Golf club with improved hosel construction

• US 5,183,255 A
• Filed: 08/01/1991
• Issued: 02/02/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anthony J. Antonious
• Original Assignee: Anthony J. Antonious
• Inventors: Antonious, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, Steven B.
• Application Number:
  US07/739,089
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 273/80 R, 273/80 C, 273/80.2, 273/80.5, 273/167 A, 273/167 G, 273/167 J, 273/167 F, 273/164
• US Class Current: 473/314
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

An iron type golf club head with an improved hosel construction wherein the hosel is positioned behind the ball striking face adjacent the heel; the ball striking face is planar from the toe to the heel; and the centerline of the hosel intersects with the extended plane of the ball striking face at a point proximate the club head'"'"'s center of gravity and above the lower quadrant of the club head.

Claims

1. An iron type golf club head for hitting a golf ball comprising:

a golf club head body having a heel portion, a toe portion, a bottom sole, a top ridge, and a planar, lofted ball striking face extending therebetween, said ball striking face intersecting with a forwardmost progression of said bottom sole to define a leading edge of said club head body, said bottom sole also having a rearwardmost progression defining a trailing edge;

a hosel formed adjacent said heel portion and having a front surface and a rear surface, said trailing edge adjacent the heel portion of said club head body smoothly transitioning into said rear surface of said hosel;

an increased mass formed between the hosel and said bottom sole and defined by the trailing edge at the heel portion to provide additional structural integrity and strength at the heel portion of the club head;

said front surface of said hosel being positioned behind said leading edge of said club head body; and

said hose has a centerline extending longitudinally therethrough, said centerline intersecting with an extended loft plane of said ball striking face at a point above a lower quadrant of said ball striking face.

2. The iron type golf club head of claim 1 wherein the trailing edge adjacent the heel portion is substantially in-line with the rear surface of said hosel.

3. The iron type golf club head of claim 1 wherein said leading edge and said trailing edge are substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to an intended line of flight, along substantially the entire length of the club head.

4. The iron type golf club head of claim 1 wherein the lowermost rear surface of said hosel constitutes the extreme rear lower corner of the club head.

5. An iron type golf club head for hitting a golf ball comprising:

a golf club head body having a heel portion, a toe portion, a bottom sole, a top ridge, and a planar, lofted ball striking face extending therebetween, said ball striking face intersecting with a forwardmost progression of said bottom sole to define a leading edge of said club head body, said bottom sole also having a rearwardmost progression defining a trailing edge;

a hosel formed adjacent said heel portion and having a front surface and a rear surface, said trailing edge of said club head body being substantially aligned with and smoothly transitioning into said rear surface of said hosel;

an increased mass formed at a juncture of said trailing edge and said rear surface of the hosel for additional structural integrity and strength at the heel portion of the club head;

said hose and said ball striking face being formed in a shankproof arrangement, said arrangement being defined by a planar ball striking face extending from said heel portion to said toe portion with said front surface of said hosel being positioned behind said leading edge, thereby preventing the shank portion of said hosel from engaging the golf ball during a golfer'"'"'s swing; and

said hosel has a centerline extending longitudinally therethrough, said centerline intersecting with an extended loft plane of said ball striking face at a point above a lower quadrant of said ball striking face.

6. The iron type golf club head of claim 5 wherein said leading edge and said trailing edge are substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to an intended line of flight, along substantially the entire length of the club head.

7. The iron type golf club head of claim 5 wherein the lowermost rear surface of said hosel constitutes the extreme rear lower corner of the club head.

8. The iron type golf club head of claim 5 wherein said centerline of said hosel intersects with said extended loft plane of said ball striking face within 0.250 inches of the club head'"'"'s center of gravity.

9. The iron type golf club head of claim 5 wherein said centerline intersects with said extended loft plane substantially at the proximate area of said club head'"'"'s center of gravity.

10. The iron type golf club head of claim 5 wherein said centerline of said hosel intersects with said extended loft plane of said ball striking face above the club head'"'"'s center of gravity.

11. The iron type golf club head of claim 5 wherein said centerline of said hosel intersects with said extended loft plane of said ball striking face below the club head'"'"'s center of gravity.

12. The iron type golf club head of claim 5 wherein said hosel includes a shaft socket for receiving a club shaft, said shaft socket having a bottom surface located below a highest point of said top ridge.

13. The iron type golf club head of claim 12 wherein said bottom surface of said shaft socket extends below a lowest point of said top ridge.

14. The iron type golf club head of claim 12 wherein said bottom surface of said shaft socket is approximately level with the club head'"'"'s center of gravity.

15. An iron type golf club head for hitting a golf ball, comprising:

a golf club head body having a heel portion, a toe portion, a bottom sole, a top ridge and a planar lofted ball striking face extending therebetween, said ball striking face intersecting with a forwardmost progression of said bottom sole to define a leading edge of said club head body, said bottom sole also having a rearwardmost progression defining a trailing edge;

a hosel formed adjacent said heel portion and having a front surface and a rear surface, said hosel having a shaft socket for receiving a club shaft, said socket having a lower surface extending below the highest point of said top ridge;

said hosel and said ball striking face being formed in a shankproof arrangement, said arrangement being defined by a planar ball striking face extending from said heel portion to said toe portion with said front surface of said hosel being positioned behind said ball striking face, thereby preventing said hosel from engaging the golf ball during a golfer'"'"'s swing; and

said hosel has a centerline extending longitudinally therethrough, said centerline intersecting with an extended loft plane of said ball striking face at a point above a lower quadrant of said ball striking face.

16. The iron type golf club head of claim 15 wherein said bottom surface of said shaft socket extends below a lowest point of said top ridge.

17. The iron type golf club head of claim 15 wherein said bottom surface of said shaft socket is approximately level with the proximate area of the club'"'"'s head center of gravity.