Metal wood golf club with progressive weighting

• US 6,776,723 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2002
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Serrano, Anthony D., Bliss, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US10/173,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20030232663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 473/290, 473/291, 473/345, 473/349, 473/314
• US Class Current: 473/291
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/005 Club sets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0462 characterised by tapering thickness of the impact face plate
• 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 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A metal wood-type golf club includes a weight member disposed along the interior surface of the bottom wall. The weight member is sized and distributed so as to increase the moment of inertia of the golf club about a vertical axis extending through the center of gravity as well as lowering the center of gravity of the club head itself. The longitudinal position of the weight member is selected as a function of the loft angle of the club face. The weight member is moved forward for a club having a small loft angle and moved rearward for a club having a high loft angle so that the vertical gear effect about the center of gravity partially offsets the natural backspin of the club to a greater or lesser degree depending on the loft angle of the club.

Claims

1. A set of golf clubs comprising:

a first club and a second club,

said first club comprising;

a first elongated shaft having a grip end and a hosel end;

a first golf club head attached to the hosel end of said first elongated shaft;

said first golf club head comprising a hollow body having a heel portion, a toe portion, a top wall, a bottom wall, and a front wall; and

a first weight member disposed at a predetermined location on said first golf club head;

said front wall of said first golf club head including a first face adapted for impacting a golf ball, said first face disposed at a first predetermined loft angle;

said first golf club head having a center of gravity located rearward of said first face and below said top wall of said first golf club head,

said second club comprising;

a second elongated shaft having a grip end and a hosel end;

a second golf club head attached to the hosel end of said second elongated shaft;

said second golf club head comprising a hollow body having a heel portion, a toe portion, a top wall, a bottom wall, and a front wall; and

a second weight member disposed at a predetermined location on said second golf club head;

said front wall of said second golf club head including a second face adapted for impacting a golf ball, said second face disposed at a second predetermined loft angle, said second predetermined loft angle being greater than said first predetermined loft angle;

said second golf club head having a center of gravity located rearward of said second face and below said top wall of said second golf club head,

said first and second weight members being disposed such that the distance from said center of gravity of said first golf club head to said first face is less than the distance from said center of gravity of said second golf club head to said second face,

whereby the second club in said set of clubs has greater loft angle and a center of gravity located further rearward than the first club;

said set of golf clubs further comprising;

a third club,

said third club comprising;

a third elongated shaft having a grip end and a hosel end;

a third golf club head attached to the hosel end of said third elongated shaft;

said third golf club head comprising a hollow body having a heel portion, a toe portion, a top wall, a bottom wall, and a front wall; and

a third weight member disposed at a predetermined location on said third golf club head;

said front wall of said third golf club head including a third face adapted for impacting a golf ball, said third face disposed at a third predetermined loft angle, said third predetermined loft angle being greater than said second predetermined loft angle;

said third golf club head having a center of gravity located rearward of said third face and below said top wall of said third golf club head,

said third weight member being disposed such that the distance from said center of gravity of said second golf club head to said second face is less than the distance from said center of gravity of said third golf club head to said third face,

wherein said first golf club head comprises a three-wood and said third golf club head comprises a seven-wood,

said three-wood comprising a three wood club head body having a loft angle of from eleven to sixteen degrees and center of gravity located no more than 1.41 inches behind the forwardmost point of said three-wood club head body,

said seven-wood comprising a seven-wood club head body having a loft angle of from eighteen to twenty-two degrees and a center of gravity located at least 1.42 inches behind the forwardmost point of said seven-wood club head body.

2. A set of metal wood-type golf clubs comprising:

a plurality of club heads each comprising a hollow body-having a heel portion, a toe portion, a top wall, a bottom wall, and a front wall extending between said top wall and said bottom wall, each of said plurality of club heads including a face disposed at a predetermined loft angle adapted for impacting a golf ball;

each of said plurality of club heads further having a center of gravity;

said plurality of club heads formed such that the center of gravity of each of said plurality of club heads is disposed further rearward as said predetermined loft angle increases,

wherein said plurality of club heads comprise a three-wood and a seven-wood,

said three-wood comprising a three wood club head body having a loft angle of from thirteen to fifteen degrees and center of gravity located no more than 1.41 inches behind the forwardmost point of said three-wood club head body,

said seven-wood comprising a seven-wood club head body having a loft angle of from nineteen to twenty-one degrees and a center of gravity located at least 1.42 inches behind the forwardmost point of said seven-wood club head body.

3. A set of golf clubs comprising:

a first club and a second club,

said first club comprising;

a first elongated shaft having a grip end and a hosel end;

a first golf club head attached to the hosel end of said first elongated shaft;

said first golf club head comprising a hollow body having a heel portion, a toe portion, a top wall, a bottom wall, and a front wall; and

a first weight member disposed at a predetermined location on said first golf club head;

said front wall of said first golf club head including a first face adapted for impacting a golf ball, said first face disposed at a first predetermined loft angle;

said first golf club head having a center of gravity located rearward of said first face and below said top wall of said first golf club head,

said second club comprising;

a second elongated shaft having a grip end and a hosel end;

a second golf club head attached to the hosel end of said second elongated shaft;

said second golf club head comprising a hollow body having a heel portion, a toe portion, a top wall, a bottom wall, and a front wall; and

a second weight member disposed at a predetermined location on said second golf club head;

said front wall of said second golf club head including a second face adapted for impacting a golf ball, said second face disposed at a second predetermined loft angle, said second predetermined loft angle being greater than said first predetermined loft angle;

said second golf club head having a center of gravity located rearward of said second face and below said top wall of said second golf club head,

said first and second weight members being disposed such that the distance from said center of gravity of said first golf club head to said first face is less than the distance from said center of gravity of said second golf club head to said second face,

whereby the second club in said set of clubs has greater loft angle and a center of gravity located further rearward than the first club;

said set of golf clubs further comprising;

a third club,

said third club comprising;

a third elongated shaft having a grip end and a hosel end;

a third golf club head attached to the hosel end of said third elongated shaft;

said third golf club head comprising a hollow body having a heel portion, a toe portion, a top wall, a bottom wall, and a front wall; and

a third weight member disposed at a predetermined location on said third golf club head;

said front wall of said third golf club head including a third face adapted for impacting a golf ball, said third face disposed at a third predetermined loft angle, said third predetermined loft angle being greater than said second predetermined loft angle;

said third golf club head having a center of gravity located rearward of said third face and below said top wall of said third golf club head,

said third weight member being disposed such that the distance from said center of gravity of said second golf club head to said second face is less than the distance from said center of gravity of said third golf club head to said third face,

wherein said first golf club head comprises a three-wood and said third golf club head comprises a five-wood,

said three-wood comprising a three wood club head body having a loft angle of from eleven to sixteen degrees and said five-wood comprising a five-wood club head body having a loft angle of from sixteen to eighteen degrees.

4. A set of metal wood-type golf clubs comprising:

a plurality of club heads each comprising a hollow body having a heel portion, a toe portion, a top wall, a bottom wall, and a front wall extending between said top wall and said bottom wall, each of said plurality of club heads including a face disposed at a predetermined loft angle adapted for impacting a golf ball;

each of said plurality of club heads further having a center of gravity;

said plurality of club heads formed such that the center of gravity of each of said plurality of club heads is disposed further rearward as said predetermined loft angle increases,

wherein said plurality of club heads comprise a three-wood and a five-wood,

said three-wood comprising a three wood club head body having a loft angle of from thirteen to fifteen degrees and said five-wood comprising a five-wood club head body having a loft angle of from sixteen to eighteen degrees.