Golf club set providing improved distance gapping adjustability

Abstract

A set of golf clubs having a degree of loft and lie adjustability to provide improved distance gapping.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A set of golf clubs, comprising:
 A) a first flat face adjustable golf club having:
 (I) a first flat face golf club head having:
 (a) a first flat face positioned at a first flat face front portion of the first flat face golf club head where the first flat face golf club head impacts a golf ball, wherein the first flat face has a first flat face design loft, and wherein the first flat face includes a first flat face engineered impact point, and a first flat face rear portion opposite the first flat face; 
 (b) a first flat face club head volume that is less than 90 cubic centimeters; 
 (c) a first flat face hosel with a first flat face bore having a first flat face center that defines a first flat face bore axis which intersects with a horizontal ground plane to define a first flat face origin point, wherein the first flat face bore is located at a first flat face heel side of the first flat face golf club head, and wherein a first flat face toe side of the first flat face golf club head is located opposite of the first flat face heel side; 
 
 (II) a first flat face shaft having a first flat face proximal end and a first flat face distal end; 
 (III) a first flat face adjustability system including a first flat face shaft sleeve attached to an end of the first flat face shaft that adjustably cooperates with the first flat face hosel and is capable of (a) adjusting the first flat face design loft from a first flat face weak loft to a first flat face strong loft, thereby defining a first flat face loft adjustability range of at least 3 degrees, and (b) adjusting the first flat face adjustable golf club in lie angle from a first flat face design lie angle to a first flat face upright lie angle, thereby defining a first flat face lie adjustability range of at least 0.5 degrees, wherein the mass properties of the first flat face golf club head with the first flat face adjustability system installed produce a first flat face center of gravity (CG) and define a first flat face club moment arm; 
 (IV) a first flat face grip attached to the first flat face shaft proximal end; and 
 (V) wherein the first flat face golf club has a first flat face club length of at least 36 inches and no more than 42 inches; 
   B) a second flat face adjustable golf club having:
 (I) a second flat face golf club head having:
 (a) a second flat face positioned at a second flat face front portion of the second flat face golf club head where the second flat face golf club head impacts a golf ball, wherein the second flat face has a second flat face design loft of at least 2 degrees greater than the first flat face design loft, and wherein the second flat face includes a second flat face engineered impact point, and a second flat face rear portion opposite the second flat face; 
 (b) a second flat face club head volume that is less than 90 cubic centimeters; 
 (c) a second flat face hosel with a second flat face bore having a second flat face center that defines a second flat face bore axis which intersects with a horizontal ground plane to define a second flat face origin point, wherein the second flat face bore is located at a second flat face heel side of the second flat face golf club head, and wherein a second flat face toe side of the second flat face golf club head is located opposite of the second flat face heel side; 
 
 (II) a second flat face shaft having a second flat face proximal end and a second flat face distal end; 
 (III) a second flat face adjustability system including a second flat face shaft sleeve attached to an end of the second flat face shaft that adjustably cooperates with the second flat face hosel and is capable of (a) adjusting the second flat face design loft from a second flat face weak loft to a second flat face strong loft, thereby defining a second flat face loft adjustability range of at least 3 degrees, and (b) adjusting the second flat face adjustable golf club in lie angle from a second flat face design lie angle to a second flat face flat lie angle, thereby defining a second flat face lie adjustability range of at least 0.5 degrees, and wherein the mass properties of the second flat face golf club head with the second flat face adjustability system installed produce a second flat face center of gravity (CG) and define a second flat face club moment arm; 
 (IV) a second flat face grip attached to the second flat face shaft proximal end; and 
 (V) wherein the second flat face golf club has a second flat face club length of at least 36 inches and no more than 42 inches; 
   C) wherein the first flat face weak loft is within 1.5 degrees of the second flat face design loft, the second flat face strong loft is equal to, or less than, the first flat face weak loft, and the second flat face flat lie angle is equal to, or less than, the first flat face upright lie angle;   D) wherein a first flat face golf club head moment of inertia around a vertical axis through the CG, parallel to a vertical Y-axis originating at the first flat face origin point, is within 15 percent of a second flat face golf club head moment of inertia around a vertical axis through the CG, parallel to a vertical Y-axis originating at the second flat face origin point; and   E) the second flat face club moment arm is within 15% of the first flat face club moment arm.   
     
     
         2 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 1 , wherein the first flat face golf club head further includes a first threaded weight. 
     
     
         3 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 2 , wherein the second flat face golf club head further includes a second threaded weight. 
     
     
         4 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 1 , further including a third flat face golf club having a third flat face golf club head with a third flat face having a third flat face design loft of at least 2 degrees greater than the second flat face design loft, a third flat face engineered impact point, a third flat face center of gravity, a third flat face club moment arm measured from the third flat face center of gravity to the third flat face engineered impact point, and a third flat face design lie angle that is greater than the second flat face design lie angle, wherein the second flat face weak loft is within 1.5 degrees of the third flat face design loft, and wherein the second flat face adjustability system is capable of adjusting the second flat face adjustable golf club to a second flat face upright lie angle at least 0.5 degrees greater than the second flat face design lie angle, thereby defining the second flat face lie adjustability range to be at least 1.0 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 4 , wherein the second flat face upright lie angle is at least as great as the third flat face design lie angle. 
     
     
         6 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 4 , wherein the third flat face golf club head has a third flat face golf club head moment of inertia around a vertical axis through the CG, and the third flat face golf club head moment of inertia around the vertical axis through the CG is within 15 percent of the second flat face golf club head moment of inertia around the vertical axis through the CG, and the third flat face club moment arm is within 15% of the second flat face club moment arm. 
     
     
         7 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 6 , wherein the moment of the inertia of the each golf club head around an axis through the CG is within the range of 2200-3000 g*cm 2 , and the third flat face golf club head is a cavity-back iron. 
     
     
         8 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 7 , wherein the second flat face weak loft is equal to, or greater than, the third flat face design loft. 
     
     
         9 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 1 , wherein the second flat face flat lie angle is equal to, or less than, the first flat face design lie angle. 
     
     
         10 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 7 , wherein the third flat face club moment arm is at least 60% of the first flat face club moment arm. 
     
     
         11 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 10 , wherein a difference between the first flat face club moment arm and the third flat face club moment arm is no greater than 0.2 inches. 
     
     
         12 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 11 , wherein the first flat face adjustable golf club has a first performance indicator, the second flat face adjustable golf club has a second performance indicator, and the third flat face golf club has a third performance indicator, and wherein the second performance indicator and the third performance indicator are within 10% of the first performance indicator. 
     
     
         13 . A set of golf clubs, comprising:
 A) a first flat face adjustable golf club having:
 (I) a first flat face golf club head having:
 (a) a first flat face positioned at a first flat face front portion of the first flat face golf club head where the first flat face golf club head impacts a golf ball, wherein the first flat face has a first flat face design loft, and wherein the first flat face includes a first flat face engineered impact point, and a first flat face rear portion opposite the first flat face; 
 (b) a first flat face club head volume; 
 (c) a first flat face hosel with a first flat face bore having a first flat face center that defines a first flat face bore axis which intersects with a horizontal ground plane to define a first flat face origin point, wherein the first flat face bore is located at a first flat face heel side of the first flat face golf club head, and wherein a first flat face toe side of the first flat face golf club head is located opposite of the first flat face heel side; 
 
 (II) a first flat face shaft having a first flat face proximal end and a first flat face distal end; 
 (III) a first flat face adjustability system including a first flat face shaft sleeve attached to an end of the first flat face shaft that adjustably cooperates with the first flat face hosel and is capable of (a) adjusting the first flat face design loft from a first flat face weak loft to a first flat face strong loft, thereby defining a first flat face loft adjustability range of at least 3 degrees, and (b) adjusting the first flat face adjustable golf club in lie angle from a first flat face design lie angle to a first flat face upright lie angle, thereby defining a first flat face lie adjustability range of at least 0.5 degrees, wherein the mass properties of the first flat face golf club head with the first flat face adjustability system installed produce a first flat face center of gravity (CG) and define a first flat face club moment arm; 
 (IV) a first flat face grip attached to the first flat face shaft proximal end; and 
 (V) wherein the first flat face golf club has a first flat face club length of at least 36 inches and no more than 42 inches; 
   B) a second flat face adjustable golf club having:
 (I) a second flat face golf club head having:
 (a) a second flat face positioned at a second flat face front portion of the second flat face golf club head where the second flat face golf club head impacts a golf ball, wherein the second flat face has a second flat face design loft of at least 2 degrees greater than the first flat face design loft, and wherein the second flat face includes a second flat face engineered impact point, and a second flat face rear portion opposite the second flat face; 
 (b) a second flat face club head volume; 
 (c) a second flat face hosel with a second flat face bore having a second flat face center that defines a second flat face bore axis which intersects with a horizontal ground plane to define a second flat face origin point, wherein the second flat face bore is located at a second flat face heel side of the second flat face golf club head, and wherein a second flat face toe side of the second flat face golf club head is located opposite of the second flat face heel side; 
 
 (II) a second flat face shaft having a second flat face proximal end and a second flat face distal end; 
 (III) a second flat face adjustability system including a second flat face shaft sleeve attached to an end of the second flat face shaft that adjustably cooperates with the second flat face hosel and is capable of (a) adjusting the second flat face design loft from a second flat face weak loft to a second flat face strong loft, thereby defining a second flat face loft adjustability range of at least 3 degrees, and (b) adjusting the second flat face adjustable golf club in lie angle from a second flat face design lie angle to a second flat face flat lie angle, thereby defining a second flat face lie adjustability range of at least 0.5 degrees, and wherein the mass properties of the second flat face golf club head with the second flat face adjustability system installed produce a second flat face center of gravity (CG) and define a second flat face club moment arm; 
 (IV) a second flat face grip attached to the second flat face shaft proximal end; and 
 (V) wherein the second flat face golf club has a second flat face club length of at least 36 inches and no more than 42 inches; 
   C) a third flat face golf club having a third flat face golf club head with a third flat face having a third flat face design loft of at least 2 degrees greater than the second flat face design loft, a third flat face engineered impact point, a third flat face center of gravity, a third flat face club moment arm measured from the third flat face center of gravity to the third flat face engineered impact point, and a third flat face design lie angle that is greater than the second flat face design lie angle, wherein the second flat face weak loft is within 1.5 degrees of the third flat face design loft, and wherein the second flat face adjustability system is capable of adjusting the second flat face adjustable golf club to a second flat face upright lie angle at least 0.5 degrees greater than the second flat face design lie angle, thereby defining the second flat face lie adjustability range to be at least 1.0 degrees;   D) wherein the first flat face weak loft is within 1.5 degrees of the second flat face design loft, the second flat face strong loft is equal to, or less than, the first flat face weak loft, the second flat face flat lie angle is equal to, or less than, the first flat face upright lie angle, and the second flat face upright lie angle is at least as great as the third flat face design lie angle;   E) wherein a first flat face golf club head moment of inertia around a vertical axis through the CG, parallel to a vertical Y-axis, is within 15 percent of a second flat face golf club head moment of inertia around a vertical axis through the CG, and a third flat face golf club head moment of inertia around a vertical axis through the CG is within 15 percent of a second flat face golf club head moment of inertia around the vertical axis through the CG; and   F) the second flat face club moment arm and the third flat face club moment arm are within 15% of the first flat face club moment arm.   
     
     
         14 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 13 , wherein the first flat face golf club head further includes a first threaded weight and the second flat face golf club head further includes a second threaded weight. 
     
     
         15 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 13 , wherein the moment of the inertia around an axis through the CG of the each golf club head is within the range of 2200-3000 g*cm 2 . 
     
     
         16 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 13 , wherein the second flat face weak loft is equal to, or greater than, the third flat face design loft. 
     
     
         17 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 13 , wherein the second flat face flat lie angle is equal to, or less than, the first flat face design lie angle. 
     
     
         18 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 13 , wherein the third flat face club moment arm is at least 60% of the first flat face club moment arm. 
     
     
         19 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 13 , wherein a difference between the first flat face club moment arm and the third flat face club moment arm is no greater than 0.2 inches, the first flat face golf club head is a hollow iron, and the third flat face golf club head is a cavity-back iron. 
     
     
         20 . The set of golf clubs of  claim 13 , wherein the first flat face adjustable golf club has a first performance indicator, the second flat face adjustable golf club has a second performance indicator, and the third flat face golf club has a third performance indicator, and wherein the second performance indicator and the third performance indicator are within 10% of the first performance indicator.