GOLF CLUB HEAD WITH INTERIOR WEIGHT ADJUSTABLE IN MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS
A golf club head includes a striking face, and a body coupled to the striking face. The body includes a crown, a sole disposed in generally opposed relation to the crown, and a back extending away from the striking face. The striking face and body collectively define a hollow interior chamber. A weight is disposed entirely within the interior chamber. An adjustment mechanism is coupled to the body and the weight to enable external adjustment of the weight along three axes.
1 . A golf club head comprising:
a striking face;
a body coupled to the striking face and having:
a crown;
a sole disposed in generally opposed relation to the crown; and
a back extending away from the striking face;
the striking face and body collectively defining a hollow interior chamber; and
a weight disposed entirely within the interior chamber; and
an adjustment mechanism coupled to the body and the weight to enable adjustment of the weight within the interior chamber along three axes.
2 . The golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising a window coupled to the body and configured to enable viewing of the adjustable weight within the interior chamber.
3 . The golf club head of claim 2 , further comprising at least two indicia on the window, each of the at least two indicia representative of a location of a center of gravity of the golf club head.
4 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a ball-in-socket joint connected to the weight.
5 . The golf club head of claim 4 , further comprising a sleeve connected to the ball-in-socket joint, and an arm axially received within the sleeve and connected to the weight.
6 . The golf club head of claim 5 , wherein the sleeve comprises internal threads that engage external threads on the arm.
7 . The golf club head of claim 6 , wherein the ball-in-socket joint comprises a ball having a channel therethrough in communication with a corresponding channel formed in the sleeve.
8 . The golf club head of claim 4 , wherein the ball-in-socket joint comprises a ball and a socket, the ball and socket having a plurality of complimentary detents and protrusions adapted to engage with each other in a mating fashion.
9 . The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the socket is biased against the ball.
10 . The golf club head of claim 4 , further comprising a clamping mechanism adapted to enable the adjustment mechanism to assume a fixed position relative to the body.
11 . The golf club head of claim 1 , the weight further comprising a sensor configured to generate and emit an electronic signal associated with a position of the weight within the interior chamber.
12 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment mechanism is externally accessible through an opening formed in the body.
13 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment mechanism includes at least two adjustable struts extending between the body and the weight.
14 . A method of fabricating a golf club, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a request to fabricate a customized golf club head, the request comprising instructions to position a weight entirely within a hollow interior chamber of the customized golf club head in a predefined position, the predefined position comprising three coordinates including a face-to-back coordinate, a sole-to-crown coordinate, and a heel-to-toe coordinate, the three coordinates having been previously determined via a fitting operation during which an adjustable weight disposed entirely within a hollow interior chamber of a fitting club and adjustable in a sole-to-crown direction, a face-to-back direction, and a direction along a face of the fitting club was adjusted in order to determine a preferred position of the adjustable weight; and
fabricating the customized golf club head by positioning the weight in the predefined position.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the fabricating step comprises securing the weight within the interior chamber.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of securing the weight comprises permanently securing the weight to an interior wall of the golf club head.
17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the method comprises securing the weight via at least two struts.
18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the weight is of predetermined mass, the predetermined mass having been previously determined via the fitting operation.
19 . A golf club head comprising:
a striking face adapted to strike a golf ball; and
a skirt coupled to the striking face;
the golf club head having a center of gravity, the golf club head being specifically adapted to enable adjustment of the center of gravity along three discrete axes.
20 . The golf club head recited in claim 19 , wherein the striking face and the skirt collectively define an interior chamber, the club head further comprising a weight disposed entirely within the interior chamber and being adjustable along three axes.