Golf club head including a plurality of support members
A golf club including support members is disclosed herein. In accordance with the presently disclosed technology, the golf club may include a frontal portion including a striking face and a partially non-metallic rear portion. The partially non-metallic rear portion may include a non-metallic crown portion at an upper portion of the golf club head. The non-metallic crown portion may include a plurality of support members extending from the non-metallic crown portion toward the sole. The plurality of support members may include a central support member being located near a central portion of the golf club head in a heel-to-toe orientation. The non-metallic crown portion and the plurality of support members may form a unibody structural component.
1 . A golf club comprised of a golf club head, a shaft having a shaft axis coupled to the golf club head at a first end of the shaft and a grip coupled to the shaft at a second end of the shaft, wherein the golf club head comprises:
wherein an x-axis is defined as a horizontal axis tangent to a face center with a positive x direction towards a heel of the golf club head, a y-axis is a vertical axis orthogonal to the x-axis with a positive y direction towards a crown, and a z-axis being orthogonal to both the x-axis and the y-axis with a positive z direction extending forward;
a frontal portion comprised of metal comprising a striking face having the face center located at a forward portion of the golf club head; and
a partially non-metallic rear portion coupled to and located aft of the frontal portion, the partially non-metallic rear portion comprising:
a non-metallic crown portion at an upper portion of the golf club head; and
a sole on a bottom portion of the golf club head;
wherein the non-metallic crown portion comprises a plurality of support members extending from the non-metallic crown portion toward the sole, the plurality of support members essentially perpendicular to the striking face, the plurality of support members comprising a central support member being located near a central portion of the golf club head in a heel-to-toe orientation, extending substantially in line, along the z-axis, with the face center, and wherein the non-metallic crown portion and the plurality of support members form a unibody structural component;
wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about the y-axis (MOI-Y) passing through a center of gravity (CG) of the golf club head, the golf club head has a moment of inertia about the z-axis (MOI-Z) passing through the CG, and the golf club head has a moment of inertia about the x-axis (MOI-X) passing through the CG.
2 . The golf club of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of support members extend less than about 25% of a total height of the golf club head along a bottom-to-top direction.
3 . The golf club of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of support members extend less than about 25% of a total depth of the golf club head along a back-to-front direction.
4 . The golf club of claim 2 , wherein the non-metallic crown portion further comprises a frontal crown portion on a frontal part of the non-metallic crown portion, and wherein the plurality of support members extend from the frontal crown portion.
5 . The golf club of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of support members extend to the sole.
6 . The golf club of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of support members comprise support member holes.
7 . The golf club of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of support members comprise a toe side support member located toeward of the central support member between about 20% and about 70% of a total width of the golf club head, and a heel side support member located heelward of the central support member between about 20% and about 70% of the total width of the golf club head.
8 . The golf club of claim 1 , wherein the unibody structural component comprises one of a composite and a metal.
9 . The golf club of claim 1 , wherein the central support member is offset from the face center less than about 25 mm.
10 . A golf club head comprising:
an x-axis is defined as a horizontal axis tangent to a face center with a positive x direction towards a heel of the golf club head, a y-axis is a vertical axis orthogonal to the x-axis with a positive y direction towards a crown, and a z-axis being orthogonal to both the x-axis and the y-axis with a positive z direction extending forward;
a frontal portion comprised of metal comprising a striking face having the face center located at a forward portion of the golf club head; and
a partially non-metallic rear portion coupled to and located aft of the frontal portion, the partially non-metallic rear portion comprising:
a non-metallic crown portion at an upper portion of the golf club head; and
a sole on a bottom portion of the golf club head;
wherein the non-metallic crown portion comprises a plurality of support members extending from the non-metallic crown portion toward the sole, the plurality of support members essentially perpendicular to the striking face, the plurality of support members comprising a central support member being located near a central portion of the golf club head in a heel-to-toe orientation, extending substantially in line, along the z-axis, with the face center, and wherein the non-metallic crown portion and the plurality of support members form a unibody structural component, wherein the plurality of support members extend less than about 25% of a total height of the golf club head along a bottom-to-top direction;
wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about the y-axis (MOI-Y) passing through a center of gravity (CG) of the golf club head, the golf club head has a moment of inertia about the z-axis (MOI-Z) passing through the CG, and the golf club head has a moment of inertia about the x-axis (MOI-X) passing through the CG.
11 . The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of support members extend less than about 25% of a total depth of the golf club head along a back-to-front direction.
12 . The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the non-metallic crown portion further comprises a frontal crown portion on a frontal part of the non-metallic crown portion, and wherein the plurality of support members extend from the frontal crown portion.
13 . The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of support members comprise a toe side support member located toeward of the central support member between about 20% and about 70% of a total width of the golf club head, and a heel side support member located heelward of the central support member between about 20% and about 70% of the total width of the golf club head.
14 . The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the unibody structural component comprises one of a composite and a metal.
15 . The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the central support member is offset from the face center less than about 25 mm.
16 . A golf club head comprising:
an x-axis is defined as a horizontal axis tangent to a face center with a positive x direction towards a heel of the golf club head, a y-axis is a vertical axis orthogonal to the x-axis with a positive y direction towards a crown, and a z-axis being orthogonal to both the x-axis and the y-axis with a positive z direction extending forward;
a frontal portion comprised of metal comprising a striking face having the face center located at a forward portion of the golf club head; and
a partially non-metallic rear portion coupled to and located aft of the frontal portion, the partially non-metallic rear portion comprising:
a non-metallic crown portion at an upper portion of the golf club head; and
a sole on a bottom portion of the golf club head;
wherein the non-metallic crown portion comprises a plurality of support members extending from the non-metallic crown portion toward the sole, the plurality of support members essentially perpendicular to the striking face, the plurality of support members comprising a central support member being located near a central portion of the golf club head in a heel-to-toe orientation, extending substantially in line, along the z-axis, with the face center, and wherein the non-metallic crown portion and the plurality of support members form a unibody structural component, wherein the plurality of support members extend to the sole;
wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about the y-axis (MOI-Y) passing through a center of gravity (CG) of the golf club head, the golf club head has a moment of inertia about the z-axis (MOI-Z) passing through the CG, and the golf club head has a moment of inertia about the x-axis (MOI-X) passing through the CG.
17 . The golf club head of claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of support members comprise support holes.
18 . The golf club head of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of support members comprise a toe side support member located toeward of the central support member between about 20% and about 70% of a total width of the golf club head, and a heel side support member located heelward of the central support member between about 20% and about 70% of the total width of the golf club head.
19 . The golf club head of claim 16 , wherein the unibody structural component comprises one of a composite and a metal.
20 . The golf club head of claim 16 , wherein the central support member is offset from the face center less than about 25 mm.