Golf club head with adjustable sole

• US 9,216,331 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Greensmith, Matthew J., Beach, Todd P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US13/829,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20140274449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473244-248, 473287-292
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

Described herein are embodiments of golf club heads, such as fairway wood heads, having an adjustable sole. In some embodiments, a club head includes a body, a sole plate, and a platform. The body has a front portion comprising a striking plate, a rear end, a toe, a heel, a crown, and a lower portion opposite the crown. The sole plate is coupled to the lower portion of the body and is pivotably adjustable relative to the body about a pivot location adjacent to the front portion of the body. The platform is positioned between the sole plate and the lower portion of the body and is adjustable, such as frontwardly and rearwardly, to plural positions along the lower portion of the body to change a pivot angle between the sole plate and the body.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a front portion comprising a striking plate, a rear end, a toe, a heel, a crown, and a lower portion opposite the crown;

a sole plate coupled to the lower portion of the body and pivotably adjustable relative to the body about a pivot location adjacent to the front portion of the body; and

a platform positioned between the sole plate and the lower portion of the body, the platform being adjustable to plural positions along the lower portion of the body to change a pivot angle between the sole plate and the body, wherein the platform is adjustable in generally frontward and rearward directions relative to the body.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the sole plate comprises a substantially cylindrical lower surface that is curved in a generally heel-toe direction.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the platform is adjustable along a continuous, non-discrete range of positions along the lower portion of the body.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the platform comprises a sloped lower engagement surface that engages an upper surface of the sole plate to set the pivot angle between the sole plate and the body.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the sloped lower engagement surface of the platform varies in the distance it extends below the lower portion of the body, with a forward portion of the lower engagement surface extending a smaller distance below the lower portion of the body relative to rearward portion of the lower engagement surface.

6. The golf club of claim 3, further comprising a drive screw threadably engaged with the platform, the drive screw being configured to move the platform forwardly and rearwardly along the continuous, non-discrete range of positions relative to the body when the drive screw is rotated.

7. The golf club of claim 6, wherein the drive screw is supported by the body such that the body restricts the drive screw from moving in a forward or a rearward direction relative to the body.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the platform is adjustable to a plurality of discrete different positions relative the body, each corresponding to a different pivot angle between the sole plate and the body.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the platform comprises at least one upper engagement feature, and the lower portion of the body comprises a plurality of registration features, and the at least one upper engagement feature of the platform is engagable with a different one or more of the plurality of registration features on the lower surface of the body to adjust the platform to each of the plurality of discrete different positions relative the body.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the platform comprises a plurality of steps that project different distances below the lower portion of the body.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the platform is adjustable to a plurality of discrete different positions relative the body, each corresponding to a different pivot angle between the sole plate and the body, and when the platform is positioned at each of the plurality of discrete different positions relative the body, a different one of the plurality of steps is engaged with an upper surface of the sole plate.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the sole plate is securable to the lower portion of the body at plural different pivot angles relative to the body via a fastener extending through the sole plate and into the body.

13. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a front portion comprising a striking plate, a rear end, a toe, a heel, a crown, and a lower portion opposite the crown;

a sole plate coupled to the lower portion of the body; and

a platform positioned between the sole plate and the lower portion of the body, the platform being adjustable to plural positions between the lower portion of the body and the sole plate to change the orientation of the sole plate relative to the body and thereby adjust the face angle of the golf club head, wherein the platform is adjustable in generally frontward and rearward directions relative to the body.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the sole plate comprises a substantially cylindrical lower surface that is curved in a generally heel-toe direction.

15. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the platform is adjustable along a continuous, non-discrete range of positions along the lower portion of the body.

16. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the platform is adjustable to a plurality of discrete different positions relative the body.

17. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a front portion comprising a striking plate, a rear end, a toe, a heel, a crown, and a lower portion opposite the crown;

a sole plate coupled to the lower portion of the body and pivotably adjustable relative to the body about a pivot location adjacent to the front portion of the body; and

a platform positioned between the sole plate and the lower portion of the body, the platform being adjustable to plural positions along the lower portion of the body to change a pivot angle between the sole plate and the body;

wherein the platform is adjustable along a continuous, non-discrete range of positions along the lower portion of the body, and

wherein the platform comprises a sloped lower engagement surface that engages an upper surface of the sole plate to set the pivot angle between the sole plate and the body.

18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the sloped lower engagement surface of the platform varies in the distance it extends below the lower portion of the body, with a forward portion of the lower engagement surface extending a smaller distance below the lower portion of the body relative to rearward portion of the lower engagement surface.

19. The golf club head of claim 17, further comprising a drive screw threadably engaged with the platform, the drive screw being configured to move the platform forwardly and rearwardly along the continuous, non-discrete range of positions relative to the body when the drive screw is rotated.

20. The golf club head of claim 19, wherein the drive screw is supported by the body such that the body restricts the drive screw from moving in a forward or a rearward direction relative to the body.