EP0639996A1

EP0639996A1 - Iron gategory golf club and golf club set

Info

Publication number: EP0639996A1
Application number: EP93910092A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Nicolas Hahn De Bykhovetz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-05-06
Filing date: 1993-05-06
Publication date: 1995-03-01
Anticipated expiration: 2013-05-06
Also published as: DE69326060T2; AU683212B2; CA2135209A1; EP0639996B1; DE69326060D1; JPH07506273A; WO1993022006A1; FR2690852A1; US6293876B1; FR2690852B1; AU4074293A

Abstract

Golf club having a striking face (11) which forms a face angle (b) with a plane (V) passing through the shaft axis and parallel to a lower edge (12) of said striking face (11). The golf club combines a shaft length which approximates that of a no. 2 iron, i.e. approximately 99 cm, a face angle (b) of approximately 36° corresponding to a no. 6 or no. 7 iron, and a head mass of approximately 250 g corresponding to a no. 4 iron. The invention is used to produce long and high trajectories.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Golf stick, irons category, and set of such sticks

The present invention relates to a golf club ("club") belonging to the category of "Irons".

The present invention also relates to a set of golf clubs.

State of the art

The sticks of the "iron" type have a handle to which is fixed a generally quadrangular head having a striking face forming a certain angle, or "face angle" ("loft") with a plane containing the axis of the handle, and parallel to a lower edge of the striking face. In addition, said lower edge forms a certain angle, or "trim angle" ("lie") with the axis of the handle.

The angle of the face is chosen all the greater if one wishes to make a stock producing high and short trajectories. In this case, the handle is relatively short and the mass of the head is chosen to be relatively strong. On the contrary, with a small face angle, a long handle and a light mass, the kinetic energy of the impact on the ball produces a long and low trajectory. We have been locked into this logic for decades. This is how the construction of modern "Irons" has been codified for more than half a century in such a way that the player must choose between playing a high, but short ball, or on the contrary playing a long, but low ball. Indeed up to now, the complete series of commercial irons, which are usually numbered from

Fer 1 au Fer 9, "Pitching-Wedge" (or Fer 10) and "Sand-edge" are all provided so that an increasing face angle ("loft") corresponds to an area, volume and weight of increasing club head, and decreasing sleeve length.

Thus the Iron 1 will have the longest handle of the irons of the bag (approx. l, 05m), and the lowest face angle, around 18 °, i.e. an almost vertical striking face: it will produce the longest trajectories (200m), the least high (12m) , the ball rolling furthest after its flight. Conversely, a "Sand-edge" shoe will have a significantly shorter handle (approx »0.89m), a heavier head, with a larger and very inclined striking face (approx. 56 °), and will produce the shortest (80m) and highest (25m) trajectories, the ball stopping almost immediately after resuming contact with the ground.

The length of the handle plays an important role. The longer the handle, the greater the muscular power necessary to give the stick a determined angular speed when the ball is struck. But for a given angular speed, the speed of the head increases in proportion to the length of the handle. The kinetic energy communicated to the ball, which is proportional to the square of the speed at the time of striking, is therefore for a given angular speed, proportional to the square of the length of the handle.

These considerations and others, linked to the experience and physical resistance of the players, led to the selection of the range of classic "irons" mentioned above.

It should be noted that the lengths in question are those provided for a male individual of average size, that is to say between 1.7m and 1.8m. For a woman of average size, therefore between 1.55m and 1.65m approximately, the length of the "Iron" of the same number is reduced by an inch, that is to say approximately 2 ₇ 5cm.

The attitude angle is such that the lower edge of the striking face rests horizontally on the ground when the stick rests on the ground while being held in a normal manner by a person of the size for which the butt is intended.

As the length of the handle varies according to the size of the people for whom each stick is intended, the angle of the trim can be substantially independent of the size of the people.

With prior art irons, the player preparing to play a ball knows that it is on the vertical axis of a conical space whose base is adjacent to the ground, and that the ball cannot come out of this conical space. Either the ball is high and will remain relatively close to the axis, or the ball is long and the maximum altitude of its trajectory is reduced. This also seems logical.

However, in many circumstances of the game, golfers may want to play with the precision of an "iron" a ball that is both long and high, for example to cross a high and fairly distant obstacle without overshooting it, or to go out in force and with distance from a moderately bushy "rough" obstacle, or to clear with the length of a course "bunker" (sand pit) which would have high ledges, or to succeed some "Par3" ...

In some of these cases, it would be possible for a good player and with sticks of another type, the "Wood" category of "open" courses (wood 4 to 7), to play a long and high ball at the time. But in practice most golfers understand these "fairway woods", which are more difficult to play than irons in many circumstances, and above all more difficult to play with precision (greater risks of lateral dispersion).

The object of the present invention is to propose a golf club which offers new possibilities, in particular for precisely crossing relatively high and distant obstacles.

According to the invention, the golf club belonging to the category of irons and comprising a handle with a end of which is fixed a head having a striking face forming a face angle with a plane containing the axis of the handle and substantially parallel to a lower edge of the striking face, is characterized in that its face angle is greater than 31 ° and in that the length of the stick measured along the axis of the handle is greater than a value calculated according to the standards of the profession on the basis of 0.96 m, or even 0.98 m, for a stick intended for a man whose size is approximately 1,75m. Preferred value 0.99m.

According to another definition based on the same inventive idea, the golf club belonging to the category of irons and comprising a handle at one end of which is fixed a head having a striking face forming a face angle with a plane containing the axis of the handle and parallel to a lower edge of the striking face, while the axis of the handle forms a trim angle with the lower edge of the striking face, is characterized in that its face angle is greater than 31 ° and in that the attitude angle is less than 62 °, preferably less than 61 °, and even preferably less than 60 °. Preferred value 59 °.

Preferably, if the handle is made of metal with high characteristics, the mass of the head is less than 0.255 kg, and if the handle is made of composite material, the mass of the head is less than 0.260 kg. In any case, we will generally respect a mass of less than 0.275 kg. Preferred value 0.245 kg.

The face angle can advantageously be greater than 33 ° 5 or even 35 °. Preferred value 36.5 °.

Surprisingly, the golf clubs according to the invention offer performance that is ^τ be described as unconventional as compared to those of known chains. In particular, a ball played with a stick according to the invention is capable of clearly emerging from the conical space mentioned above.

More particularly, the balls thus played have the precision of the "Irons" while being able to be both long and high.

According to another aspect, the invention relates to a set of golf clubs belonging to the category of irons and each comprising a handle at one end of which is fixed a head having a striking face forming a face angle with a plane containing the axis of the handle and parallel to a lower edge of the striking face, this assembly comprising a series of sticks whose respective lengths measured along the axis of the handle vary in opposite direction from the face angles, characterized in that the set further comprises an additional stock whose face angle is greater than 31 ° and whose length is in the length range of the sticks of the series whose face angle is between 15 ° and 26 °, and preferably corresponds substantially to the length of a stock of the series whose face angle is about 20 °.

The mass and attitude angle of the head of the additional stock are preferably in the ranges of mass and angle of attitude of the heads of the sticks of the series whose face angle is between 15 ° and 26 °.

Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description below, relating to nonlimiting examples. In the accompanying drawings:

- Figure 1 is a plan view of a stick belonging to the category of "wood", according to the prior art;

- Figure 2 is a plan view of a range of sticks in the category of "Irons", according to the prior art;

- Figure 3 is a diagram of the trajectories of different balls played with different irons;

- Figures 4 and 5 are front views, and respectively at the end of the head of an iron according to the invention; - Figure 6 is an elevational view of a stick according to the invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a so-called "wooden" stock comprises a head 1 made of wood, metal or composites, of ovoid shape with a recess 2 in the striking zone. The head 1 is connected to a handle 3. The woods generally have longer handles than the irons.

Their trajectories range from the longest (Bois N ° l or "Driver") to medium lengths and quite great heights (Bois N ° 5 to 7). They are known by most players to be the most difficult to master. The most played Woods are Woods 1 to 5.

Figure 2 shows a series of "Curling" in order of handle length and decreasing power, i.e. in the order ^r Iron No. l Iron # 10 and "Iron""SandWedge" .

They are played from the course and around the finish lawns of each hole. Golfers use them very often, and generally expect more precision from them than Bois. The heads 4 of the irons are generally metallic, but more and more are found in composite materials. The head 4 is connected to a handle 6 which can also be made of metallic material or of composite material.

In the case of metallic materials, these are, in the case of the invention, metals with high characteristics allowing in particular the handle to resist the power of the blows allowed by the stick without the weight of the handle becoming prohibitive.

If the handle was too heavy, it would be necessary to lighten the head so that the total weight of the stick remains adequate, with regard to the aptitudes and the muscular resistance of the player. Now a stick whose head is light relative to the handle is unbalanced and difficult to play.

The term “metal with high characteristics” is understood to mean in particular steel having a higher resistance than ordinary steel, aluminum alloy or titanium.

It may be advantageous, to lighten the handle, to make it tubular.

Figure 3 shows the trajectories of the balls. The abscissa corresponds to the horizontal distances D from the position of the player. The ordinate H corresponds to the altitudes.

The current irons determine high and short trajectories for the "short" irons (with high numbering), for example the trajectory T10 for the Iron 10 ("Pitching-edge"), of medium height and length for the intermediate Irons, for example the T7 trajectory of Fer 7, or long and low for long irons, for example the T2 trajectory of

Iron 2. We note the limit of the height of the irons trajectories in all the classic series, materialized by the line PP 'which decreases in a homogeneous and progressive way from the "short" irons to the irons

"long".

The line pp'constitutes the generator of a cone whose vertical axis is the ordinate axis, and the trajectories obtained with known irons are all located inside this cone.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the head 4 of an "Iron" stock comprises a fitting zone 8 defining the axis 7 of the handle and a striking palette 9 connected in one piece to the zone of fitting 8. The striking palette 9 has a striking face 11 which is generally flat in shape and has a substantially straight bottom edge 12 which is adjacent and parallel to the ground 13 when the ball is struck.

The angle of trim a of the butt ("lie") is defined by the angle formed by the axis 7 of the handle 6 with the horizontal plane 8, when the club is held "straight to the address", that is to say with the center line 14 of the face 11 located in a vertical plane (by construction of the grooves provided on the striking face 11 are then horizontal). In a current series of irons, the angle a varies from around 56 ° (Ferl) to 66 ° (Fer Sand Wedge).

The trim angle a can also be defined as the angle between the axis 7 and the edge 12, that is to say, if the axis 7 and the edge 12 do not intersect, between the axis 7 and a parallel to the edge 12 intersecting the axis 7.

The face angle b of the stick ("loft") is defined by the angle formed by the plane of the striking face 11 with a vertical plane V, when the stick is held "straight to the address" with l 'axis of the handle in the vertical plane (here, axis 7 and plane V are combined). The face angle can also be defined as the angle between the striking face 11 and a plane containing the axis 7 of the handle and parallel to the lower edge 12 of the striking face 11. In any series of commercial irons, the The face angle varies from around 18 ° (Fer- 1) to 56 ° or more (Fer Sand-edge).

According to the invention, the "Iron" type golf stick has the following characteristics, noted here for a man player of average size (1.70 to 1.80 m) and which will be declined according to the standards of the profession for ladies and for children as well as for different body shapes.

Length L of the stock (Fig. 6), measured along the axis 7 of the handle 6, that is to say between the heel 16 of the head 4 and the end 17 of the handle 6: more than 0.96 m , and preferably more than 0.98m.

Face angle b: more than 31 °, preferably more than 33 ° 5, or even more than 35 °. Trim angle a ("lie"): less than 62 °, or preferably equal to or less than 60 °.

Head mass (new head, bare, ready to assemble): less than 0.275 kg, and preferably less than 0.255 kg if the handle is made of metal with high characteristics and less than 0.260 kg in the case of a composite handle, lighter, therefore requiring a little increase in the mass of the head compared to a metal handle.

Surface of the striking face 11: intermediate between that of an Iron 7 and that of a traditional Iron 4.

Returning to FIG. 3, the trajectory T obtained with a stick according to the invention is characteristic because it comes completely out of the conical space defined by the generator pp '. The trajectory is as high as that of a short iron while being almost as long as that of a long iron. It is also characterized, for a trajectory of this length, by a fairly rapid fall. It is therefore ideal for crossing a high and distant obstacle.

The recommended method for adapting this new stick to the morphology of a particular Golf player can go through a definition of the invention by reference to existing irons.

For a given player, the stick according to the invention meets the following characteristics, in comparison with the series of sticks which is suitable for this golfer and which he already plays elsewhere:

- Length L of the stock: between the length L of the Iron 4 (face angle of about 26 °) and that of the Iron 1 (face angle of 15 to 18 °) of the series, typically, length L of the Iron2 , whose face angle is of the order of 20 °.

- Face angle b ("loft") of the club face: equal to or greater than the angle b of the Iron 6 of the series, typically, angle b of the Iron 7, for example 36.5 °. - attitude angle a ("lie"): equal to or less than the attitude angle of iron 6, whose face angle is approximately 34 °, and preferably equal or less than the attitude angle of the iron 4, the face angle of which is approximately 26 °. - Mass of the head: equal to or less than that of iron 4, whose face angle is approximately 26 °. The invention thus relates to a set of sticks comprising a series which may be the series of traditional irons numbered 1 to 10 and "Sand-edge", to which is added the stick defined as indicated above with respect to the sticks of the series . Provided that the construction and assembly of the head, the handle and the handle respect the well-known and listed rules decreed by the Royal & Ancient Golf Society of Saint-Andrews (Scotland) and observed throughout the world, stick constituting the invention is perfectly ^" legal. It is in the philosophy of the game, in fact, that the player makes his business of the length, the opening and the weight of his sticks, provided that he does not play a game with more than fourteen sticks in his bag.

Claims

1. Golf stick belonging to the category of irons and comprising a handle (6) at one end of which is fixed a head (4) having a striking face forming a face angle (b) with a plane (V) containing l axis (7) of the handle (6) and parallel to a lower edge (12) of the striking face (11), characterized in that its face angle (b) is greater than 31 ° and in that the length (L) of the stick measured along the axis (7) of the handle (6) is greater than a value calculated according to the standards of the profession on the basis of 0.96 m for a stick intended for a man whose size is about 1.7m to 1.8m.

2. Golf stick according to claim 1 characterized in that said length (L) is greater than a value calculated according to the standards of the profession on the basis of 0.98m for a stick intended for a man whose size is about 1.75m.

3. Golf stick belonging to the category of irons and comprising a handle (6) at one end of which is fixed a head (4) having a striking face (11) forming a face angle (b) with a plane (V ) containing the axis (7) of the handle (6) and parallel to a lower edge (12) of the striking face (11), while the axis of the handle forms a trim angle with the lower edge (12 ) of the striking face (11), characterized in that its face angle (b) is greater than 31 ° and in that the attitude angle (a) is less than 62 °.

4. Golf stick according to claim 3, characterized in that the attitude angle (a) is at most substantially equal to 60 °.

5. Golf stick according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the mass of the head (4) is less than 0.275 kg.

6. Golf club according to one of claims 1 to 5, whose handle (6) is made of metal with high characteristics, characterized in that the mass of the head (4) is less than 0.255 kg.

7. Golf stick according to one of claims 1 to 5, whose handle (6) is made of composite material, characterized in that the mass of the head (4) is less than 0.260 kg.

8. Golf stick according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the face angle (b) is greater than 33 ° 5.

9. Golf stick according to claim 8, characterized in that the face angle (b) is greater than 35 °.

10. Set of golf clubs belonging to the category of irons and each comprising a handle (6) at one end of which is fixed a head (4) having a striking face (11) forming a face angle (b) with a plane (V) containing the axis (7) of the handle (6) and parallel to a lower edge (12) of the striking face

(11), this assembly comprising a series of sticks whose respective lengths measured along the axis (7) of the handle (6) vary in opposite direction from the face angles, characterized in that the assembly further comprises a additional stock whose face angle (b) is greater than 31 ° and whose length (L) is in the length range of the sticks of the series whose face angle (b) is between 15 ° and 26 °.

11. Set of stocks according to claim 10, characterized in that the length of the additional stock corresponds substantially to the length (L) of a stock of the series whose face angle is about 20 °.

12. A set of golf clubs according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the heads of the series of clubs have a mass varying in the same direction as the face angle, characterized in that the mass of the head of the stick additional is in the mass range of the heads of the series butts whose face angle is between 15 ° and 26 °.

13. Set of golf clubs according to one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the lower edge (12) of the striking face (11) of each stick forms a trim angle (a) with the axis (7) of the handle (6), and this angle increases with the face angle (b) for the sticks of the series, characterized in that the angle of attitude (a) of the additional stock is in .la range of trim angles of the series butts whose face angle is between 15 ° and 26 °.