Embodiments of golf clubs with a cavity and their methods of manufacture are generally described herein. In one embodiment, a golf club head comprises: a strike face, a back face opposite the strike face; a heel region; a toe region opposite the heel region; and a cavity integral with the golf club head. Among various embodiments, the cavity: extends from the heel region to the toe region; extends along a lower portion of the back face of the golf club head; extends approximately parallel to the strike face; and is approximately symmetrical about a centerline that bisects the golf club head between the heel region and the toe region. Among various embodiments, the cavity further comprises a vibration dampening material.

[0002] Golf club manufacturers have designed golf club heads to accommodate the preferences of an individual as well as the individual's ability. Some golf club manufacturers have also designed golf club heads to accommodate other events associated with golf play. For example, some individuals dislike feeling vibrations in the golf club after hitting a golf ball. Thus, some golf club heads may be designed to lessen the undesirable vibrations during play, while maintaining elements to assist the individual with his/her game.
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[0026] Among the various embodiments described herein, and as briefly described above, cavity 110 extends from heel region 106 to toe region 108. As can be seen among FIGS. 1 and 2, cavity 110 comprises an opening at toe region 108 and an opening at heel region 106. In a different embodiment, cavity 110 can comprise an opening at only one end, for example, merely a single opening at toe region 108 or a single opening at heel region 106. Furthermore, as best seen in FIG. 1, cavity 110 comprises an opening size commensurate with or slightly smaller than the size of filler material 122 that inserts into cavity 110. In some embodiments, however, cavity 110 opening can comprise a small opening or access point into cavity 110 to accommodate an injection device that can inject, for example, an expandable type of filler material 122. In such an embodiment, cavity 110 can be essentially closed at both ends except for the small opening or access point into cavity 110. Moreover, such an opening or access point into cavity 110 can be located at both or either toe region 108 end and heel region 106 end.

[0027] Continuing with cavity 110, and among the various embodiments described herein, cavity 110 can comprise a number of configurations depending on the needs of the user or golfer. In general, cavity 110 can extend along a lower portion 120 of back face 104 of golf club head 100, and cavity 110 can provide bottom or sole weighting of golf club head 100. The housing to accommodate the dampening vibrational material can also provide bottom or sole weighting of golf club head 100. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, cavity 110 comprises an elongated, consistent "tubular" shape extending from heel region 106 to toe region 108. Moreover, cavity 110 comprises a wall 111 that defines a portion of cavity 110, as well as secondary cavity 116, and wall 111 extends away from back face 104 in an arcuate fashion from back face 104 towards a sole 115 of golf club head 100.
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[0033] Continuing with the detailed description, filler material 122 can comprise different embodiments to provide a vibration dampening function. Filler material 122 comprises any material that can dampen vibrations encountered by golf club head 100 during use, and generally has a density that is less than the density of the main body of golf club head 100, although filler material 122 density can be greater in some embodiments. These materials can be natural or synthetic, or a combination of both. The materials can comprise polymers, rubbers, foams, gels, composites of each, or composites of each other. The materials may be solid and inserted into cavity 110, or they can be injected materials, for example, expandable foams. The materials can also be poured, sprayed, molded, or any other type of material or operation that ultimately results in filler material 122 occupying cavity 110. In one exemplary embodiment, filler material 122 comprises a composite of an elastomer or rubber type material having numerous metal ball bearings embedded throughout to create a composite rubber-metal matrix, and in another embodiment, a polymer may be used in place of the rubber to create a polymer-metal material. Among such embodiments, the rubber or polymer can completely encompass the metal material or bearings, such that the metal material or bearings do not intersect the surface of the insert, i.e., the metal material or bearings reside within the internal volume of the insert. In this manner, there is no metal to metal contact between the metal material or bearings and the internal cavity wall when the insert is positioned in the cavity; only the polymer or rubber/elastomer surface contacts the internal cavity wall.

[0034] Some embodiments comprise filler material 122 occupying the entirety of cavity 110, but other exemplary embodiments comprise filler material 122 occupying only a portion of cavity 110, for example a coating of the interior walls of cavity 110. Additionally, a honeycomb-type material can be placed in cavity 110 that does not completely fill cavity 110 due to the air pockets within the honeycomb structure. It should be further noted that filler material 122 may be interchangeable with another type of filler material as the needs and/or preferences of an individual change.

[0035] In yet another exemplary embodiment of golf club head 100, filler material 122 comprises a first filler density and a second filler density, wherein the first filler density decreases from heel region 106 to centerline 224 (FIG. 2), the second filler density decreases from toe region 108 to centerline 224 (FIG. 2), and the second filler density comprises a similar density gradient as the first filler density. In still yet another exemplary embodiment, instead of the density gradient decreasing from either end towards centerline 224 (FIG. 2), the density gradient can increase from either end towards centerline 224 (FIG. 2).

An exemplary golf tee (100) includes a substrate (100a) and a coating film (100b). The substrate is made of metal or metal alloy. The coating film is formed on an outside surface of the substrate. The present invention also provides a method for making the exemplary golf tee. The method includes providing a roughcast made of metallic or metallic alloy material; forming the substrate by a method of die-casting with the roughcast; and forming the coating film on an outside surface of the substrate by a method of surface treating.

[0004] Golf tees are commonly used at driving ranges and golf courses to position the golf ball above the ground. Recently, more and more golf tees are required with golf game being more and more popular.

[0005] Typical golf tees are generally wooden tees, plastic tees, or bamboo tees. Such golf tees have many shortcomings. For example, for wooden tees and bamboo tees, the following shortcomings exist. (1) Wooden tees and bamboo tees are weak in strength and toughness. Such golf tees, particularly connecting portions of heads and bodies of golf tees, are easily worn out by hitting with golf club. Thus, wooden tees and bamboo tees have short service lives. In addition, wooden tees and bamboo tees can be only inserted into the ground with a small length because of the low strength thereof. (2) Wooden tees and bamboo tees are affected by moisture and expand on rainy days or when the ground is damp. As such, the strength of the golf tees reduces. In addition, damped, wooden, or bamboo golf tees with rough surfaces are difficult to clean. (3) Wooden tees and bamboo tees are manufactured one by one, thus a manufacturing efficiency is very low. Furthermore, each golf tee is generally different from others. That is, it is quite difficult to make golf tees with the same size and shape. (4) It is difficult to form patterns such as letterings, inscriptions, pictorial images on wooden tees and bamboo tees. Even if figures are formed on such golf tees, the figures are easily worn off. (5) Wooden tees and bamboo tees have low hardness. Thus, the golf tees usually have rough surfaces after being abraded because of the low hardness. The golf tees have awful property in aesthetics.

[0006] For plastic tees, the following shortcomings exist. (1) Plastic tees have low hardness. Thus, depressions and projections are formed on the golf tees when hit by golf club. The golf tees have awful property in aesthetics. (2) Plastic tees are easily deformed in use. (3) Plastic tees are difficult to be decomposed. Disused plastic tees would become pollutions.

[0010] One aspect of the present invention is a golf club head. The golf club head includes body having a front wall, a crown wall, a sole wall, a heel wall, a rear wall, and a toe wall. The body defines a hollow interior. The golf club head has a volume ranging from 450 cubic centimeters to 475 cubic centimeters. The golf club head has a mass ranging from 180 grams to 225 grams.

[0011] The present invention seeks to increase the amount of inertia achievable for a given head volume compared to conventional shapes and compared to prior unconventional shapes by more effectively distributing the enclosed volume into an advantageous shape. Inertia levels of Izz>5500 and Iyy>4000 are anticipated at a volume of 460 cc. It is sought to reduce the amount of shell mass in the center and back center regions of the head shape, which constitutes approximately 45% of the inscribed area, to less than 15% of the total club head mass. This will enable more mass to be positioned in the face and aft corners which will enhance inertia and as a result, consistency of ball flight and distance.

[0012] There are difficulties that must be overcome in designing high volume driver with a deep aft cavity.

[0013] First, structural integrity--a driver shape with deep aft concavity is subject to higher stresses than is a bulbous shaped head. The heel and toe sides are essentially parallel cantilevers that must be using advanced FEA stress analysis with judicious selection of shell material (titanium alloy, or more preferably, carbon composite laminate). Without advanced design methods the weight advantages of a deep aft concavity shape might be lost in reinforcing the parallel cantilevers.

[0014] Second, sound--a driver shape with deep aft concavity is likely to sound unpleasant to the user unless advanced FEA modal analysis is employed to refine the shape and local stiffness of the parallel cantilevers.

[0015] Third, shape--in order to be conforming to the rules of golf the dual cantilevers must appear as separate portions of a single overall shape such that there is a visual continuity between them.

[0016] The primary advantage is that mass that would ordinarily be tied up in the center and back center of the shell is minimized and redistributed to the rear quadrants of the shape, resulting in increased inertia (Iyy, Izz). Alternately, the extra mass can be redistributed to purposely affect the cg location to manipulate ball flight.

It is widely recognized in the play of golf that in order to generate power and consistency a player must correctly pivot, which according to one teaching method requires correct "stacking" of the upper body against the lower body at the top of the golf swing, and unwinding of the torso against the lower body. Alternatively stated, a player must have a proper relationship between movement of the upper body and lower body which requires a clear understanding of the relationship between the torso and the legs. A good relationship between legs and torso provides a steady center of gravity as the torso winds and unwinds around the pivoting point resulting in power and consistency in the golf swing.

Better golfers create proper angles at address, top of the backswing and at the point of impact. If the body moves correctly, the player creates an increased amount of speed at impact, resulting in longer shots and better ball striking. One type of motion known to create additional speed and proper motion is known as stack-and-tilt golf swing. The stack-and-tilt swing golf swing involves creating proper position of the head, right knee, right leg and hip and feel of tension and pulling of the inner right thigh muscles (for right handed golfer) against the upper torso and weight transfer around the sternum (center of the chest) and tailbone during the takeaway, back swing, downswing, at impact and follow-through.

It is preferable to provide a novel training aid to provide golfers with an apparatus to achieve improved pivot, footwork and relationship between the torso and the legs according to stack-and-tilt principles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With regard to the foregoing, one embodiment of the invention eliminates the oversights, difficulties, and disadvantages of the prior art by providing a golf training aid which teaches correct positioning for the stack-and-tilt golf swing.

A golf training device comprises a wedge shaped body for receiving a user's foot, a guide rod system connected to the wedge shaped body comprising a base portion, an adjustable collar disposed in the base portion and, a guide rod extending from the adjustable collar toward a users hip. The golf training device wherein the wedge forces weight to the inside of the user's foot. The golf training device wherein the adjustable collar is moveable about a pivot point to vary an angle of the guide rod. The adjustable collar being tightenable to retain the guide rod in a desired location. The golf training device guide rod formed of a plurality of rod elements. The golf training device further comprises at least one strap connected to the body for receiving the user's foot.

A golf training device for a stack-and-tilt golf swing comprises a body having a wedge shape with a high side and a low side, and an inside of the body being the low side and an outside of the body being a high side, a guide rod system comprising a base portion connected to the body, a pivotable collar disposed in the base portion, the pivotable collar adjustable through a preselected arcuate distance, a guide rod received by the pivotable collar and movable with the pivotable collar through the preselected arcuate distance. The golf training device further comprising first strap near a forward portion of the body, and a second strap near a rear portion of the body. The golf training device further comprising a tightening mechanism. The golf training device wherein the body is a molded device. The golf training device wherein the body and the base portion are integrally molded. The golf training device wherein one of the body and the base portion has an insert, and the other of the base portion and the body has a cavity. The golf training device further comprising cleats depending from the body. The golf training device the cleats being soft-spikes. The golf training device wherein the cleats are formed integrally with the body. The golf training device wherein the cleats are removable from the body.

Range finder for determining the distance between the user and an object of known height or width, such as a golf flagstick, structure, etc. The range finder is a flat card, having a series of graduated apertures, each aperture being dimensioned to correspond to a particular distance to the flagstick. Range information is provided for each aperture. The user holds the card 24 inches from the eye and sights the flagstick through the apertures. The range information for the aperture whose diameter most closely corresponds to the height of the sighted flagstick is the actual distance between the user and the flagstick. The apertures are graduated in size, to represent range information in specific increments. The size of the increments is selected to facilitate optimal performance and may vary within a series of apertures.

[0004] A golfer uses the same basic swing, typically, for hitting a golf ball any distance, other than putting. Many golfers use 3/4, 1/2, 1/4 swings at ranges that are under 75 yards for pitch or chip shots. The golf club size exerts a major influence on how far the golf ball will travel. It is crucial, therefore, that the golfer know the distance to the flagstick or pin, so that he or she may choose the proper combination of club and swing.

[0005] Golf range finders are known and are often used by golfers, to determine the distance to the flagstick, also referred to as a pin, that marks the particular golf hole. Some more recently developed golf range finders are digital optical devices with magnifying lenses. The user looks through the device, aligns the digital range marks with the flag pin, and the device indicates the distance to the flagstick. These devices have certain disadvantages. They are bulky and add weight to the already heavy golf equipment; they often require batteries, which run down and need replacing; and they can be quite expensive.

[0006] More typically, golf range finders have been provided in the past as look-through cards or plates, with some system of a linear scale or graduated line markings along an aperture, that allows the user to judge the distance of the flagstick or the cup. U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,987 is illustrative of this type of golf range finder. The card has an aperture formed by a base line at the bottom and a distance line at the top that curves upward at one end. Holding the card approximately 24 inches from the eye, the user sights the flagstick and moves the card until the upper and lower ends of the flagstick just fit inside the aperture. The base line has a scale on it, indicating a plurality of positions that represent 10 yard distances. Depending on where along the aperture the flagstick fits between the base line and the distance line, the user can see that the flagstick is 80, 90, 100, . . . 200 yards away and is then able to select the appropriate club.

[0007] These cards have a disadvantage in that they have a single aperture with a graduated scale and it is often difficult for the user to determine or to interpolate the distance of the flagstick, or to remember exactly where the flagstick was, once he pulls the card closer, to look at the range information provided on the card.

[0008] What is needed, therefore, is a device that is inexpensive to manufacture, small and easy to carry, and that provides a clear, quick, and easy method of determining the distance of a flagstick.

[0009] The invention is a card comprising a series of apertures that are graduated in size. The sizes of the apertures are developed to indicate a range distance for a particular object, the object having a known or estimated height or width. Although the range finder may be developed for many different uses, such as determining the distance to a structure, telephone pole, etc., the invention will be described herein, by way of illustration only, as a range finder to be used by a golfer to determine the distance between the user and a flagstick. The apertures are sized to indicate the range of a flagstick that has a height of 78 inches. Distance or range information is provided on the card for each aperture. The user holds the card at eye level, approximately 24 inches from the eye. The user then sights the flagstick through the apertures and manipulates the card until finding the aperture with a diameter that corresponds closest to the sighted height of the flagstick. One simple method of identifying the particular aperture is to put one's thumb over it. The user then brings the card to a more natural reading position to read the range information for the particular aperture, without losing track of just exactly where the flagstick was properly sighted and measured.

[0010] Any number of apertures may be provided on the card, depending on its intended use. A typical series of apertures, for example, would encompass a range between 50 and 200 yards, typically in 10 yard increments, although the size of the increments may vary within a series. The range information associated with each aperture is ideally printed next to the aperture.

A golf bag having a shoulder strap with a pocket for housing an electronic device such as an MP3 player, a radio, CD player, cassette player, and like devices. The shoulder strap includes a speaker, controls, and wiring to connect the electronic device to the speaker.

[0002] Typically, golfers carry their golf bags utilizing one or more shoulder straps. Golf bag shoulder straps come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Furthermore, many golfers enjoy listening to music and/or videos while playing or practicing golf. Often, golfers will listen to music and/or watch videos utilizing an MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3 (MP3) player.

[0003] MP3 players have been in existence for several years and golfers usually carry their MP3 players on their person while playing golf or practicing. Sometimes, the MP3 player can inhibit the golfer's ability to socialize with others because individual golfers utilize ear phones to listen to audio portions of the file. Moreover, the wiring utilized to connect the MP3 player to the ear phones can interfere with the golfer's swing as he/she plays or practices. Therefore, there is a need in the art for apparatus to allow golfers to listen to and/or watch files on an MP3 player while playing golf or practicing such that golfers are capable of interacting with other players and not substantially interfering with an individual golfer's swings.

[0009] Shoulder strap 100 includes a pocket 110 to receive and hold an electronic device 140. In one embodiment, pocket 110 has a size so that it may receive and hold an audio device such as an MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3 (MP3) player. In another embodiment, pocket 110 is sized such that it is capable of receiving and holding an iPod manufactured by Apple Computer, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. In further embodiments, pocket 110 may receive and hold any type of MP3 player, radio, compact disk (CD) player, cassette player, and other electronic audio and/or audio video devices such as internet access devices, PDAs, cell phones and multi-media devices.

[0010] Shoulder strap 100 also includes one or more speakers 120 mounted on the elongated body 170 and oriented between upper end 172 and lower end 176. Speaker 120 may be any device suitably configured to receive an electronic signal and output sound waves. As such, speaker 120 may be any speaker known in the art or developed in the future. In one embodiment, speaker 120 is oriented on shoulder strap 100 such that when an individual is carrying a golf bag utilizing golf bag shoulder strap 100, speaker 120 is oriented proximate one of the individual's ears.

[0011] Additionally, speaker 120 includes circuitry such that speaker 120 may produce low volumes. In addition or alternatively, speaker 120 may include circuitry to produce medium and high volumes as well. Speaker 120 is configured to produce audio signals that are audible inside a pre-determined geographic distance such that persons outside the pre-determined distance are not substantially disturbed by the audio signals produced by speaker 120. In one embodiment, the geographic distance is less than about ten feet. In another embodiment, the geographic distance is less than about two feet. Notably, the invention contemplates that the geographic distance may be any pre-determined distance.

Golfers realized perhaps as early as the 1800's that golf balls with indented surfaces flew better than those with smooth surfaces. Hand-hammered gutta-percha golf balls could be purchased at least by the 1860's, and golf balls with brambles (bumps rather than dents) were in style from the late 1860's to 1908. In 1908, an Englishman, William Taylor, received a British patent for a golf ball with indentations (dimples) that flew better and more accurately than golf balls with brambles. A.G. Spalding & Bros., purchased the U.S. rights to the patent (embodied possibly in U.S. Pat. No. 1,286,834 issued in 1918) and introduced the GLORY ball featuring the TAYLOR dimples. Until the 1970s, the GLORY ball, and most other golf balls with dimples had 336 dimples of the same size using the same pattern, the ATTI pattern. The ATTI pattern was an octahedron pattern, split into eight concentric straight line rows, which was named after the main producer of molds for golf balls.

The only innovation related to the surface of a golf ball during this sixty year period came from Albert Penfold who invented a mesh-pattern golf ball for Dunlop. This pattern was invented in 1912 and was accepted until the 1930's. A combination of a mesh pattern and dimples is disclosed in Young, U.S. Pat. No. 2,002,726, for a Golf Ball, which issued in 1935.

The traditional golf ball, as readily accepted by the consuming public, is spherical with a plurality of dimples, with each dimple having a circular cross-section. Many golf balls have been disclosed that break with this tradition, however, for the most part these non-traditional golf balls have been commercially unsuccessful.

Most of these non-traditional golf balls still attempt to adhere to the Rules Of Golf as set forth by the United States Golf Association ("USGA") and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of Saint Andrews ("R&A"). As set forth in Appendix III of the Rules of Golf, the weight of the ball shall not be greater than 1.620 ounces avoirdupois (45.93 gm), the diameter of the ball shall be not less than 1.680 inches (42.67 mm) which is satisfied if, under its own weight, a ball falls through a 1.680 inches diameter ring gauge in fewer than 25 out of 100 randomly selected positions, the test being carried out at a temperature of 23+-1 degrees C., and the ball must not be designed, manufactured or intentionally modified to have properties which differ from those of a spherically symmetrical ball.

A golf ball having traditional dimples and a tubular lattice structure is disclosed herein. The golf ball has dimples and a plurality of lattice members that form multi-faceted polygons. Each of the plurality of lattice members has an apex and the golf ball of the present invention conforms with the 1.68 inches requirement for USGA-approved golf balls. The interconnected lattice members form a plurality of polygons, preferably hexagons and pentagons. Each of the lattice members preferably has a continuous contour.

Preferably, the golf ball 20 comprises between 50 to 250 multi-faceted polygons 50 and 200 to 300 dimples 40. More preferably, the golf ball 20 comprises 60 to 100 multi-faceted polygons 50 and 220 to 260 dimples 40.

In a preferred embodiment, the multi-faceted polygons 50 and dimples 40 cover 70% to 90% of the surface area of the surface 22 of the golf ball 20. More preferably, the multi-faceted polygons 50 and dimples 40 cover 78% to 85% of the surface area of the surface 22 of the golf ball 20. In a preferred embodiment, the land area 60 covers 10% to 30% of the surface 22 of the golf ball 20. Most preferably, the land area 60 covers 15% to 22% of the surface 22 of the golf ball 20. Preferably the land area 60 ranges from 1.60 square inches to 2.00 square inches, more preferably from 1.70 square inches to 1.80 square inches, and most preferably 1.784 square inches.

In a preferred embodiment, the golf ball 20 has six sets of dimples 40 that each has a different diameter varying from 0.160 inch to 0.190 inch. The pole dimples 42, which are included in the plurality of dimples 40, preferably has the smallest diameter.

As shown in FIG. 3, each multi-faceted polygon preferably has more than ten facets 52. In a preferred embodiment, each multi-faceted polygon 50 has sixteen facets 52a-52p. Preferably each multi-faceted polygon 50 is surrounded by six dimples 40.

Preferably, each multi-faceted polygon 50 has a depth ranging from 0.004 inch to 0.01 inch. Preferably, each multi-faceted polygon 50 has an entry angle of approximately 14 degrees and an entry radius of approximately 0.025 inch.

A golf club head having at least two discrete weight members positioned on the sole to optimize moment of inertia is disclosed. A first weight member is located toward and substantially parallel with the face edge of the sole. A second member is located toward the back of the sole and substantially centered between the heel and toe edges of the sole. In one embodiment, a golf club head includes a sole comprising four sections and wherein a rib of material connects two of said sections. In another embodiment, a golf club head includes a cavity formed between the crown and sole and having an opening at the back of the club head. In yet another embodiment, a golf club head is tapered to form a waist and has a back that has a bowed-shape.

OK, that description does not do justice to the club head designs that you are about to see.

The application goes on to provide a nice bit of background on club head design:

[0002] The complexities of golf club design are known. The specifications for each component of the club (i.e., the club head, shaft, grip, and subcomponents thereof) directly impact the performance of the club. Thus, by varying the design specifications, a golf club can be tailored to have specific performance characteristics.

[0003] The design of club heads has long been studied. Among the more prominent considerations in club head design are loft, lie, face angle, horizontal face bulge, vertical face roll, center of gravity, rotational moment of inertia, material selection, and overall head weight. While this basic set of criteria is generally the focus of golf club designers, several other design aspects must also be addressed. The interior design of the club head may be tailored to achieve particular characteristics, such as the inclusion of a hosel or a shaft attachment means, perimeter weights on the club head, and fillers within the hollow club heads.

[0004] Golf club heads must also be strong to withstand the repeated impacts that occur during collisions between the golf club and the golf balls. The loading that occurs during this transient event can create a peak force of over 2,000 lbs. Thus, a major challenge is to design the club face and club body to resist permanent deformation or failure by material yield or fracture. Conventional hollow metal wood drivers made from titanium typically have a uniform face thickness exceeding 2.5 mm or 0.10 inch to ensure structural integrity of the club head.

[0005] Players generally seek a metal wood driver and golf ball combination that delivers maximum distance and landing accuracy. The distance a ball travels after impact is dictated by the magnitude and direction of the ball's initial velocity and the ball's rotational velocity or spin. Environmental conditions, including atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature, and wind speed, further influence the ball's flight. However, these environmental effects are beyond the control of the golf equipment designers. Golf ball landing accuracy is driven by a number of factors as well. Some of these factors are attributed to club head design, such as center of gravity and moment of inertia.

[0006] Concerned that improvements to golf equipment may render the game less challenging, the United States Golf Association (USGA), the governing body for the rules of golf in the United States, has specifications for the performance of golf equipment. These performance specifications dictate the size and weight of a conforming golf ball or a conforming golf club. USGA rules limit a number of parameters for drivers. For example, the volume of drivers has been limited to 460+-10 cubic centimeters. The length of the shaft, except for putter, has been capped at 48 inches. The driver clubs have to fit inside a 5-inch square and the height from the sole to the crown cannot exceed 2.8 inches. The USGA has further limited the coefficient of restitution of the impact between a driver and a golf ball to 0.830.

[0007] The USGA has also observed that the rotational moment of inertia of drivers, or the club's resistance to twisting on off-center hits, has tripled from about 1990 to 2005, which coincides with the introduction of oversize drivers. Since drivers with higher rotational moment of inertia are more forgiving on off-center hits, the USGA was concerned that further increases in the club head's inertia may reduce the challenge of the game, and instituted in 2006 a limit on the moment of inertia for drivers at 5900 g*cm^2+-100 g*cm^2 or 32.259 oz*in^2+-0.547 oz*in^2. The limit on the moment of inertia is to be measured around a vertical axis, the y-axis as used herein, through the center of gravity of the club head.

[0008] A number of patent references have disclosed driver clubs with high moment of inertia, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,607,452 and 6,425,832. These driver clubs use a circular weight strip disposed around the perimeter of the club body away from the hitting face to obtain a moment of inertia from 2800 to 5000 g*cm^2 about the vertical axis. U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2006/0148586 A1 discloses driver clubs with moment of inertia in the vertical direction from 3500 to 6000 g*cm^2. However, the '586 application limits the shape of the driver club to be substantially square when viewed from the top, which in turn limits the mass characteristics of the club head.

[0009] However, most oversize drivers on the market at this time have moments of inertia in the range of about 4,000 to 4,300 g*cm^2. Hence, there remains a need for more forgiving driver, hybrid and utility hollow golf club heads with optimized moments of inertia.

[0010] The present invention is directed to a golf club head having a substantially I-beam-shaped mass distribution. More preferably, the present invention is directed to a driver, hybrid or utility hollow golf club head having a mass distribution that substantially resembles an I-beam or pseudo-I-beam to optimize the moment of inertia of the club head around the y-axis.

[0011] The golf club head of the present invention includes two discrete weight members, one located on the sole toward the face and one located on the sole toward the back. Said sole weight members may have greater density or thickness than the surrounding sole material. Alternatively, said weight members may comprise weights disposed on the surface of the sole. By placing mass in two discrete locations on the sole located away from the vertical axis that runs through the center of gravity of the club head, the rotational inertia of the club head about that axis is increased relative to a configuration in which mass is evenly spread around the sole.

[0012] In accordance with this invention, the club head may have a multitude of different shapes, although in each embodiment, weight is concentrated in distinct areas locations on the sole--at least one weight member is located on the sole toward the face and at least one weight member is located on the sole toward the back. According to an aspect of this invention, the weight member on the sole and toward the face may be divided into two zones of mass, and likewise the weight member on the sole and toward the back may be divided into two zones of mass.

Now, here is a primer on MOI:

[0024] Rotational moment of inertia ("MOI" or "inertia") in golf clubs is well known in the art, and is fully discussed in many references, including U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,156, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. When the inertia is too low, the club head tends to rotate excessively from off-center hits. A golf club head having a higher moment of inertia will resist rotation due to an off-center impact between the club face and a golf ball, thereby mitigating the tendency for the ball to hook or slice and increasing flight distance and landing accuracy. The present invention is directed to a hollow body golf club head having discrete concentrations of weight or mass located away from the center of gravity or the geometric center of the club head to optimize the moment of inertia of the club head about the vertical axis running through the center of gravity, hereinafter called the y-axis. In particular, the present invention is directed to a hollow body driver, hybrid or utility golf club head having the above-described mass characteristics.

 

[0025] As is shown in FIG. 1, idealized club head 10 having an evenly-distributed mass m of 200 grams and sides a and b five inches in length, fitting into the USGA-prescribed five-inch box, will have a center of gravity at its center of mass. For objects rotating about a known axis of rotation, moment of inertia I can be calculated using the following equation:

                    I = m*r^2

where m is the mass of the object and r is the distance of that mass from the axis of rotation.

[0026] The moment of inertia of club head 10 about the y-axis can be described by this equation:

                    I = 1/12 *m* (a^2+b^2)

Using this equation, the moment of inertia of club head 10 is 833.33 g*in^2 or 5376.33 g*cm^2. Because the mass of club head 10 is evenly distributed, the individual point masses located near the y-axis do not contribute great amounts of inertia to the overall inertia of the club head, as their r values are small.

[0027] However, when the mass of the club head is concentrated in areas that are located farther away from the y-axis, their r values become bigger, resulting in increased moment of inertia. Like club head 10 of FIG. 1, idealized club head 12 of FIG. 2 has an overall length and width of 5 inches. The mass of club head 12 is 200.01 grams, nearly identical to that of club head 10, however club head 12 has an I-beam configuration. One weight member 22 having side c three inches in length, side d one inch in length, and a mass m of 66.67 grams is positioned between and perpendicular to two weight members 20a and 20b each having sides a one inch in length, side b five inches in length, and a mass m of 66.67 grams. The distance from the center of mass of weight member 20a or 20b to the center of mass of club head 12, which also serves as the point through which the y-axis runs, is called e, and is two inches in this case. The moment of inertia of the club head about the y-axis can be calculated by adding the moments of inertia of all three weight members, as is shown in the following equation:

                    I = 2 * [( 1/12*m* (a^2+b^2)) + m*e^2] + 1/12*m* (c^2+d^2)

This equation utilizes the Parallel Axis Theorem to determine the moments of inertia of weight members 20a and 20b. The moment of inertia of club head 12 is 877.78 g*in^2 or 5663.10 g*cm^2, resulting in a five percent increase in MOI over club head 10 of FIG. 1.

[0028] FIG. 3 shows another idealized club head 14, in which discrete weight members 24a and 24b are positioned around an axis of rotation. Because no weight member is located between weight members 24a and 24b, they are said to be arranged in a pseudo-I-beam configuration, as opposed to the I-beam configuration of FIG. 2. Club head 14 has an overall length and width of five inches and a total mass of 200 grams. Weight members 24a and 24b are five inches long and one inch wide, and each have a mass m of 100 grams. Weight members 24a and 24b are positioned three inches apart. As in FIG. 2, e is the distance from the center of mass of weight member 24a or 24b to the center of mass of club head 14 and the point through which the y-axis runs, and is two inches in this case. The moment of inertia of club head 14 can be described by this equation, which makes use of the parallel axis theorem:

                    I = 2* [( 1/12*m* (a^2+b^2)) + m*e^2]

In accordance with this equation, the MOI of club head 14 is 1233.33 g*in^2 or 7956.97 g*cm^2. This mass distribution offers a forty-eight percent increase in MOI over that of club head 10 of FIG. 1. When mass is allocated to areas located farther away from the axis of rotation, the r values of each point mass that makes up the entirety of the discrete weight member are large, resulting in much greater moment of inertia.

[0029] The golf club head of the present invention utilizes the I-beam and pseudo-I-beam mass distribution patterns discussed above to optimize moment of inertia about an axis of rotation that runs vertically through the center of gravity or geometric center of the club head. In one embodiment of the present invention, shown in FIGS. 4a-4c, golf club head 16 comprises a face, crown, sole, skirt, and hosel, wherein the sole further comprises two discrete weight members 26 and 28. In accordance with this embodiment, weight member 28 is located substantially parallel to and toward the face edge of sole 30 and is substantially centered between the toe and heel. Weight member 28 can have a rectangular shape. Preferably, weight member 28 is located between about 1.0 and 4.0 cm from the face edge of sole 30.

Well, that is all well and good (and probably only interesting to the engineers out there), but here comes the interesting stuff. Check out these possible club head designs:

        

        

Fascinating, but will any of these designs make it into your pro shop?

Dave Dawsey  - Monitoring Golf Driver Inventions

PS – click HERE to check out other golf driver intellectual property

[0003] Transport to and from the golf sport facilities can of course be carried out in many different ways, but some ways of transportation are associated with certain problems. Namely, a conventional bag of the golf bag type is quite bulky and difficult to take, for example when travelling by foot, by bike or by motorcycle, but also for example when using public transport such as on a bus. This is so for the classic golf bag, which essentially consists of an elongated tube down into which the clubs are put with their shafts first, with or without a cart, as well as for the more recently presented carry bag, which also essentially consists of an elongated tube, down into which the clubs are put shafts first, but which is carried with the bag on the back in an inclined manner.

[0004] It is also common practice for a player to bring only a few golf clubs to the facilities, such as for practice, whereby conventional golf bags do not offer a simple and comfortable transport in relation to the small amount of transported equipment.

[0005] During the game itself, demands for speed and flexibility are becoming increasingly more common, not least when playing so-called "speed golf", where players often run between strokes. Of course, such demands also arise for other golfing variants. A conventional carry bag does indeed allow the user to move relatively freely over the playing field, but still imposes a problem when, for example, searching for lost balls in dense woods or brushwood. Namely, the bag and the club shafts extend a certain distance on either side of the player's body. Also, it is difficult to move around quickly and ergonomically with such a carry bag, partly because of the tendency of the clubs to rattle around in the bag as the player moves, even in the case where the interior of the bag is divided into a number of separated partitions for different clubs, partly because of the fact that the bag needs to be positioned either so high on the player's back so as to provide bad ergonomics, or so low so as to risk hitting against the behind of the player, which lessens the mobility of the player, for example when running.

[0006] Furthermore, a conventional carry bag is often unnecessarily heavy, clumsy, and not ergonomical enough for use by, for example, smaller lady and junior players, but also by elderly players. The bad ergonomics is increased because of the club heads being asymmetrically positioned outside of the bag, thereby displacing the centre of gravity.

[0007] Hence, it would be desirable to obtain a low-weight bag for golf clubs and peripheral equipment which is simple and easy to transport, even on foot, by bike, and so on, and at the same time offering good ergonomics during transport on the golf course, and not constituting an obstacle, especially not during rapid transport and/or transport in rough terrain.

[0008] Furthermore, it would be desirable to obtain such a bag which is especially advantageous when playing with only a few clubs. Moreover, it would be desirable to obtain such a bag in which golf equipment suitably can be stored when not used.

A customizable golf club head is disclosed herein. The customizable golf  club head includes a face component having a face and a flange, a crown-plate attached to the flange, a sole-plate attached to the flange, a skid-plate attached to the sole-plate, a swing-weight member, and a plurality of removable weight members with each of the plurality of weight members positioned within a pocket of the plurality of pockets.

[0006] Currently, customization of drivers to help golfers hit better (longer, straighter, pleasing trajectory) shots is relatively new to the marketplace. Such customization currently includes: different shaft flexes and lengths, different lofts, and different head weighting scenarios. Currently most heads come with the head weighting pre-built into the head such that it cannot be changed. There are some companies that allow screw-in weights that can be changed by the golfer or by the fitting personnel to change a drivers weight distribution (Center of Gravity: CG) to promote desired ball flight tendencies. There currently exists no method to alter the driver's face angle at address, which visually gives the golfer an indication of the clubs orientation or hit tendency. In addition, current driver models have higher Moments of Inertia (MOI) that correspondingly need a flatter face to hit straighter shots. This flatter face is not as cosmetically appealing as the rounder faces of previous driver designs with lower MOI values.

[0007] The primary purpose this invention is to effectively incorporate the following three design features into a driver design. First, visible and removable weights to adjust the center of gravity of the club head using a new and novel method of affixing these weights to the club head. Second, different height skid plates on the sole to alter the club's face angle at address (as it sits naturally on the ground). Third, a unique face design using bulge and roll values at the center region of the face for hitting straighter and more consistent shots, while having a different bulge and roll at the edge of the face to promote a more pleasing appearance to the golfer. In providing the above design features into a club head design, the golfer should have an improved driver suited to his/her needs, abilities, and preferences to hit better shots.

[0035] The golf club head 20 of the present invention preferably has multiple weight members 30 with various masses. In a preferred embodiment, the weight members 30 include a 15 g weight member, a 10 g weight member, and a 5 g weight member. The draw bias CG location of the golf club head 20 of the present invention is enabled by placing the 15 g weight member 30 in the heel pocket and the 5 gram weight member 30 into the toe pocket 32. The neutral bias CG location golf club head 20 of the present invention is enabled by placing the 10 g weight members 30 into both the toe and heel weight pockets 32. The fade bias CG location golf club head 20 of the present invention is enabled by placing the 5 g weight member 30 in the heel pocket and the 15 gram weight member 30 into the toe pocket 32.

[0036] The standard skid-plate 28 of the golf club head 20 is designed to allow for the golf club to sit at address at the designed face angle. Two additional skid-plates 28 allow for a 1.degree. open face angle and a 2.degree. open face angle. One of the three skid-plates is permanently affixed to the golf club head 20 after the golfer has temporarily affixed each of them on the golf club head 20 of his or her choice and made a selection of which skid-plate 28 is preferred. The skid-plates 28 have approximately the same weight so the swingweight and performance of the golf club will remain unchanged regardless of which skid-plate 28 is selected to be affixed to the golf club head 20.

[0037] The variable bulge and roll face 23 is a combination of two faces. The outer face is made with cosmetically pleasing smaller bulge and roll values and is trimmed in the center region by a performance-based inner face that has larger bulge and roll values. The transition at the intersection boundary between the outer and inner faces is made smooth and undetectable by a tangential fillet blend which connects them with a known radius value. The entire face 23 of the golf club head 20 is a combination of a bulge and a roll impact face that works best for the majority of hit locations while outside of this impact region, a face that blends more acceptable with the sole, side, and crown surfaces is used.

The Complaint goes on to explain the alleged wrongful acts:

23. Upon information and belief, the Cinicolos operate a successful online eBay business using the eBay user IDs tallman4500 and miscountdiscountgolf. Using these eBay IDs, the Cinicolos sell, amongst other items, large quantities of golf clubs.
24. Since 2008, the Cinicolos have sold over ten-thousand (10,000) Cleveland golf clubs, totaling $1.7 million in sales, on eBay to customers around the world.
25. A private investigator retained by Cleveland Golf purchased Cleveland Golf's clubs from the Cinicolos on eBay. In consummating the sale, the Cinicolos stated that they received their clubs directly from Cleveland Golf and that they were a Cleveland Golf Authorized Dealer.
26. Cleveland Golf has received emails from customers who claim that the Cinicolos have given them similar assurances, and that the Cinicolos have held themselves out as Authorized Dealers of Cleveland Golf who purchase their clubs directly from Cleveland Golf.
27. The Cinicolos are not, and never have been, Authorized Dealers of Cleveland Golf.
28. The Cinicolos do not receive their clubs directly from Cleveland Golf. Upon information and belief, the Cinicolos obtain their clubs from Authorized Dealers who are transshipping the clubs to the Cinicolos in breach of their distribution agreements with Cleveland Golf.
29. In order to bring credibility to a faceless internet transaction, the Cinicolos intentionally associated themselves with the goodwill of the Cleveland Golf name and the credibility of the Cleveland Golf Authorized Dealer network.

Is Cleveland more concerned with the issues surrounding these two eBay sellers OR are they trying to smoke out the Authorized Dealer that is supplying the sellers with clubs and presumably taking sales away from other Authorized Dealers that are abiding by their distribution agreements? Interesting situation.

The actual Complaint may be viewed in its entirety HERE.

David Dawsey  – Keeping an Eye on Golf Lawsuits

PS – click HERE to read more posts about litigation in the golf industry

The application explains:

[0002] The present invention relates to a wood-type golf club head. In particular, the present invention relates to a golf club head for promoting, as a driver head, the increase in flight distance.

[0003] Flight distance in golf is determined by a ball initial velocity, a launch angle and a spin rate. In general, the higher the ball initial velocity, the greater the flight distance, and there exist a launch angle and a spin rate which make the most of the ball initial velocity. On the other hand, the current golf ball development aims at improvement of ball initial velocity and lower spin (reduction in spin rate) in order to obtain longer flight. More specifically, it is said that, current balls have spin rates too high to hit a long ball, and it is also said that a combination of current golf club and golf ball does not realize a launch angle and a spin rate which make the most of a ball initial velocity.

[0004] As one of golf club design techniques concerning flight, there is a technique for optimizing a launch angle and a spin rate by utilizing gear effect resulting from the specialty of a wood-type golf club head, which has a deep center of gravity. The launch angle and spin rate at each position on a hitting plane (face) are determined by a loft angle at this point (each position); however, in the face design of a wood club head, a loft angle at each point of the face is determined so as to provide the launch angle and spin rate at which the flight distance is maximized, and then, upon connecting each point of the face vertically so that the determined loft angle at each point of the face becomes tangential, a curve is formed longitudinally, which is a roll design. In other words, this technique is a face roll design technique provided in consideration of impact factors such as the center of gravity and moments of inertia. Further, in a head of a wood-type golf club, having a deep center of gravity, a position at which the maximum flight is obtained is generally located above a perpendicular line drawn from the center of gravity of the head onto a face plane as shown in FIG. 11. This is because, with the position of the perpendicular line drawn from the center of gravity of the head onto the face plane defined as a boundary, the spin in a topspin direction and the spin in a backspin direction act as gear effects at the upper side and the lower side, respectively, and the backspin at the upper side is reduced, which leads to the increase in flight.

[0005] On the other hand, in view of hitting points of golfers, most of professional and advanced golfers each apparently hit a ball with a face center at the sight of their club faces. Among them, there are some golfers who empirically know that the maximum flight point is located above the face center, but the aim of the hitting point in a stable game is hitting of the face center. Next, FIG. 12 shows the location of the position of the center of gravity on the face plane, which is the position of the perpendicular line drawn perpendicularly from the center of the gravity of the head onto the face plane, with respect to the face center. "DYG" in FIG. 12 indicates the difference between the position of the perpendicular line drawn from the center of gravity of the head onto the face plane and the face center (in units of mm), and shows that most of the positions of the center of gravity on the face are located 4 to 8 mm above the face center, and that the greater the loft angle of the face, the greater the "DYG". Furthermore, the relationship between the face height and the "DYG" is shown in FIG. 13, from which it can be understood that the height of the center of gravity is located 4 to 8 mm above the center of the face regardless of the face height, and that the height of the center of gravity with respect to the face height is substantially constant.

[0006] Moreover, FIG. 11 shows that the above-mentioned maximum flight distance point on the face is located above the position of the perpendicular line drawn from the center of gravity of the head onto the face plane; however, it can be assumed that the maximum flight distance point often significantly differs from the hitting point at which professional and advanced golfers aim, i.e., the face center. In other words, it can be said that the hitting with the face center, at which many professional and advanced golfers aim, induces the action of gear effect in a direction in which backspin is increased, leading to the reduction in flight distance. In order to hit a long ball, it is necessary to hit the ball with a point located above the face center. Even though professional and advanced golfers know this, the hitting point in a stable game is the face center. It is an object of the present inventor to make the hitting area of a golfer, i.e., the face center, coincide with the maximum flight distance point. To achieve this object, the position of the center of gravity of a head has to be lowered by 10 mm or more. Conventional techniques for lowering the center of gravity of a wood head include ones in which attempts are made to daringly change head shape (see JP-A-H07-178207 (Page 3, FIG. 1) and JP-A-2000-262657 (Page 2, FIG. 1)).

[0007] In a wood-type golf club head disclosed in each of JP-A-H07-178207 and JP-A-2000-262657, an intersection point of a perpendicular line from the center of gravity with respect to a face plane, i.e., a sweet spot, is to be located at the center of the face plane (face center); however, the head has an unusual shape such as a vault shape or a potbellied shape, and a golfer has felt the difficulty of coming to the ready because of the unduly peculiar shape when the golfer has seen the head from above at address.

Now, you gotta love this…. all of the sudden the “Summary of the Invention” portion of the patent application switches to describing a golf glove invention! Funny stuff (when it happens to someone else).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a golf glove including: a main body that includes a palm side portion and a back side portion, the palm side portion being configured to closely fit to a palm of a hand of a golfer, the back side portion being configured to closely fit to a back side of the hand; a first slip preventive element placed at least on a first area that is interior of a grip receiving area on an outer surface of the main body, where a grip portion of a golf club is in contact with the main body when the golfer grips the golf club; wherein the first slip preventive element has a larger slip resistance to sweat of the hand and water coming into an inside of the golf glove than the main body.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a golf glove including: a main body that includes a palm side portion and a back side portion, the palm side portion being configured to closely fit to a palm of a hand of a golfer, the back side portion being configured to closely fit to a back side of the hand; a second slip preventive element placed on a second area that is interior of an intermediate portion area in the main body, the intermediate area being positioned at a substantially intermediate between a lowermost position of a little finger portion of the main body and a wrist portion of the main body, so as to extend from the palm side portion to the back side portion; wherein the second slip preventive element is made of a porous elastic resin film.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a golf glove including: a main body that includes a palm side portion and a back side portion, the palm side portion being configured to closely fit to a palm of a hand of a golfer, the back side portion being configured to closely fit to a back side of the hand; a third slip preventive element including a traversing portion and a lower portion, the traversing portion placed on an interior of the palm side portion so as to traverse bases of finger portions except thumb portion in the main body, the lower portion placed on the interior of the palm side portion so as to extend along a life line on the palm of the golfer in a direction reverse to an extending direction of the life line; wherein the third slip preventive element is made of a resin foam film.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a golf glove including: a main body that includes a palm side portion and a back side portion, the palm side portion being configured to closely fit to a palm of a hand of a golfer, the back side portion being configured to closely fit to a back side of the hand, the back side portion including an access opening formed at a lower position thereof; a locking belt that is sewn to the back side, the locking belt for closing the access opening; a forth slip preventive element placed on a forth area that is interior of the back side portion, the forth area extending from a lowermost position of an index finger portion of the back side portion toward the locking belt, the forth slip preventive element including minute projections and made of an artificial leather.

[0012] In this way, the invention is characterized in that the preventive elements which exhibit the high resistance to slip relative to water secreted from the hand of the golfer and water which penetrates into the golf glove in wet weather are affixed to the specific locations on the inner surface of at least the portions on the palm side area or the back side area of the glove main body with which the grip portion of the golf club is brought into abutment, whereby the stable grip is obtainable under every condition, thereby making it possible to prevent effectively an error in hitting a ball.

Oh well, everyone makes mistakes. The application says it all with the following:

Besides, the head appearance has an unprecedentedly peculiar shape that attracts the attention of a bystander, but a golfer who uses this head does not feel the peculiar shape at address.

Think this design will make it to market?

Dave Dawsey  - The IP Golf Attorney

PS – click here to check out other driver design posts

A weighted golf club grip for a golf club includes a hollow grip member that defines a first longitudinal channel for receiving a shaft and a second longitudinal channel disposed within a wall of the hollow grip member for receiving a plurality of weighted members disposed within the second channel. An end cap is attached to the end of the grip member. The weighted grip is capable of face-balancing the head of a putter and square-balancing the face of other golf clubs to an open, square, or closed position.