Golf club head having supported striking face
A golf club head includes: a striking face; a top portion; a sole extending; a support bar protruding rearwardly from the striking face; an intermediate wall extending between the sole and the support bar; and a front cavity between the striking face and the intermediate wall, wherein, when the golf club head is in an address position on a ground plane, a greatest cavity height distance in a cross-sectional plane, as measured along a first direction perpendicular to the ground plane and from the ground plane to a top of the front cavity closest to the top portion is less than 70% of a greatest club height distance in the cross-sectional plane, as measured along the first direction and from the ground plane to the top portion, wherein the cross-sectional plane is perpendicular to the ground plane and taken at Face Center.
1 . An iron type golf club head, comprising:
a striking face having a substantially flat outermost surface, and having a lower leading edge and an opposite upper topline edge;
a top portion extending rearward from the upper topline edge;
a sole extending rearward from the lower leading edge;
a support bar protruding rearwardly from the striking face and extending in a toe-heel direction of the golf club head;
an intermediate wall extending between the sole and the support bar; and
a front cavity defined at least in part by the striking face, the intermediate wall, the support bar, and the sole,
wherein, when the golf club head is in an address position on a ground plane, a greatest cavity height distance in a cross-sectional plane, as measured along a first direction perpendicular to the ground plane and from the ground plane to a top of the front cavity closest to the top portion is less than 70% of a greatest club height distance in the cross-sectional plane, as measured along the first direction and from the ground plane to the top portion, wherein the cross-sectional plane is perpendicular to the ground plane and taken at Face Center,
wherein a sole slot is defined at least partly in the sole and exposes the front cavity to an exterior of the golf club head,
wherein the sole slot is at least partially filled with a first polymer material,
wherein a top slot is defined at least partly in the support bar and exposes the front cavity to the exterior of the golf club head, and
wherein the top slot is at least partially filled with the first polymer material or a second polymer material different from the first polymer material.
2 . The iron type golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising one or more polymer materials at least partially filling the front cavity.
3 . The iron type golf club head of claim 1 , wherein a volume of the front cavity is less than 8,500 mm 3 .
4 . The iron type golf club head of claim 3 , wherein the volume of the front cavity is less than 7,000 mm 3 .
5 . The iron type golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising:
a rear portion defining at least part of the sole; and
a rear cavity positioned rearward to the front cavity, and defined at least partially by the rear portion and the intermediate wall,
wherein the intermediate wall fluidically separates the front and rear cavities.
6 . The iron type golf club head of claim 1 , wherein an opening is defined in a toe or a heel of the golf club head and exposes the front cavity to an exterior of the golf club head, and
wherein the opening is at least partially filled with a first polymer material.
7 . An iron type golf club head, comprising:
a striking face having a lower leading edge and an upper topline edge;
a top portion extending rearward from the upper topline edge;
a sole extending rearward from the lower leading edge;
a support bar protruding rearwardly from the striking face, extending in a toe-heel direction of the golf club head, and positioned between the sole and the top portion;
an intermediate wall extending between the sole and the support bar; and
a front cavity defined at least in part by the striking face, the intermediate wall, the support bar, and the sole, and having a volume of less than 8,500 mm 3 ,
wherein a sole slot is defined at least partly in the sole that exposes the front cavity to an exterior of the golf club head,
wherein a top slot is defined in the support bar and exposes a top of the front cavity to the exterior of the golf club head, and
wherein the top slot is at least partially filled with a first polymer material.
8 . The iron type golf club head of claim 7 , wherein the volume of the front cavity is less than 7,000 mm 3 .
9 . The iron type golf club head of claim 7 , wherein the support bar covers an entire top of the front cavity.
10 . The iron type golf club head of claim 7 , wherein the sole slot is at least partially filled with a second polymer material different from the first polymer material.
11 . The iron type golf club head of claim 7 , wherein the sole slot is filled with the first polymer material.
12 . The iron type golf club head of claim 7 , further comprising one or more polymer materials at least partially filling the front cavity.
13 . The iron type golf club head of claim 12 , wherein the front cavity is partially filled by the one or more polymer materials, and part of the front cavity is void.