Golf clubs and golf club heads having a removable mass ring

Abstract

A golf club head includes a wood type golf club head body. Further, the golf club head may include a mass ring that engages with the golf club head body. The mass ring may increase a moment of inertia of the golf club head body when the mass ring engages the golf club head body. The mass ring includes an opening in the center of the mass ring. Further, a portion of the exterior of club head body may extend through the opening in the center of mass ring. The mass ring may form a portion of the exterior of the golf club head body when the mass ring is engaged with the golf club head body. The mass ring may be engaged with the sole portion of the golf club head body. The mass ring may be engaged with the rear portion the golf club head body.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a wood type golf club head body including a ball striking face portion, a rear portion opposite the ball striking face, a crown portion and a sole portion; and   a mass ring configured to engage with the rear portion of the golf club head body, wherein the mass ring is configured to encircle the rear portion and is configured to engage both the crown portion and the sole portion of the golf club head body,   wherein the mass ring increases a moment of inertia of the golf club head body,   wherein the mass ring includes an opening in a center of the mass ring,   wherein a portion of the rear portion of the golf club head body extends through the opening in the center of mass ring, and   wherein the mass ring is engageable in at least a first orientation where a center of gravity of the golf club head body is located at a first position, and a second orientation where the center of gravity of the golf club head body is located at a second position spaced from the first position.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein the mass ring forms a portion of the exterior of the golf club head body. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head according to  claim 2 , wherein the rear portion of the golf club head body includes a groove that receives the mass ring, wherein the shape of the groove corresponds to the shape of the mass ring. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head according to  claim 3 , wherein the mass ring is engaged with the groove wherein outer sides of the mass ring contact and abut ridges formed in the sole portion and the crown portion by the groove. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head according to  claim 4 , wherein a depth of the groove is equal to or slightly greater than a thickness of the mass ring such that the mass ring does not extend beyond an exterior of a remainder of the rear portion. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein the mass ring is interchangeable with a second mass ring with different weighting characteristics. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein the mass ring is point loaded such that at least a first section of the mass ring has a different weighting characteristic than a second section of the mass ring. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head according to  claim 7 , wherein the mass ring is engagable with the groove in at least a first orientation where a center of gravity of the golf club head body is located at a first position, and a second orientation where the center of gravity of the golf club head body is located at a second position spaced from the first position 
     
     
         9 . A golf club head comprising:
 a wood type golf club head body having a ball striking face portion and a rear portion opposite the ball striking face portion; and   a mass ring engaged with the golf club head body, wherein the mass ring is configured to engage the rear portion the golf club head body, wherein the mass ring is configured to encircle the rear portion and is configured to engage both a crown portion and a sole portion of the golf club head body,   wherein the rear portion of the club head body includes a groove configured to receive the mass ring, wherein the shape of the groove corresponds to the shape of the mass ring, and   wherein the mass ring is engageable with the groove in at least a first orientation where a center of gravity of the golf club head body is located at a first position, and a second orientation where the center of gravity of the golf club head body is located at a second position spaced from the first position.   
     
     
         10 . The golf club head according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the mass ring engages the groove wherein outer sides of the mass ring contact and abut ridges formed in the crown portion and the sole portion by the groove, and a portion of the rear portion of the golf club head body extends through an opening in a center of the mass ring.   
     
     
         11 . The golf club head according to  claim 10 , wherein a depth of the groove is equal to or slightly greater than a thickness of the mass ring such that the mass ring does not extend beyond an exterior of a remainder of the rear portion when the mass ring is engaged with the rear portion. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head according to  claim 9 , wherein the mass ring is interchangeable with a second mass ring with different weighting characteristics. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head according to  claim 9 , wherein the mass ring is point loaded such that at least a first section of the mass ring has a different weighting characteristic than a second section of the mass ring. 
     
     
         14 . A method of altering a center of gravity of the golf club head that includes a golf club head body with a ball striking face portion and a rear portion opposite the ball striking face portion, and a point loaded removable mass ring engaged with an exterior of the rear portion, the method comprising:
 disengaging the mass ring from a first orientation which provides the center of gravity of the golf club head at a first position; and   reengaging the mass ring with the golf club head body in a second orientation which provides the center of gravity of the golf club head body at a second position.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the mass ring includes at least a first section of the mass ring and a second section of the mass ring wherein the first and second sections have different weighting characteristics. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the rear portion of the golf club head body includes a groove for receiving the mass ring in different orientations and the groove and the mass ring are configured to allow the mass ring to be disengaged from the first orientation, rotated to the second orientation, and reengaged in the second orientation. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the center of gravity moves from a crown portion of the golf club head body to a sole portion of the golf club head body or vice versa when rotating the mass ring and reengaging the mass ring with the golf club head body in the second orientation. 
     
     
         18 . A kit comprising:
 a golf club head body having a ball striking face portion and a rear portion opposite the ball striking face portion; and   an interchangeable mass ring configured to be engaged with an exterior of the rear portion of the golf club head body, wherein the mass ring is point loaded such that the mass ring has increased weight in at least one location relative to other locations on the mass ring;   wherein the interchangeable mass ring includes an opening in a center of the mass ring;   wherein a portion of the exterior of the rear portion of the club head body extends through the opening in the center of mass ring when engaged with the golf club head body;   wherein the interchangeable mass ring increases a moment of inertia of the golf club head body when engaged with the golf club head body;   wherein the interchangeable mass ring is engageable in at least a first orientation where a center of gravity of the golf club head body is located at a first position, and a second orientation where the center of gravity of the golf club head body is located at a second position spaced from the first position.   
     
     
         19 . The kit of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a plurality of interchangeable mass rings wherein at least two of the interchangeable mass rings have different weighting characteristics.