Golf club head

• US 7,198,575 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Beach, Todd P., Anderson, David, Vincent, Benoit
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US11/214,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20060035722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 473/334, 473/340, 473/341, 473/345, 473/349, 473/350, 473/291, 473/314, 473/346, 473/324, 473/347, 473/338, 473/290
• US Class Current: 473/324
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole 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 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A golf club head comprising an outer shell and a strike plate having a strike face. The outer shell and the strike face define a club head volume. A heel/toe axis extends through the center of gravity of the club head. The heel/toe axis is generally parallel to the strike face and generally horizontal relative to a ground plane when the club head is at an address position. The rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis is related to the club head volume by the equation Ixx ≧,46*HV+77, where Ixx is the rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis in units of kg-mm² and HV is the club head volume in units of cm³.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

an outer shell;

a strike plate coupled to the outer shell, the strike plate having a strike face, the outer shell and the strike face defining a club head volume;

a heel/toe axis extending through a center of gravity of the club head, generally parallel to the strike face, and generally horizontal relative to a ground plane when the club head is at an address position, wherein the rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis is related to the club head volume by the equation Ixx≧

0.46*HV+77, where lxx is the rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis in units of kg-mm² and HV is the club head volume in units of cm³; and

a hosel axis extending axially through the hosel, wherein a horizontal distance measured between the center of gravity and the hosel axis is between about 16 mm to about 20 mm.

2. A golf club head comprising:

an outer shell;

a strike plate coupled to the outer shell, the strike plate having a strike face, the outer shell and the strike face defining a club head volume;

a heel/toe axis extending through a center of gravity of the club head, generally parallel to the strike face, and generally horizontal relative to a ground plane when the club head is at an address position, wherein a rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis is related to the club head volume by the equation Ixx0.46*HV+77, where I_xx is the rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis in units of kg-mm² and HV is the club head volume in units of cm³; and

a hosel axis extending axially through the hosel, wherein a horizontal distance measured between the center of gravity and the hosel axis is between about 17 mm to about 18 mm.

3. A golf club head comprising:

an outer shell;

a strike plate coupled to the outer shell, the strike plate having, a strike face, the outer shell and the strike face defining a club head volume greater than 300 cm³; and

a heel/toe axis extending through a center of gravity of the club head, generally parallel to the strike face, and generally horizontal relative to a ground plane when the club head is at an address position, wherein a rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis is related to the club head volume by the equation Ixx≧

0.46*HV+77, where I_xx is the rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis in units of kg-mm² and HV is the club head volume in units of cm^3.

4. A golf club head comprising:

an outer shell;

a strike plate coupled to the outer shell, the strike plate having a strike face, the outer shell and the strike face defining a club head volume greater than 300 cm³;

a heel/toe axis extending through a center of gravity of the club head, generally parallel to the strike face, and generally horizontal relative to a ground plane when the club head is at an address position, wherein a rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis is related to the club head volume by the equation Ixx≧

0.46*HV+77, where I_xx is the rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis in units of kg-mm and HV is the club head volume in units of cm³; and

a vertical axis extending through the center of gravity of the club head generally perpendicular to the heel/toe axis, wherein a rotational moment of inertia about the vertical axis is greater than or equal to 300 kg-mm^2.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, further comprising a hosel axis extending axially through the hosel, wherein a horizontal distance measured between the center of gravity and the hosel axis is less than 30 mm.

6. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 180 grams to about 250 grams.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the center of gravity is disposed below a horizontal centerline of the club head.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the center of gravity is disposed at least 1 mm below the horizontal centerline.

9. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the center of gravity is disposed more than 2 mm below the horizontal centerline.

10. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 180 grams to about 210 grams.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the center of gravity is disposed below a horizontal centerline of the club head.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the center of gravity is disposed at least 1 mm below the horizontal centerline.

13. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the center of gravity is disposed more than 2 mm below the horizontal centerline.

14. The golf club head of claim 4, further comprising a hosel axis extending axially through the hosel, wherein a horizontal distance measured between the center of gravity and the hosel axis is between about 12 mm to about 25 mm.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 180 grams to about 250 grams.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the center of gravity is disposed below a horizontal centerline of the club head.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the center of gravity is disposed at least 1 mm below the horizontal centerline.

18. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the center of gravity is disposed more than 2 mm below the horizontal centerline.

19. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 180 grams to about 210 grams.

20. The golf club head of claim 19, wherein the center of gravity is disposed below a horizontal centerline of the club head.

21. The golf club head of claim 20, wherein the center of gravity is disposed at least 1 mm below the horizontal centerline.

22. The golf club head of claim 20, wherein the center of gravity is disposed more than 2 mm below the horizontal centerline.

23. The golf club head of claim 4, further comprising a hosel axis extending axially through the hosel, wherein a horizontal distance measured between the center of gravity and the hosel axis is between about 16 mm to about 20 mm.

24. The golf club head of claim 23, wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 180 grams to about 250 grams.

25. The golf club head of claim 24, wherein the center of gravity is disposed below a horizontal centerline of the club head.

26. The golf club head of claim 25, wherein the center of gravity is disposed at least 1 mm below the horizontal centerline.

27. The golf club head of claim 25, wherein the center of gravity is disposed more than 2 mm below the horizontal centerline.

28. The golf club head of claim 23, wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 180 grams to about 210 grams.

29. The golf club head of claim 28, wherein the center of gravity is disposed below a horizontal centerline of the club head.

30. The golf club head of claim 29, wherein the center of gravity is disposed at least 1 mm below the horizontal centerline.

31. The golf club head of claim 29, wherein the center of gravity is disposed more than 2 mm below the horizontal centerline.

32. The golf club head of claim 4, further comprising a hosel axis extending axially through the hosel, wherein a horizontal distance measured between the center of gravity and the hosel axis is between about 17 mm to about 18 mm.

33. The golf club head of claim 32, wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 180 grams to about 250 grams.

34. The golf club head of claim 33, wherein the center of gravity is disposed below a horizontal centerline of the club head.

35. The golf club head of claim 34, wherein the center of gravity is disposed at least 1 mm below the horizontal centerline.

36. The golf club head of claim 34, wherein the center of gravity is disposed more than 2 mm below the horizontal centerline.

37. The golf club head of claim 33, wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 180 grams to about 210 grams.

38. The golf club head of claim 37, wherein the center of gravity is disposed below a horizontal centerline of the club head.

39. The golf club head of claim 38, wherein the center of gravity is disposed at least 1 mm below the horizontal centerline.

40. The golf club head of claim 38, wherein the center of gravity is disposed more than 2 mm below the horizontal centerline.

41. A golf club head comprising:

an outer shell;

a strike plate coupled to the outer shell, the strike plate having a strike face, the outer shell and the strike face defining a club head volume greater than 300 cm³;

a plurality of weights attached to or integrally formed with the outer shell;

a heel/toe axis extending through a center of gravity of the club head, generally parallel to the strike face, and generally horizontal relative to a ground plane when the club head is at an address position, wherein a rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis is related to the club head volume by the equation I_xx≧

0.46*HV+77, where I_xx is the rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis in units of kg-mm² and HV is the club head volume in units of cm³; and

a vertical axis extending through the center of gravity of the club head generally perpendicular to the heel/toe axis, wherein a rotational moment of inertia about the vertical axis is greater than or equal to 300 kg-mm²; and

a hosel axis extending axially through the hosel, wherein a horizontal distance measured between the center of gravity and the hosel axis is between about 16 mm to about 20 mm;

wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 180 grams to about 250 grams.

42. The golf club head of 41, further comprising a front/back axis extending generally perpendicularly from the strike face, the plurality of weights including first and second weights disposed along the front/back axis, the first weight disposed near the strike plate and secured to the sole plate, the second weight disposed near a rear end of the club head, wherein the plurality of weights are formed from a material having a density greater than that of the materials used to form the outer shell and the strike plate, and wherein the plurality of weights comprise about 10 percent to about 40 percent of the total mass of the club head.

43. The golf club head of claim 42, wherein the plurality of weights are comprised of tungsten.