Golf club head with high center of gravity

• US 6,939,247 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2004
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Serrano, Anthony D., Schweigert, Bradley D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US10/812,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20050215353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/345, 473/346, 473/349, 473/290, 473/291, 473/292, 473/350, 473/314, 473/342, 473/329
• US Class Current: 473/314
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• 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 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand

Abstract

A golf club head is formed of a hollow metal body having a center of gravity that is above the geometric center of the club face. The hollow metal body of the club head has a sole plate that is smoothly contoured and devoid of any inefficient structures such as weight pads or other mass concentrations. By avoiding the use of inefficient structures such as weight pads, more material is available for the structural walls of the club head body while maintaining the club head within acceptable weight limitations. Moreover, placement of the center of gravity above the center line of the face ensures that sufficient backspin will be imparted to the golf ball when struck by the club.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a hollow metal body having a heel end, a toe end, a forward end and a rear end, said hollow metal body including a face proximal the forward end adapted for impacting a golf ball, a crown, a skirt, and a sole plate, the sole plate being smoothly contoured and devoid of any mass concentrations;

a hosel adjacent the body heel end for receiving a shaft, said shaft having an axis;

said hollow metal body having a volume of greater than 400 cubic centimeters and a center of gravity located generally closer to the heel end than to the toe end and generally nearer the forward end than the rear end; and

the center of gravity being located within a region 2.1±

2.0 millimeters above a horizontal plane passing through the center of the face, 16.0±

4.0 millimeters toward the rear end from a vertical plane containing the shaft axis that is parallel to a horizontal line tangent to the center of the face, and 36.0±

6.0 millimeters toward the toe end from a plane containing the shaft axis that is normal to the vertical plane.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the face has a surface area of least 29 square centimeters.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein:

the face has a surface area from 29 to 36 square centimeters.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the center of gravity is from 1.0 to 3.0 millimeters above the horizontal plane passing through the center of the face.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the face has a thickness that tapers from a maximum thickness of 4.0±

1.5 millimeters proximal the center of the face to a minimum thickness of 2.5±

1.0 millimeters proximal the perimeter of the face.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

said hollow metal body has a moment of inertia of at least 1250 Kg-cm² about a vertical axis through the center of gravity.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

said hollow metal body has a moment of inertia of at least 800 Kg-cm² about a horizontal axis parallel to said horizontal line tangent to the center of the face through the center of gravity.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the sole plate has a thickness that ranges from 1.2 to 0.7 millimeters in thickness.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the center of gravity is located within a region 2.1±

2.0 millimeters above a horizontal plane passing through the center of the face, 16.0±

4.0 millimeters toward the rear end from a vertical plane containing the shaft axis that is parallel to a horizontal line tangent to the center of the face, and 36.0±

1.0 millimeters toward the toe end from a plane containing the shaft axis that is normal to the vertical plane.