JP2009148533A - Wood-type golf club head - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase a flight distance by positioning the center of gravity on a face plane lower than the face center , and preventing the drawback of causing the difficulty of coming to the ready at address without feeling the peculiar shape at address. <P>SOLUTION: A wood-type golf club head is so configured that when a head body (1) is set on a horizontal plane (B), a vertical plane (X) passing through the ground point (A) between the horizontal plane (B) and a sole portion (4) of the head body (1) and extending in a direction of a target line from the rear of the head, wherein a height from the horizontal plane to an intersection point where the face upper edge intersects the vertical plane (X) is defined as a face height (H1), and wherein a height (H3) from the horizontal plane to an intersection point where the vertical plane intersects the leading edge (3) is defined in a range between 1/3 and 1/2 of the face height H3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a wood type golf club head. In particular, the present invention relates to a golf club head that increases flight distance as a driver's head.

  The flight distance in golf is determined by the initial ball speed, launch angle, and spin rate. In general, the faster the initial ball speed, the greater the flight distance. However, there are launch angle and spin amount that make the best use of the initial ball speed. On the other hand, the current golf ball development aims to improve the initial velocity of the ball and lower the spin (reducing the spin rate) in order to obtain more flight. That is, it is said that the current ball has too much spin to fly, and the current golf club and golf ball combination does not realize a launch angle and spin amount that make the best use of the initial velocity of the ball. It is said.

  One of the golf club design techniques for flying is the optimization of the launch angle and spin rate using the gear effect due to the special nature of the deep center of gravity of a wood-type golf club head. The launch angle and spin amount at each position on the striking surface (face) are determined by the loft angle at that point (each position), but in the face design of a wood club head, the launch angle and spin amount that maximize the flight distance Then, determine the loft angle of each point on the face surface, and then connect each point of the face vertically so that the determined loft angle of each point of the face is tangent, and then one curve vertically This is the roll design. In other words, this is a face roll design technique that takes into consideration impact factors such as the center of gravity and the inertia performance ratio. In the head having a deep center of gravity such as a wood-type golf club, the head is located above a perpendicular line generally lowered from the head center of gravity onto the face surface as shown in FIG. This is because the spin in the top spin direction acts on the upper side and the spin in the back spin direction acts on the lower side as a gear effect, and the back spin decreases on the upper side. This is because it leads to an increase in flying.

  On the other hand, when looking at the hit points of golfers, it is clear from the face of their club that most professionals and advanced players are hitting at the face center. Some golfers know empirically that there is a point that flies best above the face center, but the aim of hitting a stable game is to hit the face center. Next, FIG. 12 shows the position of the center of gravity on the face surface, which is the position of a perpendicular line perpendicular to the face surface from the center of gravity of the head, with reference to the face center. DYG in FIG. 12 indicates the difference (unit: mm) between the position of the perpendicular line dropped from the head center of gravity onto the face surface and the face center. Most of the center of gravity positions on the face are 4 to 8 mm above the face center. It shows that the larger the loft angle, the larger the DYG. FIG. 13 shows the relationship between the face height and DYG. Regardless of the face height, the centroid height is 4 to 8 mm above the center of the face, and the centroid height with respect to the face height is substantially constant. It turns out that it is.

Further, FIG. 11 shows that the maximum flying distance point on the face described above is further above the position of the perpendicular line dropped from the center of gravity of the head onto the face surface. It can be seen that it is very different from the hit points aimed at by golfers and advanced golfers, that is, the face center. In other words, it can be said that the hit at the face center targeted by many professionals and senior golfers has a gear effect in the direction of increasing backspin, which leads to a decrease in flight distance. To fly, you must hit above the face center. Even professionals and senior golfers know it, but the stable center is the face center. The inventor aimed to match the hitting area of the golfer, that is, the face center with the maximum flight distance point. For this purpose, it is necessary to lower the center of gravity position of the head by 10 mm or more. Conventional techniques for lowering the center of gravity of a wood head include attempts to boldly change the head shape (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-178207 (page 3, FIG. 1) Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-262657 (2 pages, FIG. 1)

  In the wood-type golf club heads disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the point where the perpendicular line from the center of gravity intersects the face surface, that is, the just meat point is located at the center of the face surface (face center). When it was addressed, when the golfer looked at the head from the top when addressing, he felt that it was difficult to hold because of the unusual shape.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a wood type golf club head that eliminates difficulty in addressing and has a face center at a maximum flight distance.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention provides a vertical plane extending in the direction of the target flying line from the rear of the head when the head main body is set on a horizontal plane, passing through a grounding point between the horizontal plane and the sole of the head main body. The height up to the point where the top edge of the face intersects is the face height, and the height up to the point where the vertical surface and the leading edge intersect is 1/3 to 1/2 of the face height.

  Further, according to the present invention, when the head main body is set on a horizontal plane, it extends downward from the lowest point of the head main body and in a direction opposite to the flying ball line, via a so-called chamfered plane or convex curved surface. At least one second ridge line of the sole is provided 5 to 20 mm below the sole surface extending in the opposite direction to the flying ball line from the lower point.

  In the present invention, when the head main body is set on a horizontal plane, it passes through a grounding point between the horizontal plane and the sole of the head main body, and reaches a point where a vertical surface extending in the direction of the target flying line from the rear of the head and the upper edge of the face intersect. The height up to the point where the vertical plane and the leading edge intersect is set to 1/3 to 1/2 of the face height, so that the face center can be hit with high stability. Professional golfers and advanced golfers have the ability to hit the middle of the face if they show a clear face area, so you can get the maximum flight distance by hitting in the middle of the face (face center). become. Further, when the head is viewed from above at the time of addressing, it is the same as the conventional head shape, and there is no disadvantage that it is difficult to hold.

  In addition, when the head body is set on a horizontal plane, it flies from the lowest point of the chamfered surface through a so-called chamfered plane or convex curved surface that extends downward from the lowest point of the head body and in the direction opposite to the flying ball line. In the case of having at least one second sole ridge line 5 to 20 mm below the sole surface extending in the direction opposite to the spherical line, it is possible to increase the flight distance by matching the face center with the maximum flight distance point. Furthermore, the appearance of the head becomes an unusual shape that has never been seen before, and attracts the eyes of the viewer, but the golfer who uses it does not feel the unusual shape at the time of addressing.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a side view of the head main body 1, and FIG. 2 is a front view of the head main body 1. The leading edge 3 is formed at a higher position than a normal head. 1 and 2 show a state in which the head body 1 is set on the horizontal plane B at a predetermined lie angle and loft angle. When the head main body 1 is set in this way, a vertical plane X (indicated as “X plane” in the drawing) that passes through the contact point A between the sole 4 and the horizontal plane B and extends from the rear of the head in the target flying ball direction. A face center FC was set at the midpoint between the upper edge and lower edge (leading edge 3) of the intersecting face 2. The area from the contact point A to the upper edge of the face 2 is referred to as a face height H1. The height from the leading edge 3 to the upper edge of the face 2 is referred to as a face thickness height H2. The position of the point (midpoint) obtained by dividing the face thickness H2 into two equal parts is defined as the face center FC. The height H3 from the horizontal plane B to the leading edge 3 is set to 1/3 to 1/2 of the face height H1. The intersection of the perpendicular line perpendicular to the face 2 from the center of gravity G of the head body 1 and the face 2 is lower than the height of the face center FC.

  The height H3 can be set to 1/6 to 1/2, or 1/8 to 1/2 of the face height H1. The height H3 is a maximum and ½ of the face height H1.

  FIG. 3 shows an embodiment in which the maximum flight distance point is set at the face center FC by removing the vicinity of the chamfered portion of the underlined portion of the face 2 into a rectangle in order to increase the height of the leading edge 3 from the horizontal plane B. . The effective hitting area of the face 2 is smaller than the conventional one.

  In FIG. 4, the vicinity of the chamfered portion is formed in a convex curved surface shape, and FIG. 5 is removed in a triangular shape, and a maximum flight distance point is set for each face center FC.

  FIG. 6 shows an example in which the second sole 41 is set on the rear side of the sole ridge line 40 of the normal wood-type head. If there is a margin in the head weight, a low and deep center of gravity can be set by arranging extra weight inside and outside the second sole 41. In general, the gear effect is larger as the center of gravity is farther from the face 2. Therefore, this embodiment is effective for a golfer who has the maximum flight distance by placing importance on spin, and / or effective for a golf ball.

  In FIG. 6, when the head body 1 is set on the horizontal plane B, the height H1 from the horizontal plane B in contact with the ridgeline of the second sole 41 to the upper edge of the face 2 on the vertical plane X (X plane); The height H3 from the horizontal plane B to the leading edge 3 and the face thickness height H2 are the same as in FIG. In this embodiment, the height H4 from the horizontal plane B to the sole ridgeline 40 and the height H5 of the chamfered surface are provided, the height H4 is 5 to 20 mm, and the height H5 is 2 to 5 mm.

  FIG. 7 is an example in which the second sole 41 is set in front of the head further below the sole ridgeline 40 of the normal-shaped wood-type head. If there is a margin in the head weight, a low and deep center of gravity can be set by arranging extra weight inside and outside the second sole 41. Generally, the gear effect is smaller as the center of gravity is closer to the face 2. Therefore, this embodiment is effective for a golfer having the maximum flight distance by placing importance on the initial ball speed, and / or effective for a golf ball.

  FIG. 8 is an example in which the second sole 41 is set in the entire range from the front of the head to the rear of the lower edge of the sole ridge line 40 of the normal wood-type head. If the head weight is sufficient, the center of gravity position can be arbitrarily set by concentrating the extra weight on the inside or outside of the second sole 41 or by dispersively arranging it, and it is related to the vertical stability of the trajectory. The head moment of inertia can be set arbitrarily.

  9 and 10 show an example in which a plurality of second soles 41 having different heights are set on the front side and the rear side below the sole ridgeline 40 of a normal wood-type head. If there is enough head weight, the center of gravity can be set arbitrarily by placing extra weight inside and outside the second sole 41, and the head inertia moment related to the vertical stability of the trajectory can be set arbitrarily. Can be set.

  Each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 6 to 10 is based on the following knowledge. That is, if the general chamfering height H3 of a general wood-type head is 1 to 2 mm, the chamfering height must be increased by at least twice as much as 8 to 16 mm. That is, in order to make the center (height) of the face 2 coincide with the position of the center of gravity on the surface of the face 2, the height H3 is 9 to 18 mm. A large number of dimples are arranged on the golf ball. This ball is hit on the face surface of a golf club head, but the face surface usually has a loft angle so that it faces upward from 7 degrees to 60 degrees (in the case of a wood club head, the loft angle is from 7 degrees). About 15 degrees). For this reason, the ball hit on the face surface flies while backspinning. A golf ball given backspin can fly with a dimple effect by rotating and gaining lift. In order to obtain this lift force, it is effective to hit the ball further above the position of the center of gravity on the face surface. Therefore, from the above description, the height of H3 is preferably at least at a position of 10 to 20 mm. This is at a position of 1/6 to 1/2 of the face center height in a large hollow golf club head. The large hollow head here is generally called a driver head, and means a head having a head volume of 300 cc or more, preferably 350 cc to 500 cc. Further, by arranging a weight material having a specific gravity greater than that of the head body on the sole surface of the hollow head, the position of the center of gravity can be lowered. In this case, the chamfering height can be up to a position of 1/8, and when a fairway wood head is included, it is possible to design at a position of 1/8 to 1/2. In this case, when the head body 1 is made of a titanium alloy, the weight material is preferably a copper alloy, a tungsten alloy, or the like. The weight material is at least 10 g or more, preferably 20 g to 50 g. Further, in order to adjust the position of the center of gravity, it may be arranged at the boundary between the back part or the sole part and the back part. Further, when the center of gravity position is on the heel side, the center of gravity position can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction by making the toe side of the face thick or by separately placing a weight material.

  In general, if a titanium alloy head is designed with a head volume of 300 cc or more and a face thickness of 3 mm or less, the SLE (spring-like effect) rule is violated. However, if the chamfering height is increased and the face width is reduced in this way, the face becomes difficult to bend, a special structure is not required, and the cost is reasonable. Furthermore, in the past, the position where the ball was most thrown (position above the sweet spot) and the position of the center of gravity of the face and the position where the face was most deflected were greatly shifted, but using this method makes it fly more efficiently. be able to. Further, the present invention is a hollow metal golf club head, as the metal material, in particular, a titanium alloy, an aluminum alloy, etc. are used, and the thickness of the crown part and the sole part is 0.5 mm to 2 mm, preferably 0.7 mm to 1.2 mm is preferable. The sole portion has a generally uniform round, and is a round of about 80 mm to 125 mm from the toe side to the heel side. On the other hand, it is preferable that the clog sole is made of a material having a solid clog portion and a lower specific gravity than the head body.

The side view of this invention. The front view of FIG. The side view which shows what remove | eliminated the head lower side to the rectangular shape from the leading edge to sole. The side view which shows what remove | eliminated the head lower side so that a convex curve may remain over a sole from a leading edge. The side view which shows what removed the lower side of the head in the shape of a triangle from the leading edge to the sole. The side view which shows other embodiment. The side view which shows other embodiment. The side view which shows another embodiment. The side view which shows another embodiment. The front view of FIG. The side view which shows a prior art example. The graph which shows the relationship between a loft angle and DYG. The graph which shows the relationship between face height H1 and DYG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Head main body 2 Face 3 Leading edge 4 Sole 40 Sole ridgeline 41 2nd sole A Grounding point B Horizontal plane G Center of gravity H1 Face height H2 Face thickness height H3 Height from horizontal plane to leading edge X Vertical plane

Claims (7)

  When the head body is set on a horizontal plane, the height from the ground plane between the horizontal plane and the sole of the head body to the point where the vertical surface extending from the rear of the head in the direction of the target flying line intersects the upper edge of the face A wood-type golf club head having a face height H1 and a height H3 up to a point where a vertical surface and a leading edge cross each other is 1/3 to 1/2 of the face height.   2. The wood type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the height H3 is configured to be 1/6 to 1/2 of the height H1.   2. The wood type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the height H3 is configured to be 1/8 to 1/2 of the height H1.   4. The wood type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a point where a perpendicular line dropped from the center of gravity of the head onto the face surface intersects with the face surface is located below the face center. 5.   At least further below the sole ridge line extending in the opposite direction to the flying ball line from the lowest point of the chamfered surface through a so-called chamfering plane or convex curved surface extending downward from the leading edge and in the opposite direction to the flying ball line. 5. The wood type golf club head according to claim 1, further comprising a second sole.   6. The wood type golf club head according to claim 5, wherein a height H4 from the sole ridge line to the ridge line of the second sole is 5 to 20 mm.   The wood type golf club head according to claim 5 or 6, wherein a height H5 from the leading edge to the sole ridge line is in a range of 2 to 5 mm.