Golf club with a striking face providing improved performance for golf balls struck outside the center of the face

Abstract

A golf club with a striking face suitable for use with driver, fairway wood and hybrid type golf clubs providing increased energy transfer to and greater distance traveled for golf balls struck outside the center of the face using a novel, multi face thickness and area configuration.

1 . 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 a surface area of approximately 10.2 cm 2  and an average thickness between approximately 2.8 mm and approximately 3.4 mm; said striking face being further defined by an additional area with a surface area of approximately 3.1 cm 2  located adjacent to the toe side of said central impact area and an additional area with a surface area of approximately 3.1 cm 2  located adjacent to the heel side of said central impact area;   said additional areas on either side of and adjacent said central impact area having an average thickness between approximately 2.2 mm and approximately 2.6 mm;   and, said striking face having remaining areas outside said central impact area and outside said additional areas that are adjacent to said heel and said toe.   
     
     
         2 . The ball striking face of  claim 1  wherein said central impact area is approximately 4.2 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. 
     
     
         3 . The striking face of  claim 2  wherein said central impact area and said additional adjacent areas on either side of said central impact area are rectangular. 
     
     
         4 . The striking face of  claim 1  wherein said central impact area is located on said face at an equal distance from said upper crown and said bottom sole. 
     
     
         5 . The striking face of  claim 1  wherein said two additional adjacent areas located on either side of said central impact area are located at an equal distance from said upper crown and said bottom sole. 
     
     
         6 . The striking face of  claim 1  being further defined by remaining areas between said central impact area and said upper crown and between said central 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. 
     
     
         7 . The striking face of  claim 1  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. 
     
     
         8 . 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 a surface area of approximately 8.5 cm 2  and an average thickness between approximately 2.1 mm and approximately 2.5 mm;   said striking face being further defined by an additional area with a surface area of approximately 1.4 cm 2  located adjacent to the toe side of said central impact area and an additional area with a surface area of approximately 1.4 cm 2  located adjacent to the heel side of said central impact area; said additional areas on either side of and adjacent said central impact area having an average thickness between approximately 1.3 mm and approximately 1.7 mm;   and, said striking face having remaining areas outside said central impact area and outside said additional areas adjacent to said toe and said heel.   
     
     
         9 . The ball striking face of  claim 8  wherein said central impact area is approximately 4.2 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. 
     
     
         10 . The striking face of  claim 9  wherein said central impact area and said additional adjacent areas on either side of said central impact area are rectangular. 
     
     
         11 . The striking face of  claim 8  wherein said central impact area is located on said face at an equal distance from said upper crown and said bottom sole. 
     
     
         12 . The striking face of  claim 8  wherein said two additional adjacent areas located on either side of said central impact area are located at an equal distance from said upper crown and said bottom sole. 
     
     
         13 . The striking face of  claim 8  being further defined by remaining areas between said central impact area and said upper crown and between said central 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. 
     
     
         14 . The striking face of  claim 8  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. 
     
     
         15 . 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 a surface area of approximately 8.5 cm 2  and an average thickness between approximately 2.2 mm and approximately 2.6 mm;   said striking face being further defined by an additional area with a surface area of approximately 1.1 cm 2  located adjacent to the toe side of said central impact area and an additional area with a surface area of approximately 1.1 cm 2  located adjacent to the heel side of said central impact area; said additional areas on either side of and adjacent said central impact area having an average thickness between approximately 1.6 mm and approximately 2.0 mm;   and, said striking face having remaining areas outside said central impact area and outside said additional areas adjacent to said heel and said toe.   
     
     
         16 . The ball striking face of  claim 15  wherein said central impact area is approximately 4.2 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. 
     
     
         17 . The striking face of  claim 16  wherein said central impact area and said additional adjacent areas on either side of said central impact area are rectangular. 
     
     
         18 . The striking face of  claim 15  wherein said central impact area is located on said face at an equal distance from said upper crown and said bottom sole. 
     
     
         19 . The striking face of  claim 15  wherein said two additional adjacent areas located on either side of said central impact area are located at an equal distance from said upper crown and said bottom sole. 
     
     
         20 . The striking face of  claim 15  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 between approximately 2.1 and approximately 2.5 mm. 
     
     
         21 . The striking face of  claim 15  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.