A set of golf club wedges each having a club face ( 10 ) is disclosed wherein the lofts of the individual clubs progressively increases. The hitting surface of each club head may take the form of an insert ( 12 ) that includes a series of grooves, the design of which is varied from club to club to provide increasing friction with loft. As a result, a golfer can impart the same amount of spin to a golf ball with each of the wedges despite a substantial difference in loft and club head swing speed between the respective clubs. In addition, the surface roughness of the hitting surface may also be increased as loft increases to further control the spin imparted to the ball.
1. A set of at least three golf wedges having club heads of progressively increasing lofts, each of the club heads having a surface for striking a golf ball, with each surface including a series of grooves, the surfaces having frictional characteristics which increase with club loft, wherein the frictional characteristics are controlled by varying at least one of groove shape, groove spacing, groove edge sharpness, and surface roughness, the change in frictional characteristics being selected so that the back spin imparted to a golf ball when struck with equal force by each one of the wedges is substantially the same.
2. A set of wedges according to claim 1 , wherein each of said wedges includes a shaft with the length and stiffness of the shafts decreasing with increasing loft.
3. A set of wedges according to claim 1 , wherein the shape of the grooves varies from wedge to wedge, with the sides of the grooves becoming progressively steeper with increasing loft.
4. A set of wedges according to claim 3 , wherein the radii of the top edges of the grooves vary from wedge to wedge, with the radii of the top edges decreasing with increasing loft.
5. A set of wedges according to claim 3 , wherein the surface roughness of said surfaces increases from wedge to wedge with increasing loft.
6. A set of wedges according to claim 1 , wherein the radii of the top edges of the grooves vary from wedge to wedge, with the radii of the top edges decreasing with increasing loft.
7. A set of wedges according to claim 6 , wherein the surface roughness of said surfaces increases from wedge to wedge with increasing loft.
8. A set of wedges according to claim 1 , wherein the surface roughness of said surfaces increases from wedge to wedge with increasing loft.
9. A set of wedges according to claim 1 , wherein each of the said surfaces is provided in the form of an insert which is secured to the club head.
10. A set of wedges according to claim 1 , wherein each of said wedges includes a shaft with the length of the shafts decreasing with increasing loft.
11. A set of at least three golf wedges having club heads of progressively increasing lofts, each of the club heads having a surface for striking a golf ball, with each surface including a series of grooves, the surfaces having frictional characteristics which increase with club loft, wherein the frictional characteristics are controlled by varying at least one of groove shape, groove spacing, and groove edge sharpness, the change in frictional characteristics being selected so that the back spin imparted to a golf ball when struck with equal force by each one of the wedges is substantially the same.
12. A set of wedges according to claim 11 , wherein the shape of the grooves varies from wedge to wedge, with the sides of the grooves becoming progressively steeper with increasing loft.
13. A set of wedges according to claim 12 , wherein the surface roughness of said surfaces increases from wedge to wedge with increasing loft.
14. A set of wedges according to claim 11 , wherein the radii of the top edges of the grooves vary from wedge to wedge, with the radii of the top edges decreasing with increasing loft.
15. A set of wedges according to claim 14 , wherein the surface roughness of said surfaces increases from wedge to wedge with increasing loft.
16. A set of wedges according to claim 11 – 14 , wherein the surface roughness of said surfaces increases from wedge to wedge with increasing loft.
17. A set of wedges according to claim 11 , wherein each of said wedges includes a shaft with the length and stiffness of the shafts decreasing with increasing loft.
18. A set of wedges according to claim 17 , wherein the radii of the top edges of the grooves vary from wedge to wedge, with the radii of the top edges decreasing with increasing loft.