Golf club with high moment of inertia

• US 7,708,652 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2009
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Cackett, Matthew T., Hocknell, Alan, Stevens, Daniel M., Williams, Luke R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/535,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20090291771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 273 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473316-323, 473300-303, 473287-292, 473/256
• US Class Current: 473/300
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• 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 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform 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 golf club (40) has a golf club head with a large mass, relatively short club length and a moment of inertia about the Izz axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head greater than 5000 grams-centimeters squared. The golf club head (42) preferably has a volume ranging from 400 cubic centimeters to 470 cubic centimeters. The golf club head (42) preferably has a moment of inertia about the Ixx axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head greater than 3000 grams-centimeters squared. The golf club (40) preferably has an inertia ratio greater than 0.0019.

Claims

1. A wood-type golf club comprising:

a wood-type golf club head having a body with a plurality of weight members, each of the plurality of weight members having a mass ranging from 5 grams to 30 grams, the wood-type golf club head having a volume ranging from 400 cubic centimeters to 470 cubic centimeters, a mass ranging from 210 grams to 250 grams, and a moment of inertia about the Izz axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head ranging from 4700 grams-centimeters squared to 6000 grams-centimeters squared, the wood-type golf club head having a distance from a front wall to a rear edge ranging from 2.0 inches to 5.0 inches;

a shaft connected to a heel end of the wood-type golf club head, the shaft having a mass ranging from 50 grams to 90 grams; and

a grip disposed on a butt end of the shaft, the grip having a mass ranging from 30 grams to 50 grams;

wherein an inertia ratio of the moment of inertia about the Izz axis of the wood-type golf club head divided by the moment of inertia about the Iyy axis of the wood-type golf club is greater than 0.0020.

2. The wood-type golf club according to claim 1 wherein the wood-type golf club head has a moment of inertia about the Izz axis through the center of gravity of the wood-type golf club head ranging 5000 grams-centimeters squared to 6000 grams-centimeters squared.

3. A wood-type golf club comprising:

a wood-type golf club head having a volume ranging from 400 cubic centimeters to 470 cubic centimeters, and a moment of inertia about the Izz axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head ranging from 4700 grams-centimeters squared to 6000 grams-centimeters squared, the wood type golf club head comprising a face component composed of a metal material and an aft-body composed of a non-metal material, the aft-body attached to a return portion of the face component, the aft-body having a plurality of weight members, each of the plurality of weight members having a mass ranging from 5 grams to 30 grams;

a shaft connected to a heel end of the wood-type golf club head, the shaft having a mass ranging from 50 grams to 90 grams; and

a grip disposed on a butt end of the shaft, the grip having a mass ranging from 30 grams to 50 grams;

wherein a ratio of the moment of inertia about the Izz axis through the center of gravity of the wood-type golf club head divided by the length of the wood-type golf club is greater than 47 grams-centimeter.

4. The golf club according to claim 3 wherein a ratio of the moment of inertia about the Izz axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head divided by the mass of the club head is greater than 24.5 centimeters squared.

5. A wood-type golf club comprising:

a wood-type golf club head having a volume ranging from 400 cubic centimeters to 470 cubic centimeters, and a moment of inertia about the Izz axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head ranging from 4700 grams-centimeters squared to 6000 grams-centimeters squared, the wood type golf club head comprising a face component composed of a metal material and an aft-body composed of a non-metal material, the aft-body attached to a return portion of the face component, the aft-body having a plurality of weight members, each of the plurality of weight members having a mass ranging from 5 grams to 30 grams;

a shaft connected to a heel end of the wood-type golf club head, the shaft having a mass ranging from 50 grams to 90 grams; and

a grip disposed on a butt end of the shaft, the grip having a mass ranging from 30 grams to 50 grams;

wherein the wood-type golf club has a length ranging from about 42 inches to about 44 inches, wherein the length is measured from a top of the grip to a sole of the wood-type golf club head;

wherein the wood-type golf club has an inertia ratio of the moment of inertia about the Izz axis of the golf club head divided by the moment of inertia about the Iyy axis of the golf club is greater than 0.0020.