Inverted mass wedge

Abstract

A wedge type golf club head including a blade having a majority of its mass in an upper portion of the blade. The upper portion of the blade is weighted with a bulbous mass disposed at the rear of the blade, the bulbous mass decreasing in thickness towards a lower portion of the club from a region of greatest thickness and the bulbous mass being formed, in one embodiment, along a top surface of the club.

1 . A golf club head for a wedge type club including a hosel and shaft comprising: 
 a blade to be used as a wedge, said blade having a rear surface, a front, golf ball striking surface, and upper and lower portions, said lower portion having less mass than the upper portion wherein the upper portion includes a rear bulbous mass decreasing in thickness from a region of greatest thickness towards said lower portion.    
   
   
       2 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein said bulbous mass is integral with said rear surface.  
   
   
       3 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein said bulbous mass is integral with a top surface of said blade.  
   
   
       4 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein said golf ball striking surface includes a striking region at which said golf ball is to be struck wherein at least a portion of said bulbous mass is above said region.  
   
   
       5 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein said bulbous mass is disposed within an upper two thirds of said upper portion.  
   
   
       6 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein said bulbous mass is disposed within an upper third of said upper portion.  
   
   
       7 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein said bulbous mass is disposed in the entire upper portion.  
   
   
       8 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein said bulbous mass comprises steel.  
   
   
       9 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein said bulbous mass ranges from about 45-85 grams.  
   
   
       10 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein said lower portion has a thickness ⅛ th  of an inch.  
   
   
       11 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein said lower portion is relatively uniform in thickness.  
   
   
       12 . The golf club head of  claim 1  including a portion of said upper portion having relatively less thickness than said bulbous mass.  
   
   
       13 . The golf club head of  claim 12  wherein said thickness of said portion of said upper portion having relatively less thickness than said bulbous mass is the same as a thickness of said lower portion.  
   
   
       14 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein said blade is steel.  
   
   
       15 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein a centerline divides said upper and lower portions.  
   
   
       16 . A golf club head for a wedge type club including a hosel and shaft comprising: 
 a blade to be used as a wedge, said blade having a rear surface, a front, golf ball striking surface, a top surface, and upper and lower portions, wherein said lower portion has less mass than said upper portion and said rear surface of said blade includes a bulbous mass integral with said rear surface, said bulbous mass including a pair of sloping surfaces joined at an edge therebetween, which first sloping surface extends along said top surface and away from said rear surface and which second sloping surface extends towards said rear surface.    
   
   
       17 . The golf club head of  claim 16  wherein a centerline divides said upper and lower portions.  
   
   
       18 . The golf club head of  claim 16  wherein said integral bulbous mass comprises steel.  
   
   
       19 . The golf club head of  claim 16  wherein said integral bulbous mass ranges from about 45-85 grams.  
   
   
       20 . The golf club head of  claim 16  wherein said lower portion has a thickness of about ⅛ th  of an inch.  
   
   
       21 . The golf club head of  claim 16  wherein said blade is steel.  
   
   
       22 . The golf club head of  claim 16  wherein said bulbous mass is disposed in an upper third of said upper portion.  
   
   
       23 . The golf club head of  claim 16  wherein said bulbous mass is disposed in an upper two thirds of said upper portion.  
   
   
       24 . The golf club head of  claim 16  wherein said bulbous mass is disposed in the entire upper portion.  
   
   
       25 . The golf club head of  claim 16  wherein said lower portion is relatively uniform in thickness.  
   
   
       26 . The golf club head of  claim 16  including a portion in said upper portion having relatively less thickness than said bulbous mass.  
   
   
       27 . The golf club head of  claim 26  wherein said thickness of said portion of said upper portion having relatively less thickness than said bulbous mass is the same as a thickness of said lower portion.  
   
   
       28 . The golf club head of  claim 16  wherein said golf ball striking surface includes a striking region at which said golf ball is to be struck wherein at least a portion of said bulbous mass is above said region.  
   
   
       29 . A wedge type golf club comprising: 
 a shaft secured to a hosel and a blade extending outwardly from said hosel, said blade having a top surface, a front surface including a golf ball striking region, a rear surface, an upper portion and a lower portion, said lower portion having less mass than said upper portion, wherein said upper portion of said blade includes an integral bulbous mass at said rear surface, which bulbous mass has a pair of sloping surfaces, a first sloping surface being angled away from said rear surface and extending along a top surface of said blade and a second sloping surface being angled toward said rear surface, said sloping surfaces being joined at an edge therebetween and said second sloping surface and said rear surface being joined at a corner therebetween.    
   
   
       30 . The wedge type golf club of  claim 29  wherein at least a portion of said bulbous mass is above said golf ball striking region.  
   
   
       31 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein said bulbous mass is disposed entirely within said upper portion.  
   
   
       32 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein said lower portion does not include said bulbous mass.  
   
   
       33 . The golf club head of  claim 16  wherein said bulbous mass is disposed entirely within said upper portion.  
   
   
       34 . The golf club head of  claim 16  wherein said lower portion does not include said bulbous mass.  
   
   
       35 . The golf club head of  claim 29  wherein said bulbous mass is disposed entirely within said upper portion.  
   
   
       36 . The golf club head of  claim 29  wherein said lower portion does not include said bulbous mass.