Iron and wedgetype golf clubs with ground engaging sole structures and open channelstherebetween

Abstract

An iron type golf club head, having a bottom sole including shaped ground engaging members having a bounce structure to prevent or reduce digging of the sole of the club head into the ground including open channels adjacent to each shaped ground engaging members to provide a path for debris from the turf as the club head contacts the turf resulting in the bottom sole being maintained above the ground during the execution of a conventional golf shot for improved performance of distance and or direction to an intended target resulting in lower scores.

1 . An iron type golf club head including a frontal ball striking face with a leading edge at a lower frontal location thereof, a rear surface, a heel, a toe, a hosel for connection to a shaft, a top ridge and bottom sole having an outer surface wherein said bottom sole includes ground engaging members; said members being oriented in a direction between said leading edge and said rear surface; said ground engaging members being further defined as having pointed ends adjacent said leading edge and said rear surface and having a generally flat upper surface providing a bounce function to said club head when said club head impacts a ground surface; and, said club head further including openings forming channels on said bottom sole adjacent each side of said shaped ground engaging members to facilitate removal of ground debris during a golf shot. 
     
     
         2 . The club head of  claim 1  further defined by a plurality of at least three ground engaging members spaced on said bottom sole. 
     
     
         3 . The club head of  claim 1  wherein said openings between said ground engaging members are oriented in a direction between said leading edge and said rear surface and are formed with a narrow waist area at approximately the midpoint of said openings; said narrow waist area creating a fluid flow type venturi to facilitate passage of ground debris during the execution of a golf shot as the club head contacts the ground surface. 
     
     
         4 . The club head of  claim 1  wherein said ground engaging members are elliptical in shape having a first elongated side dimension in a direction between said striking face and said rear surface and a second shorter dimension in a direction between said heel and said toe. 
     
     
         5 . The club head of  claim 1  wherein the empty space between the engaging members is equal to or greater than the width of each engaging member. 
     
     
         6 . The club head of  claim 1  wherein the channel openings between the ground engaging members increase in size at both the leading edge and rear surface of the club head. 
     
     
         7 . The club head of  claim 1  wherein the empty channels between the engaging members are greater than the width of each element. 
     
     
         8 . The club head of  claim 1  wherein a leading edge of the ground engaging members tapers flush at the leading edge. 
     
     
         9 . The club head of  claim 1  where the ground engaging members tapers at both ends that will provide a smooth transition through the turf on both the takeaway and the follow through. 
     
     
         10 . The club head of  claim 1  where engaging members is 75% of the total size of the entire sole size. 
     
     
         11 . The club head of  claim 1  where engaging members is approximately 50% of the total size of the entire sole size. 
     
     
         12 . The club head of  claim 1  where engaging members is no greater than 25% of the total size of the entire sole size. 
     
     
         13 . The club head of  claim 1  wherein said ground engaging members are further defined by being formed with a bounce angle extending downwardly from said bottom sole in a front to rear direction. 
     
     
         14 . The club head of  claim 1  wherein said bounce angle is formed by said ground engaging members having a progressively increased thickness in a frontal ball striking face to a rear surface direction. 
     
     
         15 . The iron club head of  claim 1  wherein said ground engaging members have a bounce angle of 2 to 12 degrees. 
     
     
         16 . The iron club head of  claim 1  wherein said ground engaging members have a thickness of approximately 3 mm to 9 mm and a length of approximately 12 mm to 33 mm. 
     
     
         17 . The iron type golf club of  claim 1  having a wedge type loft angle.