Golf club head with flexible sole
Described herein are embodiments of golf club heads with flexible soles. In one embodiment, the golf club head includes a body having a crown opposite a sole, a toe opposite a heel, a back end opposite a front end, and a hosel. The golf club head also includes a sole curvature profile comprising a radius of curvature that varies as the sole curvature profile extends between the front end and the back end. The radius of curvature is configured to increase the flexure of the entire golf club head, thereby increasing the internal energy of the golf club head.
1. A golf club head comprising:
a body having a front end;
a back end opposite the front end;
a crown;
a sole opposite the crown, the sole defining a sole surface;
wherein a ground plane is tangent to the sole surface when the golf club head is at an address position to strike a golf ball;
a heel;
a toe opposite the heel, and a hosel structure having a hosel axis extending centrally through a bore in the hosel structure;
an internal cavity;
a strikeface positioned at the front end and defining a geometric center, and a loft plane tangent to the geometric center;
wherein the geometric center further defines a coordinate system having the geometric center;
the coordinate system comprising an X axis extending through the geometric center between the heel and the toe;
a Y axis extending through the geometric center and perpendicular to the X axis, between the crown and the sole;
a Z axis extending through the geometric center and perpendicular to the X axis and to the Y axis, between the front end and the back end;
the X axis and the Z axis together define an XZ plane extending between the heel and toe and between the front end and the back end;
the Y axis and the Z axis together define a YZ plane extending between the crown and the sole and between the front end and the back end;
a sole transition point defined by an intersection of the sole and the strikeface;
an indented region;
wherein the indented region is defined where the sole veers inward in a direction toward the internal cavity;
the indented region comprises a sole curvature profile defined by an intersection of the sole surface and the YZ plane;
wherein the sole curvature profile comprises a first inflection point and a second inflection point;
wherein the sole curvature profile comprises a first concave section extending from the sole transition point to the first inflection point and is concave relative to the XZ plane;
a convex section extending from the first inflection point to the second inflection point and is convex relative to the XZ plane;
a second concave section extending from the second inflection point to the back end and is concave relative to the XZ plane;
one or more internal beams attached to an internal surface of the sole and extending through the internal cavity, each of the one or more internal beams comprising a broad surface disposed to the internal surface of the sole and an edge surface transverse to the internal surface of the sole, a cross-sectional shape defining a beam width measured in a heel-to-toe-direction and a beam thickness measured in a crown-to-sole direction, wherein the beam width is greater than the beam thickness;
wherein the one or more internal beams comprises a first end attached to the internal surface of the sole at a location adjacent to the sole transition point and a second end attached to the internal surface of the sole proximate the indented region; and
wherein the one or more internal beams contact the sole only at the first end and the second end.
2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the one or more internal beams defines a beam height as a maximum distance between the one or more internal beams and the internal surface of the sole; and
wherein the beam height is between 0.010 and 1.000 inch.
3. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the beam width is between 0.2 and 1.000 inch.
4. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the beam thickness is between 0.010 and 0.500 inch.
5. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional shape is circular, triangular, rectangular, trapezoidal, or octagonal.
6. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the one or more internal beams does not contact the strikeface.
7. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the one or more internal beams comprise a first internal beam and a second internal beam;
wherein the second internal beam comprises a first end attached to the internal surface of the sole at a location adjacent the sole transition point and a second end attached to the internal surface of the sole proximate the indented region.
8. The golf club head of claim 7 , wherein the first internal beam and the second internal beam extend parallel to one another.
9. The golf club head of claim 7 , wherein the first internal beam and the second internal beam are spaced apart by a distance between 0.050 and 1.000 inch.
10. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the first concave section comprises a radius of curvature (R 3 );
the convex section comprises a radius of curvature (R 4 ); and
the second concave section comprises a radius of curvature (R 5 ).
11. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the radius of curvature R 3 and the radius of curvature R 5 are each equivalent or greater than R 4 .
12. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the radius of curvature R 3 is at least twice of the radius of curvature R 4 .
13. A golf club head comprising:
a body having a front end;
a back end opposite the front end;
a crown;
a sole opposite the crown, the sole defining a sole surface;
wherein a ground plane is tangent to the sole surface when the golf club head is at an address position to strike a golf ball;
a heel;
a toe opposite the heel, and a hosel structure having a hosel axis extending centrally through a bore in the hosel structure;
an internal cavity;
a strikeface positioned at the front end and defining a geometric center, and a loft plane tangent to the geometric center;
wherein the geometric center further defines a coordinate system having the geometric center;
the coordinate system comprising an X axis extending through the geometric center between the heel and the toe;
a Y axis extending through the geometric center and perpendicular to the X axis, between the crown and the sole;
a Z axis extending through the geometric center and perpendicular to the X axis and to the Y axis, between the front end and the back end;
the X axis and the Z axis together define an XZ plane extending between the heel and toe and between the front end and the back end;
the Y axis and the Z axis together define a YZ plane extending between the crown and the sole and between the front end and the back end;
a sole transition point defined by an intersection of the sole and the strikeface;
an indented region;
wherein the indented region is defined where the sole veers inward in a direction toward the internal cavity;
the indented region comprises a sole curvature profile defined by an intersection of the sole surface and the YZ plane;
wherein the sole curvature profile comprises a first inflection point and a second inflection point;
wherein the sole curvature profile comprises a first concave section extending from the sole transition point to the first inflection point and is concave relative to the XZ plane;
a convex section extending from the first inflection point to the second inflection point and is convex relative to the XZ plane;
a second concave section extending from the second inflection point to the back end and is concave relative to the XZ plane;
an internal beam attached to an internal surface of the sole and extending through the internal cavity, the internal beam comprising a broad surface disposed to the internal surface of the sole and an edge surface transverse to the internal surface of the sole, a cross-sectional shape defining a beam width measured in a heel-to-toe-direction and a beam thickness measured in a crown-to-sole direction, wherein the beam width is greater than the beam thickness;
wherein the internal beam comprises a first end attached to the internal surface of the sole at a location adjacent the sole transition point and a second end attached to the internal surface of the sole proximate the indented region;
wherein the internal beam contacts the sole only at the first end and the second end; and
wherein the internal beam is formed separately from the body and attached thereto.
14. The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein the internal beam is coupled to the body by welding or epoxying.
15. The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein the internal beam is formed of a different material than the body.
16. The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein the internal beam does not contact the strikeface.
17. A golf club head comprising:
a body having a front end;
a back end opposite the front end;
a crown;
a sole opposite the crown, the sole defining a sole surface;
wherein a ground plane is tangent to the sole surface when the golf club head is at an address position to strike a golf ball;
a heel;
a toe opposite the heel, and a hosel structure having a hosel axis extending centrally through a bore in the hosel structure;
an internal cavity;
a strikeface positioned at the front end and defining a geometric center, and a loft plane tangent to the geometric center;
wherein the geometric center further defines a coordinate system having the geometric center;
the coordinate system comprising an X axis extending through the geometric center between the heel and the toe;
a Y axis extending through the geometric center and perpendicular to the X axis, between the crown and the sole;
a Z axis extending through the geometric center and perpendicular to the X axis and to the Y axis, between the front end and the back end;
the X axis and the Z axis together define an XZ plane extending between the heel and toe and between the front end and the back end;
the Y axis and the Z axis together define a YZ plane extending between the crown and the sole and between the front end and the back end;
a sole transition point defined by an intersection of the sole and the strikeface;
an indented region;
wherein the indented region is defined where the sole veers inward in a direction toward the internal cavity;
the indented region comprises a sole curvature profile defined by an intersection of the sole surface and the YZ plane;
wherein the sole curvature profile comprises a first inflection point and a second inflection point;
wherein the sole curvature profile comprises a first concave section extending from the sole transition point to the first inflection point and is concave relative to the XZ plane;
a convex section extending from the first inflection point to the second inflection point and is convex relative to the XZ plane;
a second concave section extending from the second inflection point to the back end and is concave relative to the XZ plane;
an internal beam attached to an internal surface of the sole and extending through the internal cavity, the internal beam comprising a broad surface disposed to the internal surface of the sole and an edge surface transverse to the internal surface of the sole, a cross-sectional shape defining a beam width measured in a heel-to-toe-direction and a beam thickness measured in a crown-to-sole direction, wherein the beam width is greater than the beam thickness;
wherein the internal beam comprises a first end attached to the internal surface of the sole at a location adjacent the sole transition point and a second end attached to the internal surface of the sole proximate the indented region;
wherein the internal beam contacts the sole only at the first end and the second end; and
wherein the internal beam follows an arc-shaped path between the first end and the second end.
18. The golf club head of claim 17 , wherein the internal beam does not contact the strikeface.
19. The golf club head of claim 17 , wherein the internal beam defines a beam height as a maximum distance between the internal beam and the internal surface of the sole; and
wherein the beam height is between 0.010 and 1.000 inch.