Golf clubs and golf club sets

Abstract

Golf clubs and golf club sets which include weights which control the effective loft angles of the club head. Weights positioned adjacent the top of the club heads between the face and bottom focus the mass of the club head to improve striking force or power imparted to a ball upon impact. Weights positioned adjacent the face of the club heads between the bottom and top create moments of inertia which effect the loft angle of the club faces when a ball is struck by the clubs. These two types of weight positions can be combined together.

What is claimed  
     
         1 . A golf club comprising: 
 a shaft;    a head having a mass, a face, a bottom, a top which extends between the face and the bottom, and opposed sides; and    a weight located adjacent the top of the head between the face and the bottom thereof and positioned so as to change a focus of the mass from an unweighted focal position.    
     
     
         2 . A golf club according to  claim 1 , further comprising another weight located adjacent the face of the head between the bottom and top and positioned to provide a moment of inertia which causes an effective change in a loft angle of the face at impact when a ball is struck by the club.  
     
     
         3 . A golf club according to  claim 1 , wherein the weight extends substantially between the opposed sides of the head.  
     
     
         4 . A golf club according to  claim 2 , wherein both weights extend substantially between the opposed sides of the head.  
     
     
         5 . A golf club according to  claim 1 , wherein the golf club is a wood.  
     
     
         6 . A golf club comprising: 
 a shaft;    a head having a mass, a face, a bottom, a top which extends between the face and the bottom, and opposed sides; and    a weight located adjacent the face of the head between the bottom and top and positioned to provide a moment of inertia which causes an effective change in a loft angle of the face at impact when a ball is struck by the club.    
     
     
         7 . A golf club according to  claim 6 , further comprising another weight located adjacent the top of the head between the face and the bottom thereof and positioned so as to change a focus of the mass from an unweighted focal position.  
     
     
         8 . A golf club according to  claim 6 , wherein the weight extends substantially between the opposed sides of the head.  
     
     
         9 . A golf club according to  claim 7 , wherein both weight extend substantially between the opposed sides of the head.  
     
     
         10 . A golf club set comprising: 
 a plurality of progressively numbered golf clubs, each of which includes a head having a face, a bottom, a top which extends between the face and the bottom, and opposed sides, the faces of the heads having progressively increasing loft angles which correspond to the progressive numbers of the clubs,    each of the heads of the clubs including a weight located adjacent the face thereof between the bottom and top and positioned nearer the top for smaller club numbers and nearer the bottom for larger club numbers.    
     
     
         11 . A golf club set according to  claim 10 , wherein each of the heads of the clubs further includes another weight located adjacent the top thereof between the face and the bottom and positioned nearer the bottom for smaller club numbers and nearer the face for larger club numbers.  
     
     
         12 . A golf club set according to  claim 10 , wherein the weights extend substantially between the opposed sides of the heads.  
     
     
         13 . A golf club set according to  claim 12 , wherein the weights extend substantially between the opposed sides of the heads.  
     
     
         14 . A golf club set according to  claim 10 , wherein the clubs comprise one of irons and woods.  
     
     
         15 . A golf club set according to  claim 11 , wherein the clubs comprise woods.  
     
     
         16 . A golf club set comprising: 
 a plurality of progressively numbered golf clubs, each of which includes a head having a face, a bottom, a top which extends between the face and the bottom, and opposed sides, the faces of the heads having progressively increasing loft angles which correspond to the progressive numbers of the clubs,    each of the heads of the clubs including a weight located adjacent the top thereof between the face and the bottom and positioned nearer the bottom for smaller club numbers and nearer the face for larger club numbers.    
     
     
         17 . A golf club set according to  claim 16 , wherein each of the heads further includes another weight located adjacent the face thereof between the bottom and top and positioned nearer the top for smaller club numbers and nearer the bottom for larger club numbers.  
     
     
         18 . A golf club head comprising: 
 a head having a face, a bottom, a top which extends between the face and the bottom, and opposed sides;    a weight provided adjacent the top which provides a focal change in the mass of the head from an unweighted focal position; and    another weight provided adjacent the face which provides a moment of inertia when the face strikes a ball.    
     
     
         19 . A golf club according to  claim 18  wherein the face of the head includes a loft angle, and wherein as the face is provided with a greater loft angle, the weight adjacent the top is positioned closer to the face and the weight adjacent the face is positioned closer to the bottom.  
     
     
         20 . A golf club according to  claim 18 , wherein the mass of the weight adjacent the top is decreased as the weight is positioned closer to the face and the mass of the weight adjacent the face is increased as the weight is positioned closer to the bottom.