Golf club

• US 7,887,434 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2010
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Taylor, Scott, Yi, Sang S., Hoffman, Joseph Henry, Beach, Todd P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/781,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20100227703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 274 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• US Class Current: 473/334
• 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 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• 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 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club head includes a body defining an interior cavity. The body includes a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown. The body has a forward portion and a rearward portion. The club head includes a face positioned at the forward portion of the body. The face defines a striking surface having an ideal impact location at a golf club head origin. Some embodiments of the club head form a club head for a fairway wood that has a high moment of inertia, a low center-of-gravity and a thin crown.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity, a sole portion positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head and having at least an exterior surface formed of a single material, a crown portion positioned at a top portion, and a skirt portion positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown, the body also having a forward portion and a rearward portion and a maximum above ground height; and

a face positioned at the forward portion of the body;

wherein,

the body height is less than about 46 mm,

a body front to back depth, D_ch, is greater than about 77 mm, and

the golf club head has an above ground center-of-gravity location, Zup, less than about 19 mm and a moment of inertia about a center-of-gravity z-axis, I_zz, greater than about 300 kg-mm².

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the above ground center-of-gravity location, Zup, is less than about 16 mm.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the face has a loft angle greater than about 13 degrees.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about a golf club head center-of-gravity x-axis, I_xx, greater than about 170 kg-mm².

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a volume of the golf club head is less than about 240 cm³.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body front to back depth of the club head is greater than about 85 mm.

7. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity, a sole portion positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head and having at least an exterior surface formed of a single material, a crown portion positioned at a top portion, and a skirt portion positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown, the body also having a forward portion and a rearward portion and a maximum above ground height; and

a face positioned at the forward portion of the body;

wherein,

the body height is less than about 46 mm,

a body front to back depth, D_ch, is greater than about 77 mm, and

the golf club head has an above ground center-of-gravity location, Zup, less than about 19 mm, and a moment of inertia about a center-of-gravity z-axis, I_zz, together satisfy

I_zz≧

13·

Zup+105.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the above ground center-of-gravity location, Zup, is less than about 16 mm.

9. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein a volume of the golf club head is less than about 240 cm³.

10. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the body front to back depth of the club head is greater than about 85 mm.

11. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the crown has a thickness less than about 0.65 mm over at least about 70% of the crown.

12. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity, a sole portion positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head and having at least an exterior surface formed of a single material, a crown portion positioned at a top portion, and a skirt portion positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown, the body also having a forward portion and a rearward portion and a maximum above ground height; and

a face positioned at the forward portion of the body;

the body height is less than 46 mm,

a body front to back depth, D_ch, is greater than about 77 mm,

the golf club head has an above ground center-of-gravity location, Zup, less than about 19 mm, wherein,

a moment of inertia about a center-of-gravity z-axis, I_zz, specified in units of kg-mm², a moment of inertia about a center-of-gravity x-axis, I_xx, specified in units of kg-mm², and, the above ground center-of-gravity location, Zup, specified in units of millimeters, together satisfy I_xx+I_zz≧

20·

Zup+165.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the above ground center-of-gravity above ground location, Zup, and the moment of inertia about the center-of-gravity z-axis, I_zz, specified in units of kg-mm², together satisfy

I_zz≧

13·

Zup+105.

14. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the moment of inertia about the center-of-gravity z-axis, I_zz, exceeds one or more of 300 kg-mm², 320 kg-mm², 340 kg-mm², and 360 kg-mm².

15. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the moment of inertia about the center-of-gravity x-axis, I_xx, exceeds one or more of 150 kg-mm², 170 kg-mm², and 190 kg-mm².

16. The golf club head of claim 12, further comprising:

one or more weight ports formed in the body; and

at least one weight configured to be retained at least partially within one of the one or more weight ports.

17. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the face has a loft angle in excess of about 13 degrees.

18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the golf club head has volume less than about 240 cm³.

19. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the body is substantially formed from a selected material from the group of materials consisting of a steel alloy, a titanium alloy, a graphitic composite, and a combination thereof.

20. The golf club head of claim 19, wherein the body is substantially formed as an investment casting.

21. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the maximum height is less than one or more of about 42 mm, and about 38 mm.

22. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity, a sole portion positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head and having at least an exterior surface formed of a single material, a crown portion positioned at a top portion, and a skirt portion positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown, the body also having a forward portion and a rearward portion and a maximum above ground height; and

a face positioned at the forward portion of the body;

wherein;

the body height is less than 46 mm,

a body front to back depth, D_ch, is greater than about 77 mm, and

the golf club head has an above ground center-of-gravity location, Zup, less than about 19 mm,

wherein, a moment of inertia about a center-of-gravity x-axis, I_xx, specified in units of kg-mm², and the above ground center-of-gravity location, Zup, specified in units of millimeters, together satisfy

I_xx≧

7·

Zup+60.

23. The golf club head of claim 22, wherein the above ground center-of-gravity location, Zup, and the moment of inertia about the center-of-gravity z-axis, I_zz, specified in units of kg-mm², together satisfy

I_zz≧

13·

Zup+105.

24. The golf club head of claim 22, wherein the moment of inertia about the center-of-gravity z-axis, I_zz, exceeds one or more of 300 kg-mm², 320 kg-mm², 340 kg-mm², and 360 kg-mm².

25. The golf club head of claim 22, wherein the moment of inertia about the center-of-gravity x-axis, I_xx, exceeds one or more of 150 kg-mm², 170 kg-mm², and 190 kg-mm².

26. The golf club head of claim 22, further comprising:

one or more weight ports formed in the body; and

at least one weight configured to be retained at least partially within one of the one or more weight ports.

27. The golf club head of claim 22, wherein the face has a loft angle in excess of about 13 degrees.

28. The golf club head of claim 27, wherein the golf club head has volume less than about 240 cm³.

29. The golf club head of claim 22, wherein the body is substantially formed from a selected material from the group of materials consisting of a steel alloy, a titanium alloy, a graphitic composite, and a combination thereof.

30. The golf club head of claim 29, wherein the body is substantially formed as an investment casting.

31. The golf club head of claim 22, wherein the maximum height is less than one or more of about 42 mm, and about 38 mm.