Golf club with low and rearward center of gravity

Abstract

A driver type golf club head formed of a metal shell and having an overall volume of at least 400 cc having a geometry and weight distribution and a unique multi-level striking face that locates the center of gravity of the club head below a horizontal midline of the striking face and further locates the center of gravity behind said striking face at least 38 percent of the distance between said striking face and said rear surface or 42 mm behind the striking face.

1 ) A driver type golf club head formed of a metal shell body having a hollow interior and having an overall volume of at least 400 cc; said metal shell body including a top crown, bottom sole, rear wall, side walls between said top crown and said bottom sole and a ball striking face; said golf club head characterized by a geometry and weight distribution that locates the center of gravity of the club head below a horizontal midline between an upper edge of said striking face adjacent said top crown and a lower edge of said striking face adjacent said bottom sole and further locates the center of gravity behind said striking face at least 38 percent of the distance between said striking face and said rear surface; and, said rear wall having a thickness approximately twice the maximum thickness of said ball striking face. 
     
     
         2 ) The driver type golf club head of  claim 1  further defined by the thickness of said ball striking face being approximately 3 mm at the thickest point of said striking face and said rear wall having a thickness of approximately 6 mm. 
     
     
         3 ) The driver type golf club head of  claim 1  wherein the location of the center of gravity is further defined as being at least 44 mm behind said striking face. 
     
     
         4 ) The driver type golf club head of  claim 1  further including a hosel adjacent said heel for attachment of a shaft. 
     
     
         5 ) The driver type golf club head of  claim 1  further wherein said rear wall thickness forms a mass on an inner surface of said rear wall surface. 
     
     
         6 ) The driver type golf club head of  claim 5  wherein said mass is formed of the same material as said shell body and extends at least 6 mm into the interior of said shell in line with a thickest section of said striking face. 
     
     
         7 ) The driver type golf club head of  claim 1  further defined by said striking face being formed of multiple sections, said sections having a variety of different thicknesses. 
     
     
         8 ) The driver type golf club head of  claim 6  wherein said sections include centrally located sections having the greatest thickness of said multiple sections. 
     
     
         9 ) The driver type golf club head of  claim 7  wherein said centrally located sections are oval in shape and further include a first inner oval section and at least one outer oval section surrounding said first inner oval section; said first inner oval section having a first thickness and said outer oval section having a second thickness less than said first thickness. 
     
     
         10 ) The driver type golf club head of  claim 9  wherein said multiple sections are further defined by sections in addition to said oval sections, including an upper section; an intermediate section; and, a lower section; said upper section having a thickness less than the thickness of said intermediate and lower sections; the thickness of said intermediate and lower sections being less than said oval sections. 
     
     
         11 ) The driver type golf club head of  claim 10  wherein said multiple sections further include an additional upper toe section and an additional upper heel section of said striking face having lesser thicknesses than the remaining sections. 
     
     
         12 ) The driver type golf club head of  claim 11  wherein said upper toe section and said upper heel sections include a parabolic edge that interfaces with adjoining sections of said striking face. 
     
     
         13 ) A driver type golf club head formed of a metal shell and having an overall volume of at least 400 cc including a top crown, bottom sole, rear wall surface, side wall surfaces and a ball striking face characterized by a geometry and weight distribution that locates the center of gravity of the club head below a horizontal midline between an upper edge of said striking face adjacent said top crown and a lower edge of said striking face adjacent said bottom sole and further locates the center of gravity behind said striking face at least 38 percent of the distance between said striking face and said rear surface and as being at least 42 mm behind said striking face; said striking face being formed of multiple sections, said sections having a variety of different thicknesses; including a maximum thickness at a center of said striking face and sections of lesser thickness at upper locations of said striking face. 
     
     
         14 ) The driver type golf club head of  claim 13  wherein said sections include centrally located sections having the greatest thickness of said multiple sections; said centrally located sections are oval in shape and further include a first inner oval section and at least one outer oval section surrounding said first inner oval section; said first inner oval section having a first thickness and said outer oval section having a second thickness less than said first thickness; said multiple sections are further defined by sections in addition to said oval sections, including an upper section; an intermediate section; and, a lower section; said upper section having a thickness less than the thickness of said intermediate and lower sections; the thickness of said intermediate and lower sections being less than said oval sections; said multiple sections further including an additional upper toe section and an additional upper heel section of said striking face having lesser thicknesses than the remaining multiple sections. 
     
     
         15 ) The driver type golf club head of  claim 14  wherein said upper toe section and said upper heel sections include an inner parabolic edge that interfaces with adjoining sections of said striking face. 
     
     
         16 ) A golf ball striking face for use with a metal wood type golf club head comprising multiple sections, said sections having a variety of different thicknesses;
 said sections include centrally located sections having the greatest thickness of said multiple sections;   additional multiple sections surrounding said centrally located sections each having a thickness less than the thickness of said centrally located sections;   said additional multiple sections further being defined by and including an upper toe section and an upper heel section of said striking face; each of said upper toe section and said upper heel section having a thickness less than the thickness of all other sections of the striking face.   
     
     
         17 ) The golf ball striking face of  claim 16  further defined by said upper toe section and said upper heel section each including a parabolic edge at an interior location of the face that interfaces with adjoining sections of said striking face. 
     
     
         18 ) The golf ball striking face of  claim 16  wherein said centrally located sections are oval in shape and further include a first inner oval section and at least one outer oval section surrounding said first inner oval section; said first inner oval section having a first thickness and said outer oval section having a second thickness less than said first thickness. 
     
     
         19 ) The golf ball striking face of  claim 17  wherein said multiple sections are further defined by sections in addition to said centrally located oval sections and said heel and toe sections including an upper section; an intermediate section; and, a lower section; said upper section having a thickness less than the thickness of said intermediate and lower sections; the thickness of said intermediate and lower sections being less than the thickness of said oval sections. 
     
     
         20 ) A driver type golf club head formed of a metal shell body having a hollow interior and having an overall volume of at least 400 cc; said metal shell body including a top crown, bottom sole, rear wall surface, side wall surfaces between said top crown and said bottom sole and a ball striking face; said ball striking face having a loft angle less than 13 degrees; said golf club head characterized by a geometry and weight distribution that locates the center of gravity of the club head below a horizontal midline between an upper edge of said striking face adjacent said top crown and a lower edge of said striking face adjacent said bottom sole and further locates the center of gravity behind said striking face at least 38 percent of the distance between said striking face and said rear surface; said geometry and weight distribution characterized by said top crown having a first thickness; said bottom sole having a second thickness greater than said crown first thickness and said striking face having a greater thickness at lower sections thereof and lesser thickness at upper ends thereof. 
     
     
         21 ) The driver type golf club of  claim 20  wherein the thickness of said top crown is in a range of 0.45 mm to 0.75 mm; and said bottom sole is at least 0.85 mm. 
     
     
         22 ) The driver type golf club of  claim 21  wherein said top crown is approximately 0.5 mm and a skirt connecting the top crown to the sole is approximately 0.75 mm. 
     
     
         23 ) The driver type golf club head of  claim 20  wherein said golf ball striking face is further defined as comprising multiple sections, said sections having a variety of different thicknesses;
 said sections include centrally located sections having the greatest thickness of said multiple sections; 
 additional multiple sections surrounding said centrally located sections each having a thickness less than the thickness of said centrally located sections; 
 said additional multiple sections further being defined by and including an upper toe section and an upper heel section of said striking face; each of said upper toe section and said upper heel section having a thickness less than the thickness of the other sections of the striking face. 
 
     
     
         24 . The driver type golf club head of  claim 21  wherein said golf ball striking face is further defined by said upper toe section and said upper heel section each including an inner parabolic edge that interfaces with adjoining sections of said striking face.