IP Library Granted Patent US 12702903
Granted Patent B2
US 12702903 · App. 18/504,149 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Golf club head with low CG and high MOI

Inventors: Matthew T. Schier (Phoenix, AZ); Travis D. Milleman (Cave Creek, AZ); Eric J. Morales (Laveen, AZ)
Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
A63B53/0437A63B53/0466A63B2053/0491
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12702903
App. No.
18/504,149
Granted
Aug 11, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A hybrid-type club head golf club head having dual-purpose mass pads which simultaneously increase perimeter weighting and discretionary mass by forming at least a portion of a lap joint. A crown insert is coupled to the lap joint and thereby coupled to a portion of the dual-purpose mass pad. The dual-purpose mass pads improve an Iyy/CGy ratio to achieve a higher launch and spin, thereby improving stopping power on approach shots into the green.

Claims (87)

1 . A golf club head, comprising:

a body comprising a toe end, a heel end, a rear end, a crown, a sole, and a strike face comprising a geometric center;

a center of gravity;

wherein:

a loft plane is defined tangent to the strike face at the geometric center;

a ground plane is defined tangent to the sole when the body is in an address position;

a loft angle is defined by the loft plane and the ground plane;

the loft angle is in a range of 15 degrees to 35 degrees;

an x-axis is defined through the geometric center and extends in a toe end to the heel end direction parallel to the ground plane;

a y-axis is defined through the geometric center in a crown to sole direction perpendicular to the ground plane;

a z-axis is defined through the geometric center in a front to rear direction and perpendicular to the x-axis and the y-axis;

a y′-axis is defined through the center of gravity in crown to sole direction and is parallel to the y-axis;

an Iyy is measured as a moment of inertia about the y′-axis;

a CGy is the center of gravity location along the y-axis, where a positive direction is measured towards the crown;

the body further comprising a body lap joint surface defining an opening, the body lap joint surface comprising:

a rear body lap joint section disposed along a perimeter of a rear section and extending from the heel end to the toe end;

a crown panel sized to extend over the opening, the crown panel comprising a crown panel lap joint surface coupled to the body lap joint surface;

a rear mass pad bordering at least a portion of the rear body lap joint section and having a rear mass pad upper surface adjoining an upper edge of the rear body lap joint section such that the rear mass pad forms a portion of the body lap joint surface in the rear body lap joint section;

a toe mass pad bordering a toe end portion of the rear body lap joint section, the toe mass pad having a toe mass pad upper surface adjoining the upper edge of the rear body lap joint section such that the toe mass pad upper surface is planar with an upper surface of the rear mass pad;

a sole mass pad which abuts the rear mass pad and the toe mass pad; and

wherein the crown panel is directly adhered to a portion of the rear mass pad.

2 . The golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising a thinned portion located in an interior cavity in a rear and a toe portion of the interior cavity, the thinned portion is partially defined by the toe mass pad, the sole mass pad, and the rear mass pad.

3 . The golf club head of claim 2 , further comprising an Iyy and CGy ratio which satisfies the following inequality:

Iyy≥ 20.275* CGy+ 373.46

4 . The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein the golf club head further comprises a hosel having an upper hosel opening configured to receive a shaft, the upper hosel opening fluidly connects an exterior of the golf club head to the interior cavity of the golf club head such that the interior cavity can be accessed through the upper hosel opening;

the golf club head comprises a lower recess side wall and a recess bottom wall which define a lower recess, and a lower opening which is formed through the recess bottom wall; the lower opening provides a passageway from the exterior of the golf club head to the interior cavity; and

the lower opening is configured to receive a screw, the screw threadedly engages a shaft sleeve on a tip of the shaft to secure the shaft to the golf club head, the shaft sleeve is located within the interior cavity of the golf club head and allows for adjustment of at least one of a loft and lie of the golf club head.

5 . The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein the golf club head comprises a removable weight on the sole having a weight center of gravity; and the weight center of gravity is positioned within 0.3 inch of a rear skirt of the golf club head.

6 . The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein the upper edge of the rear body lap joint section and the rear mass pad upper surface are disposed below the center of gravity.

7 . The golf club head of claim 4 , wherein the golf club head further comprises a heel mass pad located between the hosel and the rear mass pad.

8 . The golf club head of claim 4 , wherein the rear mass pad forms at least 0.15 squared inches of a total rear lap joint surface area.

9 . A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a crown, a sole, a toe, a heel, a front, a rear, a center of gravity, and a strike face comprising a geometric center;

wherein:

a loft plane is defined tangent to the strike face at the geometric center;

a ground plane is defined tangent to the sole when the body is in an address position;

a loft angle is defined by the loft plane and the ground plane;

the loft angle is in a range of 15 degrees to 35 degrees;

an x-axis is defined through the geometric center and extends in a toe end to heel end direction parallel to the ground plane;

a y-axis is defined through the geometric center in a crown to sole direction perpendicular to the ground plane;

a z-axis is defined through the geometric center in a front to rear direction and perpendicular to the x-axis and the y-axis;

a y′-axis is defined through the center of gravity in crown to sole direction and is parallel to the y-axis;

an Iyy is measured as a moment of inertia about the y′-axis;

a Cgy is a location of the center of gravity about the y′-axis;

a skirt defined by a transition between the crown and the sole, the skirt extending from the heel, around the rear, to the toe, wherein the skirt forms a perimeter of the golf club head;

an opening at least partially in the crown, configured to receive a crown panel;

the opening being defined by a lap joint edge on a lap joint surface;

the lap joint surface is offset from an exterior surface of the golf club head, wherein the crown panel adheres to the lap joint surface, closing the opening;

a rear mass pad formed in a first portion of the sole and a portion of the rear and a toe mass pad formed in a second portion of the sole and a portion of the toe; and

the rear mass pad and the toe mass pad form a portion of the lap joint surface in which the crown panel is directly coupled to.

10 . The golf club head of claim 9 , wherein the crown panel comprises a composite material.

11 . The golf club head of claim 10 , further comprising a sole mass pad which abuts the rear mass pad and toe mass pad.

12 . The golf club head of claim 11 , further comprising a thinned portion located in an interior cavity in the rear and toe portion of the interior cavity, the thinned portion is partially defined by the toe mass pad, sole mass pad, and rear mass pad.

13 . The golf club head of claim 12 , wherein the golf club head further an Iyy and CGy ratio which satisfies the following inequality:

Iyy≥ 20.275* CGy+ 373.46

14 . The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein the golf club head further comprises a hosel having an upper hosel opening configured to receive a shaft, the upper hosel opening fluidly connects the exterior surface of the golf club head to the interior cavity of the golf club head such that the interior cavity can be accessed through the upper hosel opening;

the golf club head comprises a lower recess side wall and a recess bottom wall which define a lower recess, and a lower opening which is formed through the recess bottom wall; the lower opening provides a passageway from the exterior surface of the golf club head to the interior cavity; and

the lower opening is configured to receive a screw, the screw threadedly engages a shaft sleeve on a tip of the shaft to secure the shaft to the golf club head, the shaft sleeve is located within the interior cavity of the golf club head and allows for adjustment of at least one of a loft and lie of the golf club head.

15 . The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein the golf club head comprises a removable weight on the sole having a weight center of gravity; and the weight center of gravity is positioned within 0.3 inch of a rear skirt of the golf club head.

16 . The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein an upper edge of a rear body lap joint section and a rear mass pad upper surface are disposed below the center of gravity.

17 . The golf club head of claim 14 , wherein the rear mass pad follows a contour of the golf club head.

18 . A golf club head comprising:

a body, a crown, a sole, a toe, a heel, a front, a rear, a center of gravity, a toe end and

a heel end and a strike face on the front comprising a geometric center;

a body center of gravity

wherein:

a loft plane is defined tangent to the strike face at the geometric center;

a ground plane is defined tangent to the sole when the body is in an address position;

a loft angle is defined by the loft plane and the ground plane;

the loft angle is in a range of 15 degrees to 35 degrees;

an x-axis is defined through the geometric center and extends in a toe end to the heel end direction parallel to the ground plane;

a y-axis is defined through the geometric center in a crown to sole direction perpendicular to the ground plane;

a z-axis is defined through the geometric center in a front to rear direction and perpendicular to the x-axis and the y-axis;

a y′-axis is defined through the center of gravity in crown to sole direction and is parallel to the y-axis;

an Iyy is measured as a moment of inertia about the y′-axis;

a Cgy is a located of the center of gravity about the y′-axis;

the body further comprising a body lap joint surface defining an opening, the body lap joint surface comprising:

a rear body lap joint section disposed along a perimeter of a rear section and extending from the heel end to the toe end, the rear body lap joint section comprising a rear body lap joint edge;

a heel body lap joint section extending upwardly from the rear body lap joint section at the heel end, the heel body lap joint section comprising a heel body lap joint edge;

a toe body lap joint section extending upwardly from the rear body lap joint section at the toe end, the toe body lap joint section comprising a toe body lap joint edge;

a crown body lap joint section extending from the heel body lap joint section to the toe body lap joint section;

a crown panel sized to extend over the opening, the crown panel comprising a crown panel lap joint surface coupled to the body lap joint surface;

wherein the body further comprises a rear mass pad comprising a rear mass pad top surface, and a toe mass pad comprising a toe mass pad top surface;

wherein the rear mass pad top surface, toe mass pad top surface, and rear body lap joint edge are planar and located in a periphery plane;

the periphery plane has a first angle measured between the periphery plane and the z-axis in a YZ plane that ranges between 8 and 10 degrees;

the periphery plane has a second angle measured between the periphery plane and the X-axis in a XY plane that ranges between 87 and 89 degrees; and

the periphery plane intersects an intersection point, the intersection point is a rearmost portion of the golf club head in a YZ plane.