Golf club head with improved inertia performance

Abstract

A golf club head that is capable improving on the inertia properties of a golf club head all while also improving the Center of Gravity (CG) location is disclosed herein. More specifically, the golf club head in accordance with the present invention achieves a relative low Moment of Inertia (MOI) about the Z-axis (MOI-Z) as well as a relatively low MOI about the Shaft-axis (MOI-SA), all combined with a high MOI about the X and Y-axis (MOI-X and MOI-Y) and maintaining a consistently and relatively low CG location measured along a direction tangent to the hosel axis along the X-Y plane (CG-B).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club comprised of a golf club head, a shaft having a shaft axis coupled to the golf club head at a first end of the shaft and a grip coupled to the shaft at a second end of the shaft, wherein the golf club head comprises:
 a frontal portion comprised of metal comprising a striking face having a face center located at a forward portion of said golf club head;   a rear portion located aft of said striking face, the rear portion comprising a crown at an upper portion of said golf club head, a sole portion on a bottom portion of said golf club head and a weight base member having an elongated channel approximate a back edge of the golf club head; and   wherein an x-axis is defined as a horizontal axis tangent to said face center with a positive x direction towards a heel of said golf club head, a y-axis is a vertical axis orthogonal to said x-axis with a positive y direction towards said crown of said golf club head, and a z-axis being orthogonal to both said x-axis and said y-axis with a positive z direction extending forward,   wherein said golf club head has a moment of inertia about said y-axis (MOI-Y) passing through a center of gravity (CG) of said golf club head, said golf club head has a moment of inertia about said z-axis (MOI-Z) passing through said CG, and said golf club head has a moment of inertia about said x-axis (MOI-X) passing through said CG;   a weighting member comprising a first member having a mass of between 5 grams and 15 grams and an elongated member coupled to fit in the elongated channel;   means for securing said first member between the elongated portion and the channel in one of a plurality weight locations in the rear portion; and   wherein said golf club head is comprised of means to achieve a low MOI-Z such that a MOI-Y to MOI-Z ratio is greater than about 1.5.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the rear portion further comprises a joint connector juxtaposed the crown and the sole portion at the back edge and wherein the crown, the sole portion, the joint connector and the weight base member are integrally formed from thermoplastic material to form the rear portion. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the first member is comprised of metal or tungsten filled polymer. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club of  claim 3 , wherein a first end of the elongated portion is coupled to the elongated channel by an undercut and a second end of the elongated portion is coupled to the first member through a mechanical coupling. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club of  claim 3 , wherein the weighting member is releasably coupled to the elongated channel through a mechanical fastener. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club of  claim 5 , wherein the elongated member is further comprised of a plurality of flex joints. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the weighting member is comprised of two weighting elements that are connected by the elongated member and the weighting member is secured into the elongated channel. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club of  claim 7 , wherein the weighting elements are comprised of an aperture for receiving the first member. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club of  claim 8 , wherein the elongated member has a first length and a first width and the weighting elements have a second length and a second width and wherein the first length is at least twice as long as the second length and the second width is at least twice as wide as the first width. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club of  claim 9 , wherein the elongated member has an upper edge that is in a parallel plane with upper edges of the weighting elements. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein each of the weighting elements comprise a plurality of apertures that can receive a plurality of first members. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the rear portion is further comprised of a plurality of weight retaining locations for receiving the first member and the elongated member has a first end that is pivotally coupled to the elongated channel by a pin or screw through an aperture in the weight base member and has a distal end securable to the elongated channel by a fastener such that the elongated member is pivotally connected to the weight base member to retain the first member in one of the plurality of weight retaining locations. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a first end of the elongated member is pivotally coupled to the elongated channel through an aperture and is releasably secured to the elongated channel by a fastener at a distal end of the elongated member such that the first member is releasably retained in a weight retaining location within the elongated channel.