Golf club head

Abstract

A golf club head having good forgiveness and playability includes a body having an interior cavity, favorable aerodynamic profile and favorable CG location. The club head may include a crown having a peripheral edge located low relative to a ground plane, stepped down crown and overlying shroud, generally flat sole, inverted aft skirt section, aft cavity, cantilevered lightweight shroud, and/or two interior chambers, one of which may have an external opening.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a body including an upper surface facing upwardly when the club head is in a normal address position, a sole surface facing downwardly when the club head is in the normal address position, a face positioned at a front of the club head, a rear portion distal from the face, a skirt defining a transition area along the periphery of the upper surface and sole surface where the upper surface transitions to the sole surface, a heel side having a hosel to which a golf shaft may be attached and a toe side opposite the heel side;   the body including a composite member defining at least a substantial portion of the upper surface and wrapping around the skirt to define at least a portion of the sole surface; and   the body including a metal member separate from the composite member, which is formed from either a metal or metal alloy, and defines at least in part the sole surface.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein the metal member is located in part proximate to the face along the upper surface and sole surface. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein a portion of the metal member is located proximate to the face along the upper surface, toe side, heel side and sole surface to form a frame around the face. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein the metal member supports a lateral weight track on the sole surface proximate to the face and at least one moveable weight slidably receivable within the weight track. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein the metal member supports a lateral weight track on the sole surface proximate to the face and at least one moveable weight slidably receivable within the weight track, and also supports at least one fixed weight member located on the sole surface at the rear portion. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein the metal member defines a portion of the upper surface proximate to the face and the composite member is a one-piece component joined to the metal member and defining the remainder of the upper surface. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein the metal member includes a portion on the sole extending from the face to the rear portion. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein the sole surface includes heel-side and toe-side surfaces which are recessed relative to a central portion of the sole surface therebetween. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein the metal member includes an adjustment port on the heel side proximate to the face to facilitate adjustment of the club head's orientation relative to the golf shaft connected thereto. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein the club head has a Delta 1 of about 11 to 25 mm. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein the club head has a CG Projection of about −1 to 5 mm. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein the club head has a CG z  of about −1 to −6 mm. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein the club head has a moment of inertia I xx  relative to an x-axis of about 260 to 320 Kg·mm 2  and a moment of inertia I zz  relative to a z-axis of about 360 to 490 Kg·mm 2 . 
     
     
         14 . A golf club head comprising:
 a body including a toe side, a heel side opposite the toe side, a ball-striking face located at a front portion of the body, a rear portion distal from the face, an upper surface, a lower sole surface and a skirt transition area between the upper surface and lower sole surface;   a metal frame member formed at least in part from a metal alloy, the frame member having a first portion proximate to the ball-striking face to support the ball-striking face along the upper surface, lower sole surface, heel side and toe side of the ball-striking face, the metal frame member further including a portion extending centrally from the front portion of the lower sole surface to the rear portion of the sole surface;   a composite member joined to the metal frame member and forming in part the upper surface and sole surface, the composite member extending from the upper surface and around the skirt area to the sole surface.   
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 14  wherein the composite member is a one-piece component. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 14  wherein the ball-striking face is integrally joined to the frame member. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 14  wherein the metal frame member supports a lateral weight track proximate to the ball-striking face on the sole surface and at least one moveable weight slidably receivable within the weight track. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 14  wherein the metal member supports a lateral weight track on the sole surface proximate to the face and at least one moveable weight slidably receivable within the weight track and also supports at least one fixed weight member located on the sole surface and at the rear portion. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 15  wherein the metal member supports a lateral weight track on the sole surface proximate to the face and at least one moveable weight slidably receivable within the weight track and also supports at least one fixed weight member located on the sole surface and at the rear portion. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 14  wherein the sole surface includes heel-side and toe-side surfaces which are recessed relative to the central sole surface therebetween.