Golf club

• US 6,139,446 A
• Filed: 08/03/1998
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wedgewood Golf, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Wedgewood Golf, Inc.
• Inventors: Wanchena, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kien T.
• Application Number:
  US09/127,855
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/328, 473/343, 473/344, 473/345, 473/349, 473/350, 473/292, 473/290, 473/291
• US Class Current: 473/349
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• 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

Abstract

A golf club is provided, comprising a striking surface, a toe region, a heel region, a sole plate, a mass region and a hosel, the golf club further comprising a shaft attached to the club head by hosel of the club head. The sole plate extends from a bottom edge of the striking surface to a rear edge of the mass region and under the toe region to the heel region. The sole plate comprises the sole which contacts the ground as the club head lies at rest and has a width between about 1/2 inch and about 11/2 inches. The mass region extends from the top side of the striking surface to the rear edge of the sole plate. The club head includes a vertical center of gravity below a median between the top edge of the striking surface and the bottom edge of the striking surface.

Claims

1. A golf club, comprising:

a club head comprising a striking surface, a toe region, a heel region, a sole plate, a mass region, and a hosel;

said striking surface comprising a face for striking a golf ball, wherein said striking surface extends above a top side of said mass region to form a lip extending between the striking surface and the top side of the mass region;

said sole plate extending from a bottom edge of the striking surface to a rear edge of said mass region and under said toe region and said heel region, and comprising a sole resting on ground as the club head lies at rest, and having a width between about 1/2 inch and about 11/2 inches;

said club head including a vertical center of gravity below a median between the top edge of the striking surface and the bottom edge of the striking surface; and

a shaft attached to said club head by the hosel of the club head.

2. A golf club according to claim 1, wherein the height of said lip, which is the vertical distance between the top edge of said striking surface and the top side of said mass region, is between about 1/8 inch and about 1/2 inch.

3. A golf club according to claim 1, wherein the vertical distance between the midpoint of the top edge of the striking surface and the midpoint of the bottom edge of the striking surface is between about 11/4 inches and about 23/4 inches.

4. A golf club according to claim 1, wherein the vertical center of gravity of the club head is located below the equator of a golf ball when the club head and the golf ball are resting on a planar surface.

5. A golf club, comprising:

a club head comprising a striking surface, a toe region, a heel region, a sole plate, a mass region, and a hosel;

said striking surface comprising a face for striking a golf ball;

said sole plate extending from a bottom edge of the striking surface to a rear edge of said mass region and under said toe region and said heel region, and comprising a sole resting on ground as the club head lies at rest, and having a width between about 1/2 inch and about 11/2 inches, said sole plate extending from a toe edge to a heel edge and the ratio of the width of the sole plate to the width of the sole is between about 6;

1 and about 3;

1;

said club head including a vertical center of gravity below a median between the top edge of the striking surface and the bottom edge of the striking surface; and

a shaft attached to said club head by the hosel of the club head.

6. A golf club according to claim 5, wherein the vertical distance between the midpoint of the top edge of the striking surface and the midpoint of the bottom edge of the striking surface is between about 11/4 inches and about 23/4 inches.

7. A golf club according to claim 5, wherein the curvature of the sole plate generally conforms to the circumference of a circle having a radius of between about 2 inches and about 31/4 inches.

8. A golf club according to claim 5, wherein the vertical center of gravity of the club head is located below the equator of a golf ball when the club head and the golf ball are resting on a planar surface.

9. A golf club according to claim 5, wherein the club head further comprises a horizontal center of gravity between the bottom edge of the striking surface and the rear edge of the top side of the mass region, located generally in line with the hosel.

10. A golf club, comprising:

a club head comprising a striking surface, a toe region, a heel region, a sole plate, a mass region, and a hosel;

said striking surface comprising a face for striking a golf ball;

said sole plate extending from a bottom edge of the striking surface to a rear edge of said mass region and under said toe region and said heel region, and comprising a sole resting on ground as the club head lies at rest, and having a width between about 1/2 inch and about 11/2 inches, the curvature of the sole plate generally conforms to the circumference of a circle having a radius of between about 2 inches and about 31/4 inches;

said club head including a vertical center of gravity below a median between the top edge of the striking surface and the bottom edge of the striking surface; and

a shaft attached to said club head by the hosel of the club head.

11. A golf club according to claim 10 wherein the vertical distance between the midpoint of the top edge of the striking surface and the midpoint of the bottom edge of the striking surface is between about 11/4 inches and about 23/4 inches.

12. A golf club according to claim 10, wherein said sole plate extends from a toe edge to a heel edge and the ratio of the width of the sole plate to the width of the sole is between about 6:

1 to about 3;

1.

13. A golf club according to claim 10, wherein the vertical center of gravity of the club head is located below the equator of a golf ball when the club head and the golf ball are resting on a planar surface.

14. A golf club according to claim 10, wherein the club head further comprises a horizontal center of gravity between the bottom edge of the striking surface and the rear edge of the top side of the mass region, located generally in line with the hosel.

15. A golf club, comprising:

a club head comprising a striking surface, a toe region, a heel region, a sole plate, a mass region, and a hosel;

said striking surface comprising a face for striking a golf ball;

said sole plate extending from a bottom edge of the striking surface to a rear edge of said mass region and under said toe region and said heel region, and comprising a sole resting on ground as the club head lies at rest, and having a width between about 1/2 inch and about 11/2 inches;

said club head including a vertical center of gravity below a median between the top edge of the striking surface and the bottom edge of the striking surface and a horizontal center of gravity between the bottom edge of the striking surface and the rear edge of the top side of the mass region, located generally in line with the hosel; and

a shaft attached to said club head by the hosel of the club head.

16. A golf club according to claim 15, wherein the vertical distance between the midpoint of the top edge of the striking surface and the midpoint of the bottom edge of the striking surface is about 11/4 inches and about 23/4 inches.

17. A golf club according to claim 15, wherein said sole plate extends from a toe edge to a heel edge and the ratio of the width of the sole plate to the width of the sole is between about 6:

1 to about 3;

1.

18. A golf club according to claim 15, wherein the curvature of the sole plate generally conforms to the circumference of a circle having a radius of between about 2 inches and about 31/4 inches.