US20020183132A1 - Golf club with improved head - Google Patents

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Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B53/00—Golf clubs
  • A63B53/04—Heads
  • A63B53/047—Heads iron-type
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B53/00—Golf clubs
  • A63B53/04—Heads
  • A63B53/0433—Heads with special sole configurations
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B60/00—Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a golf club. More particularly, the present invention relates to a golf club for hitting a golf ball resting in a location from which it is difficult to directly access, such as thick rough in which the club head may experience resistance or obstacles in making contact with the golf ball.
• a golf club is used to hit a golf ball which may be sited at various positions on a golf course, such as a teeing green, a fairway, the rough, a bunker or the like, under various conditions.
• a golf course such as a teeing green, a fairway, the rough, a bunker or the like.
• the surface on which the golf ball rests generally is not covered or obscured by obstacles or debris such as tall grass and other plants.
• the golf club may experience resistance as it is swung through the obstacles, and plant or other material may even wrap around or catch the club, interfering with the swing and the impact on the golf ball and reducing club head speed at moment of impact.
• Prior art golf clubs are known that have sharp edges for improving performance in conditions such as the rough.
• U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,911 to Katayama describes a golf iron having a knife edge.
• the sole or bottom of the head has a curved bottom surface with an indentation and the knife edge extends slightly outward and downward from the bottom surface.
• the knife edge may cause the club to dig into the ground or turf during the swing.
• the Katayama design alters the weight distribution of the club by including rearward projections on the club head and thus affecting the user's golf swing.
• the weight change of the club due to the Katayama design can present a problem as golf clubs are usually sold in “matched sets,” the object being to produce maximum efficiency with a standard swing for each club in the set.
• a golf club according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a sharp edge formed at the intersection of the bottom or heel surface of the golf club head and the front face of the golf club head, allowing the golf club to be easily swung through obstacles, such as rough.
• the heel or bottom of the golf club includes a substantially flat surface, stabilizing the golf club during the swing.
• the sharp edge is formed at the intersection of the face and the bottom of the golf club head but does not include a blade or a sharpened extension and thus also does not extend below the plane of the face or bottom of the golf club.
• FIG. 1 depicts a portion of a golf club according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention having a sharp edge at the intersection of the face and bottom of the golf club head.
• FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a portion of the golf club of FIG. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 3 illustrates a portion of a golf club head according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention having a sharp edge formed at the intersection of the face and bottom of the golf club head which extends up a portion of the gulf club shaft.
• FIG. 4 illustrates another view of a golf club head and shaft according to an exemplary embodiment of the present prevention.
• FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a golf club according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a portion of the golf club of FIG. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• the golf club 1 includes a head 5 connected to a shaft 50 .
• the head 5 can further include, for example, a face 10 , a back 20 and a sole 30 .
• Golf head 5 can be formed of, for example, a super hardened material such as titanium or other suitable material.
• the sole 30 may be termed a heel or bottom.
• the head 5 is connected to, for example, a neck or hosel 40 which is preferably formed with the head 5 as one unitary piece.
• the face 10 preferably includes an inclined surface to provide loft which varies with the club number in a set. For example, the higher the number, the greater the loft.
• the face 10 can include, for example scores 11 or similar texture 11 known in the art to enhance the contact of the club head 5 and a golf ball.
• a sharpened edge 50 is formed at the intersection of the face 10 and the sole 30 .
• Conventional golf clubs typically include a leading edge which is not sharpened.
• the sharp edge 50 may extend up a portion of the hosel 40 or the shaft 50 , indicated as sharpened edge 45 extending up hosel 40 .
• the extension of sharpened edge 45 can vary as decided by the manufacturer of the golf club 5 , although sufficient material is needed on the hosel 40 or shaft 50 to form sharpened edge 45 (e.g., a solid member 40 may be easier to use for forming sharpened edge 45 than a hollow member for hosel 40 ).
• the bottom of the sole 30 is a substantially smooth, flat surface which is angled so that the plane of the sole 30 is at a 90 degree angle with respect to the shaft 50 .
• the plane of the sole 30 is parallel to the plane of the ground, and is at a 90 degree angle to the shaft 50 .
• the sole 30 provides a guide keeping the head 5 , and thus the face 10 and sharpened edge 50 , at a proper angle as the club 1 is swung and as the face 10 contacts the golf ball. Keeping the face 10 at the proper angle results in a more accurate and powerful strike.
• the edge 50 at a proper angle prevents the sharpened edge 50 from either being at too low an angle, and possibly digging into the ground, or being at too high an angle, and striking the golf ball.
• the angle of the sole 30 relative to the shaft 50 and the ground may be at other angles, depending upon the angle of deflection, or “loft” of the striking face of the club.
• the sole, or bottom of the club should be parallel to the ground at the moment of impact to insure maximum efficiency.
• the function of the flat sole or bottom of the club is, for example, to help prevent the club from digging down into the ground, or slanting upward so that the ball is struck and cut by the club.
• the face 10 and sole 30 meet to form a sharpened edge 50 .
• the edge 50 is in the form of a wedge or axe, rather than in the form of a long, thin blade.
• the sharpened edge 50 should not extend substantially beyond the sole 30 or the plane formed by the face 10 .
• the cutting surface of edge 50 is part of a solid wedge formed by the club head and this is not a blade as in a “knife”. Further, the cutting surface of edge 50 should not cause the club 1 to dig into the ground or turf during the swing, as the edge 50 does not extend significantly outward or downward from the head 5 , and because the flat sole 30 provides a stabilizing and guiding surface.
• Edge 50 does not extend outward or downward from the head 5 , the cutting surface should not cause the club 1 to cut into the golf ball.
• Edge 50 can be formed of the same material as club head 5 or edge 50 can be formed of a suitable super hardened material such as titanium so that edge 50 does not need to be regularly sharpened, even if club head 5 is not formed of the same material.
• the sharp edge 50 allows the club 1 to be swung through the rough with minimal resistance, allowing the head 5 to have maximum speed and force when contacting the golf ball.
• a golf club iron of a standard shape and dimensions and having a flat sole 30 is sharpened to produce a sharp edge 50 at the intersection of the sole 30 and face 10 .
• Conventional processes can be used to form and sharpen the sharpened edge 50 , such as by grinding and polishing.
• sharpened edge 50 can be formed during the manufacturing process for the golf club.
• the sole 30 is sharpened from the bottom edge, rather than the face edge, to maintain the integrity of the face 10 , which often contains scores or texture 11 to provide a desired effect to the movement of the golf ball when struck by face 10 , as is known in the art.
• the face includes certain patterns or textures, such as grooves, which aid in transferring momentum, spin, or other mechanical energy from the head 5 to the golf ball.
• the sharp edge 50 may be formed using different methods, such as by sharpening an edge of the face 10 .
• the club head sole 30 can have grooves or cutouts as desired but the sole 30 should provide a substantially flat planar surface across the entire dimensions of the sole 30 .

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
• Golf Clubs (AREA)

Abstract

Description

Claims (8)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=25349635

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (6)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 2001
  • 2001-05-29 US US09/867,358 patent/US20020183132A1/en not_active Abandoned
• 2002
  • 2002-05-29 WO PCT/US2002/016791 patent/WO2002096523A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (3)

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