Stabilizing insert for a golf club head

Abstract

The invention generally provides a removable stabilizing insert releasably couplable to an adjustable golf club head. The removable stabilizing insert is configured to be releasably coupled to mounting portion on a sole of the club head and to further provide a region for surface contact such that, when a club is given different settings, if the club is held at address resting on a surface, the club naturally comes to a rest position in which it exhibits substantially the same face angle in any setting. Accordingly, the removable stabilizing insert is configured to optimize performance of the club head by balancing and maintaining the club head.

1 . A removable stabilizing insert for a golf club head, the removable stabilizing insert comprising:
 a first portion couplable to a mounting portion on a sole of a club head; and   a second portion extending from the first portion and protruding from the sole of the club head when the first portion is coupled to the mounting portion;   wherein, when a golf club, that includes the club head having the removable stabilizing insert coupled thereto, is held at address, the removable stabilizing insert maintains a spatial relationship between a contact point and a balance point of the golf club head due to the stabilizing element protruding from the sole.   
     
     
         2 . The removable stabilizing insert of  claim 1 , wherein the club head is adjustable between at least a first loft setting and a second loft setting and, when a golf club, that includes the golf club head, is held at address, the removable stabilizing insert balances and maintains a heel-toe face angle in either one of the first and second loft settings due to the stabilizing element protruding from the sole. 
     
     
         3 . The removable stabilizing insert of  claim 1 , wherein the removable stabilizing insert is releasably couplable to the mounting portion by way of at least one of an adhesive, a snap-fit means, and a press-fit means. 
     
     
         4 . The removable stabilizing insert of  claim 1 , wherein the removable stabilizing insert is selectively removable from the mounting portion and interchangeable with one or more other removable stabilizing inserts. 
     
     
         5 . The removable stabilizing insert of  claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing element protrudes from the sole by a height H, has a maximum length L, has a maximum width W, and has a setback S from a front-most point on the club face when a golf club including the club head is held at address. 
     
     
         6 . The removable stabilizing insert of  claim 5 , wherein:
 H is between about 0.3 mm and about 2 mm;   L is between about 2.5 cm and about 12 cm;   W is between about 3 mm and about 20 mm; and   S is between about 1.5 cm and about 3.5 cm.   
     
     
         7 . The removable stabilizing insert of  claim 5 , wherein H is defined as the average distance from the ground of points on the perimeter of the stabilizing element directly fore and aft of a ground contact point when the club head is held at address resting on flat ground. 
     
     
         8 . The removable stabilizing insert of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting portion comprises an aperture extending through the sole of the club head from an exterior of the club head to an interior cavity of the club head, and wherein, when the removable stabilizing insert is coupled to the club head, the first portion of the removable stabilizing insert is positioned within the interior cavity of the club head and the second portion of the removable stabilizing insert extends through the aperture to the exterior of the club head. 
     
     
         9 . The removable stabilizing insert of  claim 8 , wherein the first portion comprises a flange member extending along a perimeter of the removable stabilizing insert, the flange member is configured to contact an interior surface of the sole along a perimeter of the aperture when the removable stabilizing insert is coupled to the aperture, and wherein the second portion comprises a protruding member configured to be received within and extend through the aperture to the exterior of the club head. 
     
     
         10 . The removable stabilizing insert of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting portion comprises a recess on an exterior surface of the sole of the club head, and wherein, when the removable stabilizing insert is coupled to the club head, the first portion of the removable stabilizing insert is received within the recess and the second portion of the removable stabilizing insert extends from the recess. 
     
     
         11 . A golf club head comprising:
 a club head body comprising a heel, a toe, a sole having a mounting portion, a crown, and a face; and   a removable stabilizing insert releasably coupled to the mounting portion and protruding from the sole,   wherein, when a golf club, that includes the club head, is held at address, the removable stabilizing insert maintains a spatial relationship between a contact point and a balance point of the golf club head due to the removable stabilizing insert protruding from the sole.   
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the club head is adjustable between at least a first loft setting and a second loft setting. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein, when a golf club, that includes the golf club head, is held at address, the removable stabilizing insert balances and maintains a heel-toe face angle in either one of the first and second loft settings due to the removable stabilizing insert protruding from the sole. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the sole is further configured such that, when the club head is held at address in either of a first or second configuration such that the face of the club head has a first or second loft setting, respectively, the club head makes contact with the ground only within the removable stabilizing insert. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the removable stabilizing insert is releasably couplable to the mounting portion by way of at least one of an adhesive, a snap-fit means, and a press-fit means. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the removable stabilizing insert is selectively removable from the mounting portion and interchangeable with one or more other removable stabilizing inserts. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the mounting portion comprises an aperture extending through the sole of the club head body. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein, when the removable stabilizing insert is coupled to the aperture, a first portion of the removable stabilizing insert is positioned within an interior cavity of the club head body and a second portion of the removable stabilizing insert extends through the aperture to an exterior of the club head body and protrudes from the sole. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 18 , wherein the first portion comprises a flange member extending along a perimeter of the removable stabilizing insert, the flange member is configured to contact an interior surface of the sole along a perimeter of the aperture when the removable stabilizing insert is coupled to the aperture. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 18 , wherein the second portion comprises a protruding member configured to be received within and extend through the aperture to an exterior of the club head body. 
     
     
         21 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the mounting portion comprises a recess on an exterior surface of the sole of the club head body. 
     
     
         22 . The golf club head of  claim 21 , wherein, when the removable stabilizing insert is coupled to the recess, a first portion of the removable stabilizing insert is received within the recess and a second portion of the removable stabilizing insert extends from the recess. 
     
     
         23 . The golf club head of  claim 22 , wherein the first portion comprises a base member having at least bottom surface configured to contact an interior surface of the recess when the removable stabilizing insert is coupled to the recess and the second portion comprises a protruding member extending from the base member and protruding from the sole. 
     
     
         24 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the removable stabilizing insert protrudes from the sole by a height H, has a maximum length L, has a maximum width W, and has a setback S from a front-most point on the club face when a golf club including the club head is held at address. 
     
     
         25 . The golf club head of  claim 24 , wherein:
 H is between about 0.3 mm and about 2 mm;   L is between about 2.5 cm and about 12 cm;   W is between about 3 mm and about 20 mm; and   S is between about 1.5 cm and about 3.5 cm.   
     
     
         26 . The golf club head of  claim 24 , wherein H is defined as the average distance from the ground of points on the perimeter of the removable stabilizing insert directly fore and aft of a ground contact point when the club head is held at address resting on flat ground.