Golf club striking face
View Patent ↗A golf club head in accordance with the invention includes a front wall defining a forward striking face having an engineered texture thereon. The engineered texture includes a prescribed, regular pattern of discrete, geometric shapes spaced at least 0.1 mm apart from each other, each shape having a volume that is less than 0.0007 mm 3 . Preferred methods of manufacturing the engineered texture of the forward striking face include treating the face by chemical etching, precision micro-saw-cutting, and laser cutting. The engineered texture enhances the performance of the golf club head upon striking a golf ball, providing one or more of an increased high backspin, a lower launch angle, and a higher balls speed, as compared to a golf club head not incorporating such an engineered texture.
1. A golf club head having a forward striking face, the forward striking face comprising:
a substantially planar recessed surface; and
a plurality of discrete, solid geometric shapes projecting forward from the recessed surface, wherein each of the geometric shapes has an area of less than 0.05 mm 2 , wherein a distance along the recessed surface between adjacent geometric shapes is at least 0.1 mm, and wherein a total volume of the geometric shapes contained within a square reference region on the forward striking face measuring 2.5 mm by 2.5 mm is less than 0.05 mm 3 .
2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the total volume of geometric shapes contained within the reference region is less than 0.03 mm 3 .
3. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the total volume of geometric shapes contained within the reference is less than 0.02 mm 3 .
4. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the total volume of geometric shapes contained within the reference region is less than 0.01 mm 3 .
5. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein each of the geometric shapes has an area of less than 0.0003 mm 2 .
6. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein each of the geometric shapes has an area of less than 0.0002 mm 2 .
7. The golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of grooves formed in the forward striking face.
8. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the golf club head is an iron-type head having a loft of at least 18°.
9. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the golf club head is an iron-type head having a loft of at least 45°.
10. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the geometric shapes are about identical in size and shape across the forward striking face.
11. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the geometric shapes are spaced substantially evenly across the forward striking face.
12. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the geometric shapes are formed as squares, diamonds, or circles.
13. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the geometric shapes include a first plurality of geometric shapes and a second plurality of geometric shapes.
14. The golf club head of claim 1 , each geometric shape having a depth measured from the recessed surface to a top portion of the geometric shape, wherein the depth is greater than or equal to 0.012 mm.
15. A wedge-type golf club head having a forward striking face defining a loft of at least 45°, the forward striking face comprising:
a substantially planar recessed surface;
a plurality of scorelines formed in the recessed surface; and
a plurality of discrete, solid geometric shapes projecting from the recessed surface, the geometric shapes each having an area of less than 0.05 mm 2 ;
wherein adjacent geometric shapes are separated from each other along the recessed surface by a distance of at least 0.1 mm, and wherein a total volume of the geometric shapes contained within a square reference region on the forward striking face measuring 2.5 mm by 2.5 mm is less than 0.02 mm 3 .
16. The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the reference region is disposed between two adjacent scorelines.
17. The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein each of the geometric shapes has an area of less than 0.0003 mm 2 .
18. The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein each of the geometric shapes has an area of less than 0.0002 mm 2 .