Wood-type golf club head with adjustable sole contour

• US 7,934,999 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Cackett, Matthew T., Evans, D. Clayton, Hocknell, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/467,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20100292018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473244-248, 473/242
• US Class Current: 473/242
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• 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

A wood-type golf club head with an adjustable keel zone member is disclosed herein. The golf club head includes a body and an adjustable keel zone member. The body has a front portion, a crown portion and a sole portion. The body also having a heel end, a toe end and an aft end. The sole portion has only a single keel point. The adjustable keel zone member is disposed within a keel zone of the sole and located preferentially with respect to the center of gravity. The keel zone member is capable of adjusting the face angle of the wood-type golf club head.

Claims

1. A wood-type golf club head comprising:

a body having a front portion, a crown portion and a sole portion, the body also having a heel end, a toe end and an aft end, the sole portion having only a single keel point;

an adjustable keel zone member disposed within a keel zone of the sole portion, wherein rotation of the adjustable keel zone member adjusts the face angle of the wood-type golf club head, wherein the adjustable keel zone member has a triangular shape with a first apex point, a second apex point and a third apex point, the first apex point and the second apex point each having a height greater than the height of the third apex point.

2. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the keel zone is located in the heel-toe direction by a target lie angle.

3. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the center of the keel zone contacts the ground at the target lie angle and the zone is equally dispersed about the contact point in the heel and toe directions.

4. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the adjustable keel zone member has a first edge between the first apex point and the second apex point, a second edge between the second apex point and the third apex point, and a third edge between the third apex point and the first apex point, wherein the first edge has a constant height, the second edge has a height that decreases from the second apex point to the third apex point, and the third edge has a height that increases from the third apex point to the first apex point.

5. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 4 wherein each of the first edge, the second edge and the third edge of the adjustable keel zone member has a length ranging from 0.5 inch to 1.5 inches.

6. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 4 wherein each of the second edge and the third edge of the adjustable keel zone member has an angle of inclination of three degrees from apex point to apex point.

7. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the adjustable keel zone member has an aperture for placement of a bolt therethrough.

8. A wood-type golf club comprising:

a golf club head comprising

a body having a front portion, a crown portion and a sole portion, the body also having a heel end, a toe end and an aft end, the sole portion having a single keel point,

an adjustable keel zone member disposed within a keel zone of the sole portion, wherein rotation of the adjustable keel zone member adjusts the face angle of the wood-type golf club head, wherein the adjustable keel zone member has a triangular shape with a first apex point, a second apex point and a third apex point, the first apex point and the second apex point each having a height greater than the height of the third apex point; and

a shaft connected to the golf club head;

wherein the keel zone is located in the fore-aft direction relative to an equilibrium line of the golf club and in the toe-heel direction relative to a target lie angle of the golf club.

9. The wood-type golf club according to claim 8 wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 420 cc to 470 cc.

10. The wood-type golf club according to claim 8 wherein the center of the keel zone contacts the ground at the target lie angle and the zone is equally dispersed about the contact point in the heel and toe directions.

11. The wood-type golf club according to claim 8 wherein the adjustable keel zone member has a first edge between the first apex point and the second apex point, a second edge between the second apex point and the third apex point, and a third edge between the third apex point and the first apex point, wherein the first edge has a constant height, the second edge has a height that decreases from the second apex point to the third apex point, and the third edge has a height that increases from the third apex point to the first apex point.

12. The wood-type golf club according to claim 11 wherein each of the first edge, the second edge and the third edge of the adjustable keel zone member has a length ranging from 0.5 inch to 1.5 inches.

13. The wood-type golf club according to claim 11 wherein each of the second edge and the third edge of the adjustable keel zone member has a three degrees inclination from apex point to apex point.

14. The wood-type golf club according to claim 8 wherein the adjustable keel zone member has an aperture for placement of a bolt therethrough.

15. The wood-type golf club according to claim 8 wherein the sole of the golf club head has a keel zone flat area for placement of the adjustable keel zone member thereon, the keel zone flat area having a threaded aperture for receiving a threaded bolt for removably securing the adjustable keel zone member to the sole of the golf club head.

16. The wood-type golf club according to claim 8 wherein the adjustable keel zone member allows the wood-type golf club to have an open face angle at address, a closed face angle at address or a neutral face angle at address.

17. The wood-type golf club according to claim 8 wherein the adjustable keel zone member has a height ranging from 0.125 inch to 0.5 inch.

18. A wood-type golf club head comprising:

a body having a front portion, a crown portion and a sole portion, the body also having a heel end, a toe end and an aft end, the body composed of a titanium alloy material, the body having a volume ranging from 420 cc to 470 cc; and

an adjustable keel zone member disposed on the sole portion of the body, the adjustable keel zone member having a substantially triangular shape with a first edge, a second edge and a third edge, the first edge and the second edge each having a height greater than the height of the third edge, wherein rotation of the keel zone member adjusts the face angle of the wood-type golf club head.

19. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 18 wherein the adjustable keel zone member has an aperture for placement of a bolt therethrough, the wood-type golf club head further comprises a bolt for removeable placement in the aperture of the adjustable keel zone member.

20. A wood-type golf club comprising:

a golf club head comprising

a body having a front portion, a crown portion and a sole portion, the body also having a heel end, a toe end and an aft end, the body composed of a titanium alloy material, the body having a volume ranging from 420 cc to 470 cc,

an adjustable keel zone member disposed on the sole portion, the adjustable keel zone member having a substantially triangular shape with a first edge, a second edge and a third edge, the first edge and the second edge each having a height greater than the height of the third edge, wherein rotation of the adjustable keel zone member adjusts the face angle of the wood-type golf club head; and

a shaft connected to the golf club head.

21. The wood-type golf club according to claim 20 wherein the adjustable keel zone member allows the wood-type golf club to have an open face angle at address, a closed face angle at address or a neutral face angle at address.