Golf club heads with optimized characteristics

Abstract

Embodiments of golf club heads comprising a head interior bounded by a head front portion, a head rear portion, a head heel portion, a head toe portion, a head top portion, and a head sole portion, the golf club heads further comprising various optimized characteristics including optimizing the head center of gravity height and depth in relation to the head volume and mass, are presented herein. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.

1 . A golf club head, comprising:
 a head body comprising a head interior bounded by a head front portion, a head rear portion, a head heel portion, a head toe portion, a head top portion, and a head sole portion;   a strikeface at the head front portion comprising a strikeface height and a geometric centerpoint, the strikeface height being between 53 mm and 71 mm, and the geometric centerpoint positioned at a midpoint of the strikeface;   a head depth length measured from the geometric centerpoint of the strikeface to an intersection of an exterior of the head rear portion by a head depth plane;   a head center of gravity having a head CG depth and a head CG height;   wherein:
 the head CG height is less than or equal to 2.54 mm; and 
 more than 25% of a mass of the golf club head is located in a rearmost 20% of a length of the golf club head; 
   a weight positioned on the head sole portion;   a crown angle less than 79 degrees measured between a front plane and a crown axis that extends through a transition point of the head top portion and a rear transition point of the golf club head; and   a maximum head top portion height greater than approximately 10 mm, wherein the maximum head top portion height is measured as a greatest distance between the head top portion and the crown axis.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the weight is located:
 within 1 inch from a perimeter of the head rear portion; a distance from a front plane of the golf club head greater than 4.0 inches; and   a distance from the head center of gravity greater than 1.5 inches.   
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein more than 10% of the mass of the golf club head is located in a rearmost 10% of the length of the golf club head. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein more than 15% of the mass of the golf club head is located in a rearmost 10% of the length of the golf club head. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the weight further comprises a weight center of gravity located between a 5 o'clock ray and an 8 o'clock ray of a clock grid, the clock grid comprising:
 a 12 o'clock ray;   a 3 o'clock ray;   a 4 o'clock ray;   a 5 o'clock ray;   a 8 o'clock ray; and   a 9 o'clock ray;   when the golf club head is at an address portion, from a bottom view of the golf club head, the 12 o'clock ray is aligned with the geometric centerpoint of the strikeface and orthogonal to a front intersection line between a loft plane and a ground plane;   the clock grid is centered along the 12 o'clock ray, at a midpoint between a front end of the head front portion and a rear end of the head rear portion;   the 3 o'clock ray extends towards the head heel portion; and   the 9 o'clock ray extends towards the head toe portion.   
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein the weight protrudes at least partially from an external contour of the head sole portion. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more thin regions positioned on the head top portion, the one or more thin regions comprising a thickness less than 0.020 inch. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the weight has a specific gravity greater than 10.0. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the weight is positioned more than 2.5 inches from the head center of gravity. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the crown angle is less than 70 degrees. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the maximum head top portion height is greater than 20 mm. 
     
     
         12 . A golf club head, comprising:
 a head body comprising a head interior bounded by a head front portion, a head rear portion, a head heel portion, a head toe portion, a head top portion, and a head sole portion;   a strikeface at the head front portion comprising a strikeface height and a geometric centerpoint, the strikeface height being between 33 mm and 71 mm and the geometric centerpoint positioned at a midpoint of the strikeface;   a head center of gravity having a head CG depth and a head CG height;   wherein:
 the head CG height is less than or equal to 5.08 mm; 
 more than 25% of a mass of the golf club head is located in a rearmost 20% of a length of the golf club head; and 
 more than 10% of the mass of the golf club head is located in a rearmost 10% of the length of the golf club head; 
   at least one weight comprising a mass greater than 12 grams;   a crown angle less than 79 degrees measured between a front plane and a crown axis that extends through a transition point of the head top portion and a rear transition point of the golf club head; and   a maximum head top portion height greater than approximately 10 mm, wherein the maximum head top portion height is measured as a greatest distance between the head top portion and the crown axis.   
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one weight is located:
 within 0.5 inch from a perimeter of the head rear portion;   a distance from a front plane of the golf club head greater than 4.5 inches; and   a distance from the head center of gravity greater than 2.0 inches.   
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one weight is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of: tungsten, gold, hafnium, iridium, mercury, neptunium, osmium, palladium, platinum, plutonium, protactinium, rhenium, rhodium, ruthenium, tantalum, and uranium. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , further comprising a weight structure with a weight structure center of gravity located between a 5 o'clock ray and an 8 o'clock ray of a clock grid, the clock grid comprising:
 a 12 o'clock ray;   a 3 o'clock ray;   a 4 o'clock ray;   a 5 o'clock ray;   a 8 o'clock ray; and   a 9 o'clock ray;   when the golf club head is at an address portion, from a bottom view of the golf club head, the 12 o'clock ray is aligned with the geometric centerpoint of the strikeface and orthogonal to a front intersection line between a loft plane and a ground plane;   the clock grid is centered along the 12 o'clock ray, at a midpoint between a front end of the head front portion and a rear end of the head rear portion;   the 3 o'clock ray extends towards the head heel portion; and   the 9 o'clock ray extends towards the head toe portion.   
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein the weight structure protrudes at least partially from an external contour of the head sole portion. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , further comprising one or more thin regions positioned on the head top portion, the one or more thin regions comprising a thickness less than 0.020 inch. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the weight further comprises:
 a mass between 25 grams to 50 grams; and   a volume between 20 cc to 30 cc.   
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the crown angle is less than 70 degrees. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the maximum head top portion height is greater than 20 mm.