Golf club with interchangeable sole

• US 5,938,540 A
• Filed: 01/27/1998
• Issued: 08/17/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clive S. Lu
• Original Assignee: Clive S. Lu
• Inventors: Lu, Clive S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US09/013,891
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 473/334, 473/335, 473/336, 473/337, 473/338, 473/339, 473/349, 473/328, 473/288, 473/291, 473/409, 473/282
• US Class Current: 473/288
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• 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: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A method of forming a customized golf club head having a selected ground engaging soleplate is disclosed. A conventional club head body having a heel, toe, upper surface, rear surface and ball striking face is formed with a cavity in the bottom surface. One of a plurality of ground engaging soleplates is selected to be permanently or removably attached to the club head body. A manufacturer may pre-produce club heads with a cavity in the bottom and at a later time select a particular ground engaging soleplate depending upon customer demands. The invention also allows a golfer to select one of a wide variety of ground engaging soleplates in order to customize a golf club suitable for selected playing conditions.

Claims

1. A method of making a golf club head comprising the steps of:

forming a soleless generic golf club head having a heel, toe, upper surface, rear surface and ball striking face and a recessed cavity in a bottom surface of said club head;

selecting one of a plurality of ground surface engaging sole plates having a variety of surface, size, and shape configurations;

said sole plate being formed with at least 20% of the total head weight of said golf club head;

and, attaching a selected one of said sole plates to said recessed cavity in the bottom surface of said club head body to form a unitized club head.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said selected ground surface engaging soleplate is attached to said soleless generic golf club head with a mechanical fastener.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said selected soleplate is removably attached to said club head body.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said selected soleplate is permanently attached to said club head body.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of attaching said pre-selected sole plate to the cavity formed in said club head body includes a step of welding.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of attaching said selected soleplate to the cavity formed in said club head body includes a step of brazing.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said selected soleplate is adhesively attached to said club head body.