Metal wood club

• US 9,216,324 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2014
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• 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 M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US14/257,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20140228150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, D21/759
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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, with a slot in a perimeter region of the body of the club head adjacent the face. 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 insert.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a golf club head body having a perimeter region, a face, and a sole, the face having a geometric face center and an area of maximum coefficient of restitution, wherein the area of maximum coefficient of restitution is disposed within a zone on the face and the maximum coefficient of restitution is closer to the geometric face center as compared with a club without a slot, and wherein the area of maximum coefficient of restitution is a distance less than about 10 mm from the geometric face center,

wherein the golf club head body comprises a slot disposed in the sole,

wherein the face defines a face plane and the slot is disposed less than 30 mm from the face plane,

wherein the slot has a width greater than 1 mm and a length greater than 15 mm, and

wherein the slot comprises a center portion and two opposing ends and the opposing ends include expanded slot portions.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the slot is at least partially filled with an insert comprising a material different than the golf club body material.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the slot includes a groove in an edge of the slot along at least a portion of the length of the slot.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the insert includes a protrusion that fits within the groove.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head body is a hollow body defining an inner cavity and the inner cavity has a volume greater than about 250 cubic centimeters.

6. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the inner cavity has a volume greater than about 275 cubic centimeters.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the center portion of the slot is substantially parallel to a portion of an edge of the golf club head body.

8. A golf club head, comprising:

a golf club head body having a perimeter region, a face, and a sole, the face having a geometric face center and an area of maximum coefficient of restitution, wherein the area of maximum coefficient of restitution is disposed within a zone on the face and the maximum coefficient of restitution is closer to the geometric face center as compared with a club without a slot, and wherein the area of maximum coefficient of restitution is a distance less than about 10 mm from the geometric face center,

wherein the golf club head body comprises a slot disposed in the sole,

wherein the face defines a face plane and the slot is disposed less than 30 mm from the face plane,

wherein the slot has a width greater than 1 mm and a length greater than 15 mm, and

wherein the slot comprises a center portion and two opposing ends oriented relative to the center portion so that the slot has a C-shape.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the opposing ends of the slot are curved relative to the center portion.

10. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the opposing ends of the slot are angled from the center portion.

11. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the slot is at least partially filled with an insert comprising a material different than the golf club body material.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the slot includes a groove in an edge of the slot along at least a portion of the length of the slot.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the insert includes a protrusion that fits within the groove.

14. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the golf club head body is a hollow body defining an inner cavity and the inner cavity has a volume greater than about 250 cubic centimeters.

15. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the center portion of the slot is substantially parallel to a portion of an edge of the golf club head body.

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

a golf club head body having a perimeter region, a face, and a sole, the face having a geometric face center and an area of maximum coefficient of restitution, wherein the area of maximum coefficient of restitution is disposed within a zone on the face and the maximum coefficient of restitution is closer to the geometric face center as compared with a club without a slot, and wherein the area of maximum coefficient of restitution is a distance less than about 10 mm from the geometric face center,

wherein the golf club head body comprises a slot,

wherein the face defines a face plane and the slot is disposed less than 30 mm from the face plane,

wherein the slot is formed between a portion of the sole of the golf club head body and a portion of the perimeter region, wherein one of the portion of the sole and the portion of the perimeter region adjacent the slot extends inward and away from an outer surface of the sole relative to the other of the portion of the sole and the portion of the perimeter region, and

wherein the slot has a width greater than 1 mm and a length greater than 15 mm.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the slot is at least partially filled with an insert comprising a material different than the golf club body material.

18. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the slot comprises multiple openings.

19. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the golf club head body is a hollow body defining an inner cavity and the inner cavity has a volume greater than about 250 cubic centimeters.

20. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein a center portion of the slot is substantially parallel to a portion of an edge of the golf club head body.