Granted Patent B2

US 12,370,421 · App. 18/353,354 · Granted Jul 29, 2025

Inventors: Cory S. Bacon (Scottsdale, AZ); Evan R. Greer (Peoria, AZ); Travis D. Milleman (Cave Creek, AZ)

Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation

A63B53/08A63B53/0412A63B53/0433A63B53/0437A63B53/0466A63B2053/0491

Abstract

Claims (139)

1. A golf club head comprising;

a strike face comprising a geometric center and a leading edge, a body, a center of gravity, a ground plane, and a total club head mass;

wherein the body comprises a crown, a sole, a heel, a toe, and a rear end;

a primary coordinate system centered about the geometric center, the primary coordinate system defining:

an X-axis extending in a heel-to-toe direction, parallel to the ground plane;

a Y-axis extending in a crown-to-sole direction, orthogonal to the X-axis and the ground plane;

a Z-axis extending in a strike face-to-rear direction, orthogonal to both the X-axis and the Y-axis;

a secondary coordinate system centered about the center of gravity, the secondary coordinate system defining:

an X′-axis extending in a heel-to-toe direction, parallel to the ground plane;

a Y′-axis extending in a crown-to-sole direction, orthogonal to the X′-axis and the ground plane;

a Z′-axis extending in a strike face-to-rear direction, orthogonal to both the X′-axis and the Y′-axis;

wherein the body comprises:

a body width measured parallel to the X-axis between the heel and the toe;

a body depth measured parallel to the Z-axis between the leading edge and a rearward-most point of the body;

a body height measured parallel to the Y-axis between the ground plane and a highest point of the crown;

wherein the club head comprises a ratio HB/WB defined as the body height divided by the body width;

wherein the ratio HB/WB is greater than 0.6;

a YZ plane extending along the Y-axis and the Z-axis;

a crown transition point located at a forwardmost point of the crown within the YZ plane;

a rear transition point located at a rearmost point of the crown within the YZ plane;

a crown axis extending between the crown transition point and the rear transition point;

a crown angle greater than 75 degrees, measured as an acute angle between the crown axis and the Y′-axis;

a moment of inertia about the X′-axis, Ixx;

a moment of inertia about the Y′-axis, Iyy;

a moment of inertia about the Z′-axis, Izz;

wherein the club head comprises an Ixx/Iyy ratio greater than 0.8;

a central mass zone defined by an imaginary cylinder centered about the Y′-axis, wherein the central mass zone defines a central mass zone radius of 0.75 inch; and

wherein greater than 20% of the total club head mass is located within the central mass zone.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising a crown mass pad located on a crown interior surface and a sole mass pad located on a sole interior surface;

wherein the crown mass pad and the sole mass pad are each intersected by the Y′-axis.

3. The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the crown mass pad and the sole mass pad is entirely bounded within the central mass zone.

4. The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein the sole mass pad comprises a mass greater than 5 grams.

5. The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein the crown mass pad comprises a mass greater than 25 grams.

6. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the body width is less than 4.0 inches.

7. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the body height is greater than 2.2 inches.

8. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the club head comprises a volume less than 350 cm 3 .

9. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the Ixx/Iyy ratio is greater than 0.85.

10. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the crown angle is greater than 85 degrees.

11. The golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising a weight member attached to the body proximate the rear end and the sole;

wherein the weight member defines a weight member center of gravity;

wherein the weight member comprises a weight member elevation defined as a distance between the center of gravity of the club head and the weight member center of gravity, measured parallel to the Y′-axis;

wherein the weight member further comprises a weight member depth defined as a distance between the center of gravity of the club head and the weight member center of gravity, measured parallel to the Y′-axis;

wherein the club head defines an Ew/Dw ratio defined as the weight member elevation divided by the weight member depth; and

wherein the E W /D W ratio is greater than 0.3.

12. A golf club head comprising;

a strike face comprising a geometric center and a leading edge, a body, a center of gravity, a ground plane, and a total club head mass;

wherein the body comprises a crown, a sole, a heel, a toe, and a rear end;

a primary coordinate system centered about the geometric center, the primary coordinate system defining:

an X-axis extending in a heel-to-toe direction, parallel to the ground plane;

a Y-axis extending in a crown-to-sole direction, orthogonal to the X-axis and the ground plane;

a Z-axis extending in a strike face-to-rear direction, orthogonal to both the X-axis and the Y-axis;

a secondary coordinate system centered about the center of gravity, the secondary coordinate system defining:

an X′-axis extending in a heel-to-toe direction, parallel to the ground plane;

a Y′-axis extending in a crown-to-sole direction, orthogonal to the X′-axis and the ground plane;

a Z′-axis extending in a strike face-to-rear direction, orthogonal to both the X′-axis and the Y′-axis;

wherein the body comprises:

a body width measured parallel to the X-axis between the heel and the toe;

a body depth measured parallel to the Z-axis between the leading edge and a rearward-most point of the body;

a body height measured parallel to the Y-axis between the ground plane and a highest point of the crown;

wherein the club head comprises a ratio H B /W B defined as the body height divided by the body width;

wherein the ratio H B /W B is greater than 0.6;

a moment of inertia about the X′-axis, Ixx;

a moment of inertia about the Y′-axis, Iyy;

a moment of inertia about the Z′-axis, Izz;

wherein the club head comprises an Ixx/lyy ratio greater than 0.8;

a central mass zone defined by an imaginary cylinder centered about the Y′-axis, wherein the central mass zone defines a central mass zone radius of 0.75 inch; and

wherein the club head defines a mass distribution metric MD 1 according to equation 1:

MD

1

=

M

CMZ

M

T

*

R

CMZ

*

1

⁢

in

.

(

1

)

wherein M CMZ is the amount of mass within the central mass zone, M T is the total club head mass, and R CMZ is the central mass zone radius; and

wherein the mass distribution metric MD 1 is greater than 0.1.

13. The golf club head of claim 12 , further comprising a crown mass pad located on a crown interior surface and a sole mass pad located on a sole interior surface;

wherein the crown mass pad and the sole mass pad are each intersected by the Y′-axis.

14. The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the crown mass pad and the sole mass pad is entirely bounded within the central mass zone.

15. A golf club head comprising;

a strike face comprising a geometric center and a leading edge, a body, a center of gravity, a ground plane, and a total club head mass;

wherein the body comprises a crown, a sole, a heel, a toe, and a rear end;

a primary coordinate system centered about the geometric center, the primary coordinate system defining:

an X-axis extending in a heel-to-toe direction, parallel to the ground plane;

a Y-axis extending in a crown-to-sole direction, orthogonal to the X-axis and the ground plane;

a Z-axis extending in a strike face-to-rear direction, orthogonal to both the X-axis and the Y-axis;

a secondary coordinate system centered about the center of gravity, the secondary coordinate system defining:

an X′-axis extending in a heel-to-toe direction, parallel to the ground plane;

a Y′-axis extending in a crown-to-sole direction, orthogonal to the X′-axis and the ground plane;

a Z′-axis extending in a strike face-to-rear direction, orthogonal to both the X′-axis and the Y′-axis;

wherein the body comprises:

a body width measured parallel to the X-axis between the heel and the toe;

a body depth measured parallel to the Z-axis between the leading edge and a rearward-most point of the body;

a body height measured parallel to the Y-axis between the ground plane and a highest point of the crown;

wherein the club head comprises a ratio H B /W B defined as the body height divided by the body width;

wherein the ratio H B /W B is greater than 0.6;

a moment of inertia about the X′-axis, Ixx;

a moment of inertia about the Y′-axis, Iyy;

a moment of inertia about the Z′-axis, Izz;

wherein the club head comprises an Ixx/Iyy ratio greater than 0.8;

a central mass zone defined by an imaginary cylinder centered about the Y′-axis, wherein the central mass zone defines a central mass zone radius of 0.75 inch; and

wherein the club head defines a mass distribution metric MD 3 according to equation 1:

MD

3

=

M

CMZ

M

T

*

Iyy

*

1000

⁢

g

*

cm

2

(

1

)

wherein M CMZ is the amount of mass within the central mass zone and M T is the total club head mass; and

wherein the mass distribution metric MD 3 is greater than 0.050.

16. The golf club head of claim 15 , further comprising a crown mass pad located on a crown interior surface and a sole mass pad located on a sole interior surface;

wherein the crown mass pad and the sole mass pad are each intersected by the Y′-axis.

17. The golf club head of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the crown mass pad and the sole mass pad is entirely bounded within the central mass zone.

18. The golf club head of claim 15 , wherein Iyy is less than 3200 g*cm 2 .

19. The golf club head of claim 15 , wherein Iyy is less than 2800 g*cm 2 .

Assignments (1)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (27)