Golf club heads with optimized characteristics and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10238938-B2
Application number	US-201715680404-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2017
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments of golf club heads with optimized characteristics presented herein. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A golf club head comprising:
a head body comprising:
a head front portion; a head rear portion;
a head heel portion; a head toe portion;
a head sole portion; a head top portion; and
a hosel structure having a bore for receiving a golf club shaft, the bore having a hosel axis;

a strikeface at the head front portion and comprising a face height and a strikeface centerpoint, the face height being between 33 mm and 71 mm and the strikeface centerpoint positioned at a midpoint of the face height;
a head volume of the golf club head is approximately 420 cc to approximately 470 cc;
a head weight of the golf club head is approximately 185 grams to approximately 225 grams;
a head center of gravity;
wherein:
when the golf club head is at an address position over a ground plane:
a head vertical axis extends through the head center of gravity and is orthogonal to the ground plane; and
a head horizontal axis extends through the head center of gravity, and is orthogonal to the head vertical axis;

a loft plane of the golf club head is tangent to the strikeface centerpoint;
a front plane of the golf club head extends through the strikeface centerpoint, parallel to the hosel axis, and orthogonal to the ground plane;
a head depth plane extends through the strikeface centerpoint, parallel to the head horizontal axis and perpendicular to the loft plane;
a head CG depth of the head center of gravity is measured, parallel to the ground plane and orthogonal to the front plane, between:
a second intersection point located at an intersection between the front plane and the ground plane; and
a third intersection point located at an intersection between the head vertical axis and the ground plane;

the head CG depth is approximately 28 mm to approximately 102 mm;
the head body comprises a weight structure located towards the head sole portion and the head rear portion;
a clock grid comprises at least:
a 12 o'clock ray;
a 3 o'clock ray;
a 4 o'clock ray;
a 5 o'clock ray;
a 8 o'clock ray; and
a 9 o'clock ray;

when the golf club head is at the address position over the ground plane, from a bottom view of the golf club head, the 12 o'clock ray is aligned with the strikeface centerpoint and orthogonal to a front intersection line between the loft plane and the ground plane;
the clock grid is centered along the 12 o'clock ray, at a midpoint between a front end of the head front portion and a rear end of the head rear portion;
the 3 o'clock ray extends towards the head heel portion;
the 9 o'clock ray extends towards the head toe portion;
a perimeter of the weight structure is at least partially bounded between the 4 o'clock ray and the 9 o'clock ray; and
a center of gravity of the weight structure is located between the 5 o'clock ray and the 8 o'clock ray.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the head CG depth is approximately 30 mm to approximately 102 mm.

3. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the head CG depth is approximately 35 mm to approximately 102 mm.

4. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the head CG depth is approximately 42 mm to approximately 102 mm.

5. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the head CG depth is approximately 44 mm to approximately 102 mm.

6. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
a CG height axis extends through the head center of gravity and intersects the head depth plane perpendicularly at a first intersection point;
a head CG height of the head center of gravity is measured, along the CG height axis, between the head center of gravity and the first intersection point; and
the absolute value of the head CG height is less than or equal to 5.08 mm.

7. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the head center of gravity is located between the head depth plane and the head sole portion.

8. The golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising:
a hosel moment of inertia about the hosel axis;
a horizontal moment of inertia about the head horizontal axis; wherein
the horizontal moment of inertia is greater than or equal to 39% of the hosel moment of inertia.

9. The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein:
the hosel moment of inertia is approximately 7000 g·cm 2 to approximately 11000 g·cm 2 .

10. The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein:
the horizontal moment of inertia is approximately 2800 g·cm 2 to approximately 4300 g·cm 2 .

11. The golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising:
a head vertical axis extending through the head center of gravity, from the head top portion to the head sole portion, and perpendicular to the ground plane when the golf club head is at the address position over the ground plane; and
a vertical moment of inertia about the head vertical axis;
wherein the vertical moment of inertia is greater than or equal to 59% of the hosel moment of inertia.

12. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the weight structure protrudes at least partially from an external contour of the head sole portion; and
the weight structure comprises:
a weight mass of approximately 2 grams to approximately 50 grams;
a weight volume of approximately 1 cc to approximately 30 cc.

13. The golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising:
an optimization characteristic is defined by (a) the head volume magnitude added to (b) a ratio between the head CG depth divided by the absolute value of the head CG height; and
the optimization characteristic is greater than or equal to 425 cc.

14. The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein:
the optimization characteristic is greater than or equal to 435 cc.

15. A golf club head comprising:
a head body comprising:
a head front portion; a head rear portion;
a head heel portion; a head toe portion;
a head sole portion; a head top portion; and
a hosel structure having a bore for receiving a golf club shaft, the bore having a hosel axis;

a strikeface at the head front portion and comprising a face height and a strikeface centerpoint, the face height being between 33 mm and 71 mm and the strikeface centerpoint positioned at a midpoint of the face height;
a head volume measured in cc's and comprising a head volume magnitude greater than 420 cc;
a head center of gravity;
wherein:
when the golf club head is at an address position over a ground plane:
a head vertical axis extends through the head center of gravity and is orthogonal to the ground plane; and
a head horizontal axis extends through the head center of gravity, and is orthogonal to the head vertical axis;

a loft plane of the golf club head is tangent to the strikeface centerpoint;
a front plane of the golf club head extends through the strikeface centerpoint, parallel to the hosel axis, and orthogonal to the ground plane;
a head depth plane extends through the strikeface centerpoint, parallel to the head horizontal axis and perpendicular to the loft plane;
a head CG depth of the head center of gravity is measured, parallel to the ground plane and orthogonal to the front plane, between:
a second intersection point located at an intersection between the front plane and the ground plane; and
a third intersection point located at an intersection between the head vertical axis and the ground plane;

the head CG depth is approximately 25 mm to approximately 102 mm;
the head body comprises a weight structure located towards the head sole portion and the head rear portion;
a clock grid comprises at least:
a 12 o'clock ray;
a 3 o'clock ray;
a 4 o'clock ray;
a 5 o'clock ray;
a 8 o'clock ray; and
a 9 o'clock ray;

when the golf club head is at the address po

Assignees

• Karsten Mfg Corp

Inventors

• Schweigert Bradley D
• Stokke Ryan M

Classifications

• A63B53/04

  Heads · CPC title

• A63B2053/0491

  with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable · CPC title

• A63B2053/0408

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A63B2053/0433

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A63B2053/0462

  Human Necessities · mapped topic