Iron golf club head
Disclosed herein is an iron-type golf club head. The iron-type golf club head comprises a body, having a density of less than 8 grams-per-cubic-centimeter (g/cc). The body comprises a heel portion, a toe portion, a sole portion, a top portion, and a front portion. The body also comprises a rear portion, comprising an insert shelf, adjacent the sole portion and extending from the toe portion to the heel portion, and a retention bar, integrally formed with a portion of the insert shelf and circumferentially closing the portion of the insert shelf to define a first insert channel. The iron-type golf club head also comprises a high-density insert, having a density of greater than 7.5 g/cc, supported by the insert shelf, and retained within the first insert channel by the retention bar.
1. An iron-type golf club head, comprising:
a body, having a density of less than 8 grams-per-cubic-centimeter (g/cc) and comprising:
a heel portion;
a toe portion;
a sole portion;
a top portion;
a front portion, comprising a strike face; and
a rear portion, comprising:
an insert shelf, adjacent the sole portion and extending from the toe portion to the heel portion; and
a retention bar, integrally formed with a portion of the insert shelf and circumferentially closing the portion of the insert shelf to define a first insert channel;
a high-density insert, having a density of greater than 7.5 g/cc, supported by the insert shelf, and retained within the first insert channel by the retention bar; and
an internal cavity enclosed by the heel portion, the toe portion, the sole portion, the top portion, the front portion, and the rear portion.
2. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein the high-density insert is asymmetric and a mass of the high-density insert at a toe end of the high-density insert is greater than at a heel end of the high-density insert.
3. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein the high-density insert defines an exterior surface of the iron-type golf club head at the rear portion and the toe portion of the body.
4. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein a perimeter of the high-density insert at a toe end of the high-density insert is greater than at a heel end of the high-density insert.
5. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein an entire length of the high-density insert is greater than an entire length of the strike face of the body.
6. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein the iron-type golf club head has coefficient of restitution (COR) change value of between −0.00001 and −0.025, the COR change value being defined as a difference between a measured COR value of the iron-type golf club head and a United States Golf Association (USGA)-governed calibration plate COR value.
7. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein the retention bar constrains movement of the high-density insert in a front-to-rear direction.
8. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein the high density insert is external to the internal cavity.
9. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 8 , wherein the internal cavity is filled with a filler material.
10. An iron-type golf club head, comprising:
a body, having a density of less than 8 grams-per-cubic-centimeter (g/cc) and comprising:
a heel portion;
a toe portion;
a sole portion;
a top portion;
a front portion, comprising a strike face; and
a rear portion, comprising:
an insert shelf, adjacent the sole portion and extending from the toe portion to the heel portion; and
a retention bar, integrally formed with a portion of the insert shelf and circumferentially closing the portion of the insert shelf to define a first insert channel; and
a high-density insert, having a density of greater than 7.5 g/cc, supported by the insert shelf, and retained within the first insert channel by the retention bar,
wherein:
the rear portion further comprises a retention flap, spaced apart from the insert shelf and from the retention bar;
the retention flap at least partially circumferentially closes the insert shelf to define a second insert channel; and
the high-density insert is retained within the second insert channel by the retention flap.
11. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 10 , wherein:
the rear portion further comprises a rear wall; and
the insert shelf, the retention bar, and the retention flap, and the rear wall form a one-piece monolithic construction with the heel portion, the toe portion, the sole portion, and the top portion.
12. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 11 , wherein the front portion further comprises:
a face opening; and
a strike plate coupled to and enclosing the face opening;
wherein the strike plate defines at least a portion of the strike face.
13. An iron-type golf club head, comprising:
a hosel;
a body, integrally formed with the hosel, made of a titanium alloy, and comprising a front portion, having a strike face, a sole portion, and a rear portion, opposite the front portion; and
a high-density insert made of a tungsten alloy and coupled to an exterior of the rear portion of the body;
wherein:
a thickness of the front portion, defining the strike face, is between 2.2 mm and 3.6 mm;
the iron-type golf club head has coefficient of restitution (COR) change value of between −0.00001 and 0.025, the COR change value being defined as a difference between a measured COR value of the iron-type golf club head and a United States Golf Association (USGA)-governed calibration plate COR value;
a center of gravity of the iron-type golf club head is no more than between 11 mm and 21 mm from a ground plane when the iron-type golf club head is at a proper address position on the ground plane;
a blade length of the body is less than or equal to 82 mm;
an overall width of the sole portion is less than or equal to 25.5 mm;
the strike face comprises a leading edge;
an offset between the hosel and the leading edge of the strike face is less than or equal to 4.5 mm;
the body further comprises a heel portion and a toe portion;
the rear portion comprises:
an insert shelf, adjacent the sole portion and extending from the toe portion to the heel portion; and
a retention bar, integrally formed with a portion of the insert shelf and circumferentially closing the portion of the insert shelf to define a first insert channel; and
the high-density insert is supported by the insert shelf and retained within the first insert channel by the retention bar.
14. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 13 , further comprising an enclosed interior cavity.
15. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 13 , wherein the high-density insert has a mass of at least 80 grams.
16. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 13 , wherein a mass of the high-density insert is at least 38% of a total mass of the iron-type golf club head.
17. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 13 , wherein the high-density insert has an overall length that is between 90% and 110% of the blade length of the body.
18. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 13 , wherein:
the body further comprises a toe portion and a heel portion; and
the high-density insert is more massive nearer the toe portion than the heel portion.
19. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 13 , wherein the high-density insert defines an exterior surface of the iron-type golf club head at the rear portion and the toe portion of the body.
20. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 13 , wherein:
the rear portion further comprises a retention flap, spaced apart from the insert shelf and from the retention bar;
the retention flap at least partially circumferentially closes the insert shelf to define a second insert channel; and
the high-density insert is retained within the second insert channel by the retention flap.
21. An iron-type golf club head, comprising:
a body, having a density of less than 8 grams-per-cubic-centimeter (g/cc) and comprising:
a heel portion;
a toe portion;
a sole portion;
a top portion;
a front portion, comprising a strike face; and
a rear portion, comprising a first retention bar located at a toeward position and a second retention bar located at a heelward position; and
a high-density insert, having a density of greater than 7.5 g/cc, coupled to the rear portion of the body, and restrained from movement in a front-to-rear direction by the first retention bar and the second retention bar;
wherein the high-density insert defines a first exterior surface of the iron-type golf club head at the toe portion of the body and a second exterior surface of the iron-type golf club head at the rear portion of the body; and
wherein the first exterior surface and the second exterior surface are separated by the first retention bar and the first retention bar defines a third exterior surface of the iron-type golf club head.
22. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 21 , wherein:
the high-density insert has a variable mass per unit length that varies in a heel-to-toe direction;
a toe portion of the high-density insert has a greater mass per unit length than a central portion of the high-density insert;
the toe portion of the high-density insert is located at least 20 mm toeward of a geometric center of the strike face; and
the central portion is located within 20 mm of the geometric center of the strike face.
23. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 22 , wherein the high-density insert is tapered.
24. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 22 , wherein:
the high-density insert has a variable density; and
the toe portion of the high-density insert has a greater density than the central portion of the high-density insert.
25. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 22 , wherein a surface area of a total exterior surface of the iron-type golf club head defined by the high-density insert is at least 150 mm{circumflex over ( )}2.
26. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 25 , wherein a surface area of the first exterior surface of the iron-type golf club head defined by the high-density insert is at least 50 mm{circumflex over ( )}2.
27. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 25 , wherein the high-density insert is coupled to the rear portion of the body by slidably installing the high-density insert into place in a generally toe-to-heel direction.