Golf club head with improved inertia performance and removable aft body coupled by metal-composite joint

Abstract

A golf club head that is capable improving on the inertia properties of a golf club head all while also improving the Center of Gravity (CG) location is disclosed herein. The golf club head includes a frontal portion and a rear portion formed of a thermoplastic composite material. The thermoplastic composite material is mechanically captured by at least one first attachment feature provided in the frontal portion such that the thermoplastic composite material may be joined to the frontal portion without the use of additional adhesives or external fasteners.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club comprised of a golf club head, a shaft having a shaft axis coupled to said golf club head at a first end of said shaft and a grip coupled to said shaft at a second end of said shaft, wherein said golf club head comprises:
 a frontal portion comprising a striking face having a face center located at a forward portion of said golf club head;   a rear portion located aft of said striking face comprising a crown at an upper portion of said golf club head and a sole on a bottom portion of said golf club head;   an internal weight member coupled to said rear portion;   a weight retaining pocket coupled to said internal weight member; and   an external weight member coupled to said weight retaining pocket;   wherein an x-axis is defined as a horizontal axis tangent to said face center with a positive x direction towards a heel of said golf club head, a y-axis is a vertical axis orthogonal to said x-axis with a positive y direction towards said crown of said golf club head, and a z-axis being orthogonal to both said x-axis and said y-axis with a positive z direction extending forward; and   wherein said golf club head has a moment of inertia about said y-axis (MOI-Y) passing through a center of gravity (CG) of said golf club head, said golf club head has a moment of inertia about said z-axis (MOI-Z) passing through said CG, and said golf club head has a moment of inertia about said x-axis (MOI-X) passing through said CG.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein said external weight member is located within a recess in said weight retaining pocket. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club of  claim 2 , wherein said external weight member cannot rotate within said weight retaining pocket. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein a fastener secures said external weight member to said weight retaining pocket. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said weight retaining pocket is external of said rear portion. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said rear portion is located between said internal weight member and said weight retaining pocket. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein said frontal portion comprises a metallic material. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein said rear portion comprises a non-metallic material. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein said golf club head has a MOI-Y to MOI-Z ratio of greater than about 1.5. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein said golf club head has a CG-C, being a distance said CG is back, parallel to said z-axis, from said shaft axis, of between 14 mm to 21 mm. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein said golf club head has a MOI-X to MOI-Z ratio of greater than about 1.10. 
     
     
         12 . A golf club comprised of a golf club head, a shaft having a shaft axis coupled to said golf club head at a first end of said shaft and a grip coupled to said shaft at a second end of said shaft, wherein said golf club head comprises:
 a frontal portion comprised of metal comprising a striking face having a face center located at a forward portion of said golf club head;   a rear portion comprising a thermoplastic material selected from the group consisting of polyetherimide, polyether ether ketone, polyphenylene sulfide, polysulfone, polyacryletherketone, polyetherketoneketone and polyvinyl chloride and located aft of said striking face comprising a crown at an upper portion of said golf club head and a sole on a bottom portion of said golf club head;   an internal weight member coupled to said rear portion;   a weight retaining pocket coupled to said internal weight member; and   an external weight member coupled to said weight retaining pocket;   wherein an x-axis is defined as a horizontal axis tangent to said face center with a positive x direction towards a heel of said golf club head, a y-axis is a vertical axis orthogonal to said x-axis with a positive y direction towards said crown of said golf club head, and a z-axis being orthogonal to both said x-axis and said y-axis with a positive z direction extending forward; and   wherein said golf club head has a moment of inertia about said y-axis (MOI-Y) passing through a center of gravity (CG) of said golf club head, said golf club head has a moment of inertia about said z-axis (MOI-Z) passing through said CG, and said golf club head has a moment of inertia about said x-axis (MOI-X) passing through said CG.   
     
     
         13 . The golf club of  claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of said weight retaining pocket is external of said rear portion. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club of  claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of said rear portion is located between said internal weight member and said weight retaining pocket. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club of  claim 14 , wherein said external weight member is located within a recess in said weight retaining pocket. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club of  claim 15 , wherein a fastener secures said external weight member to said weight retaining pocket. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club of  claim 16 , wherein said rear portion is comprised of polyphenylene sulfide having a crystallinity of greater than 40%. 
     
     
         18 . A golf club comprised of a golf club head, a shaft having a shaft axis coupled to said golf club head at a first end of said shaft and a grip coupled to said shaft at a second end of said shaft, wherein said golf club head comprises:
 a frontal portion comprised of metal comprising a striking face having a face center located at a forward portion of said golf club head;   a rear portion comprising a polyphenylene sulfide having a crystallinity of greater than 40% and located aft of said striking face comprising a crown at an upper portion of said golf club head and a sole on a bottom portion of said golf club head;   an internal weight member coupled to said rear portion;   a weight retaining pocket coupled to said internal weight member; and   an external weight member coupled to said weight retaining pocket;   wherein an x-axis is defined as a horizontal axis tangent to said face center with a positive x direction towards a heel of said golf club head, a y-axis is a vertical axis orthogonal to said x-axis with a positive y direction towards said crown of said golf club head, and a z-axis being orthogonal to both said x-axis and said y-axis with a positive z direction extending forward; and   wherein said golf club head has a moment of inertia about said y-axis (MOI-Y) passing through a center of gravity (CG) of said golf club head, said golf club head has a moment of inertia about said z-axis (MOI-Z) passing through said CG, and said golf club head has a moment of inertia about said x-axis (MOI-X) passing through said CG.   
     
     
         19 . The golf club of  claim 18 , wherein said weight retaining pocket is located at least partially on said sole. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club of  claim 18 , wherein at least a portion of said rear portion is located between said internal weight member and said weight retaining pocket.