Golf club with improved head

• US 7,066,830 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2003
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael W. Day 1977 Trust
• Original Assignee: Michael W. Day
• Inventors: Day, Michael W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US10/437,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20030211901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/330, 473/331, 473325-329, 473332-350
• US Class Current: 473/324
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A method and apparatus providing a golf club head configured to minimize sliced golf shots. The golf club head includes a club head body having an external surface with a toe portion, a heel portion and a sole portion, the heel portion having a hosel extending therefrom. The club head body also includes a ball striking face disposed between the toe portion and the heel portion, which defines a horizontal center line and a vertical center line located symmetrically on the ball striking face. The ball striking face includes a bulge radius and a roll radius merging to an apex defined to be along an apex angle ranging from approximately 54° to 80° from the vertical center line toward the toe portion and below the horizontal center line. With this arrangement, the position of the apex is configured to minimize sliced golf shots.

Claims

1. A golf club head configured to minimize sliced golf shots, comprising:

a club head body having an external surface including a toe portion, a heel portion and a sole portion, the heel portion having a hosel extending therefrom and operable to be coupled to a golf club shaft;

a ball striking face disposed between the toe portion and the heel portion and defining a horizontal center line and a vertical center line located symmetrically on the ball striking face, said ball striking face including a bulge radius and a roll radius merging to an apex defined to be along an apex angle ranging from approximately 54°

to 80°

from the vertical center line toward the toe portion and below the horizontal center line; and

wherein said hosel defines a hosel axis oriented and directed to extend toward a sole center line defined by the vertical center line and the sole portion of the golf club head.

2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said apex is positioned within a circular apex region having a center located 0.94 inches from an intersection of the vertical center line and the horizontal center line.

3. The golf club of claim 2, wherein said apex angle ranges from approximately 58.5°

to 75.5°

from the vertical center line toward the toe portion and below the horizontal line.

4. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said roll radius comprises a radius curvature ranging from approximately 8 inches to 10 inches.

5. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said bulge radius comprises a radius curvature ranging from approximately 8 inches to 10 inches.

6. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said hosel axis includes a hosel angle ranging from approximately 53°

to 57°

with respect to the horizontal center line.

7. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said ball striking face includes a substantially circular periphery.

8. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said ball striking face includes a substantially circular periphery.

9. A golf club head configured to minimize sliced golf shots, the golf club head comprising:

a club head body having an external surface including a toe portion, a heel portion and a sole portion, the heel portion having a hosel extending therefrom; and

a ball striking face disposed between the toe portion and the heel portion and defining a horizontal center line and a vertical center line located symmetrically on the ball striking face, said ball striking face including a bulge radius and a roll radius merging to an apex defined to be along an apex angle ranging from approximately 54°

to 80°

from the vertical center line toward the toe portion and below the horizontal center line.

10. The golf club of claim 9, wherein said apex is positioned within a circular apex region having a center located 0.94 inches from an intersection of the vertical center line and the horizontal center line.

11. The golf club of claim 10, wherein said apex angle ranges from approximately 58.5°

to 75.5°

from the vertical center line toward the toe portion and below the horizontal line.

12. The golf club of claim 9, wherein said roll radius comprises a radius curvature ranging from approximately 8 inches to 10 inches.

13. The golf club of claim 9, wherein said bulge radius comprises a radius curvature ranging from approximately 8 inches to 10 inches.

14. The golf club of claim 9, wherein said hosel defines a hosel axis oriented and directed to extend toward a sole center line defined by the vertical center line and the sole portion of the golf club head.

15. The golf club of claim 14, wherein said hosel axis includes a hosel angle ranging from approximately 53°

to 57°

with respect to the horizontal center line.

16. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein said hosel defines a hosel axis oriented and directed to extend through the heel portion of the club head and to intersect the sole portion on a heelward side of a sole center line defined by the vertical center line and the sole portion of the golf club head.

17. A method of making a golf club head configured to minimize sliced golf shots, the method comprising:

forming a club head body having an external surface including a toe portion, a sole portion and a heel portion with a hosel extending from the heel portion;

forming said club head body to include a ball striking face disposed between the toe portion and the heel portion and defining a horizontal center line and a vertical center line located symmetrically on the ball striking face; and

configuring said ball striking face to include a bulge radius and a roll radius merging to an apex defined along an apex angle ranging from approximately 54°

to 80°

from the vertical center line toward the toe portion and below the horizontal center line.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said configuring comprises configuring said apex to be positioned within a circular apex region having a center located 0.94 inches from an intersection of the vertical center line and the horizontal center line.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said configuring said ball striking face comprises configuring said apex angle to range from approximately 58.5°

to 75.5°

from the vertical center line toward the toe portion and below the horizontal line.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising configuring said hosel to receive a club shaft with an axis oriented and directed toward a sole center line defined by the vertical center line and the sole portion of the club head body.