Golf club head

Abstract

A putter-type golf club head, when oriented in a reference position, includes a main body, a weight insert, a center of gravity CG with a center of gravity depth CGD, a golf club head length L from a forwardmost extent of the golf club head to its rearwardmost extent, and a ratio of CGD/L no more than 0.30. The main body includes a front portion having a face defining a face plane, a rear portion extending rearwardly from the front portion, a heel, and a toe opposite the heel. The weight insert, which is denser than the main body, includes an insert CG that is located rearwardly from the face plane by a distance no greater than 1.0 cm.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A putter-type golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:
 a front portion having a face defining a virtual face plane, the face having a plurality of texture grooves configured to exhibit a first groove density at a central face location and a second groove density at a second face location horizontally offset from the central face location, the second groove density being less than the first groove density;   a forwardmost extent located on the face;   a rear portion opposite the front portion and extending rearwardly from the front portion;   a rearward-most extent located on the rear portion;   a heel;   a toe opposite the heel;   a center of gravity including a depth, CGD, measured along a depth axis that passes through the center of gravity and is normal to the virtual face plane, the CGD being no greater than 25.0 mm; and   a club head length, L, measured in a front-to-rear direction from the forward-most extent to the rearward-most extent, such that CGD/L is no greater than 0.30.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of texture grooves exhibits a first groove spacing at the central location and a second groove spacing at the second location that is less than the first groove spacing. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the first groove spacing is between 1.75 mm and 4.27 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein CGD/L is no greater than 0.28. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein CGD/L is no less than 0.15. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , further comprising a main body having a main body density and a weight insert having a weight insert density that is greater than the main body density, the weight insert including an insert center of gravity that is located rearwardly from the virtual face plane by a distance no more than 1.0 cm. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the front portion further comprises a heel-side recess, a toe-side recess, a heel insert received in the heel-side recess and forming a first portion of the face, and a toe insert received in the toe-side recess and forming a second portion of the face. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein the heel insert has a first mass and the toe insert has a second mass that is greater than the first mass. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein the heel insert has a first density between 9 g/cm 3  and 15 g/cm 3  and the toe insert has a second density that is greater than the first density. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , further comprising a moment of inertia about a vertical axis through the center of gravity, Izz, no less than 4000 g·cm 2 . 
     
     
         11 . A putter-type golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:
 a front portion having a face defining a virtual face plane, the face textured such that a central face location exhibits a first proportion of ball contact area and a second face location, horizontally offset from the central face location, exhibits a second proportion of ball contact area that is greater than the first proportion of ball contact area;   a forwardmost extent located on the face;   a rear portion opposite the front portion, the rear portion extending rearwardly from the front portion;   a rearward-most extent located on the rear portion;   a heel;   a toe opposite the heel;   a center of gravity including a depth, CGD, measured along a depth axis that passes through the center of gravity and is normal to the virtual face plane, the CGD being no greater than 25.0 mm; and   a club head length, L, measured in a front-to-rear direction from the forward-most extent to the rearward-most extent, such that CGD/L is no greater than 0.30.   
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein CGD/L is no greater than 0.28. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein CGD/L is no less than 0.15. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , further comprising a main body having a main body density and a weight insert having a weight insert density that is greater than the main body density, the weight insert including an insert center of gravity that is located rearwardly from the virtual face plane by a distance no more than 1.0 cm. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the front portion further comprises a heel-side recess, a toe-side recess, a heel insert received in the heel-side recess and forming a first portion of the face, and a toe insert received in the toe-side recess and forming a second portion of the face. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein the heel insert has a first mass and the toe insert has a second mass that is greater than the first mass. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein the heel insert has a first density between 9 g/cm 3  and 15 g/cm 3  and the toe insert has a second density that is greater than the first density. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , further comprising a moment of inertia about a vertical axis through the center of gravity, Izz, no less than 4000 g·cm 2 .