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 strike face, 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 weight bar formed separately from the body and coupled thereto;   wherein:
 the weight bar is fully enclosed within the hollow interior cavity; 
 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; 
 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 weight bar comprises a first portion comprising a first material and a second portion comprising a second material; 
 the first material has a first density and the second material has a second density greater than the first density. 
   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the second material forms a low, forward portion of the weight bar. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the weight bar is coupled to the club head via brazing or welding. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the weight bar is formed via a 3D printing process. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the weight bar is suspended within the hollow interior cavity such that the weight bar overhangs the sole. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein the weight bar does not contact any portion of the strike face or the sole. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the weight bar is located in a low and forward portion of the hollow interior cavity. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the weight bar is spaced from the mass pad. 
     
     
         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 , 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 weight bar length L W  divided by blade length L B ; and   wherein the ratio L W /L B  is greater than 0.6.   
     
     
         11 . A golf club head comprising:
 a body comprising a strike face, 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 weight bar formed separately from the body and coupled thereto;   wherein:
 the weight bar is fully enclosed within the hollow interior cavity; 
 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; 
 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 weight bar comprises a first portion comprising a first material, a second portion comprising a second material, and a third portion comprising the second material; 
 wherein the second portion is located proximate the toe mass and third portion is located proximate the heel mass; 
 the first material has a first density and the second material has a second density greater than the first density. 
   
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the second material forms a low, forward portion of the weight bar. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the weight bar is coupled to the club head via brazing or welding. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the weight bar is formed via a 3D printing process. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the weight bar is suspended within the hollow interior cavity such that the weight bar overhangs the sole. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein the weight bar does not contact any portion of the strike face or the sole. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the weight bar is located in a low and forward portion of the hollow interior cavity. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein a portion of the weight bar is spaced from the mass pad. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the first attachment location is located closer to the toe mass than to the heel mass. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , 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 weight bar length L W  divided by blade length L B ; and   wherein the ratio L W /L B  is greater than 0.6.