Iron with mass pad

Abstract

Described herein are embodiments of an iron-type golf club head comprising a suspended weight bar within the interior cavity. The weight bar can be attached to and suspended in front of an internal mass pad. The weight bar overhangs at least a portion of the sole and is spaced away from the strike face. The weight bar thereby provides a low and forward center of gravity (CG) position without hindering the flexure of the strike face or the sole.

1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a body comprising a strikeface, a mass pad, a sole, a top rail, a rear wall, and a hosel;
 the body enclosing a hollow interior cavity; 
 wherein the mass pad is located within the hollow interior cavity proximate the sole and the rear wall; 
   the mass pad comprises a toe mass, a heel mass, and a mass pad central portion between the toe mass and the heel mass;   a central portion recess is defined within the mass pad central portion;   a toe mass recess is defined within the toe mass;   a weight bar formed separately from the body and coupled thereto;   wherein the weight bar is fully enclosed within the hollow interior cavity;   wherein the weight bar discontinuously engages the mass pad, such that the weight bar is attached to the mass pad at a plurality of discrete attachment locations;   wherein the plurality of discrete attachment locations comprises a first attachment location on a forward surface of the mass pad central portion and a second attachment location on the toe mass;   wherein the central portion recess defines the first attachment location; and   wherein the toe mass recess defines the second attachment location.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the weight bar and the body comprise a same material. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the weight bar comprises a constant shape along its length. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the weight bar is coupled to the mass pad via brazing or welding. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the mass pad central portion comprises a flat front wall. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the weight bar comprises a weight bar length L W  measured in a heel-to-toe direction; wherein the weight bar length L W  is greater than 2.0 inches. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , further comprising a hosel axis extending through and concentric to the hosel;
 a blade length L B  defined as a heel-to-toe distance between a toe-most point of the golf club head and an intersection point between the hosel axis and the sole;   a ratio L W /L B  defined as the weight bar length L W  divided by blade length L B ; and   wherein the ratio L W /L B  is greater than 0.6.   
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a heel end of the weight bar engages with the mass pad central portion. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the first attachment location is located closer to the toe mass than to the heel mass. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the mass pad is the only portion of the body in contact with the weight bar. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the weight bar comprises a L-shape. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the weight bar comprises more mass in a heel end than in a toe end. 
     
     
         13 . A golf club head comprising:
 a body comprising a strikeface, a mass pad, a sole, a top rail, a rear wall, and a hosel;
 the body enclosing a hollow interior cavity; 
 wherein the mass pad is located within the hollow interior cavity proximate the sole and the rear wall; 
   the mass pad comprises a toe mass, a heel mass, and a mass pad central portion between the toe mass and the heel mass;   a central portion recess is defined within the mass pad central portion;   a toe mass recess is defined within the toe mass;   a weight bar formed separately from the body and coupled thereto;   wherein the weight bar is fully enclosed within the hollow interior cavity;   wherein the weight bar discontinuously engages the mass pad, such that the weight bar is attached to the mass pad at a plurality of discrete attachment locations;   wherein the plurality of discrete attachment locations comprises a first attachment location on a forward surface of the mass pad central portion and a second attachment location on the toe mass;   wherein the central portion recess defines the first attachment location; and   wherein the toe mass recess defines the second attachment location;   wherein the rear wall comprises a plurality of rear wall ribs.   
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , further comprising a sole offset distance D S  measured as a shortest distance between a bottom surface of the weight bar and an interior surface of the sole, measured perpendicular to a ground plane; and
 wherein the sole offset distance D S  is between 0.040 inch and 0.200 inch.   
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , further comprising a strike face offset distance D SF  measured as a shortest distance between a front surface of the weight bar and a rear surface of the strike face, measured perpendicular to a loft plane; and
 wherein the strike face offset distance D SF  is between 0.040 inch and 0.200 inch.   
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the weight bar is coupled to the mass pad via brazing or welding. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the rear wall ribs are located above the mass pad and extend from the mass pad to the top rail. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the weight bar comprises a constant shape along its length. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the weight bar comprises a L-shape. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 19 , wherein the weight bar comprises more mass in a heel end than in a toe end.