passage formed inside the head and communicating with said hollow portion of said shaft, said hollow passage extending behind the sweet spot and having an enlarged portion behind the sweet spot, which is greater in size than other portions of the hollow passage; and

movable material means movable in said hollow passage and hollow portion and being contained therein so that when said golf club is swung, said movable material means is moved in said hollow passage and hollow portion for changing the location of the center of gravity of the golf club, and when the head comes to a point of impact, the movable material means is located in the hollow passage including the enlarged portion behind the sweet spot.

2. A golf club as claimed in claim 1, wherein said head is hollow, and said passage is formed by a wall member.

3. A golf club as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movable material means comprises at least one material selected from a group consisting of solid, liquid and fluid material.

4. A golf club as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movable material means has a spherical shape.

5. A golf club as defined in claim 1, wherein said grip has a hollow portion therein in communication with said hollow portion of said shaft.

6. A golf club as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least a part of said grip is detachable for providing access to the hollow portions of said grip and said shaft.

7. A golf club as defined in claim 1, wherein said enlarged portion has a depth extending rearwardly from the front surface, which is greater than the other portions of the hollow passage.

8. A golf club as defined in claim 7, wherein said enlarged portion has a front side close to the front surface and back side behind the front side, said back side being greater in size then the front side.