Granted Patent B2

US 8,956,240 · App. 13/975,106 · Granted Feb 17, 2015

Abstract

Claims (47)

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity, a sole portion positioned at a bottom portion of the body, a crown portion positioned at a top portion of the body, and a skirt portion positioned around a periphery of the body between the sole and crown, the body also having a forward portion and a rearward portion, and a maximum above ground height; and

a face positioned at the forward portion of the body, the face having a loft angle of from about 13 degrees to about 28 degrees;

wherein the maximum above ground height of the body is less than 46 mm;

wherein the golf club head has an above ground center-of-gravity location, Zup, less than 18.5 mm; and

wherein a center of gravity of the body is horizontally rearward of a center of the face less than 30 mm; and

wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution (COR) having a value of at least 0.80 as measured at two locations including a first location at a center of the club face and a second location spaced by 7.5 mm on the heel side of the center of the club face along a horizontal axis passing through the center of the club face, the golf club head further having a coefficient of restitution value of at least 0.776 at a third location spaced by 7.5 mm on the toe side of the center of the club face along a horizontal axis passing through the center of the club face.

2. The golf club of claim 1 , wherein the club head has a center of gravity (CG) projection that is lower than 3.0 mm above a center of the face.

3. The golf club of claim 1 , wherein the club head has a center of gravity (CG) projection that is lower than 2.0 mm above a center of the face.

4. The golf club of claim 1 , wherein the club head has a center of gravity (CG) projection that is lower than 1.0 mm above a center of the face.

5. The golf club of claim 1 , further comprising a shaft and a head-shaft connection mechanism that includes a removable shaft system configured to allow the shaft and the head to be coupled together in a plurality of different configurations.

6. The golf club of claim 1 , wherein a striking portion of the face comprises a stainless steel.

7. The golf club of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the body comprises a stainless steel.

8. The golf club of claim 1 , wherein a striking portion of the face comprises a titanium alloy.

9. The golf club of claim 1 , wherein the club head has a depth of at least 75 mm.

10. The golf club of claim 1 , wherein the club head has a depth of at least 85 mm.

11. The golf club of claim 1 , wherein a mass pad is co-cast into at least a portion of the sole of the club head.

12. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein a difference in a first coefficient of restitution as measured at the center of the club face and a second coefficient of restitution as measured at a point that is 7.5 mm below the center of the club face along a vertical axis passing through the center of the club face is less than 0.03.

13. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution having a value of at least 0.78 as measured at a fourth location that is 7.5 mm below the center of the club face along a vertical axis passing through the center of the club face.

14. The golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising a thin sole portion disposed on the body and a mass member disposed on the sole, the thin sole portion being located between the mass member and the face.

15. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity, a sole portion positioned at a bottom portion of the body, a crown portion positioned at a top portion of the body, and a skirt portion positioned around a periphery of the body between the sole and crown, the body also having a forward portion and a rearward portion, and a maximum above ground height; and

a face positioned at the forward portion of the body, the face having a loft angle of from about 13 degrees to about 28 degrees;

wherein the maximum above ground height of the body is less than 46 mm;

wherein the golf club head has an above ground center-of-gravity location, Zup, less than 18.5 mm; and

wherein a center of gravity of the body is horizontally rearward of a center of the face less than 30 mm; and

wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution (COR) having a value of at least 0.80 as measured at two locations including a first location at a center of the club face and a second location spaced by 7.5 mm on the heel side of the center of the club face along a horizontal axis passing through the center of the club face.

16. The golf club of claim 15 , wherein a striking portion of the face comprises a stainless steel.

17. The golf club of claim 16 , wherein a portion of the body comprises a stainless steel.

18. The golf club of claim 17 , wherein a mass pad is co-cast into at least a portion of the sole of the club head.

19. The golf club head of claim 18 , further comprising a thin sole portion disposed on the body, the thin sole portion being located between the mass pad and the face.

20. The golf club of claim 19 , wherein the club head has a depth of at least 75 mm.

21. The golf club head of claim 20 , wherein the club head has a center of gravity (CG) projection that is lower than 3.0 mm above a center of the face.

22. The golf club of claim 21 , wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution having a value of at least 0.78 as measured at a third location that is 7.5 mm below the center of the club face along a vertical axis passing through the center of the club face.

23. The golf club head of claim 15 , wherein a difference in a first coefficient of restitution as measured at the center of the club face and a second coefficient of restitution as measured at a point that is 7.5 mm below the center of the club face along a vertical axis passing through the center of the club face is less than 0.03.

24. The golf club of claim 15 , further comprising a shaft and a head-shaft connection mechanism that includes a removable shaft system configured to allow the shaft and the head to be coupled together in a plurality of different configurations.

25. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity, a sole portion positioned at a bottom portion of the body, a crown portion positioned at a top portion of the body, and a skirt portion positioned around a periphery of the body between the sole and crown, the body also having a forward portion and a rearward portion, and a maximum above ground height; and

a face positioned at the forward portion of the body, the face having a loft angle of from about 13 degrees to about 28 degrees;

wherein the maximum above ground height of the body is less than 46 mm;

wherein the golf club head has an above ground center-of-gravity location, Zup, less than 18.5 mm; and

wherein a center of gravity of the body is horizontally rearward of a center of the face less than 30 mm; and

wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution (COR) having a value of at least 0.80 as measured at a first location at a center of the club face and a coefficient of restitution value of at least 0.796 at a second location spaced by 7.5 mm on the heel side of the center of the club face along a horizontal axis passing through the center of the club face, the golf club head further having a coefficient of restitution value of at least 0.776 at a third location spaced by 7.5 mm on the toe side of the center of the club face along a horizontal axis passing through the center of the club face.

26. The golf club of claim 25 , wherein a striking portion of the face comprises a stainless steel.

27. The golf club of claim 26 , wherein a mass pad is co-cast into at least a portion of the sole of the club head.

28. The golf club head of claim 27 , further comprising a thin sole portion disposed on the body, the thin sole portion being located between the mass pad and the face.

29. The golf club of claim 28 , wherein the club head has a depth of at least 75 mm.

Assignments (12)