Golf club with vertically adjustable center of gravity

Abstract

The invention generally relates to golf clubs with adjustable mass properties. In certain aspects, the invention provides methods and mechanisms for adjusting a club head center of gravity in a vertical direction. Changing a center of gravity in the vertical direction can be done without substantially changing the center of a gravity in other directions.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A golf club head comprising:
 a face and a club head body extending aft of the face;   a panel that can be opened from a back side of the aft body;   one or more weight ports that are enclosed within the club head when the panel is closed; and   one or more weighted members that can be positioned within the one or more weight ports to change the center of gravity of the golf club head in a direction that is substantially vertical when the club head is at address.   
     
     
         22 . The golf club head of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more weighted members are non-uniformly weighted. 
     
     
         23 . The golf club head of  claim 21 , wherein the panel comprises the one or more weight ports. 
     
     
         24 . The golf club head of  claim 21 , wherein the club head body comprises the one or more weight ports 
     
     
         25 . The golf club head of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more weight ports are visible and accessible only upon opening of the panel. 
     
     
         26 . The golf club head of  claim 21 , the panel further comprising a viewing window wherein at least a portion of each of the one or more weight ports is visible, such that a viewer can see which of the one or more weight ports is occupied by one of the weighted members. 
     
     
         27 . The golf club head of  claim 26 , wherein the viewing window comprises a clear material. 
     
     
         28 . The golf club head of  claim 21 , wherein the panel is opened using an opening mechanism selected from the group consisting of a pivot, a hinge, and pins and holes. 
     
     
         29 . The golf club head of  claim 21 , wherein the panel remains attached to the club head when opened. 
     
     
         30 . A hollow wood type golf club head comprising:
 a face with a crown and sole extending back from the face to define a hollow club head body;   a hosel extending upward from a heel-side of the face when the club head is at address; a threaded sole bore through the sole; and   a non-uniformly weighted rod that can be held within the hollow club head body via a threaded engagement mechanism with the sole bore, wherein the rod is repositionable into two different orientations to adjust a center of gravity of the club head in a direction that is vertical when the club head is at address.   
     
     
         31 . The club head of  claim 30 , further comprising a crown bore accessible from an interior surface of the crown to receive the rod when the rod is inserted through the bore in the sole. 
     
     
         32 . The hollow wood type golf club head of  claim 31 , wherein the crown bore is threaded and the rod threadedly engages with the sole bore and the crown bore. 
     
     
         33 . The hollow wood type golf club head of  claim 30 , further comprising a mechanism for inserting and releasing the rod within the sole bore. 
     
     
         34 . The hollow wood type golf club head of  claim 33 , wherein the mechanism for inserting and releasing the rod is a slot within the threaded attachment. 
     
     
         35 . The hollow wood type golf club head of  claim 30 , wherein the rod comprises a weighted portion at an off-center location along the rod. 
     
     
         36 . The hollow wood type golf club head of  claim 30 , wherein the rod comprises a low density plastic or composite. 
     
     
         37 . The hollow wood type golf club head of  claim 30 , wherein the rod can be mounted within the sole bore in either direction, such that either of a first end or a second end of the rod can be first inserted through the opening.