TEXTURED GOLF CLUB FACE
Golf club heads are described comprising a striking surface that includes a surface profile having at least one peak, at least one valley, and a transition segment between the peak and the valley, wherein the at least one peak, the at least one valley, and the transition segment together define a mean line, and a substantial portion of the transition segment is near to, or on, the mean line. In other embodiments, a golf club head includes a ball-striking surface comprising an asymmetric surface texture.
1 . A golf club head comprising a roughened striking surface that includes a surface profile having at least one peak, at least one valley, and a transition segment between the peak and the valley, wherein the at least one peak, the at least one valley, and the transition segment together define a mean line, and a substantial portion of the transition segment is near to, or on, the mean line.
2 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein at least 50% of the transition segment is on the mean line.
3 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein a substantial portion of the transition segment is substantially on the mean line.
4 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the substantial portion of the transition segment has a slope of at least 75° relative to the mean line.
5 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the substantial portion of the transition segment has a slope of between 80° and 100° relative to the mean line.
6 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the transition segment includes a first section that is substantially on the mean line, and second section having a slope of at least 75° relative to the mean line.
7 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one peak and the at least one valley are performance-effective features.
8 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the surface profile includes a plurality of peaks, valleys and transition segments.
9 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the surface profile includes alternating peaks and valleys with flat transition segments between the peaks and valleys.
10 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the surface profile includes repeating alternating peak heights wherein one set of peaks has a first height above the mean line and a second set of peaks has a second height above the mean line.
11 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the surface profile includes at least one peak and at least one valley with a transfer segment between the peak and valley having a slope of 30° to 90°, relative to the mean line.
12 . A method for providing a textured surface profile for a striking surface of a golf club head, comprising:
imparting onto a striking surface a surface profile having at least one peak, at least one valley, and a transition segment between the peak and the valley, wherein the at least one peak, the at least one valley, and the transition segment together define a mean line, and a substantial portion of the transition segment is near to, or on, the mean line.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the method includes machining a mold that imparts the surface profile.
14 . A golf club head having a ball-striking surface comprising an asymmetric surface texture.
15 . The golf club head of claim 14 , wherein the surface texture is asymmetric in a sole-crown direction.
16 . The golf club head of claim 14 , wherein the surface texture is asymmetric-down.
17 . The golf club head of claim 14 , wherein X 1 /X 2 is from about 0.001 to about 0.003.
18 . The golf club head of claim 14 , wherein X 1 /X 2 is from about 0.004 to about 0.027.
19 . The golf club head of claim 14 , wherein P is from about 0.1 mm to about 0.4 mm.
20 . The golf club head of claim 14 , wherein H is from about 0.015 mm to about 0.025 mm.
21 . The golf club head of claim 14 , wherein H is about 0.018 mm.
22 . The golf club head of claim 14 , wherein the asymmetric surface texture comprises a plurality of parallel ridges extending in a heel-toe direction.
23 . The golf club head of claim 22 , wherein the ridges comprise right-angled peaks.
24 . The golf club head of claim 14 , further comprising a composite face plate having a polymer cover layer forming the ball-striking surface.
25 . The golf club head of claim 14 , further comprising a metal face forming the ball-striking surface.
26 . A face insert for a golf club head, the face insert comprising an asymmetric surface texture.
27 . The face insert of claim 26 , further comprising a composite face plate and a polymer cover layer forming the asymmetric surface texture.
28 . A method, comprising:
providing a mold having an asymmetric texture on a surface of the mold; and
using the mold to create a corresponding asymmetric surface texture on a ball-striking surface of a golf club face.
29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the ball-striking surface comprises a polymer cover layer.
30 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the surface texture on the ball-striking surface is asymmetric-down.