Golf club head

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a driver-type golf club head that is made from at least one first material, having a density between 0.9 g/cc and 3.5 g/cc, at least one second material, having a density between 3.6 g/cc and 5.5 g/cc, and at least one third material, having a density between 5.6 g/cc and 20.0 g/cc. The first material has a first mass no more than 55% and no less than 25% of the total mass of the golf club head. The second material has a second mass no more than 65% and no less than 20% of the total mass of the golf club head. The third material has a third mass equal to the total mass of the golf club head less the first mass of the first material and the second mass of the second material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A driver-type golf club head, comprising:
 a forward portion, comprising a strike face;   a rearward portion, opposite the forward portion;   a crown portion;   a sole portion, opposite the crown portion;   a heel portion;   a toe portion, opposite the heel portion; and   a body that comprises a cup, a ring joined to the cup via a first joint, a crown insert joined to the cup and the ring via a second joint; and a sole insert joined to the cup and the ring via a third joint, wherein the cup defines the forward portion of the driver-type golf club head and the ring is separately formed relative to the cup, the crown insert, and the sole insert;   wherein:
 a volume of the driver-type golf club head is between 390 cubic centimeters (cc) and 600 cc; 
 a total mass of the driver-type golf club head is between 185 grams (g) and 210 g; 
 the driver-type golf club head is made from at least one first material, having a density between 0.9 g/cc and 3.5 g/cc, and at least one second material, having a density between 5.6 g/cc and 20.0 g/cc; 
 the at least one first material has a first mass no less than 45% of the total mass of the driver-type golf club head; 
 the second mass of the at least one second material is no less than 20% of the total mass of the driver-type golf club head and no more than 50% of the total mass of the driver-type golf club head; and 
 an upper portion of the cup is made of the at least one first material and a lower portion of the cup is made of the at least one second material. 
   
     
     
         2 . The driver-type golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one first material comprises an aluminum alloy;   the at least one second material comprises a steel alloy; and   when the driver-type golf club head is in a normal address position, the at least one second material defines a forward-most portion of the driver-type golf club head and a lower-most portion of the driver-type golf club head.   
     
     
         3 . The driver-type golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one first material comprises an aluminum alloy;   the at least one second material comprises a tungsten alloy; and   when the driver-type golf club head is in a normal address position, the at least one second material defines a forward-most portion of the driver-type golf club head and a lower-most portion of the driver-type golf club head.   
     
     
         4 . The driver-type golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one first material comprises a non-metal material;   the at least one second material comprises a metal material; and   when the driver-type golf club head is in a normal address position, the at least one second material defines a forward-most portion of the driver-type golf club head and a lower-most portion of the driver-type golf club head.   
     
     
         5 . The driver-type golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein a total mass of the upper portion of the cup is no more than 36% of the total mass of the lower portion of the cup. 
     
     
         6 . The driver-type golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the upper portion of the cup is formed separately from the lower portion of the cup;   the upper portion of the cup is joined to the lower portion of the cup; and   when the driver-type golf club head is in a normal address position, the at least one second material defines a forward-most portion of the driver-type golf club head and a lower-most portion of the driver-type golf club head.   
     
     
         7 . The driver-type golf club head according to  claim 6 , wherein:
 the upper portion of the cup is made using a first manufacturing technique;   the lower portion of the cup is made using a second manufacturing technique; and   the first manufacturing technique is different than the second manufacturing technique.   
     
     
         8 . The driver-type golf club head according to  claim 6 , wherein:
 the cup comprises a hosel of the driver-type golf club head;   the upper portion of the cup comprises a hosel bore of the hosel; and   the lower portion of the cup comprises a port in communication with the hosel bore.   
     
     
         9 . The driver-type golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein the ring defines the rearward portion of the driver-type golf club head and is made of the at least one first material. 
     
     
         10 . The driver-type golf club head according to  claim 9 , wherein the material of the ring comprises at least one of an aluminum alloy or a magnesium alloy. 
     
     
         11 . The driver-type golf club head according to  claim 9 , wherein the material of the ring comprises a non-metal material. 
     
     
         12 . The driver-type golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the crown insert is made of the at least one first material; and   the sole insert is made of the at least one first material.   
     
     
         13 . The driver-type golf club head according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the at least one first material of the crown insert and the sole insert comprises a fiber-reinforced polymeric material comprising continuous fibers; and   each one of the continuous fibers has a length of at least 50 millimeters.   
     
     
         14 . The driver-type golf club head according to  claim 12 , wherein
 the at least one first material of the crown insert and the sole insert comprises a fiber-reinforced polymeric material; and   the fiber-reinforced polymeric material comprises a thermoset polymer.   
     
     
         15 . The driver-type golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the body comprises a crown opening and a sole opening;   the upper portion of the cup comprises a forward crown-opening recessed ledge that defines a forward section of the crown opening;   the ring comprises a rearward crown-opening recessed ledge that defines a rearward section of the crown opening;   the lower portion of the cup comprises a forward sole-opening recessed ledge that defines a forward section of the sole opening;   the ring comprises a rearward sole-opening recessed ledge that defines a rearward section of the sole opening;   the crown insert is bonded to the forward crown-opening recessed ledge and the rearward crown-opening recessed ledge;   the crown insert encloses the crown opening;   the sole insert is bonded to the forward sole-opening recessed ledge and the rearward sole-opening recessed ledge; and   the sole insert encloses the sole opening.   
     
     
         16 . The driver-type golf club head according to  claim 15 , wherein:
 a thickness of the sole insert is greater than a thickness the crown insert;   the crown insert comprises a crown-insert outer surface that defines an outward-facing surface of the crown portion of the driver-type golf club head;   the sole insert comprises a sole-insert outer surface that defines an outward-facing surface of the sole portion of the driver-type golf club head;   a total surface area of the sole-insert outer surface is smaller than a total surface area of the crown-insert outer surface; and   a total mass of the crown insert is less than a total mass of the sole insert.   
     
     
         17 . The driver-type golf club head according to  claim 1 , further comprising a strike plate that defines the strike face, wherein:
 the cup comprise a plate opening;   the upper portion of the cup defines a first portion of the plate opening;   the lower portion of the cup defines a second portion of the plate opening; and   the strike plate is joined to the upper portion and the lower portion of the cup and encloses the plate opening of the cup.   
     
     
         18 . The driver-type golf club head according to  claim 17 , wherein the strike plate is made from a fiber-reinforced polymeric material. 
     
     
         19 . The driver-type golf club head according to  claim 17 , wherein:
 the cup further comprises a plate-opening recessed ledge that defines the plate opening;   the upper portion of the cup defines a first portion of the plate-opening recessed ledge;   the lower portion of the cup defines a second portion of the plate-opening recessed ledge; and   the strike plate is seatably engaged with the plate-opening recessed ledge of the cup.