Colorized damping indicators for customized golf club heads

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a golf club having a playing characteristic that is communicated to a player based upon a vibration damping material that is colorized and visible from outside of the club head, thereby communicating to a golfer information about the playing characteristics of the club.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club head, comprising:
 a body portion comprising a sole, topline, heel, and toe region and defining a perimeter channel;   a hitting face attached to a front of the body portion;   a channel having an opening directed only toward a back surface of the face insert; and   a damping material disposed in at least a portion of the channel, wherein an exposed portion of the damping material is colorized and is visible from an outside of the club head.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the damping material near the sole comprises a material having a first density and a second portion of the damping material near the topline comprises a material having a second density lower than the first density. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club of  claim 2 , wherein the portion has a color and the second portion has a second color different than the first and both portions are visible from outside of the club head through one or more openings through the body portion. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the exposed portion is visible through an opening to a back of the club head. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club of  claim 4 , wherein the opening is near the top line. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club of  claim 4 , wherein the opening is near the sole. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the exposed portion is visible through an elongated opening. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the exposed portion is visible through a circular opening. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the exposed portion comprises a transparent material covering a colored underlying material. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the colorized portion of material includes a fluorescent pigment. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the damping material further comprises a second exposed colorized portion of a different color than the first portion and visible from an outside of the club head. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a third portion of the material disposed in at least a portion of the channel, wherein the third material is different from the first and second portions.   
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the second portion of material is disposed in only an upper portion of the entire channel near the top line of the body portion. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the third material is disposed in only a lower portion of the entire channel near the sole of the body portion. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein the third material has a greater density than the first and second materials. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein the third portion comprises tungsten. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein the second and third portions of material comprise UV stabilizers. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club of  claim 1 , further wherein no material is disposed within an open region of the channel creating a hollow space, wherein the hollow space is exposed by an opening. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the second portion is disposed in only a lower portion of the entire channel near the sole of the body portion. 
     
     
         20 . A golf club head, comprising:
 a body portion comprising a sole, topline, heel, and toe region;   a hitting face at a front of the body portion;   a damping material disposed within the body portion and in contact with the hitting face, wherein an exposed portion of the damping material is colorized and is visible from an outside of the club head.   
     
     
         21 . The club head of  claim 20 , wherein the hitting face and the body portion comprise different materials and the damping material comprises an elastic material. 
     
     
         22 . The club head of  claim 21 , wherein the body portion comprises an aperture substantially filled by the hitting face and a second aperture and a portion of the damping material is visible through the second aperture.