Golf club head with ball speed control

Abstract

A golf club head including a striking face, a periphery portion surrounding and extending rearwards from the striking face, and a damping element including a first end abutting the striking face. The damping element is installed in the golf club head through an aperture in the periphery portion of the golf club head.

1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a striking face having a front surface configured to strike a golf ball and a rear surface opposite said front surface;   a periphery portion extending rearward from said striking face and including a sole, a topline opposite said sole, a heel side, a toe side opposite said heel side, and a back portion extending from said sole to said topline and from said heel side to said toe side;   a hosel configured to receive a shaft, said hosel located on said heel side;   a cavity formed between said periphery portion and said striking face;   a support pad within said cavity attached to said back portion; and   a damping element positioned between said support pad and said rear surface of said striking face,   wherein said damping element does not contact said sole, said topline, said heel side, or said toe side of said periphery portion.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , further comprising an aperture extending through said back portion and said toe side of said periphery portion. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , further comprising a cap covering said aperture. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein said aperture has a maximum height in a sole-to-topline direction that is approximately equal to or less than a maximum height of said damping element in said sole-to-topline direction. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein said aperture has a maximum length in a heel-to-toe direction that is approximately equal to a maximum length of said damping element in said heel-to-toe direction. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said support pad is parallel with said striking face. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said support pad includes a raised lip projecting towards said striking face. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein said raised lip has an arcuate shape. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said damping element has an elastic modulus between 4 MPa and 15 GPa. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , further comprising a weight member positioned proximate said toe side,
 wherein said weight member has an angled upper surface and a maximum height in a sole-to-topline direction at a toewardmost point and a minimum height in said sole-to-topline direction at a heelwardmost point.   
     
     
         11 . A method of manufacturing a golf club head comprising:
 providing a striking face having a front surface configured to strike a golf ball and a rear surface opposite said front surface;   providing a periphery portion extending rearward from said striking face and including a sole, a topline opposite said sole, a heel side, a toe side opposite said heel side, and a back portion extending from said sole to said topline and from said heel side to said toe side,   wherein a cavity is formed between said periphery portion and said striking face;   providing a hosel configured to receive a shaft, said hosel located on said heel side;   providing an aperture extending through said back portion and said toe side of said periphery portion into said cavity; and   inserting a damping element through said aperture into said cavity.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising providing a support pad within said cavity attached to said back portion. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising positioning said damping element between said support pad and said rear surface of said striking face. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising covering said aperture with a cap. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein covering said aperture with said cap comprises pulse welding said cap over said aperture. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein covering said aperture with said cap comprises adhering said cap over said aperture. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said support pad is parallel with said striking face. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said support pad includes a raised lip projecting towards said striking face. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said raised lip has an arcuate shape. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said aperture has a maximum height in a sole-to-topline direction that is approximately equal to or less than a maximum height of said damping element in said sole-to-topline direction, and
 wherein said aperture has a maximum length in a heel-to-toe direction that is approximately equal to a maximum length of said damping element in said heel-to-toe direction.