Golf club heads with protrusion weights and related methods

• US 8,371,957 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2010
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Schweigert, Bradley D., Nicolette, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/836,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20110250986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, 473/256, 473/409
• 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 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• 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 can comprise a body and a protrusion weight protruded from a heel, a sole, and/or a skirt of the body. A center of gravity of the protrusion weight can be external to the body of the golf club head. A moment of inertia of the golf club head can be increased due to a distance extension between the center of gravity of the protrusion weight and a center of gravity of the golf club head, the distance extension being external to the body. The center of gravity of the golf club head can be located at a heel portion of the body, shifted by the protrusion weight away from a toe portion of the body and from a center of gravity of the body. The protrusion weight can be at least partially visible from an exterior of the golf club head. Other examples are disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising;

a crown portion, a sole portion, a heel portion, a toe portion, a rear portion, a front portion comprising a club face, and a geometric center; and

a protrusion weight protruded from the body;

wherein;

if the body comprises a skirt portion, the protrusion weight protrudes from the heel portion and at least one of the sole portion or the skirt portion of the body;

if the body lacks the skirt portion, the protrusion weight protrudes from the heel portion and the sole portion of the body;

a center of gravity of the golf club head is defined by both a mass of the body and a mass of the protrusion weight;

a center of gravity of the body is defined by the mass of the body independent of the mass of the protrusion weight;

a center of gravity of the protrusion weight is defined by the mass of the protrusion weight independent of the mass of the body, and is external to a body volume of the body of the golf club head;

a moment of inertia of the golf club head is increased due to a distance extension of a distance between the center of gravity of the protrusion weight and the center of gravity of the golf club head, the distance extension being external to the body volume;

the center of gravity of the golf club head is located at the heel portion of the body, shifted by the protrusion weight away from the toe portion and away from the center of gravity of the body; and

the protrusion weight is at least partially visible from an exterior of the golf club head.

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

the golf club head is devoid of a weight member at the toe portion counteractive of the protrusion weight'"'"'s shift of the center of gravity of the golf club head away from the toe portion of the golf club head.

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

the body volume comprises;

a heel portion volume between the geometric center and the heel portion; and

a toe portion volume between the geometric center and the toe portion; and

the heel and toe portion volumes are within approximately 20% of each other.

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

the protrusion weight is entirely external to a sidewall of the body of the golf club head.

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

a sidewall of the body of the golf club head is integral with a surface of the protrusion weight.

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

the center of gravity of the golf club head is shifted by the protrusion weight towards the heel portion and away from the geometric center.

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

the protrusion weight is separated from a hosel portion of the body of the golf club head.

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

the golf club head comprises four quadrants about the geometric center,

the four quadrants comprising;

a front-heel quadrant;

front-toe quadrant;

a rear-heel quadrant; and

a rear-toe quadrant; and

the center of gravity of the protrusion weight is located in the rear-heel quadrant.

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

the protrusion weight is located at an edge of the golf club head between the crown and sole portions of the golf club head; and

the center of gravity of the protrusion weight is located in the rear-heel quadrant between;

a first point where further shifting of the protrusion weight along the edge and towards the rear portion shifts the center of gravity of the golf club head more towards the toe portion than towards the rear portion; and

a second point where further shifting of the protrusion weight along the edge and towards the heel portion shifts the center of gravity of the golf club head more towards the front portion than towards the heel portion.

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

the body of the golf club head comprises a compass plane defined by;

a heel-to-toe axis extending through the geometric center; and

a front-to-rear axis extending through the geometric center; and

at the address position;

a toe-end of the heel-to-toe axis is at zero degrees with respect to the compass plane and the geometric center; and

the center of gravity of the protrusion weight is located between approximately 120 degrees and approximately 180 degrees with respect to the compass plane and the geometric center.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein:

the center of gravity of the protrusion weight is located at approximately 135 degrees with respect to the compass plane and the geometric center.

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

the protrusion weight is configured to impart an increased hook spin onto a golf ball upon impact at a toe-portion of the club face, the increased hook spin resulting from an augmented gear effect between the club face and the golf ball due to the distance extension.

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

the protrusion weight is configured to impart a decreased slice spin onto a golf ball upon impact at a heel-portion of the club face, the decreased spin resulting from a decreased gear effect between the club face and the golf ball due to the distance extension.

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

the protrusion weight is visible from an address position perspective.

15. A method for providing a golf club head, the method comprising:

providing a body of the golf club head; and

providing a protrusion weight protruding from the body of the golf club head;

wherein;

providing the body of the golf club head comprises;

providing a crown portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a rear portion, and a front portion comprising a club face; and

providing a center of gravity of the body defined by a mass of the body independent of a mass of the protrusion weight;

providing the protrusion weight comprises;

if the body comprises a skirt portion;

providing the protrusion weight to protrude from the heel portion and from at least one of the sole portion, or the skirt portion of the body;

if the body lacks the skirt portion;

providing the protrusion weight to protrude from the heel portion and from the sole portion of the body;

providing a center of gravity of the golf club head defined by both the mass of the body and the mass of the protrusion weight;

providing a center of gravity of the protrusion weight defined by the mass of the protrusion weight independent of the mass of the body, and external to the body of the golf club head;

providing the protrusion weight to be at least partially visible from an exterior of the body;

locating the center of gravity of the golf club head at the heel portion, shifted by the protrusion weight away from the center of gravity of the body and away from a geometric center of the body; and

providing a moment of inertia of the golf club head to be increased due to a distance extension of a distance between the center of gravity of the protrusion weight and the center of gravity of the golf club head, the distance extension being external to a volume of the body.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

providing the golf club head comprises;

providing the golf club head to be devoid of a weight member at the toe portion counteractive of the protrusion weight'"'"'s shift of the center of gravity of the golf club head away from the center of gravity of the body and away from the geometric center.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein:

providing the body comprises;

providing the volume of the body of the golf club head to comprise;

a heel portion volume between the geometric center and the heel portion of the golf club head; and

a toe portion volume between the geometric center and the toe portion of the golf club head; and

the heel and toe portion volumes are within approximately 20% of each other.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein:

providing the body of the golf club head comprises;

providing an external sidewall of the body of the golf club head to be integral and continuous with an external surface of the protrusion weight.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein:

providing the protrusion weight comprises;

locating the protrusion weight separated from a hosel portion of the body of the golf club head.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein:

with respect to a compass plane centered about the geometric center and defined by;

a heel-to-toe axis extending through the geometric center; and

a front-to-rear axis extending through the geometric center;

providing the protrusion weight comprises;

locating the protrusion weight such that;

from the address position viewpoint, where a toe end of the heel-to-toe axis is located at zero degrees with respect to the compass plane, the center of gravity of the protrusion weight is located between approximately 120 degrees and approximately 180 degrees with respect to the compass plane.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein:

locating the protrusion weight comprises;

locating the center of gravity of the protrusion weight at approximately 135 degrees with respect to the compass plane.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein:

providing the protrusion weight comprises;

providing the protrusion weight to impart an increased hook spin onto a golf ball upon impact at a toe side of a face of the golf club head, the increased hook spin resulting from an augmented gear effect between the club face and the golf ball due to the distance extension.

23. A golf club head comprising:

a club head body comprising;

a crown portion, a sole portion, a rear portion, a front portion comprising a club face, a heel portion, a toe portion, and a geometric center; and

a protrusion weight protruded from the club head body;

wherein;

the protrusion weight is at least partially visible from an address position viewpoint and is at least partially external to the club head body;

if the club head body comprises a skirt portion, the protrusion weight protrudes from the heel portion and at least one of the sole portion or the skirt portion of the club head body;

if the club head body lacks the skirt portion, the protrusion weight protrudes from the heel portion and the sole portion of the club head body;

a center of gravity of the golf club head is defined by both a mass of the club head body and a mass of the protrusion weight;

a center of gravity of the club head body is defined by the mass of the club head body independent of the mass of the protrusion weight;

a center of gravity of the protrusion weight is defined by the mass of the protrusion weight independent of the mass of the club head body, and is external to a contour of the club head body;

the center of gravity of the golf club head is located at the heel portion of the club head body, shifted by the protrusion weight away from the toe portion and away from the geometric center of the club head body;

a moment of inertia of the golf club head is increased due to a distance extension of a distance between the center of gravity of the protrusion weight and the center of gravity of the club head body, the distance extension being external to a volume of the club head body;

the club head body comprises a compass plane defined by;

a heel-to-toe axis extending through the geometric center; and

a front-to-rear axis extending through the geometric center; and

with respect to the address position viewpoint;

a toe-end of the heel-to-toe axis is at zero degrees with respect to the compass plane; and

the center of gravity of the protrusion weight is located between approximately 120 degrees and approximately 180 degrees with respect to the compass plane.

24. The golf club head of claim 23, wherein:

the mass of the protrusion weight comprises approximately 3% to approximately 16% of a total mass of the golf club head.

25. The golf club head of claim 23, wherein:

upon an impact of a heel end of the club face with a golf ball, the protrusion weight is configured to;

decrease a gear effect between the golf ball and the club face; and

decrease a slice spin imparted by the gear effect onto the golf ball.

26. The golf club head of claim 23, wherein:

the golf club head comprises;

a driver head body defining the club head body;

a vertical axis perpendicular to the compass plane about the geometric center of the golf club head; and

a club head mass of approximately 190 grams to approximately 210 grams;

the moment of inertia is increased, due to the distance extension, to between approximately 4000 g·

cm² to approximately 6000 g·

cm² about the vertical axis;

the protrusion weight comprises;

a protrusion weight mass of approximately 15 grams to approximately 30 grams;

the club head body comprises;

a body volume of approximately 400 cc to approximately 600 cc; and

the center of gravity of the golf club head is shifted towards the heel portion by the protrusion weight by approximately 1.25 mm to approximately 5.1 mm.

27. The golf club head of claim 23, wherein:

the golf club head comprises;

at least one of a fairway wood head body or a hybrid head body defining the club head body;

a vertical axis perpendicular to the compass plane about the geometric center of the golf club head; and

a club head mass of approximately 200 grams to approximately 240 grams;

the moment of inertia is increased, due to the distance extension, to between approximately 2500 g·

cm² to approximately 3500 g·

cm² about the vertical axis;

the protrusion weight comprises;

a protrusion weight mass of approximately 10 grams to approximately 30 grams;

the club head body comprises;

a body volume of approximately 130 cc to approximately 250 cc; and

the center of gravity of the golf club head is shifted towards the heel portion by the protrusion weight by approximately 1.6 mm to approximately 2 mm.