Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02745180 2011-07-04
Attorney Docket No: KMC-10-012 / 0305622
Inventor(s): Bradley D. Schweigert ......................... (Anthem, Arizona)
Michael R. Nicolette ............................(Scottsdale, Arizona)
Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation...... (Phoenix, Arizona)
GOLF CLUB HEADS WITH PROTRUSION WEIGHTS AND RELATED METHODS
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[01] This patent application claims priority to:
U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/323,253, titled Club Heads With
Protrusion Weights And Related Methods, and filed on April 12, 2010; and
U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/328,613, titled Club Heads With
Protrusion Weights And Related Methods, and filed on April 27, 2010.
The disclosures of the referenced applications are incorporated herein by
reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[02] This disclosure relates generally to sports equipment, and relates more
particularly to club heads and related methods.
BACKGROUND
[03] Golf clubs and specifically golf club heads of various designs have
typically been
developed to improve the functionality of a person's golf swing and resulting
golf shot.
In particular, many people have a propensity to hit shots that tend to fade or
slice, and/or
they tend to hit the ball non-squarely, e.g., with a slightly open club face.
Golf club
manufactures have attempted to counteract such tendencies.
[04] A golf club head's design may optimize the golf club head's weighting
scheme
by, for example, adjusting a center of gravity and/or moment of inertia of the
golf club
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head. Such designs may mitigate a person's problems with golf swing
inconsistencies.
Prior attempts at optimizing golf club head's weighting scheme, however, have
been
limited by the golf club head's shape and volume. Therefore, a need exists in
the art to
develop golf club heads and related methods that address such limitations of
the current
technology.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[05] The invention will be better understood from a reading of the following
detailed
description of examples of embodiments, taken in conjunction with the
accompanying
figures.
[06] FIG. 1 illustrates a rear-heel perspective view of a golf club head
comprising a
protruding weight in accordance with an embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[07] FIG. 2 illustrates a view of a front portion of the golf club head of
FIG. 1.
[08] FIG. 3 illustrates a view of a rear potion of the golf club head of FIG.
1.
[09] FIG. 4 illustrates a view of a heel portion of the golf club head of FIG.
1.
[10] FIG. 5 illustrates a view of a sole portion of the golf club head of FIG.
1.
[11] FIG. 6 illustrates a view of a crown portion of the golf club head of
FIG. 1.
[12] FIG. 7 illustrates a view of a toe portion of the golf club head of FIG.
1.
[13] FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the golf club head of FIG. 1
cut across
line 8-8 of FIG. 3.
[14] FIG. 9 illustrates a front-heel perspective view of the golf club head
having the
protruding weight of FIG. 1.
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= [15] FIG. 10 illustrates an image of the golf club head of FIG. 1 upon
impact between
a toe portion of a club face thereof and a ball.
[16] FIG. 11 illustrates an image of the club head of FIG. 1 upon impact
between a
heel portion of the club face thereof and the ball.
[17] FIG. 12 illustrates a flowchart of method for providing a club head in
accordance
with the present disclosure.
[18] For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures
illustrate the general
manner of construction, and descriptions and details of well-known features
and
techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention.
Additionally,
elements in the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For
example, the
dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative
to other
elements to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present
invention. The
same reference numerals in different figures denote the same elements.
[19] The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," and the like in the
description and
in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishing between similar elements
and not
necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It
is to be
understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate
circumstances
such that the embodiments described herein are, for example, capable of
operation in
sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.
Furthermore, the
terms "include," and "have," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover
a non-
exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, article, device, or
apparatus that
comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but
may include
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other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method,
system, article,
device, or apparatus.
[20] The terms "left," "right," "front," "back," "top," "bottom," "over,"
"under," and
the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for
descriptive purposes and
not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be
understood that the
terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that
the
embodiments of the invention described herein are, for example, capable of
operation in
other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.
[21] The terms "couple," "coupled," "couples," "coupling," and the like should
be
broadly understood and refer to connecting two or more elements or signals,
mechanically or otherwise. Two or more mechanical elements may be mechanically
coupled, but not otherwise coupled. Coupling (whether mechanical or otherwise)
may be
for any length of time, e.g., permanent or semi-permanent or only for an
instant.
"Mechanical coupling" and the like should be broadly understood and include
mechanical coupling of all types. The absence of the word "removably,"
"removable,"
and the like near the word "coupled," and the like does not mean that the
coupling, etc. in
question is or is not removable.
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DESCRIPTION
[22] In one embodiment, golf club head can comprise a body comprising a crown
portion, a heel portion, a toe portion, a rear portion, a front portion, a
geometric center,
and at least one of a hosel portion, a sole portion, or a skirt portion. The
golf club head
can also comprise a protrusion weight protruded from the heel portion and from
at least
one of the sole portion or the skirt portion of the body. A center of gravity
of the
protrusion weight can be external to a body volume of the body of the club
head. A
moment of inertia of the club head can be increased due to a distance
extension of a
distance between the center of gravity of the protrusion weight and a center
of gravity of
the club head, the distance extension being external to the body volume. The
center of
gravity of the club head can be located at the heel portion of the body,
shifted by the
protrusion weight away from the toe portion and away from a center of gravity
of the
body. The protrusion weight can be at least partially visible from an exterior
of the club
head.
[23] In one embodiment, a method for providing a golf club head can comprise
providing a body of the golf club head, and providing a protrusion weight
protruding
from the body of the golf club head. Providing the body of the golf club head
can
comprise providing a crown portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, and at
least one of a
hosel portion, a sole portion, or a skirt portion. Providing the protrusion
weight can
comprise providing the protrusion weight to protrude from the heel portion and
from at
least one of the sole portion or the skirt portion. Providing the protrusion
weight can also
comprise providing a center of gravity of the protrusion weight to be external
to the body
of the golf club head, providing the protrusion weight to be at least
partially visible from
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an exterior of the body, locating a center of gravity of the golf club head at
the heel
portion, shifted by the protrusion weight away from a center of gravity of the
body and
away from a geometric center of the body, and/or providing a moment of inertia
of the
golf club head to be increased due to a distance extension of a distance
between the
center of gravity of the protrusion weight and the center of gravity of the
golf club head,
the distance extension being external to a volume of the body.
[24] In one embodiment, a golf club head can comprise a club head body
comprising a
crown portion, a club face, a heel portion, a toe portion, and at least one of
a hosel
portion, a sole portion, or a skirt portion. The golf club head can also
comprise a
protrusion weight protruded from the heel portion and from at least one of the
sole
portion or the skirt portion of the club head body. The protrusion weight can
be at least
partially visible from an address position viewpoint and can be at least
partially external
to the club head body. A center of gravity of the protrusion weight can be
external to a
contour of the club head body. A center of gravity of the club head can be
located at the
heel portion of the club head body, shifted by the protrusion weight away from
the toe
portion and away from a geometric center of the club head body. A moment of
inertia of
the club head can be increased due to a distance extension of a distance
between the
center of gravity of the protrusion weight and a center of gravity of the club
head body,
the distance extension being external to a volume of the club head body. The
body of the
club head can comprise a compass plane defined by a heel-to-toe axis extending
through
the geometric center, and by a front-to-rear axis extending through the
geometric center.
At the address position, a toe-end of the heel-to-toe axis can be at zero
degrees with
respect to the compass plane, and the center of gravity of the protrusion
weight can be
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located between approximately 120 degrees and approximately 180 degrees with
respect
to the compass plane.
[25] Other examples and embodiments are further disclosed herein. Such
examples
and embodiments may be found in the figures, in the claims, and/or in the
description of
the present application.
[26] Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 illustrates a rear-heel perspective
view of golf
club head 100 comprising protruding weight 120. To highlight the features of
protruding
weight 120 in the present example, golf club head 100 is shown inverted, and
protruding
weight 120 is highlighted in a wireframe rendition. FIG. 2 illustrates a view
of front
portion 115 of golf club head 100. FIG. 3 illustrates a view of rear potion
114 of golf
club head 100. FIG. 4 illustrates a view of heel portion 113 of golf club head
100. FIG.
illustrates a view of sole portion 111 of golf club head 100. FIG. 6
illustrates a view of
crown portion 112 of golf club head 100. FIG. 7 illustrates a view of toe
portion 217 of
golf club head 100. FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of golf club
head 100 cut
across line 8-8 of FIG. 3, as seen from the perspective of toe portion 217 in
FIG. 7. FIG.
9 illustrates front-heel perspective view of golf club head 100 having
protruding weight
120.
[27] In the embodiment of FIGs. 1-7, golf club head 100 comprises body 110
with
crown portion 112, heel portion 113, toe portion 217, rear portion 114, and
front portion
115. Also in the present embodiment, body 110 comprises hosel portion 116,
sole
portion 111, and skirt portion 117 located between sole portion 111 and crown
portion
112. Club head 100 also comprises protrusion weight 120 protruded from body
110 at
heel portion 113, skirt portion 117, and sole portion 111.
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[28] There can be other embodiments, however, with club heads similar to club
head
100, but that do not comprise one or more of a skirt portion or a hosel
portion as
illustrated for club head 100. In addition, although in the present embodiment
club head
100 comprises a driver head, there can be other embodiments comprising other
types of
club heads such as fairway woods, hybrids, and/or or other suitable types of
club heads
comprising protrusion weights similar.to protrusion weight 120. There also can
be other
embodiments where protrusion weight 120 may protrude from other portions of
body
110. For example, protrusion weight 120 may protrude from skirt portion 117
and not
from sole portion 111, or vice-versa. In another example, at least a portion
of a
protrusion weight similar to protrusion weight 120 may protrude from one or
more of the
other portions described above for club head 100.
[29] Body 110 encompasses body volume 812, as illustrated in the cross-section
of
FIG. 8 for the present embodiment. Although in the present embodiment body
volume
812 is hollow, there may be other embodiments comprising a body volume that is
solid,
or where at least portions thereof are solid. Body volume 812 can comprise
between
approximately 400 cc (cubic centimeters) to approximately 470 cc, but could
comprise
other volumes based on the type of club head to which it belongs. For
instance, in one
example comprising a driver head, the corresponding body volume can range to
approximately 600 cc. In another example comprising a fairway wood head, the
corresponding body volume could comprise between approximately 130 cc to
approximately 250 cc. As shown in FIG. 8, protrusion weight 120 is configured
in the
present embodiment to be external to body volume 812 of body 110. In addition,
center
of gravity 221 of protrusion weight 120 is also external to body volume 812 in
the present
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embodiment. In the present example shown in FIG. 1, sidewall 118 of body 110
is
integral with surface 128 of protrusion weight 120 while still protruding
externally from a
contour body 110. There also can be embodiments, however, where protrusion
weight-
120 can be entirely external to sidewall 118 of body 110 of club head 100. For
example,
surface 128 of protrusion weight 120 could be non-integral or separate from
sidewall 118
of body 110 in other embodiments, and could be coupled thereto via glue,
screws,
welding, and/or or other mechanical fastening mechanisms. ,In the same or
different
examples, sidewall 118 of body 110 is either separable or inseparable from
surface 128 of
protrusion weight 120.
[30] Configuring protrusion weight 120, or center of gravity 221 thereof, to
be external
to body volume 812 can provide several benefits with respect to several
characteristics of
club head 100. For instance, a moment of inertia of club head 100 may be
increased as a
result of an extension in distance 250 between center of gravity 221 of
protrusion weight
120 and center of gravity 211 of club head 100. As an example, as shown in
FIGs. 2 and
8, distance 250 has been extended by distance extension 252 between body 110
and
center of gravity 221 of protrusion weight 120. In contrast, other embodiments
having
only weighting internal to body 110 would be limited to an internal distance,
such as
internal distance 251, as the maximum distance with which to affect the moment
of
inertia of club head 100. In some examples, club heads comprising protrusion
weights
similar to protrusion weight 120 may comprise moments of inertia of
approximately 4000
g=cm2 (gram = square centimeter) to approximately 6000 g=cm2 about a vertical
axis
(similar to axis 290 in FIG. 2) through their respective centers of gravity,
and/or their
respective moments of inertia could be increased by approximately 10% to
approximately
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20% due to the incorporation of the protrusion weight. In other examples, club
heads
such as fairway wood heads comprising protrusion weights similar to protrusion
weight
120 may comprise moments of inertia of approximately 2500 g=cm2 to
approximately
3500 g=cm2 about a vertical axis (similar to axis 290 in FIG. 2) through their
respective
centers of gravity, and/or their respective moments of inertia could be
increased by
approximately 4% to approximately 8% due to the incorporation of the
protrusion weight.
[31] In the present embodiment, assuming that club head 100 rotates about
center of
gravity 211 during impact, the moment of inertia I of club head 100 can be
adjusted via
the following equation:
I= md2
where m corresponds to a mass of protrusion weight 120, and d corresponds to
distance
250. Therefore, because distance extension 252 increases distance 250 further
than
would be possible if protrusion weight 120 were located within body volume
812,
moment of inertia I of club head 100 can be thereby increased without having
to resort to
increasing mass m of an internal weight. This technique can be beneficial, for
example,
in situations where the mass of club head 100 is constrained by regulations
prescribing a
maximum golf club head mass and/or in situations where additional golf club
head mass
could affect or interfere with a golfer's swing. Furthermore, in light of the
equation
above, because the effect of distance d is squared with respect to moment of
inertia I,
compared to the effect of mass m, which is only linear, adjusting the moment
of inertia of
club head 100 via distance extension 252 is more efficient than attempting to
adjust it by
altering the mass of weighting within body volume 812.
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[32] In examples such as the present one, the ability to place protrusion
weight outside
of sidewall 118 of body 110 can be beneficial, for example, to provide, shape,
and/or
locate a mass of protrusion weight 120 as needed, without being constrained by
dimensions or characteristics of body volume 812. For example, a mass of
protrusion
weight 120 can comprise between approximately 7% to approximately 16% of a
total
mass of club head 100 in some embodiments. In the same or other embodiments,
the
mass of protrusion weight 120 can comprise between approximately 15 grams to
approximately 30 grams, and/or the mass of club head 100 can comprise between
approximately 190 grams to approximately 210 grams.
[33] In another example, a club head such as fairway wood head may comprise a
mass
of between approximately 200 grams to approximately 240 grams, with a
protrusion
weight similar to protrusion weight 120 ranging between approximately 10 grams
to
approximately 30 grams. In the same or other examples, the mass of the
protrusion
weight can comprise between approximately 3% to approximately 10% of the total
mass
of the club head.
[34] In the present embodiment of club head 100, center of gravity 211 of club
head
100 is located toward heel portion 113 of body 110, shifted by protrusion
weight 221
away from toe portion 217. Toe portion 217 extends toe-wards from geometric
center
212, while heel portion 113 extends heel-wards from geometric center 212 in
the present
example. In the present embodiment, protrusion weight 120 shifts center of
gravity 211
of club head 100 towards heel portion 113, towards sole portion 110, and
towards rear
portion 114. In the same or other embodiments, protrusion weight 120, may
shift center
of gravity 211 of club head 100 by approximately 1.25 mm to approximately 5.1
mm
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towards heel portion 113, and/or by approximately 7.6 mm to approximately 12.7
mm
towards rear portion 114. In the same or other embodiments, center of gravity
211 of
club head 100 can be shifted by protrusion weight 120 away from center of
gravity 213 of
body 110 and/or away from geometric center 212 of body 110. There can be
examples,
geometric center 212 may comprise and/or coincide with a volumetric center of
body
110. In another embodiment comprising a fairway wood head, a protrusion weight
similar to protrusion weight 120 may shift a center of gravity of the fairway
wood head
by approximately 1.6 mm to approximately 2.0 mm towards the heel portion of
the
fairway wood head, and/or by approximately 1.4 mm to approximately 1.7 mm
towards
the rear portion of the fairway wood head.
[35] As will be further described below, the shifting of center of gravity 211
of club
head 100, as caused by protrusion weight 221, can provide several benefits to
improve a
user's swing, such as aiding in the correction of a user's tendency to hit
slice shots. In
the present embodiment, club head 100 is devoid of a toe weight member at toe
portion
217, where such toe weight member could be counteractive to the shift of
center of
gravity 211 by protrusion weight 120.
[36] In addition, as seen from FIGs. 1-8, protrusion weight 120 is visible
from an
exterior of club head 100, such as from the address position perspective
illustrated in
FIG. 6. Such arrangement with respect to visibility may have an additional
benefit of
increasing user confidence for users that can appreciate the enhanced control
and
performance features that the external positioning of protrusion weight 120
can provide.
The arrangement of the present embodiment also permits protrusion weight 120
to be
shaped such as to not significantly alter the overall appearance and/or
structure of club
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head 100 as compared to customary club heads of the same category. As an
example,
body volume 812 can be considered as subdivided into a heel portion volume
towards
heel portion 113, and into a toe portion volume towards toe portion 217, where
the heel
and toe portion volumes can be configured to be within approximately 20% of
each other
to maintain symmetry and thereby preserve the overall appearance and structure
of club
head 100 with respect to customary club heads. In the same or other examples,
the heel
and toe portion volumes can be configured to be within approximately 10% of
each other.
In some examples, customary club heads may have a symmetrical pear,
triangular, c-
shaped, and/or square shape that can be substantially preserved even with the
addition .
As a result, body volume 812 and/or sidewall 118 of club head 100 do not have
to be
significantly altered into aesthetically unpleasing and/or structurally
unsound shapes that
could negatively affect ball launch speed or trajectory characteristics in
order to achieve
the degree of center of gravity shifting that protrusion weight 120 allows in
the present
example for center of gravity 211.
[37] To facilitate the description herein, club head 100 can be subdivided
into four
quadrants about geometric center 212, as shown in FIG. 5 for front-heel
quadrant 551,
front-toe quadrant 552, rear-heel quadrant 553, and rear-toe quadrant 554. In
such an
arrangement, center of gravity 221 of protrusion weight 120 can be located at
rear-heel
quadrant 553, as shown in FIG. 5, even if part of protrusion weight 120
extends into one
or more of the other quadrants. In addition, as seen in FIG. 6, club head 100
can be
referenced with respect to compass plane 580 centered about geometric center
212 of
body 110 and defined by heel-to-toe axis 581 and front-to-rear axis 582, where
the toe-
end of heel-to-toe axis 581 is at zero degrees, and where angles of compass
plane 580
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increase in a clockwise manner with respect to the address position
perspective of FIG. 6
such that the 90-degree mark of compass plane 580 is at the rear end of front-
to-rear axis
582. In the present embodiment of club head 100, with reference to the address
position
shown in FIG. 6, center of gravity 221 of protrusion weight 120 can be located
between
approximately 120 degrees and approximately 180 degrees with respect to
compass plane
580. More specifically, center of gravity 221 can be located at approximately
135
degrees with respect to compass plane 580, although other locations could be
suitable in
other embodiments.
[38] Depending on the intended club head effects or characteristics, however,
there
also can be embodiments where center of gravity 221 can be located at or
between other
quadrants besides rear-heel quadrant 553 in FIG. 5, and/or at or between other
angles or
ranges of angles other than the approximately 120 degree to approximately 180
degree
range described above with respect to compass plane 580.
[39] In the present embodiment, protrusion weight 120 is separate from hosel
portion
116 at front-heel quadrant 551, such as to maintain the location of center of
gravity 221
of protrusion weight 120 at rear-heel quadrant 553. Such location separate
from hosel
portion 116 can be beneficial, for example, to maintain center of gravity 211
of club head
100 distanced from front portion 115 of body 110. In the same or other
examples,
maintaining or shifting center of gravity 211 towards rear portion 114 and/or
towards sole
portion 111, as accomplished by protrusion weight 120, can allow for improved
launch
characteristics. Such improved launch characteristics can comprise higher
launch angles
and/or lower launch spin, which can lead to more optimal trajectories and
greater
distances when club head 100 impacts a golf ball. FIG. 13 illustrates a
comparison of
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flightpath 13100, comprising the improved launch characteristics of higher
launch angle
and lower launch spin, relative to flightpath 13200 comprising a lower launch
angle with
higher launch spin.
[40] Weight 210 is also positioned such as to shift center of gravity 211 of
club head
100 towards heel portion 113 and towards rear portion 114 in the present
embodiment.
Such configuration can be beneficial, as seen in the exemplary situations of
FIGs. 10-11,
to affect a gear effect resulting from impact between club face 215 and golf
ball 1050.
FIG. 10 illustrates an image of club head 100 upon impact between ball 1050
and club
face 215 towards toe portion 217. FIG. 11 illustrates an image of club head
100 upon
impact between ball 1050 and club face 215 towards heel portion 113.
[41] With respect to the illustration of FIG. 10, protrusion weight 120 is
configured to
impart increased hook spin 1011 onto ball 1050 when club face 215 impacts ball
1050 at
impact point 1040 towards toe portion 217. In the present example, because of
the
shifting of center of gravity 211 of club head 100 towards heel portion 113,
afforded by
distance extension 252 as described above with respect to FIGs. 2 and 9,
distance 1020
between center of gravity 211 and impact point 1040 is increased. Such
increase in
distance 1020 can generate an augmented gear effect 1010 between club face 215
and
ball 1050, when club head 100 undergoes rotation 1012 about center of gravity
211 upon
impact with ball 1050 at impact point 1040, and can thereby impart further
increased
hook spin 1011 onto ball 1050 than would otherwise be possible if protrusion
weight 120
were internal to body volume 812 (FIG. 8). In the same or other examples,
because
center of gravity 211 of club head 100 is at heel portion 113, increased hook
spin 1010
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may still be imparted onto ball 1050 even if impact point 1040 were located at
a center of
club face 215.
[42] With respect to the illustration of FIG. 11, protrusion weight 120 is
configured to
impart decreased slice spin 1111 onto ball 1050 when club face 215 impacts
ball 1050 at
impact point 1140 towards heel portion 113. In the present example, because of
the
shifting of center of gravity 211 of club head 100 towards heel portion 113,
afforded by
distance extension 252 as described above with respect to FIGs. 2 and 9,
distance 1120
between center of gravity 211 and impact point 1140 is decreased. Such
decrease in
distance 1120 can generate a decreased gear effect 1110 between club face 215
and ball
1050, when club head 100 undergoes rotation 1112 about center of gravity 211
upon
impact with ball 1050 at impact point 1140, and can thereby impart further
decreased
slice spin 1111 onto ball 1050 than would otherwise be possible if protrusion
weight 120
were internal to body volume 812 (FIG. 8).
[43] The effects described above with respect to gear effects 1010 (FIG. 10)
and/or
1110 (FIG. 11) as made possible and/or as adjusted by protrusion weight 120
and
extended distance 252 (FIG. 2), can be beneficial for users who struggle with
a tendency
to hit slice shots, by imparting increased hook spin 1011 (FIG. 10) and/or
decreased slice
spin 1111 (FIG. 11). In addition, because center of gravity 211 is shifted by
protrusion
weight 120 to be closer to hosel 116, the angular force required to turn or
twist club head
100 during a swing can be reduced, thereby allowing users to square club face
215 with
ball 1050 more easily for straighter shots.
[44] In the present embodiment of FIG. 5, a portion of protrusion weight 120
is located
at edge 590 of club head 100, where edge 590 lies between crown portion 112
and sole
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portion 110. In addition, as seen in FIG. 5, center of gravity 221 of
protrusion weight
120 is located in rear-heel quadrant 553 between points 291 and 292. Point 291
represents a location where further shifting of protrusion weight along edge
590 towards
rear portion 114 would shift center of gravity 211 of club head 100 more
towards toe
portion 217 than towards rear portion 114. Similarly, point 292 represents a
location
where further shifting of protrusion weight along edge 590 towards heel
portion 113
would shift center of gravity 211 of club. head 100 more towards front portion
115 than
towards heel portion 113. In some examples, points 291 and 292 may comprise
substantially the same point along edge 590. There can be other embodiments,
however,
where protrusion weight 120 may be positioned elsewhere at or relative to body
110 to
counteract other tendencies, such as a tendency to hit hook shots.
[45] Moving along, FIG. 12 illustrates a flowchart of method 12000 for
providing a
club head. In some embodiments, the club head of method 12000 can be similar
to club
head 100 as described above with respect to FIGs. 1-11. In the same or other
examples,
the club head can comprise a driver club head, an iron club head, a fairway
wood head, a
hybrid head, or a putter head, among others.
[46] Block 12100 of method 12000 comprises providing a club head body. In some
examples, the club head body can be similar to body 110 of club head 100 in
FIGS. 1-11.
In the same or other examples, the club head body may be referenced with
respect to one
or more quadrants, such as front-heel quadrant 551, front-toe quadrant 552,
rear-heel
quadrant 553, and/or rear-toe quadrant 554 as shown in FIG. 5. In the same or
other
examples, the club head body may be referenced with respect to a compass plane
similar
to that described above for compass plane 580 (FIGs. 5-6).
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[47] The club head body can comprise a volume that may be fully or partially
hollow
or solid, depending on the implementation, similar to body volume 812 (FIG.
8). The
club head body can also comprise and/or be shaped or defined by a sidewall
such as
sidewall 118 (FIG. 1). The club head body may also comprise several portions
that may
be similar to portions described with respect to club head 100, such as crown
portion 112,
toe portion 217, heel portion 113, hosel portion 116, sole portion 111, and/or
skirt portion
117, among others. There can be examples where the club head body may be
provided to
be substantially similar to or shaped like customary club heads of the same
type. For
example, the club head body may be shaped along the lines of a traditional
driver head.
In the same or other examples, the volume of the club head may comprise a heel
portion
volume and a toe portion volume, where the heel and toe portion volumes can be
within
approximately 20% of each other. In some examples, such arrangement can limit
a shape
of the club head so that it does not look disproportionately or substantially
biased
towards, for example, the heel portion of the club head relative to customary
club heads.
[48] Block 12200 of method 12000 comprises providing a protrusion weight
protruding from the club head body. In some examples, the protrusion weight
can be
similar to protrusion weight 120 as described above with respect to club head
100 for
FIGs. 1-11. In some examples, providing the protrusion weight in block 12200
can
comprise providing the protrusion weight to protrude from the heel portion and
from at
least one of the sole portion or the skirt portion of the club head body of
block 12100.
For instance, the protrusion weight can protrude as shown in FIG. 5 from sole
portion
111, skirt portion 117, and heel portion 113 at rear-heel quadrant 553. The
protrusion
weight can also be located to protrude as shown and described above for FIG.
6, such
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that, from an address position viewpoint, where a toe end of the heel-to-toe
axis is located
at zero degrees with respect to the compass plane and the geometric center of
the club
head body, the center of gravity of the protrusion weight is located between
approximately 120 degrees and approximately 180 degrees.
[49] In the same or other examples, a center of gravity of the club head may
be located
at a heel portion of the club head body, shifted by the protrusion weight away
from a
center of gravity of the body and/or away from a geometric center of the body,
as
described above for FIG. 2 with respect to center of gravity 211 of club head
100.
[50] There can be examples where providing the club head body in block 12100
can
comprise providing an external surface of the club head body to be integral,
inseparable,
and/or continuous with an external surface of the protrusion weight, such as
seen in FIG.
1 with respect to sidewall 118 of club head body 110 and the exterior surface
of
protrusion weight 120. In other examples, providing the protrusion weight in
block
12200 may comprise keeping the protrusion weight separate, separable and/or
non-
integral with the hosel portion and/or the external surface of the club head
body.
[51] In the same or other examples, providing the club head body in block
12100 may
comprise providing the club head to be devoid of a weight member at its toe
portion,
where such weight member could be counteractive of the protrusion weight's
shift of the
center of gravity of the club head towards the heel portion. In such examples,
the weight
member in the toe portion may or may not comprise a perimeter weight in the
case of
club heads like iron heads.
[52] Block 12200 may also involve sub-block 12210 in some examples, comprising
providing a center of gravity of the protrusion weight to be external to the
club head
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body. In some examples, the center of gravity of the protrusion weight can be
arranged
as described above for center of gravity 221 of protrusion weight 120 (FIGs.
2, 5, 9)
located outside of club head body 110, external to body volume. 812 (FIG. 8)
and/or
external to sidewall 118 of club head body 110.
[53] In the same or other examples, providing the center of gravity of the
protrusion
weight in accordance with block 12210 may permit a moment of inertia of the
club head
to be increased, for reasons similar to those described above with respect to
club head
100, due the presence of a distance extension of a distance between the center
of gravity
of the protrusion weight and the center of gravity of the club head. In some
examples,
the distance extension may be external to body 110 and/or otherwise similar.
to distance
extension 252 as described above with respect to distance 250 (FIG. 2) of club
head 100.
[54] There can also be examples where block 12200 can comprise sub-block
12220,
comprising providing the protrusion weight to be visible from an exterior of
the club head
body. In some examples, the protrusion weight can be at least partially
visible from an
address position viewpoint, as shown in FIG. 6 for protrusion weight 120. As
described
above, such visibility may be beneficial for increasing user confidence for
users that can
appreciate the enhanced control and performance features that the external
positioning of
protrusion weight 120 can provide.
[55] In terms of performance, providing the protrusion weight as described
above with
respect to block 12200 may cause the club head of method 12000 to impart an
increased
hook spin onto a golf ball upon impact at a toe side of a face of the club
head. In some
examples, the increased hook spin may result from an augmented gear effect
between the
club face and the golf ball due the presence of the distance extension. In the
same or
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other examples, providing the protrusion weight may cause the club head of
method
12000 to impart a decreased slice spin onto the golf ball upon impact at a
heel-portion of
the club face, the decreased spin resulting from an decreased gear effect
between the club
face and the golf ball due to the presence of the distance extension.
[56] In some examples, some of the blocks of method 12000 can be subdivided
into
one or more sub-blocks. For example, block 12100 can be subdivided to comprise
a sub-
block for providing a club face for the club head body for embodiments where
the club
face is not integral with the club head body.
[57] In the same or other examples, one or more of the different blocks of
method
12000 can be combined into a single block or performed simultaneously, and/or
the
sequence of such blocks can be changed. For example, sub-blocks 12210 and
12220 of
block 12200 can be performed simultaneously. In the same or other examples,
blocks
12100 and 12200 can be performed simultaneously.
[58] There can also be examples where method 12000 can comprise further or
different blocks. As an example, method 12000 can also comprise a block for
providing
and/or attaching a golf club shaft to the body of the club head. Other
variations can be
implemented for method 2000 without departing from the scope of the present
disclosure.
[59] Although the club heads with protrusion weights and related methods have
been
described with reference to specific embodiments, various changes may be made
without
departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Examples of such
options
and other embodiments have been given in the foregoing description.
Accordingly, the
disclosure herein of embodiments of club heads with protrusion weights and
related
methods is intended to be illustrative of the scope of the present disclosure
and is not
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intended to be limiting. For example, in one embodiment, a golf club head may
have one
or more features shown or described in one or more of FIGs. 1-11, with or
without other
features also shown or described with reference to FIGs. 1-11. As another
example, club
head 100 or similar clubs described herein may be part of a golf club head
set, where
each club of such golf club head set may comprises a protrusion weight in
accordance
with the description above of protrusion weight 120. Other permutations of the
different
embodiments having one or more of the features of the various figures are
likewise
contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the club heads with protrusion
weights and
related methods described herein shall be limited only to the extent required
by the
appended claims.
[60] The club heads with protrusion weights and related methods discussed
herein may
be implemented in a variety of embodiments, and the foregoing discussion of
these -
embodiments does not necessarily represent a complete description of all
possible
embodiments. Rather, the detailed description of the drawings, and the
drawings
themselves, disclose at least one preferred embodiment, and may disclose
additional
embodiments.
[61] All elements claimed in any particular claim are essential to the club
heads with
protrusion weights and related methods claimed in that particular claim.
Consequently,
replacement of one or more claimed elements constitutes reconstruction and not
repair.
Additionally, benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been
described
with regard to specific embodiments. The benefits, advantages, solutions to
problems,
and any element or elements that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution
to occur
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or become more pronounced, however, are not to be construed as critical,
required, or
essential features or elements of any or all of the claims.
[62] Moreover, embodiments and limitations disclosed herein are not dedicated
to the
public under the doctrine of dedication if the embodiments and/or limitations:
(1) are not
expressly claimed in the claims; and (2) are or are potentially equivalents of
express
elements and/or limitations in the claims under the doctrine of equivalents.
662280.6 23
