Golf club head with high strength insert

Abstract

An iron type golf club head includes a forged body having a striking face area containing a recess and a high strength insert secured within the recess with an outer surface of the recess being flush with a non-recessed portion of the striking face area. The bottom of the body portion extends rearwardly and upwardly to define an undercut area in the bottom portion behind the insert. Owing to the recess and the undercut area, the weight of the body is distributed around the perimeter and toward the bottom to increase the moment of inertia and decrease rotation of the club head.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A golf club head of the iron type, comprising 
 (a) a body having top, bottom, toe, and heel portions and a striking face area containing a recess;    (b) an insert secured within said recess, an outer surface of said insert being substantially flush with a non-recessed portion of said striking face area; and    (c) said body bottom portion extending rearwardly and upwardly to a location below the top portion of said body and spaced from a rear surface of said insert to define an undercut area in said bottom portion behind said insert, the thickness of said rearwardly extending bottom portion at the rear of said insert being less that the thickness of said insert, whereby weight is distributed around the perimeter of the body and toward the bottom portion thereof to increase the moment of inertia and decrease rotation of the club head.    
     
     
         2 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said upwardly extending bottom portion terminates in a top wall which is below a vertical midpoint of said body.  
     
     
         3 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said top wall extends between said toe and heel portions of said body.  
     
     
         4 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said top wall has a convex configuration.  
     
     
         5 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said body portion is formed of a forged metal.  
     
     
         6 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 5 , wherein said insert is formed of a high strength metal.  
     
     
         7 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 6 , wherein said insert is formed of hardened steel.  
     
     
         8 . A golf club head as define in  claim 7 , wherein said insert is connected with said body by welding.  
     
     
         9 . A golf club head of the iron type, comprising 
 a body having top, bottom, toe, and heel portions and a striking face arranged between said top, bottom, toe and heel portions, said body bottom portion extending rearwardly and upwardly to a location below the top portion of said body and spaced from a rear surface of said striking face portion to define an undercut area in said bottom portion behind said striking face portion, the thickness of said rearwardly extending bottom portion at the rear of said striking face portion being less than the thickness of said striking face portion, whereby weight is distributed around the perimeter of the body and toward the bottom portion thereof to increase the moment of inertia and decrease rotation of the club head.    
     
     
         10 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 9 , wherein said upwardly extending bottom portion terminates in a top wall which is below a vertical midpoint of said body.  
     
     
         11 . A gold club head as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said top wall extends between said toe and heel portions of said body.  
     
     
         12 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said top wall has a convex configuration.  
     
     
         13 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 9 , wherein said body is formed of a cast metal.  
     
     
         14 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 9 , wherein said body is formed of a forged metal.