Metal wood club with improved hitting face

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a golf club head comprising a forged face cup, which comprises a hitting face and at least one sidewall, a cast member, and a stamped member, wherein the face cup, the cast member and the stamped member are welded together to form the golf club head. The hitting face and the at least one sidewall form a face cup. The hitting face may have a thickened central portion and a relatively thinner intermediate region. The hitting face defines a rectangular area of about 0.5 inch by 1.0 inch, and wherein initial ball speeds generated by the golf club head impacting golf balls are within 2% of a peak initial ball speed within the rectangle.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising: 
 a forged hitting face, a cast member, a stamped member, and a hosel, wherein the hosel is integrally cast with the cast member, and wherein the stamped member is welded to the cast member and the forged hitting face is connected with the cast member and the stamped member to form the club head.    
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the hitting face is integrally forged with at least one sidewall.  
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the sidewall is a partial crown portion.  
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the sidewall is a partial sole portion.  
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the sidewall is a partial toe portion.  
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the hitting face and the at least one sidewall form a face cup and the face cup is welded to the cast member and to the stamped member.  
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the stamped member is a crown plate.  
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the stamped member is a sole plate.  
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the grain structure of the stamped member is oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the hitting face.  
     
     
         10 . A golf club head comprising a forged face cup, wherein the forged face cup comprises a hitting face and at least one sidewall, and said hitting face defines a rectangular area of about 0.5 inch by 1.0 inch, and wherein initial ball speeds generated by the golf club head impacting golf balls are within 2% of a peak initial ball speed within said rectangle.  
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein initial ball speeds generated by the golf club head impacting golf balls within said rectangle are within 1.5% of the peak initial ball speed.  
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein said rectangle includes the geometric center of the hitting face.  
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the geometric center coincides with the center of the rectangle.  
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one sidewall is a partial sole portion.  
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one sidewall is a partial crown portion.  
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the grain structure of the stamped member is oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the hitting face.