Golf club head

Abstract

A golf club head having a hollow metal body with a conical indentation in a sole of the metal body.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising: 
 a hollow metal body defined by a metallic wall having an interior surface that faces an interior of said hollow metal body and an exterior surface that faces an exterior of said hollow metal body, said metallic wall defining:    a front strike face having a top portion and a bottom portion;    a backside located opposite from said front strike face;    a sole adjoining said bottom portion of said front striking face and extending rearward until it adjoins said backside; and    a portion at which said interior surface and said exterior surface are curvilinearly contoured to define a conical indentation in said sole and in said back side as viewed from the exterior of said hollow metal body, said conical indentation including an apex located rearward of said front strike face and pointing toward said front strike face, a remainder of said sole surrounding said conical indentation and located rearward of said apex sloping away from said conical indentation to define a V-shaped rail directly adjacent said conical-shaped indentation.    
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , said hollow metal body including a hosel having an axis extending approximately along a vertical plane positioned perpendicular to a driving line, said front strike face having a vertical face height located between said bottom portion and said top portion as measured along said vertical plane, a most rearward portion of said conical-shaped indentation having a vertical indentation height located between said apex and said most rearward portion as measured along said vertical plane, said vertical indentation height being at least 20% of said vertical face height.  
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , said vertical indentation height being between 20% and 95% of said vertical face height.  
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , said apex being a predetermined distance rearward of said front striking face, said predetermined distance being between 0.25-1.0 inches.  
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , said predetermined distance being approximately 0.5 inches.  
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , a section of said sole located between said apex and said striking face having a curvature.  
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , said V-shaped rail having opposed rail edges that are at a predetermined angle with respect to each other, said angle being between 20-50 degrees.  
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 7 , said angle being approximately 40 degrees.  
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , said conical indentation having a base edge located opposite from said apex, said base being elliptical.  
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 9 , said base edge being located entirely rearward of said sole.  
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , said V-shaped rail having opposed rail edges that are in a common plane.  
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , said hollow metal body including a hosel having an axis extending approximately along a vertical plane positioned perpendicular to a driving line, said common plane being a plane approximately perpendicular to said vertical plane.  
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , said conical indentation including an imaginary line extending between a first point and a second point, said first point being located at a most rearward portion of said conical-shaped indentation, said second point being located at a most forward portion of said apex, said imaginary line being at an angle with respect to said common plane, said angle being between 5-60 degrees.  
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , said angle being between 10-50 degrees.  
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , said angle being approximately 10 degrees.  
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , at least a portion of said hollow metal body being fabricated from a forged titanium alloy casing.  
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 16 , said portion including the strike face.  
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , said hollow metal body being fabricated from at least two preformed casings.  
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 18 , only one of said preformed casings including an entirety of said conical-shaped indentation.  
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 18  said at least two preformed casings being welded together.  
     
     
         21 . The golf club head of  claim 18 , said hollow metal body being fabricated from at least three preformed casings.  
     
     
         22 . A golf club head comprising: 
 a hollow body having a periphery defined by a metallic wall, said metallic wall defining a heel, a toe located opposite from said heel, a front strike face having a top portion and a bottom portion, a backside located opposite from said front striking face, a sole adjoining said bottom portion of said front strike face and extending rearward until it adjoins said backside, and an indentation in said sole, said indentation having a conical surface therein and a V-shaped perimeter that points toward said strike face, said conical surface intersecting said backside to define an elliptical edge.    
     
     
         23 . The golf club head of  claim 22 , an apex of said V-shaped perimeter being spaced from said strike face by a section of said sole.  
     
     
         24 . The golf club head of  claim 23 , said hollow metal body including a hosel extending along a vertical plane positioned perpendicular to a driving line, said V-shaped perimeter being located within a common plane, said common plane being a plane approximately perpendicular to said vertical plane.  
     
     
         25 . The golf club head of  claim 24 , a portion of said sole located reward of said V-shaped perimeter sloping upward and away from said V-shaped perimeter to define a V-shaped rail.  
     
     
         26 . A golf club head comprising: 
 a hollow metal body defined by a metallic wall having an interior surface that faces an interior of said enclosed body and an exterior surface that faces an exterior of said enclosed body, said metallic wall defining:    a strike face having a top portion and a bottom portion;    a backside located opposite from said strike face;    a sole adjoining said bottom portion of said strike face and extending rearward to said backside,    a crown located opposite from said sole;    a heel;    a toe located opposite from said heel; and    a portion at which said interior surface and said exterior surface are curvilinearly contoured to define a cone-shaped protrusion from said sole as viewed from the interior of said hollow metal body, said cone-shaped protrusion including an apex located rearward of said strike face and pointing toward said strike face.    
     
     
         27 . A golf club head comprising: 
 a hollow metal body having a conical indentation in a sole of said hollow metal body, said sole sloping away from a periphery of said conical indentation such that two opposing edges of said conical indentation define a lowermost portion of said golf club head when said golf club head is oriented such that a vertical plane that contains an axis of a hosel of said golf club head is located approximately perpendicular to an ideal driving line.    
     
     
         28 . The golf club head of  claim 27 , said two opposing edges being located within a common plane.