Nike, Inc.

Karsten Manufacturing Corporation

Other

Andrew G V Oldknow

John T Stites

Robert M Boyd

David N Franklin

Jason Cardani

Michael T Prichard

Sherry Lynn Jones

James Huang Lua

Nathaniel J Radcliffe

Eric A Larson

Joshua M Boggs

Philip J Hatton

Carl L Madore

Jason P Martin

Carl Andreas Jonsson

Hiroshi Kawaguchi

Raymond J Sander

Patrick Triato

Donald S Rahrig

Adam D Liber

James S Thomas

William F Rauchholz

Michael G Taylor

Rick S Wahlin

Matthew E Montagne

Kenneth W Brown

Gary Gene Tavares

Jeremy N Snyder

Robert Lukasiewicz, Jr

Michael E Finn

Robert Arluna

George W Moody, Jr

Alan W Reichow

Hiromitsu Akiyama

Chia-Chyi Cheng

Mark Harman Powell

Phillip J Hatton

Sean Miller

In general, aspects of this invention relate to blade-type iron golf clubs or golf club heads. The blade-type golf club head may comprise a body forged of a metal material. The body may include a hosel, a top surface, a sole, a heel, a toe, a ball striking surface, and a rear surface opposite the ball striking surface. The rear surface may have an upper blade portion and a lower muscle portion with the upper blade portion separated from the lower muscle portion by a blade interface. The lower muscle portion may have a muscle portion surface are that includes a heel muscle surface area measured from the ball striking centerline to the heel and a toe muscle surface area measured from the ball striking centerline to the toe. The toe muscle surface area may make up at least 60% of the muscle portion surface area. The mass distribution of the lower muscle portion moves the center of gravity of the club head closer to the face center location.

Iron-type golf clubs and golf club heads

A ball striking device, such as an iron-type golf club head, includes a face having a ball striking surface and a rear surface, and a body connected to the face. The body has a sole member and a rear cavity defined at least partially by the sole member and the rear surface of the face. The body has an elongated, recessed channel extending within the cavity along a juncture line between the rear surface of the face and the sole member. Additionally, the head is formed in part by a face member having a first leg forming at least a major portion of the face and a second leg extending rearwardly from a bottom end of the first leg and forming at least a portion of the sole member. The head may further be formed by a body member connected to the face member.

Iron-type golf club head or other ball striking device

A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a channel extending across a portion of the sole. The channel may be recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and have a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole, wherein the channel comprises a center portion extending across a center of the sole, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe, wherein the width and the depth of the center portion of the channel are substantially constant, and wherein the depth of the channel is greater at the heel and toe portions than at the center portion.

Golf club head or other ball striking device having impact-influencing body features

Golf club heads (e.g. drivers, fairway woods, wood-type hybrid clubs, or the like) according to at least some example aspects of this invention include a striking face and a rear portion opposite the striking face, the rear portion defining an opening to an interior cavity. A rear body member configured to be inserted into the opening is engaged with the rear portion of the club head. The rear body member may include multiple rear body parts that may be removable and/or interchangeable to permit flexibility in controlling the weight distribution of the golf club head.

Golf clubs and golf club heads having interchangeable rear body members

Golf clubs and golf club heads having a weight member that is configurable in multiple positions to alter the performance characteristics of the golf club head are presented. In some examples, the weight member may be arranged in a sole of the golf club head and may include ends having different weighting characteristics. For instance, one end may be heavier or denser than another end of the weight member. The difference in weight characteristics may be due to different materials used to form the different ends, different construction of the ends, and the like. The position of the weight member may be adjusted to alter the performance characteristics of the golf club head. For instance, the weight member may be removed and rotated to position a heavier end where a lighter end was previously positioned.

Golf club head and golf club head structures

A golf club head having a metal portion adhered to a non-metal portion to define a closed internal volume therebetween, and an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole. The channel may be recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole, wherein the channel comprises a center portion extending across a center of the sole, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe, wherein the width of the center portion of the channel is substantially constant, and wherein the width of the channel increases from the heel end of the center portion to the heel and from the toe end of the center portion to the toe.

A ball striking device, such as a golf club, includes a head with a face having a ball-striking surface configured for striking a ball, a body connected to the face, and at least one channel in the ball-striking surface of the face. The region of highest COR response of the face is directionally enlarged toward the channel. Depending on the size, shape, and location of the channel, the face can be altered to provide greater COR response and increased energy transfer for impacts at specific locations on the face.

Golf club head or other ball striking device having one or more face channels

A ball striking device has a face with a striking surface and a body extending rearwardly from the outer periphery of the face. A channel crosses a centerline of the sole, and includes a trough defined between front and rear edges and extending in a heel-toe direction. The device further has internal interconnection structure for connection of a shaft to the head. A bore or access opening is provided to access the interconnecting structure. The rear edge of the first portion of the channel in its entirety is positioned more proximate to the face than to a rear of the golf club head. The access opening and the front edge of the channel at the centerline of the sole are spaced from the outer periphery of the face by equal distances, and a part of the channel passes between the access opening and the rear of the golf club head.

Golf club and golf club head structures

Growing community of inventors

Beaverton, OR, United States of America

Andrew G V Oldknow