Iron-type golf club head

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an iron-type golf club head comprising a body comprising a heel portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, and a topline portion. The topline portion has a mass per unit length of between 0.09 g/mm and 0.40 g/mm. The golf club head also comprises a strike plate coupled to the body at a front portion of the golf club head and a cavity defined between the topline portion, the sole portion, and the strike plate. The golf club head further comprises a bridge bar at a rear portion of the golf club head. The bridge bar spans the cavity, is spaced apart from the strike plate, and is rigidly fixed to and extends uprightly between the sole portion and the topline portion. The bridge bar has a mass per unit length of between 0.09 g/mm and 0.40 g/mm.

1 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . An iron-type golf club head, comprising:
 a body comprising a heel portion, a face portion, a sole portion, extending rearwardly from a lower end of the face portion, a toe portion, a hosel, and a topline portion; and   a cavity defined between the topline portion, the sole portion, and the face portion;   wherein a back portion of the golf club head comprises one or more openings providing access to the cavity;   wherein the one or more openings are non-circular in shape, and at least one of the one or more openings extends from a location proximate a central region of the cavity to a lower and heelward region of the cavity;   wherein one or more rear panels are affixed to the back portion and cover the one or more openings to effectively enclose the cavity;   wherein an enclosed cavity region is at least partially defined by a rear surface of the face portion, and one or more front surfaces of the one or more rear panels;   wherein the one or more rear panels cover the one or more openings at least on a toe portion of the cavity and a heel portion of the cavity;   wherein an areal mass of the one or more rear panels is between 0.0005 g/mm 2  and 0.00925 g/mm 2 ;   wherein the cavity comprises a lower region and an upper region; and   wherein the iron-type golf club head further comprises a non-metal insert within the cavity between and in contact with only a portion of the back portion and only a portion of the rear surface of the face portion such that the non-metal insert does not contact any portion of the one or more rear panels.   
     
     
         25 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 24 , wherein the face portion has a variable thickness including a maximum thickness and a minimum thickness, and the minimum thickness is no more than 2 mm. 
     
     
         26 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 25 , wherein:
 the back portion comprises a stiffening member that spans the cavity, is spaced apart from the face portion, is rigidly fixed to and extends uprightly between the sole portion and the topline portion, and is spaced apart from the heel portion and the toe portion;   at least one of the one or more rear panels is in contact with a portion of the stiffening member; and   a ratio of a thickness of a forward portion of the sole portion, adjacent the face portion, to an average thickness of the face portion is no more than 2.5.   
     
     
         27 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 26 , wherein:
 a maximum thickness of the forward portion of the sole portion, adjacent the face portion, is between 0.8 mm to 2.5 mm.   
     
     
         28 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 27 , wherein a ratio of a thickness of the forward portion of the sole portion, adjacent the face portion, to the average thickness of the face portion is no more than 1.25. 
     
     
         29 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 26 , wherein the insert provides at least one of acoustic control and damping and the insert is located in the upper region of the cavity. 
     
     
         30 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 26 , wherein the insert provides at least one of acoustic control and damping and the insert is located in the lower region of the cavity. 
     
     
         31 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 28 , wherein the insert provides at least one of acoustic control and damping and at least a portion of the insert is located above a center of gravity of the iron-type golf club head. 
     
     
         32 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 24 , wherein the back portion comprises a stiffening member that spans the cavity, is spaced apart from the face portion, is rigidly fixed to and extends uprightly between the sole portion and the topline portion and is spaced apart from the heel portion and the toe portion. 
     
     
         33 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 32 , wherein at least one of the one or more openings extends from a location proximate a central region of the cavity to an upper and toeward region of the cavity. 
     
     
         34 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 33 , wherein the insert provides at least one of acoustic control and damping and at least a portion of the insert is located above a center of gravity of the iron-type golf club head. 
     
     
         35 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 34 , wherein the cavity extends below the one or more rear panels. 
     
     
         36 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 33 , wherein the insert is located in the lower region of the cavity and the insert extends within the enclosed cavity region from a first location proximate the toe portion of the cavity to a second location proximate the heel portion of the cavity. 
     
     
         37 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 32 , wherein the topline portion comprises weight reducing and stiffening features comprising:
 a rearwardly and downwardly directed overhang; and   a plurality of ribs coupled to an underside of the overhang.   
     
     
         38 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 37 , further comprising a channel formed in the sole portion and extending substantially parallel to the face portion. 
     
     
         39 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 24 , wherein the cavity extends below the one or more rear panels. 
     
     
         40 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 39 , wherein a maximum thickness of a forward portion of the sole portion is between 0.8 mm to 2.5 mm. 
     
     
         41 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 40 , wherein the back portion comprises a stiffening member that spans the cavity, is spaced apart from the face portion, is rigidly fixed to and extends uprightly between the sole portion and the topline portion, and is spaced apart from the heel portion and the toe portion. 
     
     
         42 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 41 , wherein at least one of the one or more rear panels is in contact with a portion of the stiffening member. 
     
     
         43 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 42 , wherein the one or more rear panels are affixed to a cavity rim of the body by adhesion. 
     
     
         44 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 24 , wherein:
 the face portion has a variable thickness including a maximum thickness and a minimum thickness, and the minimum thickness is no more than 2 mm;   the back portion comprises a stiffening member that spans the cavity, is spaced apart from the face portion, is rigidly fixed to and extends uprightly between the sole portion and the topline portion and is spaced apart from the heel portion and the toe portion; and   the cavity extends below the one or more rear panels.   
     
     
         45 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 24 , wherein:
 the face portion has a variable thickness including a maximum thickness and a minimum thickness, and the minimum thickness is no more than 2 mm; and   the cavity extends below the one or more rear panels.   
     
     
         46 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 24 , wherein:
 the back portion comprises a stiffening member that spans the cavity, is spaced apart from the face portion, is rigidly fixed to and extends uprightly between the sole portion and the topline portion and is spaced apart from the heel portion and the toe portion; and   the cavity extends below the one or more rear panels.