Fairway Wood-Type Golf Clubs with High Moment of Inertia

• US 20110118051A1
• Filed: 11/19/2009
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Thomas, James S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,287,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/328
• 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 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

Fairway wood-type golf clubs as described herein may include: (a) a club head with a volume of at least 300 cc; (b) a shaft member attached to the club head, wherein the golf club has a length between 37 and 43 inches; and (c) a grip or handle member attached to the shaft member. The club head may further include: (1) a ball striking face, wherein the ball striking face has a loft angle between 12 and 32 degrees; and (2) a club head body engaged or integrally formed with the ball striking face, with a sole portion that includes a ground-engaging surface.

Claims

1. A fairway wood-type golf club, comprising:

a club head including;

a club head body including a heel portion, a toe portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a rear portion, wherein the sole portion includes a ground-engaging surface, and

a ball striking face engaged with or integrally formed as part of the club head body, wherein the ball striking face extends from the toe portion to the heel portion,

a hosel member engaged with at least a portion of the club head; and

a shaft member engaged with the hosel member, such that the golf club has a length between 37 and 43 inches,

wherein the ball striking face includes a loft angle defined as an angle of the ball striking face in relation to the shaft member, and the loft angle is between 12 and 32 degrees,

wherein the club head has a volume of at least 300 cc.

3. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 1, wherein the club head has a volume of at least 460 cc.

4. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 1, wherein the loft angle is between 15 and 28 degrees.

5. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 1, wherein the ground-engaging surface includes a keel positioned along a center of the sole portion and extending rearward from a bottom edge of the ball striking face toward the rear portion of the club head body.

6. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 5, wherein the keel has a substantially smooth curvilinear surface.

7. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 5, wherein the keel has a plurality of substantially smooth, substantially planar surfaces oriented at transverse angles to each other.

8. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 1, wherein the ground-engaging surface includes a front surface adjacent to the ball striking face, a central surface, and a rear surface adjacent to the rear portion of the club head, wherein the front surface is angled upward, the central surface is generally horizontal and parallel to a ground surface, and the rear surface is angled upward.

9. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 8, wherein the ground-engaging surface includes a low point near the central surface, and the ground-engaging surface angles upward from the low point in both the heel portion direction and the toe portion direction.

2. (canceled)

10. A fairway wood-type golf club, comprising:

a cup face member including a ball striking face portion and a return portion extending from a perimeter area of the ball striking face portion;

a golf club body engaged with the cup face member, the golf club body including;

a first body member engaged with the return portion, the first body member including at least part of a sole portion, wherein the sole portion includes a ground-engaging surface,

a second body member engaged with the return portion, the second body member including at least part of a crown portion, and

a third body member engaged with at least one of the first body member and the second body member, wherein the third body member extends across a rear portion of the golf club body from a heel side to a toe side of the golf club body, and wherein the second body member is located between and separates at least some portion of the third body member from the return portion, and

a weight member engaged with at least one of the first body member and the third body member, wherein the weight member is located proximate the rear portion of the golf club body; and

a shaft member engaged with at least one of the golf club body and the cup face member, such that the golf club has a length no more than 43 inches,

wherein the ball striking face portion includes a loft angle defined as an angle of the ball striking face portion in relation to shaft member, and the loft angle is between 12 and 32 degrees, and

wherein the golf club body has a volume of greater than 300 cc.

11. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 10, wherein the first body member is engaged with the second body member.

12. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 10, further comprising:

a hosel member engaged or integrally formed with at least one of the cup face member and the second body member.

13. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 12, wherein each of the cup face member, the first body member, the second body member, the third body member, and the hosel member is made, at least in part, from titanium metal or a titanium-containing alloy material.

14. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 10, wherein the ball striking face portion has a variable face thickness.

15. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 14, wherein a central area of the ball striking face portion is thicker than a perimeter area of the ball striking face portion.

16. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 14, wherein the ball striking face portion has a central area having a first thickness, a perimeter area having a second thickness, and at least one transition region at least partially transitioning from the first thickness to the second thickness.

21. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 10, wherein each of the cup face member, the first body member, the second body member, and the third body member is made, at least in part, from titanium metal or a titanium-containing alloy material.

25. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 10, wherein the golf club body has a volume of at least 460 cc.

28. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 10, wherein the golf club body has an overall length dimension of at least 4.75 inches.

29. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 10, wherein the golf club body has a ratio of an overall length dimension to an overall breadth dimension of at least 0.94.

30. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 10, wherein the loft angle is between 15 and 28 degrees.

31. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 10, wherein the ground-engaging surface includes a keel positioned along a center of the sole portion and extending rearward from a bottom edge of the ball striking face portion toward the rear portion of the golf club body.

33. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 31, wherein the keel has a plurality of substantially smooth, substantially planar surfaces oriented at transverse angles to each other.

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

32. (canceled)

34. (canceled)

35. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 34, wherein the ground engaging surface includes a low point at the central surface, and the ground-engaging surface angles upward from the low point in both the heel side direction and the toe side direction.

36. (canceled)

37. A fairway wood-type golf club, comprising:

a club head including;

a club head body including a heel portion, a toe portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a rear portion, wherein the rear portion includes a first increased weight zone, and wherein the sole portion includes a ground-engaging surface, and

a ball striking face engaged with or integrally formed as part of the club head body, wherein the ball striking face is located at a portion of the club head body remote from the first increased weight zone and extends from the toe portion to the heel portion, and wherein the ball striking face has a variable thickness and a loft angle between 12 and 32 degrees,

wherein the club head has a moment of inertia Izz of at least 4500 g-cm²;

wherein the club head has a volume of at least 400 cc;

wherein the club head has an overall length dimension of at least 4.5 inches; and

wherein the club head has a ratio of the overall length dimension to an overall breadth dimension of at least 0.94; and

a shaft member engaged with the club head, wherein the golf club has a club length between 37 and 43 inches.

39. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 37, wherein the crown portion includes a central area and a perimeter area, wherein the central area is thinner than the perimeter area.

40. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 37, wherein the sole portion includes a central area and a perimeter area, wherein the central area is thinner than the perimeter area.

41. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 37, wherein a central area of the ball striking face is thicker than a perimeter area of the ball striking face.

42. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 37, wherein the ball striking face has a central area having a first thickness, a perimeter area having a second thickness, and at least one transition region at least partially transitioning from the first thickness to the second thickness.

43. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 37, wherein the ball striking face has a first area having a first thickness, a second area having a second thickness, and at least one transition region at least partially transitioning from the first thickness to the second thickness.

44. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 37, wherein the ball striking face constitutes part of a cup face member engaged with the club head body.

45. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 37, wherein the club head body constitutes a multi-part construction.

46. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 45, wherein the ball striking face constitutes part of a cup face member engaged with multiple parts of the multi-part club head body construction.

47. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 37, wherein a majority of the club head body is constructed from at least one member selected from the group of:

titanium metal or titanium-containing alloy materials.

48. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 47, wherein a majority of the ball striking face is constructed from at least one member selected from the group of:

titanium metal or titanium-containing alloy materials.

51. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 37, wherein the loft angle is between 15 and 28 degrees.

52. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 37, wherein the ground-engaging surface includes a keel positioned along a center of the sole portion and extending rearward from a bottom edge of the ball striking face portion toward a rear of the golf club body opposite the ball striking face portion.

53. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 52, wherein the keel has a substantially smooth curvilinear surface.

54. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 52, wherein the keel has a plurality of substantially smooth, substantially planar surfaces oriented at transverse angles to each other.

55. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 37, wherein the ground engaging surface includes a front surface adjacent to the ball striking face, a central surface, and a rear surface adjacent to the rear portion of the club head, wherein the front surface is angled upward, the central surface is generally horizontal and parallel to a ground surface, and the rear surface is angled upward.

56. A fairway wood-type golf club according to claim 55, wherein the ground engaging surface includes a low point near the central surface, and the ground-engaging surface angles upward from the low point in both the heel side direction and the toe side direction.

38. (canceled)

49. (canceled)

50. (canceled)