Golf club having angular grooves

Abstract

A method of imparting a directional corrective horizontal spin component to a golf ball includes providing a plurality of golf clubs each having a golf club head with a ball striking face having grooves angled relative to a sole of the club. Each club has a select loft angle and a groove angle which varies as a function of the select loft angle. The method further includes selecting a club having a desired loft angle for striking a golf ball, aligning the club head with the sole perpendicular to a desired line between the ball and the target and striking the golf ball with the sole perpendicular to the desired line between the ball and the target.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A method of imparting a directional corrective horizontal spin component to a golf ball, the method comprising: 
 providing a plurality of golf clubs, each club comprising a shaft and a club head, each club head having a heel attached to one end of the shaft, a toe opposite the heel and a sole defining the bottom of the club head extending between the heel and the toe, the club head further including a ball-striking face with an intended impact area covering part of the face and extending continuously across the face from near the heel to near the toe, the intended impact area having a plurality of grooves therein, each groove extending at a groove angle relative to the sole, each club head further having a select loft angle, the groove angle for each club head being a function of the select loft angle;    selecting a club having a desired loft angle for striking a golf ball;    aligning the club head with the sole perpendicular to a desired line between the ball and the target; and    striking the golf ball with the sole perpendicular to the desired line between the ball and a target.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising providing alignment indicia on the club face parallel to the club sole and aligning the club head with the alignment indicia perpendicular to the desired line between the ball and the target.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the grooves are substantially straight lines.  
     
     
         4 . the method of  claim 1 , wherein each face has a heel and a toe and the grooves are angled such that each groove runs from an upper face section positioned relatively toward the toe to a lower face section positioned relatively toward the heel.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the face has a heel and a toe and the grooves are angled such that each groove runs from an upper face section positioned relatively toward the heel to a lower face section positioned relatively toward the toe.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the golf clubs are irons having grooves angled from a lower heel portion to an upper toe portion having loft angles and corresponding groove angles in the following ranges:  
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   LOFT ANGLE (°) 
                   GROOVE ANGLE (°) 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   40-55 
                   10-20 
                 
                     
                   30-40 
                   10-30 
                 
                     
                   15-30 
                   25-45 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein as between golf club heads the groove angle increases as the select loft angle decreases.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the golf clubs are woods having grooves angled from a lower heel portion to an upper toe portion having loft angles and corresponding groove angles in the following ranges:  
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   LOFT ANGLE (°) 
                   GROOVE ANGLE (°) 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   5-20 
                   10-30 
                 
                     
                   >15 
                   20-45 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         9 . A set of golf clubs comprising: 
 a plurality of golf clubs, each club comprising a shaft and a club head, each club head having a heel attached to one end of the shaft, a toe opposite the heel and a sole defining the bottom of the club head extending between the heel and the toe, the club further including a ball-striking face with an intended impact area covering part of the face and extending continuously across the face from near the heel to near the toe, the intended impact area having a plurality of grooves therein, each club head further having a select loft angle, wherein at least two of the golf clubs have club heads have alignment indicia on the club face defining a horizontal line and the grooves of the at least two golf club heads extend a groove angle relative the horizontal line defined by the alignment indicia, the groove angle for each such club head being a function of the select loft angle.    
     
     
         10 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 9 , wherein the grooves of the at least two club heads extend parallel continuously from an upper face section positioned relatively toward the toe to a lower face section positioned relatively toward the heel.  
     
     
         11 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 9 , wherein as between the at least two golf club heads the groove angle increases as the select loft angle decreases.  
     
     
         12 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 9 , wherein all the club heads have the reference indicia and angled grooves and for club heads having a loft angle less than 56°, the grooves extend in parallel continuously from a lower face section positioned relatively toward the toe to an upper face section positioned relatively toward the heel.  
     
     
         13 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 9 , wherein for the at least two club heads the range of groove angles corresponds to the range of loft angles as follows:  
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   CLUB TYPE 
                   LOFT ANGLE (°) 
                   GROOVE ANGLE (°) 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Irons 
                   40-55 
                   10-20 
                 
                     
                     
                   30-40 
                   10-30 
                 
                     
                     
                   15-30 
                   25-45 
                 
                     
                   Drivers 
                    5-15 
                   10-45 
                 
                     
                   Fairway Woods 
                   >15 
                   20-45 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         14 . A method of making a golf club having a club head with a ball striking face having parallel grooves therein for imparting a corrective spin on golf balls struck by a golfer, the method comprising: 
 measuring an unwanted spin imparted by the golfer in hitting a golf ball;    determining an angle for the grooves to be inclined relative to a leading edge of the club head to impart a spin correcting the unwanted spin; and    forming the grooves in the club head face at the determined angle relative to a leading edge of the club head.