US20160193509A1

US20160193509A1 - Low Profile Driver Type Golf Club Head

Info

Publication number: US20160193509A1
Application number: US14/591,898
Authority: US
Inventors: Guerin D. Rife; Jeffery D. Sheets
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-01-07
Filing date: 2015-01-07
Publication date: 2016-07-07

Abstract

A driver type golf club head used to strike a golf ball on a tee or lying on the ground having outer dimensions forming a large footprint and a low profile configuration. The club head is further defined as having a breadth to vertical height ratio of at least 2 to 1, the breadth being measured between the striking face and rear surface and the height being measured between the top crown and the bottom sole. The structure and design of the club head also locates the center of gravity on a lower and more rearward location of the club head. The club head also includes a bounce area on the bottom sole behind the ball striking face that prevents the leading edge of the club head from digging into the ground when a golf ball lying on the ground is struck during a golf shot.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to golf clubs and in particular to driver type wood or metal wood heads having an improved configuration and ball striking performance.
Drivers and fairway woods have evolved over several centuries from solid wood construction to metals and carbon fiber. The greatest advancements in golf driver designs, traditionally known as woods even when they are made of non-wooden material, have occurred over the last 25 years. Contributing to the design changes is the use of new materials and more innovative manufacturing processes. As better understanding of club head engineering and advances in the custom fitting of golf equipment evolved it has become evident to those in the field of driver design that innovation can occur not only with new materials and manufacturing processes but also through changes in the geometry of the club head itself.
The game of golf was originally played with a feathery ball and long nose woods. These woods were no longer adequate with the introduction of the Haskell ball in the 1880s that followed the feathery ball. The first major changes to woods used to drive the golf ball from the teeing ground followed with the introduction of the bulger driver head with taller faces and a narrower dimension from heel to toe. These woods were a better design to strike the hard molded golf balls.
Since the introduction of the bulger driver few major geometry changes occurred in driver type woods until the introduction of the first highly successful metal woods in the 1970s. Although metal woods were produced dating back to the late 1800s, their popularity did not become mainstream until PGA tour players started playing and winning tournaments with them.
The first generation of metal woods were investment cast stainless steel using a pencil neck hosel and were slightly smaller than the standard wooden driver club heads of the time. Typically the metal wood driver head had a volume of around 150 cc. These club heads were well suited to driving a golf ball from a tee. In addition they brought a novel aspect to the game since they were compact and manageable enough to be played from a fairway lie by accomplished players. Several tour players used driver type metal woods in place of traditional fairway 3 woods. Even though these metal woods were slightly smaller, they were more forgiving on off-center miss-hits than the corresponding solid wooden club heads because of the hollow, perimeter weighted design. The next advancement in the metal wood evolution took place as the head volume jumped from around 150 cc to 200 cc. This size increase was still more forgiving on off-center impacts of the golf ball on the club face than the earlier smaller generation of metal woods. Although it was more difficult for lesser skilled players, accomplished golfers could still hit them from the fairway.
The introduction of titanium as a head material followed allowing the heads to be made even larger in the range of 260 cc and higher while maintaining the necessary weight to produce proper swing speed when the club was swung to strike a golf ball. These club heads became widely accepted and titanium became the material of choice for nearly all manufacturers that were producing premium golf clubs.
Engineering advancements persevered and the continued use of titanium enabled the driver head size to grow at a much faster rate than was experienced with the previous generations of wooden and steel heads. At a head size of 300 cc and larger, the phenomenon of vertical gear effect was discovered as more and more golfers were using lower spinning, two-piece golf balls. The deeper center of gravity and taller striking face were a perfect combination for the balls that were launched at a higher angle and with less spin. In turn, most golfers were able to achieve longer driving distances using the new generation of titanium club heads.
However, unlike the first metal woods, one of the negative aspects of the jumbo titanium club head designs was the lack of versatility away from the tee box to strike a golf ball sitting on the ground rather than up on a tee. This essentially eliminated the dual function of the smaller metal wood drivers that could be used both from the tee box and from the fairway, particularly by those having lesser skills.
Eventually the size of the club heads increased to 350 cc and beyond to well over 400 cc. It was realized by golf's ruling bodies, the USGA and R&A, that manufacturing required a size limitation for golf club heads and a limit of 460 cc was set as the maximum size allowable for playing the game. Manufacturers followed this guideline and many club heads were sized at or near the 460 cc limit. As head sizes increased so did the moment of inertia, making the club heads more forgiving on off-center impacts on the club face. Gradually the “jumbo” sized club heads gained acceptance and became the norm for driver type metal woods.
For the sake of reference, a jumbo driver head design is a head that is at least 400 cc and larger. The larger footprint of these jumbo driver heads caused the center of gravity to move more rearward away from the face allowing golfers to experience higher launch angles and longer ball flight than with the smaller club heads. These “jumbo” drivers also have a higher moment of inertia than previous generations of driver type golf club heads. Because of the increased volume and the larger footprint of the head, the periphery and its center of gravity are both a greater distance from the face of the club head. The breadth dimension of a jumbo driver head, typically measured from the leading edge to the rear surface, in particular, is at least 95 mm or greater.
With the size limitation of conforming drivers, new innovations in head shape appeared as club designers manipulated the head geometry to maximize the moment of inertia while remaining under the 460 cc volume cap. Square shaped club heads improved the moment of inertia but resulted in cowbell type acoustics that were unpleasing to the golfer. Other non-traditional shapes appeared but without much contribution to increased forgiveness. Eventually manufacturers continued to re-focus on traditional shape heads.
In recent years manufacturers sought innovation in driver type club heads without focus on geometry. Adjustable weighting and adjustable hosel technologies that controlled weight, loft, lie and club face angle are common in the current marketplace. Other attachments such as rotatable sole plates are used to affect the way the club sits on the ground. Sliding weights are used to alter the center of gravity location of the club head. With all these newer innovations the general geometry of the club head has remained essentially constant and unchanged.
To accommodate the many different attachments, the overall size of the club head has been slightly reduced from the maximum 460 cc to a range between 420 cc to 450 cc. With the additional adjustable weight and the reduced size of the club head, the moment of inertia has remained essentially constant and these club heads are normally no easier to hit than the slightly larger, jumbo footprint heads.
In addition to jumbo drivers, among the many geometry variations of golf club heads well known in the art are those having a low profile, small footprint shape with a corresponding narrow striking face. This smaller club head design is commonly used with fairway woods and metal woods designed to hit a golf ball sitting on turf or similar grassy locations. It is also well known to use a variety of bottom sole configurations that interact with the ground surface to maintain club head stability during the execution of a golf shot. Examples are disclosed in the following:
U.S. Application No. 2009/0124410 to Rife shows a sole configuration for a conventional driver type golf club head having a forward bounce angle extending downwardly from the striking face and directly behind the leading edge and a secondary bounce at the rear portion of the bottom sole.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,405 to Chen shows a fairway wood type golf club head with a concave bottom sole behind the leading edge and a ground engaging section toward the rear of the club head.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,887,165 to Tsurumaki shows a golf club head with a deformable bottom sole section behind the leading edge.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,847 to Antonious discloses a metalwood type club head with expanded additions to the ball striking face and aerodynamic side surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,609 to Sheets et al shows a metal fairway wood with a concave bounce extended the whole length of the sole where the rear edge engages the ground.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Just as wood golf club head design advanced with the evolution of the golf ball over a century ago, similar advancements in wood and metal wood head design have been necessary to optimize ball flight using today's components, golf balls and fitting technologies. The present invention is a driver type golf club head that represents an improvement of the known prior art and provides additional flexibility and benefits not previously recognized particularly for the majority of golfers having lesser skill than professionals and low handicap amateur golfers.
The present invention focuses on a new geometry for a driver type golf club head having a low profile in combination with a large footprint to enable golfers with less skill to use the club to hit a golf ball off a tee and to execute a more difficult shot with the driver when the golf ball is lying on the ground or turf grass. For the purpose of this invention, a low profile club head is defined as a club head wherein the vertical height of the club head is less than half the breadth in a face to rear edge direction and the footprint of a golf club is defined as the projected area of the outer dimensions of the golf club head onto the ground plane. A particular feature of the low profile, large footprint club head is a new ratio of breadth to vertical height; the breadth being defined as the distance from the leading edge at just below the striking face to the rear edge of the club head.
The golf club head also features a low and rearward center of gravity and a bounce sole that even further aids a less skilled golfer in hitting a golf ball off the ground while preventing the club head from digging into the ground during the execution of the golf shot. Statistics vary but it is generally known that no more than 10 percent of golfers can break 80 or 90 depending upon the particular data relied upon. The driver structure of the present invention is designed for these lesser skilled golfers.
The features of the club head geometry provide the same size footprint and breadth measurements, as well as conforming width measurements, as a conventional jumbo-sized, large footprint driver thereby giving the appearance from the golfer's view of a conventional larger jumbo type club head.
The overall geometry of the club head presents a low profile, vertical height elevation and lower overall volume whereby the striking face is shallower and therefore thinner and lighter than the taller, much thicker striking faces of conventional jumbo driver type club heads and similar to what is found on many fairway metal woods. This allows for significant discretionary weight to be shifted rearward and downward thereby moving the center of gravity, CG, further behind the face and also lower, near or below the vertical mid-point of the head. Preferably the CG is rearward of the striking face of the club at least one third of the total distance of the breadth measurement between the leading edge of the striking face and the rear surface of the club head.
Moving the center of gravity, CG, rearward increases the moment of inertia yielding greater stability and longer ball flight. Moving the CG lower yields higher launch angles from lower lofts as well as optimizing the vertical gear effect previously found only in the tall-faced jumbo drivers. Having a low CG allows the golfer to more easily hit a golf ball off the turf without the use of a tee. This is a critical advantage of the present invention over the conventional tall-faced jumbo drivers with a higher center of gravity.
Since the vertical crown height is low, the overall volume of the club head of the present invention is between 160 cc and 200 cc less than its jumbo counterparts. Thus the club head is approximately 260 cc in size, making this golf club head much easier to maneuver than the larger jumbo club heads. At the lesser size, the club head may be made of steel rather than titanium making it less expensive and more durable while meeting expected performance requirements.
In addition to the improved geometry of the upper portions of the club head, the present invention uses a forward bounce area on the sole of the club head just behind the ball striking face. This forward bounce on the sole of the club head provides a ground control feature not found with conventional driver type golf club heads. When using the club to drive a golf ball from a tee, the tee height may be positioned lower to the ground as one would do with a fairway wood club. During the execution of the shot, the bounce sole of the present club head is able to contact the turf as the head contacts the golf ball. The bounce area prevents the club from digging into the turf while stabilizing rotation of the club face and regulating a consistent vertical ball impact area on the face of the club head. Stated in other words, the bounce area maintains the same vertical height of the club head for each swing thereby insuring a more consistent swing plane and a more repetitive strike against the ball and launch angle of the golf ball for each golf swing.
Typically golfers with reduced skill levels swing a golf club in such a way as to leave the club face open at impact resulting in golf shots severely slicing from the intended target line. Another performance benefit of the bounce area on the sole of the club head is that the bounce dynamically squares the club head face due to ground contact. Therefore the lower the ball is placed on a tee, the more the bounce area is able to maintain the club face at a more squared position. Thus for golfers that lack the skill to consistently square the club face at impact, the golf club of the present invention will automatically accomplish a proper club face angle through the physical dynamics of the club head as it contacts the ground surface.
The above features of the driver type golf club head are designed to hit a golf ball from a tee as well as a golf ball lying on a grass or turf surface. The golf club head combines the oversized, outer dimensions and footprint of a conventional jumbo driver type golf club head with the traditional low vertical height profile of a fairway wood in combination with a bounce on the bottom sole. The lower profile geometry allows for lower and rearward CG for higher, longer ball flight. The lower profile design reduces the overall volume of the club head making it more aerodynamic by providing less air resistance during the golf swing than conventional tall-faced jumbo driver type club heads.
Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a driver type golf club head capable of striking a golf ball from a tee or lying on the ground.
Another object is the provision of a low profile driver golf club head with the footprint and perimeter weight of a jumbo driver club head.
Still another object is the provision of a low profile driver type golf club head having a bounce sole configuration to enhance the strike of a golf ball teed low or lying on the grass or ground surface.
A further object is the provision of a low profile driver type golf club head allowing for a thinner face and shallower sides reducing volume and allowing for optimum weight placement to produce improved ball flight.
A still further object is the provision of a low profile driver having a lower and rearward center of gravity.
Another object is the provision of a more aero-dynamic driver-type golf club that allows for greater maneuverability and faster swing speeds.
Another object is the provision of a low profile driver type golf club head that is less expensive to make and more affordable to the consumer.
These and other objects will be apparent with reference to the following specification and accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a toe side elevational view of the golf club head of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the golf club head of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the golf club head of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is front elevational view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 as compared to a conventional jumbo-size driver head.

FIG. 5 is a toe side elevational view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 as compared to a conventional jumbo-size driver head.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 as compared the same view of a conventional fairway metal head.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the golf club head of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is sectional view of a conventional jumbo-size driver head.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The driver type golf club head of the present invention includes a combination of a number of unique features that are defined as follows. A first significant feature of the club head is a large footprint that is traditionally defined as the projected area of the outer dimensions of the golf club head onto the ground plane. The large footprint of the club head of the present invention is formed by outer dimensions including an USGA measured width between the heel and the toe of the club head of at least 95 mm and a breadth between the leading edge of the striking face and the rear surface of the club head also of at least 95 mm.
Another significant feature is a low profile configuration of the club head. For the purposes of the present invention, a low profile driver is defined as a club head having a breadth, as defined above, which is at least twice the height of the club head measured from the top crown to the bottom sole.
Still another feature of the club head of this invention is a low and rearward center of gravity, CG, location defined as being at or below a vertical midline of the club head between the top crown and bottom sole and being rearward of the striking face at least one third of the total distance from the striking face to the rear surface of the club head.
Another feature of the golf club head is a bounce area defined as an area behind the leading edge of the club face on the bottom sole disposed at a downward angle that engages the ground or turf surface preventing the leading edge from digging into the ground when contacting a golf ball during the execution of golf shots.
The above features of the driver type golf club head enable golfers with less skill to use the club to hit a golf ball not only off a tee as with conventional jumbo type club heads but also to enable a golfer to execute more difficult shots with the driver such as when the golf ball is lying on the ground or a turf grass surface.
Referring to the drawings, a driver type, metal wood golf club head 100, defined by the above criteria, is shown that includes a ball striking face 102, a top crown 104, heel 105, toe 106, side surfaces 107, rear surface 108 and bottom sole 109 with a leading edge 110 at the interface of the striking face 102, a bottom sole 109 and a bounce area 114 on the bottom sole 109 behind the leading edge 110. In this embodiment the club head 100 further includes a hosel 112 for connection to a conventional shaft and grip, not shown.
The club head 100 has a large footprint defined by a breadth B, as seen in FIG. 2, that is measured in a front to rear direction between the leading edge 110 of the striking face 102 and rear surface 108 and a width W, also seen in FIG. 2, that is measured in a side to side direction between the heel 105 and toe 106 of the club head.
The golf club head 100 has a low profile whereby the height H between the top crown 104 and the bottom sole 109 is equal to or less than half the breadth of the club head 100 between the leading edge 110 of the striking face 102 and the rear surface 108.
FIGS. 1, 4, 5 and 7, showing front and side elevational views, illustrate the low profile configuration of the club head 100. The low profile design is particularly evident when compared to a conventional, jumbo type club head shown in dotted lines in the front elevational view of FIG. 4 and the side elevational view of FIG. 5.
Referring to FIG. 7, the low profile design allows the club head 100 to be made with a thinner face 102 as well as shallower side surfaces 107 and thicker with more weight at the lower rear portion of the bottom sole 109. See the sectional view of FIG. 7 as compared to a sectional view of the prior art shown in FIG. 8. This relocation of significant, discretionary weight rearward and downward toward the rear and bottom of the sole 109 moves the center of gravity, CG, rearward and lower than the CG location of traditional golf club heads of this type.
As shown in FIG. 5, the CG is at or below a vertical mid-line, VM, between the bottom sole 109 and top crown 104 of the club head 100 as compared to a higher, more forward location of the CG in a conventional club head shown in the dotted lines. The CG of the present club head 100 is also located rearward of said ball striking face 102 at least one third of the distance of the breadth measurement B between the leading edge of the striking face 102 and rear surface 108 but preferably 40% of the distance from the face.
Moving the center of gravity, CG, rearward and downward, increases the moment of inertia thereby yielding greater stability and longer ball flight for a given strike of the golf ball. This lower CG also yields higher launch angles from lower lofted club heads as well as optimizing the vertical gear effect previously found only in the tall-faced jumbo drivers resulting in higher, longer ball flight. Having a low CG also allows the golfer to more easily hit a golf ball off the turf without the use of a tee. This is a critical advantage of the present invention over the conventional tall-faced, jumbo drivers having a higher center of gravity.
Referring to FIGS. 1, 3, 5 and 7, the bounce area 114 of the club head 100 is located on the bottom sole 109 immediately behind the leading edge 110. The bounce area 114 is formed at a downward angle such that the rearward portion 115 of the bounce area 114 rests on the ground support surface and the rearward portion 116 of the bottom sole 109 is slightly raised above the ground surface. The bounce area 114 prevents the leading edge 110 of the club head 100 from digging into the ground surface when the golf ball lies on the turf and is struck by the club head 100 without the use of a tee.
When striking a golf ball lying on the ground or turf, the low profile, CG location and the bounce area of the present invention permits the club head 100 to be used in place of a more lofted fairway wood or metal wood while achieving greater ball flight and distance. During the strike, the bounce area 114 allows the bottom sole 109 to skim across the ground surface as the face 102 strikes the ball rather than causing the leading edge 110 to dig into the ground too far below the ball creating a divot and a pop-up type of miss-hit. This action of the bounce area 114 assists the golfer by improving the consistency of the swing plane through impact with the golf ball over repeated use.
Because the vertical crown height is low, the overall volume is at least 160 cc and as much as 200 cc less than its jumbo counterparts. Thus a preferable size of the club head 100 of the present invention is approximately 260 cc in size, making this golf club head much easier to maneuver than the larger jumbo club heads and permitting the club head to be made of steel rather than titanium making it less expensive and more durable while meeting expected performance requirements.
All of the above described features of the club head 100 assist the average, less skilled golfer to reduce vertical miss-hits and that, in turn, leads to more consistent launch trajectories. This improvement in ball flight leads to longer golf shots and more predictable shot making and ultimately leading to lower scores.
In a preferred embodiment, the striking face 102 of the club head 100 of the present invention has a loft angle between 8 and 16 degrees, preferably a loft angle of 10.5 degrees. To be conforming to the current rules of golf for golf clubs, the width of a club head must be equal to or greater than the breath. In the present invention, the width W, seen in FIG. 2, of the club head 100, is measured between the heel 105 and toe 106 and is at least 95 mm but is preferably 115 mm. The breadth B, also seen in FIG. 2, of the club head 100 is measured in a front to rear direction between the leading edge 110 and rear surface 108 and is at least 95 mm but is preferably 105 mm. As seen in FIG. 4, the height H of the club head 100 measured between the bottom sole 108 and the top crown 104 is less than 55 mm but preferably 45 mm. Also seen in FIG. 4, the striking face height HF, of the face 102, is equal to or less than 42 mm but is preferably 38 mm. The bounce angle of the bounce area 114 is equal to or greater than 3 degrees, downward from the leading edge 110 but is preferably 6 degrees.
The ratio of the breadth to height of a typical stainless steel driver club head is 1.7 to 1 with a typical vertical height of 50 mm and a typical breadth of 85 mm. The ratio of the breadth to height of a traditional large footprint, oversized, jumbo, titanium driver is also 1.7 to 1 with a typical vertical height of 65 mm and a breadth of 110 mm. In like manner the ratio of the breadth to height of a typical fairway metal wood is also about 1.7 to 1 with a vertical height of 45 mm and a breadth of 75 to 80 mm. FIG. 6 illustrates a top plan view of the club head 100 of the present invention compared to a smaller conventional fairway metal wood, shown in the dotted lines, and illustrates the larger footprint configuration of the present invention.
In the present invention the breadth of the club head 100, as measured from the leading edge 110 at the bottom of the striking face 102 to the trailing edge of the rear surface 108, is relatively large and compares with the breadth of the large footprint, jumbo oversized drivers and is much larger than conventional stainless steel drivers and fairway metal woods. The ratio of the breadth to height of the club head 100 of the present invention is a minimum of 2 to 1. In the current preferred embodiment the ratio is 2.3 to 1, with a vertical height of 45 mm and a breadth of 105 mm.
Referring to FIG. 5, the center of gravity, CG, of the club head 100 described above has a vertical location no greater than 28 mm above the bottom sole 109 and a preferred location at or below a vertical midline VM between the bottom sole 109 and the top crown 104 of the club head 100. The GC is also located at least a distance of 32 mm, or more, rearward from the face 102, with a preferred location being 42 mm behind the face 102.
It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the golf club head of the present invention in keeping with the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A driver type golf club head including a top crown, heel, toe, side surfaces, bottom sole, rear surface, a ball striking face between said top crown and said bottom sole, and a leading edge at the interface of said ball striking face and said bottom sole;

said club head further characterized by a large footprint outer dimension defined as a projection of an outer periphery of said club head onto a ground plane and wherein said outer periphery has a breadth of at least 95 mm measured between said leading edge of said ball striking face and said rear surface;

and, said club head is further characterized as having a low profile defined by a breadth to vertical height ratio of at least 2 to 1, said vertical height being measured between said top crown and said bottom sole.

2. The driver type golf club head of claim 1 further defined by having a width of at least 95 mm measured between said heel and said toe; and having a width to vertical height ratio of at least 2 to 1.

3. The driver type golf club head of claim 1 wherein said vertical height between said top crown and said bottom sole is less than 55 mm.

4. The driver type golf club head of claim 1 wherein the height of said ball striking face is a maximum of 42 mm.

5. The driver type golf club head of claim 1 further characterized by a center of gravity located at or below a midline between said top crown and bottom sole of said club head.

6. The driver type golf club head of claim 1 further characterized by a center of gravity located rearward of said ball striking face at least one third of the distance of the breadth measurement from the leading edge of said ball striking face toward said rear surface.

7. The driver type golf club head of claim 5 further characterized by said center of gravity located rearward of said ball striking face at least one third of the distance of the breadth measurement from the leading edge of the striking face toward the rear surface.

8. The driver type golf club head of claim 1 further characterized by a bounce area on said bottom sole extending rearward from said ball striking face having a downward angle from said face of at least 3 degrees or greater.

9. A driver type golf club head having a large footprint outer dimension and a low profile height to width configuration including a top crown, bottom sole, heel, toe, side surfaces, rear surface, and ball striking face wherein said club head is characterized by having a breadth to height ratio of at least 2 to 1; the breadth being measured between said striking face and rear surface and the height being measured between said top crown and said bottom sole; and, said club head further including a bounce area on said bottom sole extending rearward from said ball striking face.

10. The driver type golf club head of claim 9 wherein the breadth of said club head is at least 95 mm and the height of said club head is less than 55 mm.

11. The driver type golf club head of claim 9 wherein said bounce area has a downward angle from said ball striking face at least 3 degrees or greater.

12. A driver type golf club head including a top crown, bottom sole, heel, toe, side surfaces, rear surface, ball striking face, and a leading edge at the interface of said ball striking face and said bottom sole; said club head characterized by having a breadth to vertical height ratio of at least 2 to 1, the breadth being measured between said striking face and rear surface and the height being measured between said top crown and said bottom sole; and, said club head further including a center of gravity located at or below a midline between said top crown and said bottom sole and located rearward from said ball striking face at least one third of the distance of the breadth measurement from the leading edge of the striking face toward the rear surface.

13. The golf club of claim 12 further including an angular bounce of at least 3 degrees or more extending downwardly and rearward from said ball striking face.