IP Library Granted Patent US 12691339
Granted Patent B2
US 12691339 · App. 18/347,409 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Golf club head

Inventor: Yuki Shimahara (Kobe, JP)
Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
A63B53/0433A63B53/0408A63B53/0445A63B53/047
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12691339
App. No.
18/347,409
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An iron type golf club head includes a hitting face including a plurality of score lines, a sole surface, a leading edge that constitutes a front edge of the sole surface, a trailing edge that constitutes a rear edge of the sole surface, and a score line center position that is determined based on the score lines. The sole surface includes a ridgeline that extends from a toe side to a heel side, and an additional surface that extends to traverse the ridgeline. The additional surface is a flat surface or a recessed surface. The additional surface may include a heel part that is located on the heel side with respect to the score line center position, and a toe part that is located on the toe side with respect to the score line center position.

Claims (92)

1 . An iron type golf club head comprising:

a hitting face including a plurality of score lines;

a sole surface;

a leading edge that constitutes a front edge of the sole surface;

a trailing edge that constitutes a rear edge of the sole surface; and

a score line center position that is determined based on the score lines, wherein

the sole surface includes a ridgeline that extends from a toe side to a heel side, and an additional surface that is a flat surface or a recessed surface and extends to traverse the ridgeline,

the ridgeline has a gap in a region in which the additional surface is present,

the ridgeline is constituted by a heel ridgeline that is located on the heel side with respect to the additional surface, and a toe ridgeline that is located on the toe side with respect to the additional surface,

a line segment that connects a toe-side end point of the heel ridgeline and a heel-side end point of the toe ridgeline intersects the additional surface in a planar view,

a position of a heel-most end among heel-side ends of the score lines is defined as a heel reference position,

a position that is spaced 18 mm apart from a toe-most point of the golf club head toward the heel side is defined as a toe reference position,

the score line center position is a position that divides a distance between the heel reference position and the toe reference position into two equal parts, and

when a height of a lowest point of the leading edge from a ground plane is referred to as a leading edge height, the leading edge height being measured when the golf club head is in a reference state, a reduced height of the leading edge height because of the presence of the additional surface is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm and less than or equal to 2.0 mm.

2 . The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein the additional surface is the recessed surface.

3 . The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein

the additional surface includes a toe part that is located on the toe side with respect to the score line center position, and a heel part that is located on the heel side with respect to the score line center position, and

a length of the heel part in a toe-heel direction is longer than a length of the toe part in the toe-heel direction.

4 . An iron type golf club head comprising:

a hitting face including a plurality of score lines;

a sole surface;

a leading edge that constitutes a front edge of the sole surface;

a trailing edge that constitutes a rear edge of the sole surface; and

a score line center position that is determined based on the score lines, wherein

the sole surface includes a ridgeline that extends from a toe side to a heel side, and an additional surface that is a flat surface or a recessed surface and extends to traverse the ridgeline,

the additional surface is located apart from the leading edge,

the additional surface is located apart from the trailing edge,

the ridgeline has a gap in a region in which the additional surface is present,

the ridgeline is constituted by a heel ridgeline that is located on the heel side with respect to the additional surface, and a toe ridgeline that is located on the toe side with respect to the additional surface,

a line segment that connects a toe-side end point of the heel ridgeline and a heel-side end point of the toe ridgeline intersects the additional surface in a planar view,

a position of a heel-most end among heel-side ends of the score lines is defined as a heel reference position,

a position that is spaced 18 mm apart from a toe-most point of the golf club head toward the heel side is defined as a toe reference position,

the score line center position is a position that divides a distance between the heel reference position and the toe reference position into two equal parts,

a position of a heel-most end among heel-side ends of the score lines is defined as a heel reference position,

a position that is spaced 18 mm apart from a toe-most point of the golf club head toward the heel side is defined as a toe reference position,

of the sole surface, a part located between the heel reference position and the toe reference position is defined as a sole main part,

an area of the sole main part in a planar view is denoted by S2,

an area of the additional surface in the planar view is denoted by S1, and

S1/S2 is greater than or equal to 0.03 and less than or equal to 0.30.

5 . The golf club head according to claim 4 , wherein

the additional surface includes a toe part that is located on the toe side with respect to the score line center position, and a heel part that is located on the heel side with respect to the score line center position, and

a length of the heel part in a toe-heel direction is longer than a length of the toe part in the toe-heel direction.

6 . The golf club head according to claim 4 , wherein

when a height of a lowest point of the leading edge from a ground plane is referred to as a leading edge height, the leading edge height being measured when the golf club head is in a reference state,

a reduced height of the leading edge height because of the presence of the additional surface is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm and less than or equal to 2.0 mm.

7 . The golf club head according to claim 4 , wherein

the additional surface includes a toe part that is located on the toe side with respect to the score line center position, and a heel part that is located on the heel side with respect to the score line center position, and

when a length of the heel part in a toe-heel direction is denoted by Dh, and a length of the toe part in the toe-heel direction is denoted by Dt, then Dh/Dt is greater than or equal to 1.7 and less than or equal to 2.3.

8 . The golf club head according to claim 4 , wherein

the additional surface includes a heel part that is located on the heel side with respect to the score line center position,

a length of the heel part in a toe-heel direction is denoted by Dh,

a position of a heel-most end among heel-side ends of the score lines is defined as a heel reference position,

a distance in the toe-heel direction between the score line center position and the heel reference position is denoted by D1, and

Dh/D1 is greater than or equal to 0.40 and less than or equal to 0.90.

9 . An iron type golf club head comprising:

a hitting face including a plurality of score lines;

a sole surface;

a leading edge that constitutes a front edge of the sole surface;

a trailing edge that constitutes a rear edge of the sole surface; and

a score line center position that is determined based on the score lines, wherein

the sole surface includes a ridgeline that extends from a toe side to a heel side, and an additional surface that is a flat surface or a recessed surface and extends to traverse the ridgeline,

the additional surface is located apart from the leading edge,

the additional surface extends to reach the trailing edge,

the ridgeline has a gap in a region in which the additional surface is present,

the ridgeline is constituted by a heel ridgeline that is located on the heel side with respect to the additional surface, and a toe ridgeline that is located on the toe side with respect to the additional surface,

a line segment that connects a toe-side end point of the heel ridgeline and a heel-side end point of the toe ridgeline intersects the additional surface in a planar view,

a position of a heel-most end among heel-side ends of the score lines is defined as a heel reference position,

a position that is spaced 18 mm apart from a toe-most point of the golf club head toward the heel side is defined as a toe reference position,

the score line center position is a position that divides a distance between the heel reference position and the toe reference position into two equal parts,

the additional surface includes a toe part that is located on the toe side with respect to the score line center position, and a heel part that is located on the heel side with respect to the score line center position, and

a length of the heel part in a toe-heel direction is longer than a length of the toe part in the toe-heel direction.

10 . The golf club head according to claim 9 , wherein the additional surface is the recessed surface.

11 . The golf club head according to claim 9 , wherein

when a height of a lowest point of the leading edge from a ground plane is referred to as a leading edge height, the leading edge height being measured when the golf club head is in a reference state,

a reduced height of the leading edge height because of the presence of the additional surface is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm and less than or equal to 2.0 mm.

12 . The golf club head according to claim 9 , wherein

the additional surface includes a toe part that is located on the toe side with respect to the score line center position, and a heel part that is located on the heel side with respect to the score line center position, and

when a length of the heel part in a toe-heel direction is denoted by Dh, and a length of the toe part in the toe-heel direction is denoted by Dt, then Dh/Dt is greater than or equal to 1.7 and less than or equal to 2.3.

13 . The golf club head according to claim 9 , wherein

the additional surface includes a heel part that is located on the heel side with respect to the score line center position,

a length of the heel part in a toe-heel direction is denoted by Dh,

a position of a heel-most end among heel-side ends of the score lines is defined as a heel reference position,

a distance in the toe-heel direction between the score line center position and the heel reference position is denoted by D1, and

Dh/D1 is greater than or equal to 0.40 and less than or equal to 0.90.

14 . The golf club head according to claim 9 , wherein

a position of a heel-most end among heel-side ends of the score lines is defined as a heel reference position,

a position that is spaced 18 mm apart from a toe-most point of the golf club head toward the heel side is defined as a toe reference position,

of the sole surface, a part located between the heel reference position and the toe reference position is defined as a sole main part,

an area of the sole main part in a planar view is denoted by S2,

an area of the additional surface in the planar view is denoted by S1, and

S1/S2 is greater than or equal to 0.03 and less than or equal to 0.30.

15 . The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein an entirety of the additional surface is positioned between the heel reference position and the toe reference position.