Golf club head with l-shaped faceplate and weight pad

Abstract

Embodiments of an iron-type golf club head comprising an L-shaped faceplate configured for flexibility are described herein. The L-shaped faceplate comprises a strike face portion and a sole return that wraps around a leading edge of the golf club head. In some embodiments, the L-shaped faceplate further comprises a top rail extension and a toe extension that extend to the peripheries of the golf club head. The golf club head comprises a rear body configured to receive the L-shaped faceplate to form a hollow interior cavity. The rear body comprises a sole ledge configured to receive the sole return. In some embodiments, the golf club head further comprises a weight pad that overhangs a portion of the sole return. In some embodiments, the golf club head further comprises dynamic lofting features that increase the bending in the rear body.

1 . An iron-type golf club head comprising:
 a faceplate;   a rear body coupled to the faceplate to form a club head body enclosing a hollow interior cavity, the club head body defining a top rail, a sole, a heel end, a toe end, a front end, a rear end, a top rail periphery, a toe periphery, a heel periphery, and a sole periphery;   the faceplate being disposed at the front end and comprising a strike face, a back surface opposite the strike face, a leading edge proximate the sole, a sole return extending rearward from the back surface and forming at least a portion of the sole, and a faceplate perimeter;   the faceplate perimeter comprising a top perimeter edge, a heel-side perimeter edge, a toe-side perimeter edge and a sole perimeter edge;   the rear body being coupled to the faceplate along the faceplate perimeter and including:
 a rear body top rail portion coupled to the top perimeter edge of the faceplate perimeter and forming at least a portion of the top rail; 
 a rear body sole portion including a sole ledge coupled to the sole perimeter edge of the faceplate perimeter and forming at least a portion of the sole; 
 a rear body heel portion coupled to the heel-side perimeter edge of the faceplate perimeter and forming at least a portion of the heel end, the rear body heel portion including a hosel; 
 a rear body toe portion coupled to the toe-side perimeter edge of the faceplate perimeter and forming at least a portion of the toe end; 
 a rear wall extending from the rear body sole portion to the rear body top rail portion, and between the rear body heel portion to the heel body toe portion, to enclose the rear end of the club head, the rear wall comprising:
 a rear wall upper portion comprising:
 a rear wall upper portion exterior surface; and 
 a rear wall upper portion interior surface; 
 wherein a rear wall upper portion thickness between the rear wall upper portion exterior surfaced and the rear wall upper portion interior surface is substantially uniform; 
 
 a rear wall lower portion comprising:
 a rear wall lower portion exterior surface; 
 a rear wall lower portion interior surface; 
 a weight pad formed between the rear wall lower portion exterior surface and the rear wall lower portion interior surface and located proximate the sole, the weight pad comprising: 
  a weight pad forward edge coupled to and extending continuously from the rear wall upper portion interior surface, wherein the weight pad forward edge is spaced from the strike face back surface; and 
  a lower interior undercut extending rearwardly from the weight pad forward edge and between the weight pad and the sole ledge, wherein the lower interior undercut defines a gap between the weight pad and the sole return. 
 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the rear wall upper portion interior surface lies in a first plane. 
     
     
         3 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the weight pad forward edge includes an upper region and a lower region, and at least the upper region lies in a second plane. 
     
     
         4 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein the first and second planes are co-planar. 
     
     
         5 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein both the upper and lower regions of the weight pad forward edge lie in the second plane. 
     
     
         6 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein the faceplate defines a loft plane, and the first and second planes are parallel to the loft plane. 
     
     
         7 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein the second plane intersects the first plane. 
     
     
         8 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein the faceplate defines a loft plane, and wherein the first plane is parallel to the loft plane and the second plane intersects the loft plane. 
     
     
         9 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein the lower region of the weight pad forward edge lies in a third plane, and the second plane intersects the third plane. 
     
     
         10 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 9 , wherein the third plane is parallel to the loft plane. 
     
     
         11 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the rear wall lower portion exterior surface comprises a shelf surface bordering an upper end of the weight pad, the shelf surface extending substantially perpendicular to the rear wall upper portion exterior surface. 
     
     
         12 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the rear wall lower portion exterior surface comprises a back face bordering a back end of the weight pad, the back face extending between the shelf surface and the rear body sole portion. 
     
     
         13 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein the rear wall upper portion thickness is between 0.025 inches and 0.040 inches. 
     
     
         14 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein the rear wall upper portion thickness is between 0.025 inches and 0.060 inches. 
     
     
         15 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein the first plane is offset in a perpendicular direction from the loft plane at a distance between 0.200 inches and 0.300 inches. 
     
     
         16 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the first plane is offset in a perpendicular direction from the loft plane at a distance between 0.200 inches and 0.300 inches. 
     
     
         17 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 16 , wherein the third plane is offset in a perpendicular direction from the first plane at a distance between 0.025 inches and 0.075 inches. 
     
     
         18 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein an angle defined between the first plane and the second plane is between 10 degrees and 20 degrees. 
     
     
         19 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein an angle defined between the first plane and the second plane is between 5 degrees and 25 degrees. 
     
     
         20 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the rear wall upper portion interior surface covers between 55% and 65% of the rear wall interior surface.