U.S. patent application number 13/834896 was filed with the patent office on 2014-09-18 for golf clubs and golf club heads having various front face characteristics.
The applicant listed for this patent is NIKE, Inc.. Invention is credited to Andrew G.V. Oldknow.
Application Number | 20140274452 13/834896 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51529619 |
Filed Date | 2014-09-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140274452 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Oldknow; Andrew G.V. |
September 18, 2014 |
Golf Clubs and Golf Club Heads Having Various Front Face
Characteristics
Abstract
A golf club with a golf club head having various front face
characteristics is presented. The golf club head may include a
front face having one or more regions including texture to aid in
movement of the ball, such as from the sand. In some examples, the
front face may include a ball striking portion having regions with
distinct and different score line arrangements. For instance, one
region of the ball striking portion may have score lines that are
more widely spaced than another region of the ball striking
portion.
Inventors: |
Oldknow; Andrew G.V.;
(Beaverton, OR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
NIKE, Inc.; |
|
|
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
51529619 |
Appl. No.: |
13/834896 |
Filed: |
March 15, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/331 ;
473/330 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 53/02 20130101;
A63B 53/0445 20200801; A63B 60/00 20151001; A63B 2209/10 20130101;
A63B 2209/00 20130101; A63B 53/047 20130101; A63B 2209/02 20130101;
A63B 53/0408 20200801; A63B 53/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/331 ;
473/330 |
International
Class: |
A63B 53/04 20060101
A63B053/04 |
Claims
1. A golf club head, comprising: a golf club head body having a toe
end, a heel end, a top portion, a sole portion and a front face,
the front face including a first region near the toe end of the
golf club head, a second region extending across a central portion
of the front face and providing at least a portion of a ball
striking region of the front face, and a third region near the heel
end of the golf club head, wherein at least one of the first region
and the third region includes a texture different from the second
region extending across the front face of the golf club head in the
region.
2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the texture is formed
using at least one of shot peening, sand blasting, and spraying the
region with textured metal.
3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein both the first and third
regions include the texture.
4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first region extends
from a toe edge of the golf club head inward, toward a center of
the front face of the golf club head between approximately 0.2 and
approximately 0.75 inches.
5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the third region extends
from a heel edge of the golf club head inward, toward a center of
the front face of the golf club head between approximately 0.2 and
approximately 0.5 inches.
6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the second region does
not include texture.
7. A golf club, comprising: a golf club head of claim 1; and a
shaft engaged with the golf club head.
8. A golf club, comprising: a shaft; a golf club head body
connected to a first end of the shaft, the golf club head body
including at least a front face having a ball striking portion, a
heel end, a toe end, a sole portion, and a top portion; a textured
region formed in at least a portion of the front face; and a
plurality of score lines formed in the ball striking portion of the
front face.
9. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the textured region is
provided in the front face near the toe end of the golf club head
body.
10. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the textured region is
provided in the front face near the heel end of the golf club head
body.
11. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the textured region does not
extend into the ball striking portion of the front face.
12. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the textured region is formed
using at least one of sand blasting, shot peening, and spraying on
metal texture.
13. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the textured region forms
less than 25% of the front face of the golf club head body.
14. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the score lines are not
formed in the textured region.
15. A golf club head, comprising: a golf club head body including
at least a sole portion, a top portion, a heel end, a toe end, and
a front face, the front face further including: a ball striking
portion configured to contact a ball; and a plurality of score
lines formed in the ball striking portion, the score lines having a
first spacing arrangement in a first region of the ball striking
portion and a second spacing arrangement in a second region of the
ball striking portion, wherein the first spacing arrangement is
different from the second spacing arrangement.
16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the first region of the
ball striking portion is an upper portion of the ball striking
portion and the second region of the ball striking portion is a
lower region of the ball striking portion arranged vertically below
the upper portion when the golf club head is oriented in a ball
address orientation.
17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the score lines of the
first spacing arrangement are more narrowly spaced than the score
lines of the second arrangement.
18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the score lines of the
second spacing arrangement are spaced twice as widely as the score
lines of the first spacing arrangement.
19. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the first region of the
ball striking portion forms 50% or less of the ball striking
portion.
20. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the first region of the
ball striking portion forms between 25% and 60% of the ball
striking portion.
21. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the second region of
the ball striking portion forms between 25% and 60% of the ball
striking portion.
22. A golf club, comprising: a golf club head of claim 15; and a
shaft connected to the golf club head.
23. The golf club head of claim 15, further including a third
region of the ball striking portion having score lines formed in a
third spacing arrangement different from the first and second
spacing arrangements.
24. A golf club, comprising: a shaft; a golf club head connected to
one end of the shaft, the golf club head including a top portion, a
sole portion, a toe end, a heel end, and a front face, the front
face including a ball striking portion arranged between a first end
portion of the front face and a second end portion of the front
face; a textured portion extending across at least one of the first
end portion and the second end portion; and a plurality of score
lines formed in the ball striking portion, the score lines having a
first spacing arrangement in an upper region of the ball striking
portion and a second spacing arrangement in a lower region of the
ball striking portion, the first spacing arrangement being
different from the second spacing arrangement.
25. The golf club of claim 24, wherein the second spacing
arrangement includes score lines that are more widely spaced than
the score lines of the first spacing arrangement.
26. The golf club of claim 25, wherein the score lines of the
second spacing arrangement are spaced twice as far apart as the
score lines of the first spacing arrangement.
27. The golf club of claim 24, wherein the textured portion extends
across the first end portion and the second end portion.
28. The golf club of claim 27, wherein the textured portion extends
across the first end portion, the second end portion, and the ball
striking portion.
29. The golf club of claim 28, wherein the textured portion
extending across at least one of the first end portion, the second
end portion and the ball striking portion has a different texture
than the textured portion extending across another of the first end
portion, the second end portion and the ball striking portion.
30. An iron-type golf club head, comprising: a golf club head body
including: a front face having a ball striking region; and a
textured region on the front face generally adjacent to the ball
striking region.
31. The iron-type golf club head of claim 30, wherein the textured
region is in a toe region of the golf club head body.
32. The iron-type golf club head of claim 30, wherein the textured
region is in a heel region of the golf club head body.
33. The iron-type golf club head of claim 30, wherein the textured
region is in a toe region and a heel region of the golf club head
body to provide a textured region on each side of the ball striking
region.
34. The iron-type golf club head of claim 30, wherein the textured
region extends upward from a sole of the golf club head body along
at least a portion of the front face.
35. The iron-type golf club head of claim 30, further including a
plurality of score lines formed in the front face.
36. The iron-type golf club head of claim 35, wherein a first
plurality of score lines formed in the front face have a first
spacing arrangement and a second plurality of score lines formed in
the front face have a second spacing arrangement different from the
first spacing arrangement.
37. The iron-type golf club head of claim 30, wherein the golf club
head has a loft angle between 45 degrees and 68 degrees.
38. The iron-type golf club head of claim 30, wherein the golf club
head has a loft angle between 48 degrees and 60 degrees.
39. An iron-type golf club, comprising: an iron-type golf club head
of claim 30; and a shaft connected to the iron-type golf club head.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates generally to golf clubs. In
particular, the invention relates to golf clubs and golf club head
structures having various front face characteristics, such as
texture, varying score line spacing arrangements, and hosel
configurations to provide improved golf club performance.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Golf is enjoyed by a wide variety of players--players of
different genders and dramatically different ages and/or skill
levels. Golf is somewhat unique in the sporting world in that such
diverse collections of players can play together in golf events,
even in direct competition with one another (e.g., using
handicapped scoring, different tee boxes, in team formats, etc.),
and still enjoy the golf outing or competition. These factors,
together with the increased availability of golf programming on
television (e.g., golf tournaments, golf news, golf history, and/or
other golf programming) and the rise of well known golf superstars,
at least in part, have increased golf's popularity in recent years,
both in the United States and across the world.
[0003] Golfers at all skill levels seek to improve their
performance, lower their golf scores, and reach that next
performance "level." Manufacturers of all types of golf equipment
have responded to these demands, and in recent years, the industry
has witnessed dramatic changes and improvements in golf equipment.
For example, a wide range of different golf ball models now are
available, with balls designed to complement specific swing speeds
and/or other player characteristics or preferences, e.g., with some
balls designed to fly farther and/or straighter; some designed to
provide higher or flatter trajectories; some designed to provide
more spin, control, and/or feel (particularly around the greens);
some designed for faster or slower swing speeds; etc. A host of
swing and/or teaching aids also are available on the market that
promise to help lower one's golf scores.
[0004] Being the sole instrument that sets a golf ball in motion
during play, golf clubs also have been the subject of much
technological research and advancement in recent years. For
example, the market has seen dramatic changes and improvements in
putter designs, golf club head designs, shafts, and grips in recent
years. Additionally, other technological advancements have been
made in an effort to better match the various elements and/or
characteristics of the golf club and characteristics of a golf ball
to a particular user's swing features or characteristics (e.g.,
club fitting technology, ball launch angle measurement technology,
ball spin rates, etc.).
[0005] Given the recent advances, there is a vast array of golf
club component parts available to the golfer. For example, club
heads are produced by a wide variety of manufacturers in a variety
of different models. Moreover, the individual club head models may
include multiple variations, such as variations in the loft angle,
lie angle, offset features, weighting characteristics (e.g., draw
biased club heads, fade biased club heads, neutrally weighted club
heads, etc.). Additionally, the club heads may be combined with a
variety of different shafts, e.g., from different manufacturers;
having different stiffness, flex points, kick points, or other
flexion characteristics, etc.; made from different materials; etc.
Between the available variations in shafts and club heads, there
are literally hundreds of different club head/shaft combinations
available to the golfer.
[0006] Throughout a round of golf, many golfers may find themselves
hitting from a variety of surfaces, terrains, etc. For instance, a
player may hit from the relatively short grass of a fairway, longer
grass of the rough, sand of a bunker, etc. all in a single round.
Thus, it would be advantageous to provide golf clubs that may aid
in improving performance, consistency, etc. from this variety of
hitting surfaces.
SUMMARY
[0007] The following presents a general summary of aspects of the
invention in order to provide a basic understanding of the
invention and various features associated with the invention. This
summary is not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any
way, but it simply provides a general overview and context for the
more detailed description that follows.
[0008] Aspects of this invention relate to golf clubs and golf club
head structures having various front face characteristics
configured to aid in improving performance of the golf club. In
some arrangements, a golf club head (such as for an iron-type golf
club) may include texture in one or more regions of a front face of
the golf club head to aid in movement of the ball, particularly
when hitting in sand, such as from a bunker. Additionally or
alternatively, a golf club head may have a plurality of score lines
or grooves formed in the ball striking portion of the front face.
In some examples, the ball striking portion may have two or more
regions, each having different score line spacing arrangements to
provide improved performance of the golf club when hitting from
different terrains, such as from a fairway, from the rough,
etc.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] A more complete understanding of the present invention and
certain advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the
following detailed description in consideration with the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is an example golf club in accordance with at least
some aspects of the invention.
[0011] FIG. 2 illustrates one example golf club head having a
textured region according to one or more aspects of the
invention.
[0012] FIG. 3 illustrates another example golf club head having
textured regions according to one or more aspects of the
invention.
[0013] FIG. 4 is an example golf club head having a ball striking
portion of the front face with varying score line spacing
arrangements according to one or more aspects of the invention.
[0014] FIG. 5 is another example golf club head having varying
score line spacing arrangements in the ball striking portion
according to one or more aspects of the invention.
[0015] FIG. 6 is yet another example golf club head having a
textured region and varying score line spacing arrangements in the
ball striking portion according to one or more aspects of the
invention.
[0016] FIG. 7 is still another example golf club head having a
textured region and varying score line spacing arrangements in the
ball striking portion according to one or more aspects of the
invention.
[0017] FIG. 8 is yet another example golf club head having various
texture and score line spacing arrangements according to one or
more aspects of the invention.
[0018] FIG. 9 is still another example golf club head having an
alternate hosel position in accordance with one or more aspects of
the invention.
[0019] The reader is advised that the attached drawings are not
necessarily drawn to scale.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] In the following description of various example structures
in accordance with the invention, reference is made to the
accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which are
shown by way of illustration various example articles, including
one or more golf club or golf club head structures. Additionally,
it is to be understood that other specific arrangements of parts
and structures may be utilized and structural and functional
modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the
present invention. Also, while the terms "top," "bottom," "front,"
"back," "rear," "side," "underside," "overhead," and the like may
be used in this specification to describe various example features
and elements of the invention, these terms are used herein as a
matter of convenience, e.g., based on the example orientations
shown in the figures and/or the orientations in typical use.
Nothing in this specification should be construed as requiring a
specific three dimensional or spatial orientation of structures in
order to fall within the scope of this invention. Further, the
invention generally will be described as it relates to iron-type
golf clubs. However, aspects of the invention may be used with any
of several types of golf clubs, including wood-type golf clubs,
hybrid type golf clubs, utility clubs, and the like and nothing in
the specification or figures should be construed to limit the
invention to use with the iron-type golf clubs described.
A. General Description of an Illustrative Golf Club with Golf Club
Head Having Various Front Face Characteristics
[0021] In general, as described above, aspects of this invention
relate to golf club and golf club head structures. More detailed
descriptions of aspects of this invention follow.
[0022] 1. Example Golf Clubs and Golf Club Heads Having Various
Front Face Characteristics
[0023] Aspects of this invention relate to golf club and golf club
head structures. In at least some examples, the structure may
include a golf club head body having a rear portion, a toe end, a
heel end, a top portion, a sole portion and a front face. In some
arrangements, the front face may include a first region formed near
the toe end of the golf club head, a second region formed in a
central portion of the front face and forming at least a portion of
a ball striking region of the front face, and a third region formed
near the heel end of the golf club head. In at least some examples,
at least one of the first region and the third region includes a
texture extending across the front face of the golf club head in
the region.
[0024] In some aspects of the invention, the texture is formed in
at least one of the above noted regions using at least one of shot
peening, sand blasting, laser peening (or laser ablating), and
spraying the region with textured metal. In some examples, both the
first region and the third region may include texture while the
second region may not include texture. In still other arrangements,
the first region, second region and third region may include
texture.
[0025] In other arrangements, the golf clubs may include a shaft
and a golf club head body connected to a first end of the shaft. In
some examples, the golf club head body may include at least a front
face having a ball striking portion, a rear portion, a heel end, a
toe end, a sole portion, and a top portion. The golf club may
further include a textured region formed in at least a portion of
the front face and a plurality of score lines formed in the ball
striking portion of the front face. In some examples, the textured
region may be formed in the front face near a toe end of the golf
club head body or in the front face near the heel end of the golf
club head body. In still other examples, the textured region may be
formed in the front face near both the toe end and heel end of the
golf club head body. In some arrangements, the texture may not
extend into the ball striking portion of the golf club head
body.
[0026] In still other examples, golf club heads may include a golf
club head body having at least a rear portion, a sole portion, a
top portion, a heel end, a toe end, and a front face. In some
arrangements, the front face may further include a ball striking
portion configured to contact a ball and a plurality of score lines
formed in the ball striking portion. In some examples, the score
lines may have a first spacing arrangement in a first region of the
ball striking portion and a second spacing arrangement in a second
region of the ball striking portion. The first spacing arrangement
may be different from the second spacing arrangement. In some
examples, the score lines of the first spacing arrangement may be
more narrowly spaced than the score lines of the second spacing
arrangement. In some arrangements, the first region may be an upper
portion of the ball striking portion and the second region may be a
lower portion of the ball striking portion. In still other
arrangements, the ball striking portion may further include a third
region having score lines formed in a third spacing arrangement
different from the first spacing arrangement and the second spacing
arrangement.
[0027] Still other aspects of the invention relate to golf clubs
including a shaft and a golf club head connected to one end of the
shaft. In some examples, the golf club head may include a rear
portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a toe end, a heel end, and
a front face. The front face may include a ball striking portion
arranged between a first end portion of the front face and a second
end portion of the front face. The golf club may further include a
textured portion extending across at least one of the first end
portion and the second end portion and a plurality of score lines
formed in the ball striking portion. In some examples, the score
lines may have a first spacing arrangement in an upper region of
the ball striking portion and a second spacing arrangement in a
lower region of the ball striking portion, the first spacing
arrangement being different from the second spacing arrangement. In
some arrangements, the score lines of the first spacing arrangement
may be more narrowly spaced than the score lines of the second
spacing arrangement.
[0028] Additional aspects and specific examples of the articles
described above will be described in detail more fully below. The
reader should understand that these specific examples are set forth
merely to illustrate examples of the invention, and they should not
be construed as limiting the invention.
B. Specific Examples of the Invention
[0029] Referring to the figures and following discussion, golf
clubs and golf club heads in accordance with the present invention
are described. As discussed above, the golf club and club head
structures described herein may be described in terms of iron-type
golf clubs including wedges. However, the present invention is not
limited to the precise arrangements disclosed herein but applies to
golf clubs generally, including hybrid clubs, wood-type golf clubs,
utility-type golf clubs, and the like.
[0030] Example golf club and golf club head structures in
accordance with this invention may relate to "iron-type" golf clubs
and golf club heads, e.g., wedges, etc. The club heads described
herein may include a multiple piece construction and structure,
e.g., including one or more of a sole member, a face member
(optionally including a ball striking face integrally formed
therein or attached thereto), one or more body members or parts, a
face plate, a face frame member (to which a ball striking face may
be attached), etc. Of course, if desired, various portions of the
club head structure may be integrally formed with one another, as a
unitary, one piece construction, without departing from the
invention (e.g., the body member(s) may be integrally formed with
the sole member, the face member may be integrally formed with the
sole and/or body, etc.). Optionally, if desired, the various
portions of the club head structure (such as the sole member, the
face member, the body member(s), etc.) individually may be formed
from multiple pieces of material without departing from this
invention (e.g., a multi-piece body, a multi-piece sole, rear
cavity inserts, etc.). Also, as other alternatives, if desired, the
entire club head may be made as a single, one piece, unitary
construction, or a face plate member may be attached to a one piece
club head body. More specific examples and features of golf club
heads and golf club structures according to this invention will be
described in detail below in conjunction with the example golf club
structures illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 9.
[0031] FIG. 1 generally illustrates an iron-type golf club, such as
a wedge, in accordance with one example of this invention, and
generally designated with the reference numeral 100. The golf club
100 includes a golf club head 102 and a hosel area 104 at which the
head 102 is connected to a shaft 106. The hosel area 104 may be of
any desired design and construction without departing from this
invention (e.g., an exteriorly extending hosel member 104, as
shown; an internal hosel member; a releasable hosel member; etc.),
including conventional designs and constructions as are known and
used in the art. Likewise, the shaft 106 may be made of any desired
materials and connected to the hosel area 104 (or directly to the
club head 102) in any desired manner, including conventional
materials, connected in conventional manners, as are known and used
in the art. As some more specific examples, if desired, the shaft
106 may be made from steel (including stainless steel), aluminum,
or other metal or metal alloy materials; graphite based materials;
composite or other non-metal materials; polymeric materials,
combinations of various materials, etc. The shaft 106 may be
connected to the hosel area 104 and/or directly to the club head
102 via cements or adhesives, via mechanical connection systems,
and the like. If desired, the shaft 106 may be connected to the
hosel area 104 or to the club head 102 by a releasable mechanical
or adhesive connection that easily allows the club head 102 and
shaft 106 to be separated from one another (and optionally
thereafter engaged with a different head or shaft), or adjusted as
desired.
[0032] A grip member 108 or other handle element may be provided on
and/or integrally formed with the shaft 106. Any desired materials
may be used for the grip member 108, such as rubber based materials
(synthetic or natural); polymer based materials (including cord or
other fabric or textile containing polymers); leather materials
(synthetic or natural); etc. The grip member 108 or other handle
element may be engaged with or formed as part of the shaft 106 in
any desired manner without departing from this invention, including
through the use of adhesives or cements, mechanical connectors
(e.g., threaded connections), welding, soldering or the like. In
some arrangements, the grip or handle member 108 may be integrally
formed as a unitary, one-piece construction with the shaft member
106. In at least some example structures according to this
invention, the grip member 108 will be made of conventional
materials as are known and used in the art, and it will be attached
to the shaft member 106 in conventional manners as are known and
used in the art.
[0033] The club head 102 itself also may be constructed in any
suitable or desired manner and/or from any suitable or desired
materials without departing from this invention, including from
conventional materials and/or in conventional manners known and
used in the art. For example, in the example structure 102 shown in
FIG. 1, the club head 102 includes a ball striking face member or
portion 102a (optionally including a ball striking face plate (not
shown in FIG. 1) that may be integrally formed with the face member
or portion 102a or attached to the golf club such that the face
plate and a frame member for the face plate together constitute the
overall ball striking face member or portion 102a). In some
arrangements, the ball striking face member or portion 102a and/or
ball striking face plate may be connected to the remainder of the
club head using one or more mechanical fasteners and/or using
fusing techniques (e.g., welding, cements, etc.). The club head 102
of this illustrated example further includes other portions or
segments including a top 102c, a sole 102d, and at least one rear
body portion (not shown in FIG. 1) located between the top portion
102c and the sole 102d (e.g., material extending from the face
member 102a, around the club head periphery from the heel end or
edge 105 to the toe end or edge 103). This body portion, which
extends to a location substantially opposite the striking face, may
include a rear portion of the club head structure.
[0034] A wide variety of overall club head constructions are
possible without departing from this invention. For example, if
desired, some or all of the various individual parts of the club
head 102 described above may be made from multiple pieces that are
connected together (e.g., by welding, adhesives, or other fusing
techniques; by mechanical connectors; etc.). The various parts
(e.g., top 102c, sole 102d, and/or rear body portion(s) may be made
from any desired materials and combinations of different materials,
including materials that are conventionally known and used in the
art, such as metal materials, including lightweight metal
materials. More specific examples of suitable lightweight metal
materials include steel, titanium and titanium alloys, aluminum and
aluminum alloys, magnesium and magnesium alloys, etc.
[0035] As additional examples or alternatives, in order to reduce
the weight of the club head 102, if desired, one or more portions
of the club head structure 102 advantageously may be made from a
composite material, such as from carbon fiber composite materials
that are conventionally known and used in the art. Other suitable
composite or other non-metal materials that may be used for one or
more portions of the club head structure 102 include, for example:
fiberglass composite materials, basalt fiber composite materials,
polymer materials, etc. As some more specific examples, if desired,
at least some portion(s) of the top member 102c may be made from
composite or other non-metal materials. Additionally or
alternatively, if desired, at least some portion(s) of the sole
member 102d may be made from composite or other non-metal
materials. As still additional examples or alternatives, if
desired, one or more portions of the club head's rear body member
may be made from composite or other non-metal materials. As yet
further examples, if desired, the entire body portion of the club
head behind the club head face member 102a, or optionally the
entire club head 102, may be made from composite or other non-metal
materials without departing from this invention. The composite or
other non-metal material(s) may be incorporated as part of the club
head structure 102 in any desired manner, including in conventional
manners that are known and used in the art. Reducing the club
head's weight (e.g., through the use of composite or other
non-metal materials, lightweight metals, metallic foam or other
cellular structured materials, etc.) allows club designers and/or
club fitters to selectively position additional weight in the
overall club head structure 102, e.g., to desirable locations to
increase the moment of inertia, affect the center of gravity
location, and/or affect other playability characteristics of the
club head structure 102 (e.g., to draw or fade bias a club head; to
help get shots airborne by providing a low center of gravity; to
help produce a lower, more boring ball flight; to help correct or
compensate for swing flaws that produce undesired ball flights,
such as hooks or slices, ballooning shots, etc.).
[0036] The various individual parts that make up a club head
structure 102, if made from multiple pieces, may be engaged with
one another and/or held together in any suitable or desired manner,
including in conventional manners known and used in the art. For
example, the various parts of the club head structure 102, such as
the ball striking face member or portion 102a, the ball striking
plate 102b, the top 102c, the sole 102d, and/or the body portion(s)
may be joined and/or fixed together (directly or indirectly through
intermediate members) by adhesives, cements, welding, soldering, or
other bonding or finishing techniques, and the like. In some
arrangements, the various parts of the club head 102 may be joined
by mechanical connectors (such as threads, screws, nuts, bolts, or
other connectors), and the like. If desired, the mating edges of
various parts of the club head structure 102 (e.g., the edges where
members 102a, 102b, 102c, and/or 102d, contact and join to one
another) may include one or more raised ribs, tabs, ledges, or
other engagement elements that fit into or onto corresponding
grooves, slots, surfaces, ledges, openings, or other structures
provided in or on the facing side edge to which it is joined.
Cements, adhesives, mechanical connectors, finishing material, or
the like may be used in combination with the raised
rib/groove/ledge/edge or other connecting structures described
above to further help secure the various parts of the club head
structure 102 together.
[0037] The dimensions and/or other characteristics of a golf club
head structure according to examples of this invention may vary
significantly without departing from the invention, and may include
conventional dimensions and/or other characteristics as are known
and used in the art.
[0038] FIG. 2 illustrates one example golf club head 202 having
various front face characteristics according to at least some
aspects described herein. The golf club head 202 may includes a toe
end 203 and a heel end 205. The toe end 203 location is determined
by placing a vertical plane tangent to the toe of the club when the
club is oriented in a ball address position (and the measurements
are measured from that plane). The heel end 203 location is
determined by placing a vertical plane tangent to the heel of the
club when the club is oriented in a ball address position (and the
measurements are measured from that plane). The ball striking face
210 may include a front portion or a front face 209 which may be
defined as the overall flat area of the ball striking face 210.
[0039] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the golf club head 202 may be a
wedge, such as a sand wedge, pitching wedge, lob wedge, gap wedge,
etc. For ease of understanding the front face of the golf club head
202 may be described as having three regions, a first region 210a
located near the toe end 203 of the golf club head 202, a second
region 210b located in a central region of the front face 209 and
forming at least a portion of the ball striking face 210, and a
third region 210c located near the heel end 205 of the golf club
head 202. These three regions may each have different
characteristics which may have varying effects on a ball during
play.
[0040] In the example shown in FIG. 2, the first region 210a
includes a textured or otherwise uneven surface. The texture
provided may be cut into the face 209 of the club head 202, may be
sprayed onto the front face 209 of the club head 202 (e.g., sprayed
with textured metal, or other suitable materials etc.) or may be
introduced to the front face 209 via another processing method,
such as sand blasting, shot peening, laser peeing (or laser
ablation) and the like. In some examples, the texture provided may
be an aggressive texture, such that it substantially disrupts the
smoothness of the surface of the front face 209. For example, the
texturing may be provided to a degree up to the limits of
compliance with USGA regulations. Other texturing may be provided
in accordance with industry standards without departing from this
invention.
[0041] The first region 210a may generally extend inward, from the
toe end 203 of the golf club head 202, toward a center of the front
face 209 of the golf club head 202. In some examples, the first
region 210a may comprise between 5% and 20% of the surface area of
the front face 209 of the golf club head 202. In other examples,
the first region 210a may comprise between 7% and 15% of the
surface area of the front face 209 of the golf club head 202. In
some arrangements, the first region 210a may extend between 0.1 and
1 inches inward (and in some examples, between 0.2 and 0.75 inches
inward or even between 0.2 and 0.5 inches) from the toe edge 203 of
the golf club head 202. In one exemplary embodiment, the textured
surface extends from the sole portion 102d to the crown portion
102c.
[0042] The addition of texture to one or more regions of the front
face 209 of the golf club head 202 may aid in improved ball
striking performance. For instance, when hitting a golf ball
located in a bunker, it may be preferable to hit behind the ball
(e.g., contacting the sand positioned behind the ball) and use the
movement of the sand to lift and/or push the golf ball up and into
the air (and out of the bunker). Generally, the more sand the golf
club moves, the better the ball will be pushed/lifted up and out of
the bunker. The addition of the texture aids in movement of the
sand because the textured portion of the front face 209 grabs more
sand as the golf club head 202 begins passing through the sand
during the stroke (as compared to the smooth and/or polished
surfaces along the edges of conventional golf clubs). That is, the
textured portion aids in providing more and/or earlier movement of
the sand in the stroke in order to aid in lifting/pushing the ball
up and out of the sand during the shot.
[0043] FIG. 3 illustrates another arrangement in which texture is
added to portions of the front face 309 of the golf club head 302
to aid in improving performance of the golf club in various course
conditions. The ball striking face 310 may include a front portion
or front face 309 which may be defined as the overall flat area of
the ball striking face 310. Similar to the arrangement of FIG. 2,
the front face 309 may be considered in three regions, a first
region 310a near a toe end 303 of the golf club head 302, a second
region 310b in a central region of the front face 310 golf club
head 302 and a third region 310c near a heel end 305 of the front
face 310 of the golf club head 302. Also similar to the arrangement
of FIG. 2, the front face 309 includes texture 311a formed in the
first region 310a. Additionally, in the arrangement of FIG. 3,
texture 311b is included in the third region 310c. That is, the
portions of the front face 309 outside of the ball striking area,
are textured to aid in improving performance associated with the
golf club head.
[0044] In some examples, the texture 311a of the first region 310a
may be substantially the same as (e.g., same type of texture,
texturing process, size of distortions in the face, etc.) the
texture 311b in the third region 310c. Alternatively, the texture
311a in the first region 310a may be different from the texture
311b in the third region 310c. The texture 311 may be provided
using known texturing techniques, such as those described above
with respect to FIG. 2.
[0045] The size and configuration of the first region 310a may be
substantially similar to the arrangements and configurations
described above with respect to FIG. 2. Further, the third region
may extend inward, from a heel edge 305 of the golf club head 302
toward a center of the front face 309 of the golf club head. In
some examples, the third region 310c may comprise 3% to 15% of the
surface area of the front face 309 of the golf club head. In some
arrangements, the third region may extend between 0.1 and 0.75
inches (and in some examples, between 0.2 and 0.5 inches) inward
from the heel edge 305 of the golf club head 302. In an exemplary
embodiment, the texture 311a, 311b in the regions 310a, 310c
extends from the sole portion 102d to the top portion 102c.
[0046] FIG. 4 illustrates another golf club head 402 having face
characteristics according to at least some aspects of this
invention. The golf club head 402 includes a ball striking face 410
that includes a front portion or a front face 409 which may be
defined as the overall flat area of the ball striking face 410. The
front face 409 may further include a ball striking portion 412. For
ease of understanding, the ball striking portion 412 may be
referred to as having different regions and, in some examples, the
different regions may have different performance characteristics. A
score line 206 is utilized on FIG. 4 to illustrate these different
regions. Using the overall face height FH as a base dimension, the
score line 206 may run horizontal through the approximate "center"
of the front face as shown in FIG. 4, for example at 0.5*FH. For
instance, the golf club head 402 includes a ball striking portion
412 having two regions: an upper region 412a and a lower region
412b, in which the lower region 412b is positioned vertically below
the score line 206 and the upper region 412a along the ball
striking portion of the front face of the golf club head 402 when
the club is oriented in a ball address orientation. Additionally,
the upper region 412a is positioned vertically above the score line
206. In some examples, the upper region 412a and the lower region
412b may comprise between a surface area with the score line
located at the approximate midpoint of the face height, or 0.5*FH.
In some examples, with the club oriented in a ball address
position, the upper region 412a may comprise the approximately an
upper half of the ball striking portion 412 (e.g., the portion of
the ball striking portion 412 above the score line 206 extending
through a midpoint of the face height FH) and the lower region 412b
may comprise an approximate lower half of the ball striking portion
412 (e.g., the portion of the ball striking portion 412 below the
score line 206 extending through a midpoint of the face height FH).
Alternatively, one of the upper region 412a or lower region 412b
may comprise more than an approximate half of the ball striking
surface 412. That is, one region may extend above or below the
score line extending through the midpoint of the face height FH.
For example, the upper region 412a may be defined as the surface
area above a score line 206 located at approximately 25% of the
face height (0.25*FH) while the lower region 412b may be defined as
the surface area below the score line 206. In another example, the
lower portion 412b may be defined as the surface area below a score
line 206 located at approximately 75% of the face height (0.75*FH)
while the upper region 412a may be defined as the surface area
above the score line 206. In still other examples, the score line
206 may be located at approximately 1/3 of the face height (1/3*FH)
or 2/3 of the face height (2/3*FH). Various arrangements and
divisions between the upper and lower regions are possible without
departing from the invention.
[0047] As shown in FIG. 4, the ball striking portion 412 includes a
plurality of score lines or grooves 420 formed therein. In some
examples, the spacing of the score lines 420a in the upper region
412a may be different from the spacing of the score lines 420b in
the lower region 412b. For instance, the upper region 412a and the
lower region 412b may each have distinct score line spacing
patterns to provide different or varying performance
characteristics. For instance, the score lines 420b in the lower
region 412b may be more widely spaced apart than the score lines
420a in the upper region 412a. In some examples, the spacing
between the score lines 420b in the lower region 412b may be twice
as wide as the spacing between the score lines 420a of the upper
region 412a. In other examples, the space of the score lines 420b
in the lower region 412b may be between 25% and 75% wider than the
score lines in 420a in the upper region 412a. In other examples,
the spacing of the score lines 420b in the lower region 412b may be
between 25% and 200% wider than the score lines 420a in the upper
region 412a. In other embodiments, the spacing of the score lines
420b in the lower region 412b may be separated by approximately 0.1
inches with the spacing of the score lines 420a in the upper region
412a separated by approximately 0.2 inches. In other embodiments,
the spacing of the score lines 420b in the lower region 412b may be
separated by approximately 0.1 inches with the spacing of the score
lines 420a in the upper region 412a separated by approximately 0.3
inches. In other embodiments, the spacing of the score lines 420b
in the lower region 412b may be separated by approximately 0.25
inches with the spacing of the score lines 420a in the upper region
412a separated by approximately 0.5 inches. Various arrangements
and divisions between the upper and lower regions are possible
without departing from the invention.
[0048] The varying score line arrangements between the upper region
412a and the lower region 412b may provide improved performance
characteristics for the golf club head 402 in various playing
conditions, types of terrain, etc. That is, the difference in score
line arrangements may benefit the user when using the golf club in
different conditions (e.g., fairway, rough, sand, etc.). For
instance, the score lines 420b of the lower region 412b having
greater spacing between them may allow more contact between the
metal surface of the golf club head and the ball when striking a
ball, for instance, in a fairway, where grass may be short and may
have minimal interference between the ball and the ball striking
surface 412. In these example instances, score lines may have a
limited impact on ball flight and thus, reducing the number of
score lines or increasing the spacing between the score lines may
aid in providing more consistency between shots.
[0049] Additionally or alternatively, the score lines 420a in the
upper region 412a may be more closely arranged to increase spin
imparted on a golf ball during shots in which debris (such as
water, grass, sand, etc.) may be between (and may interfere with
contact between) the ball and the ball striking surface 412 of the
golf club head 402. Further, a player may be more likely to contact
a ball high on the ball striking portion 412 when hitting a ball in
long grass (rough) etc. and thus, the score line 420a spacing in
the upper region 412a may provide improved spin and overall
performance of the golf club. The increased score line density at
the upper region 412a provides more groove volume at that region to
remove water, grass, sand, etc. from between the ball and ball
striking portion 412 on shots from longer grass (in longer grass,
the club head is more likely to strike the ball toward the top of
the face, especially if the ball is "sitting up" somewhat in the
grass).
[0050] Although the arrangement of FIG. 4 illustrates a ball
striking portion 412 having two regions with different score line
density or spacing, a plurality of regions including three or more
regions may also be provided, and one or more of the regions may
have different performance characteristics. For instance, FIG. 5
illustrates a golf club head 502 that includes a ball striking face
510 that includes a front portion or a front face 509 which may be
defined as the overall flat area of the ball striking face 510. The
front face 509 may further include a ball striking portion 512. For
ease of understanding, the ball striking portion 512 may be
referred to as having different regions and, in some examples, the
different regions may have different performance characteristics.
The ball striking portion 512 illustrated in FIG. 5 includes three
different score line arrangements in three different regions. For
instance, the score lines 520a in the upper region 512a may be more
closely spaced than the score lines 520b in the lower region 512b,
similar to the arrangement of FIG. 4. Additionally, the golf club
head 502 may include a middle or transition region 512c formed in
the ball striking portion 512. The transition region 512c may be
positioned between the upper region 512a and the lower region 512b
and may have score lines 520c arranged at a distance between each
score line 520c that is between the distance between score lines
520a in the upper region 512a and the distance between the score
lines 520b of the lower region 512b. This transition region 512c
may provide further performance improvement by providing another
variation to the score line arrangements that may be useful, for
instance, in shorter rough or other instances in which a player may
hit a ball at or just above a center of the ball striking portion
512. As was described above for FIG. 4, various arrangements and
divisions between the upper region 512a, the lower region 512b, and
the transition region 512c are possible without departing from the
invention.
[0051] FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate various other golf club head
arrangements in which a textured front face may be used in
conjunction with various score line spacing arrangements to provide
improved performance characteristics. The reference numbers used in
FIGS. 6 and 7 correspond to those used in the preceding figures,
but the "6xx" and "7xx" series of numbers are used, respectively.
FIG. 6 illustrates a golf club head 602 having a ball striking face
610 that includes a front face 609 including texture 611 in a first
region 610a and a ball striking portion 612 having more closely
packed score lines 620a in the upper region 612a than the lower
region 612b. These features may provide improved performance of the
club when striking a ball in the sand because the texture 611 may
aid in movement of the sand and, thus, improved movement of the
ball, while also providing improved performance on fairways, in the
rough, etc. by providing variations in the score line arrangements
which may be useful in different terrains, conditions, etc.
[0052] FIG. 7 illustrates a golf club head 702 having a score line
spacing arrangement on the ball striking portion similar to that
shown in FIG. 4. In addition, the front face 709 of the golf club
head 702 generally includes texturing 711 extending across
substantially all of the front face 709 and extending from a toe
end 703 to a heel end 705. This texturing across the front face 709
may further aid in movement of, for instance, sand, during a bunker
shot and thereby providing improved movement of the ball during
those shots. In some arrangements, the texture 711 extending across
the front face 709 may be generally the same type, size, etc.
texturing. In other examples, different regions of the front face
709 may have different texturing arrangements, such as deeper pits
or higher peaks to the texture, wider spacing of the texture, etc.
These variations in texture may further provide improved
performance of the golf club.
[0053] FIG. 8 illustrates another example golf club head 802 that
may include one or more features described herein. The golf club
head 802 may be generally and iron-type golf club head and may
include one or more aspects of the invention, such as different
score line arrangements (as shown) in the ball striking portion,
texture in one or more regions of the front face, etc. Further, the
golf club head 802 may have a more rounded shape to aid in moving
the club through, for instance, grass that may form the rough of a
golf course. For instance, the sole 814 of the golf club head 802
may have additional bend or camber to aid in moving the club
through the grass.
[0054] FIG. 9 illustrates yet another aspect of the invention that
may be used in conjunction with the features and aspects described
above. FIG. 9 illustrates a golf club head 902 having a hosel 930
positioned higher on the golf club head 902 than a conventional
hosel and, in some arrangements, further away from the sole 914
and/or the leading edge 914a of the golf club head 902. This
arrangement may reduce interference of debris, such as sand, grass
(long or short), etc. with the hosel 930 during a swing.
Interference of debris with the hosel 930 may slow down and/or turn
the club head 902 during impact. This may affect contact with
and/or the trajectory of the ball. Moving hosel 930 upward and away
from the sole 914 and the leading edge 914a may reduce this
interference, thereby aiding in providing more consistent
shots.
[0055] As mentioned above, one or more aspects of this invention
may be used in conjunction with any type of golf club head. For
example, aspects of this invention may relate to iron-type golf
club heads. In one exemplary embodiment, aspects of this invention
may be used with a wedge type golf club head. Wedge type golf club
heads may include a sand wedge, pitching wedge, gap wedge, lob
wedge, and the like. In some arrangements, the golf club may have a
loft angle in the range of 45 degrees to 68 degrees. In one
example, the loft angle range may be between 48 degrees and 64
degrees and/or even within the range of 48 degrees to 60 degrees,
thereby corresponding to the loft angle of typical wedges,
including conventional sand wedges.
CONCLUSION
[0056] While the invention has been described in detail in terms of
specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying
out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that
there are numerous variations and permutations of the above
described systems and methods. Thus, the spirit and scope of the
invention should be construed broadly as set forth in the appended
claims.
* * * * *