Golf club head

Abstract

A golf club head formed of an alloy of steel that is capable of improving the center of gravity (CG) location while maintaining traditional external dimensions of the golf club head. More specifically, the golf club head in accordance with the present invention achieves a relatively low CG while maintaining traditional external dimensions by reducing the amount of mass contributed by the crown, the striking face, and the hosel, and strategically reallocating this mass within and/or proximate the sole of the golf club head.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a striking face, having a face center, a crown, a sole opposite said crown, a heel, a toe opposite said heel, and a hosel adjacent to said heel and configured to join said golf club head to a shaft,   wherein said striking face further comprises;
 a variable face thickness profile having a substantially planar front surface and a non-planar rear surface, 
   wherein an X-axis is defined as a horizontal axis tangent to said face center of said striking face with a positive direction towards said heel of said golf club head, a Y-axis is a vertical axis orthogonal to said X-axis with a positive 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 direction towards a front of said golf club head, wherein an origin of said X-axis, said Y-axis, and said Z-axis is centered at a center of gravity (CG) of said golf club head, and   wherein said variable face thickness profile of said striking face further comprises;
 a central region, wherein said central region has a constant thickness, 
 a heel region, wherein said heel region decreases in thickness from an upper toe portion towards a lower heel portion, and 
 a toe region, wherein said toe region decreases in thickness from an upper heel portion towards a lower toe portion. 
   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said central region forms a V shape. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein said V shape of said central region forms a bottom angle θ of greater than about 20 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein said bottom angle θ is greater than about 25 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein said bottom angle θ is greater than about 30 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein a heel complimentary angle α and a toe complimentary angle β of the striking face are the same. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein a heel complimentary angle α and a toe complimentary angle β of the striking face are different. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said central region of said striking face has a uniform thickness of between about 1.60 mm to about 1.90 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein said heel region of said striking face has a maximum thickness of between about 1.60 mm to about 1.90 mm, and a minimum thickness of between about 1.49 mm to about 1.79 mm. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein said toe region of said striking face has a maximum thickness of between about 1.60 mm to about 1.90 mm, and a minimum thickness of between about 1.48 mm to about 1.78 mm. 
     
     
         11 . A golf club head comprising:
 a striking face, having a face center, a crown, a sole opposite said crown, a heel, a toe opposite said heel, and a hosel adjacent to said heel and configured to join said golf club head to a shaft,   wherein said striking face further comprises;
 a variable face thickness profile having a substantially planar front surface and a non-planar rear surface, 
   wherein an X-axis is defined as a horizontal axis tangent to said face center of said striking face with a positive direction towards said heel of said golf club head, a Y-axis is a vertical axis orthogonal to said X-axis with a positive 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 direction towards a front of said golf club head, wherein an origin of said X-axis, said Y-axis, and said Z-axis is centered at a center of gravity (CG) of said golf club head, and   wherein said variable face thickness profile of said striking face further comprises;
 a central region, wherein said central region is wider near a topline of said striking face and narrows towards a bottom sole portion of said striking face, 
 a heel region, and 
 a toe region. 
   
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein central region forms a bottom angle of greater than about 25 degrees. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein said bottom angle of said central region is grater than about 30 degrees. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein said bottom angle of said central region is greater than about 35 degrees. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein said striking face further comprises a sole extension near said sole,
 wherein said sole extension further comprises;
 an initial front portion having an initial frontal thickness, 
 an intermediate portion having an intermediate thickness, and 
 a terminal portion having a terminal thickness. 
   
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein said initial frontal thickness is greater than said intermediate thickness, and
 wherein said terminal thickness is greater than said intermediate thickness.   
     
     
         17 . A golf club head comprising:
 a striking face, having a face center, a crown, a sole opposite said crown, a heel, a toe opposite said heel, and a hosel adjacent to said heel and configured to join said golf club head to a shaft,
 wherein said striking face further comprises a sole extension near said sole,
 wherein said sole extension further comprises;
 an initial front portion having an initial frontal thickness, 
 an intermediate portion having an intermediate thickness, and 
 a terminal portion having a terminal thickness, 
 
 
 wherein said striking face further comprises;
 a variable face thickness profile having a substantially planar front surface and a non-planar rear surface, 
 
   wherein an X-axis is defined as a horizontal axis tangent to said face center of said striking face with a positive direction towards said heel of said golf club head, a Y-axis is a vertical axis orthogonal to said X-axis with a positive 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 direction towards a front of said golf club head, wherein an origin of said X-axis, said Y-axis, and said Z-axis is centered at a center of gravity (CG) of said golf club head, and   wherein said variable face thickness profile of said striking face further comprises;
 a central region, wherein said central region is wider near a topline of said striking face and narrows towards a bottom sole portion of said striking face, 
 a heel region, and 
 a toe region. 
   
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein said initial frontal thickness is greater than said intermediate thickness, and
 wherein said terminal thickness is greater than said intermediate thickness.   
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 18 , wherein a ratio of a Sole Return Distance DR to a Sole Width Distance Ds is greater than about 30% and less than about 60%. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 19 , wherein said ratio of said a Sole Return Distance DR to said Sole Width Distance Ds is greater than about 40% and less than about 60%. 
     
     
         21 . The golf club head of  claim 20 , wherein said ratio of said a Sole Return Distance DR to said Sole Width Distance Ds is greater than about 45% and less than about 60%.