Golf club apparatus with furrows and method for configuring furrows

Abstract

A golf club includes a shaft, grip and head attached to the shaft. The head includes a club face, a heel, a toe, and a sole. The shaft is attached to the head proximate the heel; the toe is distal from an attachment point of the shaft. The sole corresponds to a bottom of the head as bounded by the toe and heel, and the leading edge and trailing edge. The leading edge is formed at the intersection of the club face and the sole. The sole defines a plurality of substantially rectangular furrows, which do not extend onto the ball contacting surface. Each furrow is parallel to the other furrows and each is bounded by a rib, such that the ribs separate and define the furrows. Each furrow has flat side surfaces and a flat bottom surface parallel to the back surface of the head.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club comprising:
 a shaft; and   a head attached to the shaft, the head further comprising:
 a ball contacting surface; 
 a back surface opposite the ball contacting surface; 
 a sole surface disposed between the ball contacting surface and the back surface, the sole surface in contact with a surface on which a golf ball lies as a golfer swings the club to strike the golf ball; 
 the shaft attached to a heel region of the head; 
 a toe region of the head distal from the heel region; 
 at least two parallel furrows defined in the sole surface and extending proximate the ball contacting surface and proximate the back surface such that the furrows do not extend onto the ball contacting surface; and 
 each of the at least two furrows defining a rectangular opening having flat side surfaces and a flat bottom surface. 
   
     
     
         2 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two furrows defined in the sole surface extend from the ball contacting surface to the back surface. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the ball contacting surface is bounded by a leading edge, and wherein each of the at least two furrows are of equal width at the leading edge and at the back surface. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the ball contacting surface is bounded by a leading edge, wherein the at least two furrows defined in the sole surface extend proximate the leading edge to proximate the back surface. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein a leading edge is a line of demarcation between the ball contacting surface and the sole surface and a trailing edge is a line of demarcation between the sole surface and the back surface, and wherein the at least two furrows extend from the leading edge to the trailing edge. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two furrows are separated by a rib therebetween. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two furrows comprise a plurality of furrows, and wherein the plurality of furrows extend between the heel region and the toe region. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club of  claim 7 , wherein a first furrow from the plurality of furrows is disposed proximate the heel region and has a shorter length than a second furrow from the plurality of furrows disposed approximately midway between the heel region and the toe region. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club of  claim 7 , wherein a furrow from among the plurality of furrows having a longest length is at approximately a midpoint between the heel region and the toe region. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club of  claim 7 , wherein each one of the plurality of furrows has a different length and a same width. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club of  claim 7 , wherein a length of each one of the plurality of furrows follows a shape of the sole surface. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club of  claim 7 , wherein two successive furrows from the plurality of furrows are separated by a rib, and wherein a plurality of rib surfaces, each rib surface present at an opening of an adjacent furrow, follow a shape of the sole surface. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two furrows are substantially parallel to each other and the flat bottom surface of each one of the at least two furrows is substantially parallel to the ball contacting surface. 
     
     
         14 . A golf club comprising:
 a shaft; and   a head attached to the shaft, the head further comprising:
 a ball contacting surface; 
 a back surface spaced apart from the ball contact surface; 
 a heel region, the shaft attached to the head proximate the heel region; 
 a toe region distal from the heel region; and 
 a sole region forming a bottom surface of the head and positioned between the toe region and the heel region, the sole region defining a plurality of furrows, each furrow from the plurality of furrows running from a face surface of the sole to a rear surface of the sole, the plurality of furrows extending from the heel region to the toe region, two consecutive furrows separated by a rib, wherein each rib is of equal width at the face surface and at the rear surface, each one of the plurality of furrows defining an opening having flat side surfaces and a flat bottom surface. 
   
     
     
         15 . The golf club of  claim 14 , wherein each one of the plurality of furrows presents a different length. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club of  claim 15 , wherein one of the plurality of furrows disposed approximately midway between the heel region and the toe region presents a longer length relative to the other furrows of the plurality of furrows. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club of  claim 14 , wherein each one of the plurality of furrows presents a length following a contour of the face surface of the sole region. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club of  claim 14 , wherein each one of the plurality of furrows is spaced an equal distance from the face surface of the sole. 
     
     
         19 . A method for configuring a golf club head having furrows defined therein, wherein characteristics of the furrows are personalized for a golfer, the method comprising:
 (a) collecting data related to the golfer's golf swing;   (b) collecting data related to a coefficient of friction between a golf club head and a surface on which a golf ball sets as the golfer swings the golf club to strike the golf ball;   (c) determining data related to a coefficient of interaction responsive to data collected at steps (a) and (b);   (d) determining a coefficient of interaction user profile for the golfer responsive to data determined at step (c);   (e) determining a number of furrows responsive to the coefficient of interaction user profile determined at step (d);   (f) determining characteristics of each furrow responsive to the coefficient of Interaction user profile determined at step (d); and   (g) manufacturing a golf club head responsive to the number of furrows as determined at step (e) and the characteristics of each furrow as determined at step (e).   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the characteristics of each furrow as determined at step (f) comprise one or more of a furrow length depth, a furrow width, and a rib width.