Putter-type golf club head with alignment feature

Abstract

A putter-type golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, includes a blade portion having a striking face, a top line, and a sole, the striking face in turn including a face center. The club head further includes a rear portion in communication with, and rearward of, the blade portion, and it includes an alignment element rearward of, and recessed toward the sole from, the top line. The alignment element defines a virtual center line segment oriented in a substantially front-to-rear direction at a height between 19 mm and 24 mm from a lowermost point of the sole, the center line segment having a length no less than 34 mm and being not spaced more than 10 mm from a virtual vertical plane passing through the face center and extending generally perpendicular to the striking face. A width of the club head is no less than 3.0 in.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A putter-type golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:
 a mass of at least 300 grams;   a heel portion;   a toe portion opposite the heel portion;   a blade portion including:
 a front surface forming a striking face, 
 a rear surface opposite the front surface, and 
 a top line having a top line height that is less than 24 mm; 
   a rear portion opposite the striking face, the rear portion including:
 a heel side arm extending rearward from the rear surface of the blade portion, 
 a toe side arm extending rearward from the rear surface of the blade portion, 
 a bridge extending between and connecting the heel side arm and the toe side arm, and 
 a cavity disposed between the heel side arm and the toe side arm; 
   a width defined by a distance in a heel-to-toe direction between the heel portion and the toe portion, the width being greater than 95 mm;   a depth defined by a distance in a front-to-rear direction between the front surface of the blade portion and the rear portion, the depth being greater than 65 mm; and   an alignment feature recessed below the top line height, the alignment feature being substantially planar.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the heel side arm and the toe side arm are raised relative to a top surface of the bridge. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the heel side arm and the toe side arm are spaced in a heel-to-toe direction by a distance between 40 mm and 42.7 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the alignment feature defines a virtual center line segment that is oriented in a substantially front-to-rear direction, the virtual center line is positioned at a height between 20 mm and 22 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein the virtual center line is positioned at a height of 21.35 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein the striking face includes a face center, and the golf club head further comprises a virtual vertical plane extending through the face center perpendicularly to the striking face, the virtual center line being spaced less than 5 mm from the virtual vertical plane and the center line height being greater than a height of the face center. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the alignment feature is recessed below the top line height by at least 1 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the mass of the golf club head is between 300 grams and 350 grams. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the heel side arm and the toe side arm include upper surfaces that are beveled proximate the cavity, the beveled upper surfaces extending outward towards the heel portion and the toe portion, respectively.