Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited

Dunlop Sports Company Limited

Jacob Lambeth

Dustin J Brekke

Mika Becktor

Anthony Munson

Naruhiro Mizutani

Yuki Motokawa

Joseph Chen

Jake Grenier

Phillip C Seagram

Jeff D Brunski

Yoshie Kamiya

Patrick A Ripp

Scott A Carlyle

Brian D Schielke

Christopher J Beck

Jay Vogler

Kirk Bacon

Eli Miller

Mitchell Samson

A golf club head includes a golf club head main body having a toe, a heel opposite the toe, a sole, and a top portion opposite the sole. The golf club head further includes a striking face having a face center. The striking face includes a central region including the face center, a first average thickness, and a variable thickness. An upper region above the central region has a second average thickness and a toe region toe-ward of the central region has a third average thickness. An intermediate region at least partially surrounds the central region and is disposed between the central region and each of the upper region and the toe region. The intermediate region has a fourth average thickness that is greater than the first average thickness, the second average thickness, and the third average thickness.

Golf club heads with variable face thickness

A golf club head includes a center of gravity spaced less than 5 mm from a vertical center plane that is perpendicular to a striking face plane and extends through a striking face center. The golf club head also includes a first component having a first melting point and a first density and a second component having a second melting point higher than the first melting point and a second density less than the first density. And the second component (i) is at least partially encapsulated by the first component, (ii) extends into a hosel portion below a hosel bore, and (iii) has a mass less than about 5 g.

Golf club head

A putter-type golf club head has a top portion, a bottom portion, a heel portion, a toe portion, and a striking face having a variably textured region. The variably textured region includes a central portion and an outer portion laterally spaced from the central portion towards one of the heel portion and the toe portion. The central portion has a material ratio of less than 20% at a cutoff height of 0.1 mm and the outer portion has a material ratio greater than that of the central portion at the cutoff height of 0.1 mm. Variation of the textured region provides consistent ball speed upon impact at different lateral positions of the striking face.

Putter-type golf club head

A putter-type golf club head, when oriented in a reference position, includes a main body, a weight insert, a center of gravity CG with a center of gravity depth CGD, a golf club head length L from a forwardmost extent of the golf club head to its rearwardmost extent, and a ratio of CGD/L no more than 0.30. The main body includes a front portion having a face defining a face plane, a rear portion extending rearwardly from the front portion, a heel, and a toe opposite the heel. The weight insert, which is denser than the main body, includes an insert CG that is located rearwardly from the face plane by a distance no greater than 1.0 cm.

A method of selecting a golf club head for a specific user, includes: (a) receiving first data comprising impact location of each of a plurality of golf swings taken by the user using a test golf club; (b) generating an impact probability map specific to the user; (c) providing second data comprising correlations between striking face location and coefficient of restitution (COR) for each of a plurality of golf clubs; (d) calculating a user-specific expected COR value for each of the plurality of golf clubs based on the first data, the impact probability map, and the second data for each of the plurality of golf clubs; and (e) outputting and displaying golf club preference information based on the calculated user-specific expected COR.

Performance-based golf club selection system and method

Golf club heads including a striking face with a variable thickness, a shell including a crown, and an internal weight pad located on a lower portion of the shell. The center of gravity depths of at least two golf club heads in a set satisfy the equation: D=a&#x2212;b*LA, with 19 mm&#x3c;a&#x3c;22 mm and b=0.36 mm/degrees, and the at least two golf club heads have a difference in loft angle LA of at least 5 degrees. A moment of inertia about a vertical axis through the center of gravity of each of the at least two golf club heads is at least 2900 g*cm. In one aspect, a striking face has a center region having a first thickness T1, an intermediate region having a second thickness T2, and a perimeter region having a third thickness T3, with T2&#x3c;T1&#x3c;T3.

A variable face thickness pattern is determined for a golf club head by setting a target value for a first constraint. Parametrization zones are defined and values set for a first parameter and a second parameter for each parametrization zone. Resultant first constraint values are evaluated from simulated impacts against the target first constraint value and the values are changed for the first and second parameters to result in a simulated face thickness pattern. In one aspect, the club head has a maximum coefficient of restitution at a first location of the striking face and a second coefficient of restitution that is no less than 98% of the maximum coefficient of restitution at a second location that is at least 7.5 mm from the first location. In another aspect, the club head has a moment of inertia, Izz, and a mass, mh, satisfying: Izz&#x3e;mh*9.3 cm.

Head for a golf club

Face insert for a golf club head

A club head with a variable face thickness includes a body having a toe, heel, sole, and top portion. The loft angle LA and the club head mass mh satisfy mh=2.1 g/degree*LA+a, where 190 g&#x3c;a&#x3c;210 g, and the club head has a blade length less than 80 mm. A striking face of the club head has a face center, and defines a face plane. A virtual center plane extends vertically through the face center perpendicularly to the face plane. A center of gravity of the club head is located not more than 2.0 mm from the virtual center plane, and a moment of inertia about a vertical axis extending through the center of gravity satisfies: Izz&#x3e;mh*9.3 cm. In one aspect, a face insert including the striking face has a mass mf such that mf/mh is less than or equal to 0.22.

A golf club is disclosed that has a golf club head with a face having peaks or ridges and deep grooves or valleys. The deep grooves or valleys promote improved 'feel' and/or reduced 'smash factor' which may be particularly desirable when the golf club head comprises a putter face. The deep grooves or valleys may eliminate the need for costly soft metal alloy faces and/or polymeric or other resilient inserts between the face and the body of the golf club head.

Golf club with grooved striking face

A coupling for securing a golf shaft to a golf club head includes a first component configured to contact, and engage with, the golf shaft, and a second component bonded to the first component and configured to space the first component from the golf club head. The second component includes a second material having a Young's modulus less than a first material of the first component. In another aspect, a coupling includes a shaft engagement element, and a spacer configured to space the first component from the golf club head so that the golf shaft is above the golf club head in its entirety. The spacer includes a material having a Young's modulus no greater than about 10 Gpa. In another aspect, a kit includes a first coupling and a second coupling with at least one of a structural configuration or a material of a vibration dampening element differing.

Growing community of inventors

Irvine, CA, United States of America

Jacob Lambeth