Metal wood club

• US 7,857,711 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2009
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Shear, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/547,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20100029404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• US Class Current: 473/329
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/00 Golf clubs
• 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 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf club head is provided having a body and a face insert, with a slot in a perimeter region of the body of the club head adjacent the face insert. The slot increases the flex of the hitting surface on impact with a golf ball, thereby increasing the speed with which the ball rebounds off the hitting face and increases the overall distance the ball is hit. The slot preferably moves the sweet spot of the hitting face a distance X from the face center of the hitting face. The slot may be filled with an elastomeric material.

Claims

1. A golf club head, the club head comprising:

a hollow body having a perimeter region defining an opening;

a face insert disposed in the opening, the face insert having a geometric face center and an area of maximum coefficient of restitution; and

consists of a single slot disposed on the perimeter region,

wherein the area of maximum coefficient of restitution is disposed within a zone on the face insert and the maximum coefficient of restitution is closer to the geometric face center as compared with a club without a slot, and wherein ball speed after impact is increased when the face is impacted in an area from the geometric face center toward the slot and wherein the slot increases the speed at which a golf ball rebounds from the face insert of the club head as compared with a club head without a slot, and

wherein the slot is substantially filled with an elastomeric material open to an interior of the hollow body and wherein the elastomeric material does not contact the face insert,

wherein the slot is an elongated slot substantially parallel to a portion of an edge of the body, and

wherein the face insert defines a plane and the slot is disposed on a heel portion of the perimeter region adjacent the face plane.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the coefficient of restitution over the entire face is at least 80% of the maximum coefficient of restitution within the zone.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the slot has a width of greater than 1 mm.

4. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the slot has a length of greater than 15 mm.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the slot comprises two opposing ends, the ends having expanded slot portions.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the slot provides a space in the body, such that the face insert flexes when the face insert impacts a golf ball.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the face insert defines a face plane and the slot is disposed less than 30 mm from the face plane.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the area of maximum coefficient of restitution is provided less than 20 mm from the geometric face center.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the area of maximum coefficient of restitution is provided less than 10 mm from the geometric face center.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the area of maximum coefficient of restitution is within 2 mm of the geometric face center.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the slot increases the carry distance of a ball hit with the club head as compared with a club head without a slot.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the speed at which a golf ball rebounds from the face insert of the club head is increased at least 0.5 mph as compared with a club head without a slot.

13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the slot increases the launch angle of a golf ball leaving the face insert after impact with the club head as compared with a club head without a slot.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the launch angle of a golf ball leaving the face insert is increased by at least 0.5 degrees as compared with a club head without a slot.

15. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the slot decreases the back spin of a golf ball leaving the face insert after impact with the club head as compared with a club head without a slot.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the slot decreases back spin by at least 100 rpm as compared with a club head without a slot.

17. A golf club head, the club head comprising:

a hollow body having a perimeter region defining an opening;

a face insert disposed in the opening, the face insert having a geometric face center and an area of maximum coefficient of restitution; and

consists of a single slot disposed on the perimeter region,

wherein the area of maximum coefficient of restitution is disposed within a zone on the face insert and the maximum coefficient of restitution is closer to the geometric face center as compared with a club without a slot, and wherein ball speed after impact is increased when the face is impacted in an area from the geometric face center toward the slot and wherein the slot increases the speed at which a golf ball rebounds from the face insert of the club head as compared with a club head without a slot, and

wherein the slot is substantially filled with an elastomeric material open to an interior of the hollow body and wherein the elastomeric material does not contact the face insert, and

wherein the slot is an elongated slot substantially parallel to a portion of an edge of the body, and

wherein the face insert defines a plane and the slot is disposed on a toe portion of the perimeter region adjacent the face plane.

18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the face insert defines a face plane and the slot is disposed less than 30 mm from the face plane.

19. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the slot has a width of greater than 1 mm.

20. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the slot has a length of greater than 15 mm.