Golf club

• US 6,386,987 B1
• Filed: 05/05/2000
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Francis E. Lejeune Jr
• Original Assignee: Francis E. Lejeune Jr
• Inventors: Lejeune, Francis E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US09/567,538
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 473/242, 473/238, 473/244, 473/245, 473/246, 473/247, 473/248, 473/226, 473/220, 473/221, 473/222, 473/223, 473/231, 473/131, 473/219, 473/329, 473/333, 473/288, 473/282, 473/324
• US Class Current: 473/219
• 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 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3632 Clubs or attachments on clubs, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence; clubs for swinging exercises in general A63B15/00

Abstract

A golf club features a hollowed club head having an insert movably mounted therein. The insert is weighted so that it works like a pendulum during a user'"'"'s swing of the club. The insert has a flat face that shifts to present a face to the ball that corrects for improper technique.

Claims

1. A golf club comprising:

a) a club shaft having opposing end portions, one end portion being an upper end portion having a handle with a gripping surface, the other end portion being a lower end portion;

b) a club head attached to the lower end portion, said head having an outer surface that includes a static club face portion that faces toward a golf ball to be driven with the club during use;

c) the club head static club face portion having a cavity;

d) a weighted element movably mounted to the club head at the cavity, said element having a moving club face portion; and

e) said weighted element being configured and positioned at the cavity so that the moving club face portion can rotationally change positions relative to the static club face portion during a swing of the club shaft depending upon changes in the rotational position of the club head relative to the shaft central longitudinal axis.

2. The golf club of claim 1 wherein the cavity is a hollowed interior of the club head, and a majority of the weighted element is contained within the hollowed interior of the club head.

3. The golf club of claim 2 wherein said weighted element is at least partially housed within said hollowed interior.

4. The golf club of claim 1 wherein the weighted element moving club face portion is positioned to engage a golf ball during use.

5. The golf club of claim 4 wherein the moving club face portion is of a generally oval shape.

6. The golf club of claim 1 wherein the club head static face portion includes an opening that is part of the cavity, and said element at least partially occupies said opening.

7. The golf club of claim 1 further comprising means for limiting the degree of movement of the weighted element.

8. The golf club of claim 7 wherein the limiting means includes a link member joining the club head and the weighted element.

9. The golf club of claim 8 wherein the link member is a cable.

10. The golf club of claim 8 wherein the link member is a spring.

11. The golf club of claim 8 wherein the weighted element is connected to a rear of the club head with the link member.

12. The golf club of claim 7 wherein the limiting means includes stops that limit movement of the weighted element.

14. The golf club of claim 2 wherein the weighted element pivots about an axis that is generally parallel to the central longitudinal axis of said shaft.

13. A golf club comprising:

a) a club shaft having opposing end portions, one end portion being an upper end portion having a handle with a gripping surface, the other end portion being a lower end portion;

b) a club head attached to the lower end portion, said head having an outer surface that includes a static club face that defines a plane;

c) the club head having a cavity;

d) a weighted element movably mounted to the club head at the cavity, said element having a moving club face portion; and

e) said weighted element being configured and positioned at the cavity so that the moving club face portion can rotationally change positions relative to the plane containing the static club face during a swing of the club shaft depending upon changes in the rotational position of the club head relative to the shaft central longitudinal axis, wherein the weighted element is pivotally attached to the club head.

15. The golf club of claim 13 wherein the weighted element pivots about an inclined axis.

16. A golf club comprising:

a) a club shaft having opposing end portions, one end portion being an upper end portion having a handle with a gripping surface, the other end portion being a lower end portion;

b) a club head attached to the lower end portion, said club head having an outer surface that includes a front surface portion defining a plane that faces forward during use in the general direction that the golf ball is to be driven, said front surface having an opening;

c) a weighted element movably mounted to the club head, said element having a moving club face portion that engages the golf ball when the club shaft is swung to strike a golf ball, the moving club face portion occupying the opening; and

d) said weighted element being configured and positioned at the cavity so that the moving club face portion can change positions rotationally relative to the plane containing the front surface portion during a swing of the club shaft depending upon changes in the rotational position of the club head relative to the shaft central longitudinal axis.

17. A golf club comprising:

a) a club shaft having opposing end portions, one end portion being an upper end portion having a handle with a gripping surface, the other end portion being a lower end portion;

b) a club head attached to the lower end portion, said head having an outer surface that includes a front surface portion that faces forward during use in the general direction that the golf ball is to be driven, said front surface portion having an opening;

c) a weighted element movably mounted to the club head, said element having a face portion that engages the golf ball when the club shaft is swung to strike a golf ball, the face portion occupying the opening;

d) wherein said weighted element is configured and positioned so that the face portion can change positions relative to the plane containing the front surface portion during a swing of the club shaft depending upon changes in the rotational position of the club head relative to the shaft central longitudinal axis; and

e) wherein the weighted element is pivotally attached to the club head.

18. The golf club of claim 17 wherein the cavity is a hollowed interior of the club head, and a majority of the weighted element is contained within the hollowed interior of the club head.

19. The golf club of claim 17 wherein the weighted element has a flat surface portion that is positioned to engage a golf ball during use.

20. The golf club of claim 19 wherein the flat surface portion is generally rectangular.

21. The golf club of claim 17 wherein the weighted element pivots about an axis that is generally parallel to the central longitudinal axis of said shaft.

22. The golf club of claim 17 wherein the weighted element pivots about an inclined axis.

23. The golf club of claim 17 wherein said weighted element is at least partially housed within said hollowed interior.

24. The golf club of claim 17 wherein the club head has a face with an opening, and said element at least partially occupies said opening.

25. A golf club comprising:

a) a club shaft having opposing end portions, one end portion being an upper end portion having a handle with a gripping surface, the other end portion being a lower end portion;

b) a hollow club head having a hollow interior attached to the lower end portion, said head having an outer surface that includes a front surface portion that defines a plane and faces forward during use in the general direction that the golf ball is to be driven, said front surface portion having an opening;

c) a weighted element movably mounted to the club head and occupying the hollow interior, said element having a moving face portion that engages the golf ball when the club shaft is swung to strike a golf ball, the moving face portion occupying the opening; and

d) wherein said weighted element is configured and positioned so that the moving face portion can change positions relative to the plane of the front surface portion to form an acute angle therewith during a swing of the club shaft depending upon changes in the rotational position of the club head relative to the shaft central longitudinal axis.

26. The golf club of claim 25 wherein the weighted element has a flat surface portion that is positioned to engage a golf ball during use.

27. The golf club of claim 26 wherein the flat surface portion is of a generally oval shape.

28. The golf club of claim 25 wherein the weighted element pivots about an axis that is generally parallel to the central longitudinal axis of said shaft.

29. The golf club of claim 25 wherein the weighted element pivots about an inclined axis.

30. The golf club of claim 25 wherein said weighted element is at least partially housed within said hollowed interior.

31. The golf club of claim 25 wherein the club head front surface portion has an opening that is part of the hollow interior, and said element at least partially occupies said opening.

32. The golf club of claim 25 further comprising means for limiting the degree of movement of the weighted element.

33. The golf club of claim 32 wherein the limiting means includes a link member joining the club head and weighted element.

34. The golf club of claim 33 wherein the link member is a cable.

35. The golf club of claim 33 wherein the link member is a spring.

36. The golf club of claim 33 wherein the weighted element is connected to a rear of the club head with the link member.

37. The golf club of claim 32 wherein the limiting means includes stops that limit movement of the weighted element.

38. The golf club of claim 25 wherein the weighted element is pivotally attached to the club head.