Golf club with a striking face having improved characteristic time values

Abstract

A ball striking face for a golf driver, fairway wood and hybrid type golf club head having a central impact area with a average thickness and additional multiple distinct areas outside the central impact area with other average face thicknesses for the improved transfer of energy to a golf ball for additional distance without any additional effort by the golfer. The striking face provides a transfer of energy at the central impact area which does not exceed CT values of 257 u sec. and an improved transfer of energy in one or more areas outside the central impact area that provides CT values greater than 257 u sec. but not greater than 275 u sec. when tested with the United States Golf Association's CT test protocol.

1 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A ball striking face characterized for use with a driver type metal wood golf head having a ball striking face, an upper crown, heel, toe, and a bottom sole;
 said striking face having a central impact area with an average thickness between approximately 2.8 mm and approximately 3.4 mm;   said striking face being further defined by an additional area located adjacent to the toe side of said impact area and an additional area located adjacent to the heel side of said central impact area; said additional adjacent areas on either side of said central impact area having an average thickness between approximately 2.2 mm and approximately 2.6 mm;   said striking face having remaining areas outside said central impact area and outside said additional areas adjacent to and on either side of said central impact area;   and, said striking face being further defined by said central impact area having a characteristic time, CT, value no greater than 257 u sec. and by one or more of the areas outside said central impact area having CT values greater than 257 u sec. but not greater than 275 u sec.   
     
     
         25 . The ball striking face of  claim 24  wherein said central impact area is approximately 4.3 cm wide and approximately 2.4 cm high and said additional adjacent areas on either side of said central impact area are approximately 1.3 cm wide and approximately 2.4 cm high. 
     
     
         26 . The striking face of  claim 25  wherein said central impact area and said additional adjacent areas on either side of said central impact area are rectangular. 
     
     
         27 . The striking face of  claim 24  wherein said central impact area is located on said face at an equal distance from said upper crown and said bottom sole. 
     
     
         28 . The striking face of  claim 24  wherein said two additional adjacent areas located on either side of said central impact are located at an equal distance from said upper crown and said bottom sole. 
     
     
         29 . The striking face of  claim 24  being further defined by remaining areas between said central impact area and said upper crown and between said impact area and said bottom sole having an average thickness that is the same, thicker, or thinner than the average thickness of said central impact area. 
     
     
         30 . The striking face of  claim 24  being further defined by said all remaining areas to said heel side and to said toe side of said central impact area and said additional adjacent areas located on either side of said central impact area; said remaining areas each having an average thickness the same, thicker, or thinner thickness than the average thickness of said two additional adjacent areas on either side of the central impact area. 
     
     
         31 . A ball striking face characterized for use with a fairway type metal wood golf head having a ball striking face, an upper crown, heel, toe, and a bottom sole;
 said striking face having a central impact area with an average thickness between approximately 2.1 mm and approximately 2.5 mm,   said striking face being further defined by an additional area located adjacent to the toe side of said impact area and an additional area located adjacent to the heel side of said central impact area; said additional adjacent areas on either side of said central impact area having an average thickness between approximately 1.3 mm and approximately 1.9 mm;   said striking face having remaining areas outside said central impact area and outside said additional areas adjacent to and on either side of said central impact area;   and, said striking face being further defined by said central impact area having a characteristic time, CT, value no greater than 257 u sec. and by one or more of the areas outside said central impact area having CT values greater than 257 u sec. but not greater than 275 u sec.   
     
     
         32 . The ball striking face of  claim 31  wherein said central impact area is approximately 4.3 cm wide and approximately 2.0 cm high and said additional adjacent areas on either side of said central impact area are approximately 0.7 cm wide and approximately 2.0 cm high. 
     
     
         33 . The striking face of  claim 32  wherein said central impact area and said additional adjacent areas on either side of said central impact area are rectangular. 
     
     
         34 . The striking face of  claim 31  wherein said central impact area is located on said face at an equal distance from said upper crown and said bottom sole. 
     
     
         35 . The striking face of  claim 31  wherein said two additional adjacent areas located on either side of said central impact are located at an equal distance from said upper crown and said bottom sole. 
     
     
         36 . The striking face of  claim 31  being further defined by remaining areas between said central impact area and said upper crown and between said impact area and said bottom sole having an average thickness that is the same, thicker, or thinner than the average thickness of said central impact area. 
     
     
         37 . The striking face of  claim 31  being further defined by said all remaining areas to said heel side and to said toe side of said central impact area and said additional adjacent areas located on either side of said central impact area; said remaining areas each having an average thickness the same, thicker, or thinner thickness than the average thickness of said two additional adjacent areas on either side of the central impact area. 
     
     
         38 . A ball striking face characterized for use with a hybrid type metal wood golf head having a ball striking face, an upper crown, heel, toe, and a bottom sole;
 said striking face having a central impact area with an average thickness between approximately 2.2 mm and approximately 2.6 mm;   said striking face being further defined by an additional area located adjacent to the toe side of said impact area and an additional area located adjacent to the heel side of said central impact area; said additional adjacent areas on either side of said central impact area having an average thickness between approximately 1.6 mm and approximately 2.0 mm;   said striking face having remaining areas outside said central impact area and said additional areas adjacent to and on either side of said central impact area;   and, said striking face being further defined by said central impact area having a characteristic time, CT, value no greater than 257 u sec. and by one or more of the areas outside said central impact area having CT values greater than 257 u sec. but not greater than 275 u sec.   
     
     
         39 . The ball striking face of  claim 38  wherein said central impact area is approximately 4.3 cm wide and approximately 2.0 cm high and said additional adjacent areas on either side of said central impact area are approximately 0.7 cm wide and approximately 1.6 cm high. 
     
     
         40 . The striking face of  claim 39  wherein said central impact area and said additional adjacent areas on either side of said central impact area are rectangular. 
     
     
         41 . The striking face of  claim 38  wherein said central impact area is located on said face at an equal distance from said upper crown and said bottom sole. 
     
     
         42 . The striking face of  claim 38  wherein said two additional adjacent areas located on either side of said central impact are located at an equal distance from said upper crown and said bottom sole. 
     
     
         43 . The striking face of  claim 38  being further defined by remaining areas between said central impact area and said upper crown and between said impact area and said bottom sole having an average thickness that is the same, thicker, or thinner than the average thickness between approximately 2.1 and approximately 2.5 mm. 
     
     
         44 . The striking face of  claim 38  being further defined by said all remaining areas to said heel side and to said toe side of said central impact area and said additional adjacent areas located on either side of said central impact area; said remaining areas each having an average thickness the same, thicker, or thinner thickness than the average thickness of said two additional adjacent areas on either side of the central impact area.