US20070149309A1

US20070149309A1 - Hybrid golf club with improved weight distribution for maximum hitting improvement and alignment configurations

Info

Publication number: US20070149309A1
Application number: US11/318,320
Authority: US
Inventors: John Ford
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-12-27
Filing date: 2005-12-27
Publication date: 2007-06-28

Abstract

A hybrid golf club head with an improved weight distribution to maximize the weight behind the golf ball on impact, an improved sole plate for facilitating the proper movement of the golf club through the hitting zone with the ball, and a specialized alignment system to insure that the golfer using the club head is properly aligning the head with respect to the golf ball, and the target.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to golf clubs and, more particularly, to golf club heads with a somewhat wood shape and appearance, sometimes better known as hybrids, with an improved sole plate configuration, an improved weight distribution in the club head itself, and an improved alignment system to align the club head to the line of sight.
Conventional iron golf clubs have typically had thin blades and a certain loft for the number of the iron and a standard length for the shaft. In recent years, however, there has been the development of “hybrids”, which essentially utilize more of a wood head in conjunction with essentially the same loft for the face and about the same length of shaft as an iron, and this type of club has become quite popular because it is easier to hit as a wood and still has the basic characteristics of the irons for accuracy and higher loft.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention provides a golf club known as a “hybrid.” In addition, the club has a unique design by being tapered further from the top of the club face back into the hybrid wood configuration and includes a plurality of aiming lines that extend perpendicular to the face of the club along the back of the hybrid itself so as to optimize the direction of the face of the club and the aiming point for hitting the golf ball. In addition, the center of the sole of the club incorporates at least one recessed groove to facilitate the club moving through the soil and the grass on the direction of motion as the club is brought into contact with the ball, and a slightly flared out, curved configuration from the central point of the club base extending to its toe and the heel so as to facilitate the movement of the club through the grass and/or in creating a divot upon striking the ball.
An object of the present invention is provision of a golf club that is a hybrid design, namely effectively a combination of an iron with a wood head and the same length shaft and loft as conventional thin and flat irons.
A further object of the invention is to have a plurality of lines on the top surface of the head that are perpendicular to the face of the club and act as aiming lines to facilitate having the club face aimed at the proper target to achieve proper direction in hitting the golf ball.
A further object of the invention is to utilize a hybrid that has a unique guiding central contoured configuration on the sole and a tapered, beveled arrangement from the central guiding rib to the heel and the toe of the club to facilitate the club in moving through in grass and following through in a divot.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drives, which set forth certain embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of the club face of the hybrid comprising the preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of the hybrid golf dub of FIG. 1, showing the dished out bevels to each side of a central guiding groove on the bottom surface of the back portion of the club, and also, shows the alignment lines on the top surface of the head of the club;
FIG. 3 is an exploded view similar to FIG. 2, showing the bottom and back portions of the club head removed and showing the strengthening ribs on the inside face of the hitting surface of the club.
FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the toe of the club, showing the bottom sole in an exploded relationship to the top and face portion of the club;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional configuration of the rear portion of the sole, illustrating the positioning of weight to focus and provide momentum and impact to the ball being struck by the club;
FIG. 6 is the toe elevation view of the club, similar to FIG. 4 except in the non-exploded position;
FIG. 7 is a rear elevation of the club from the heel, showing the configuration of the combination in the hybrid club
FIG. 8 is a top view of the club, illustrating the aiming lines and the ball positioning marks on the top flange on the face of the club;
FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the base of the club, and illustrates the guiding groove in the bottom of the club; and
FIG. 10 is a cross sectional configuration taking from lines 10-10 in FIG. 5 and shows the positioning of the weight as far back and as high up as possible to achieve the maximum momentum exchange from the weight into the force applied to the ball upon hitting.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. It should be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms and shapes. Therefore, the details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a basis for teaching what is called in the art how to make and/or use the invention.
Referring particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates generally a hybrid club which comprises a top surface 12, a hitting face 14, and a sole indicated generally by numeral 16, with an alignment groove 18 in the center bottom of the sole 16. There are a plurality of alignment dots indicated generally by numeral 20 on the top edge of the club blade, and these are for ball alignment, depending upon the individual's swing that is more specifically defined in my previously issued U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,729,967 and 6,471,599. In addition, the hybrid club of FIG. 1 incorporates a center of percussion dot indicated by numeral 22 that is the optimum “sweet spot” for making contact with the golf ball.
Now, referring to FIG. 2, again the similar numbers show similar components as we view the club head from the rear elevation. The additional features shown in this view are that the central aiming groove 18 is more clearly seen as extending from the face as shown in FIG. 1 all the way to the back of the club as shown in FIG. 2. In addition, the cavities are sculpted out as shown at numerals 24 and 26 to the left side and right side of the back of the club, and this facilitates the passing of the club through high grass, and if a contact is made with the ground, it slides the club through the divot more easily. One final thing that is shown clearly in FIG. 2 are the alignment lines that are indicated generally by numeral 28, and these lines are a plurality of parallel lines that are essentially perpendicular to the face 14 and the perpendicular lines are indicated by numeral 30. In this instance, FIG. 2 shows seven lines but the objects of the invention will be achieved with any number of lines three or greater as long as they are spaced substantially across at least one-third of the width of the club to allow the aim of the face of the club to be accurately determined at a target point where the player wants the ball to go.
Referring now to FIG. 3, this is essentially the same view as FIG. 2 except with the sole 15 being in an exploded, removed configuration with respect to the face of the club and the face indicated by numeral 14 in FIG. 3 being the back of the face of the club, and it can be seen that there are a plurality of strengthening ribs 32 that strengthen the face of the club and facilitate the optimum performance of the ball striking the face of the club and being projected in the direction of aim. Again, it can be seen where the alignment groove 18 fits in place at the front bottom edge of the face 14 and the same alignment lines 30 are equally visible. The strengthening ribs 32 are preferably extending from the top edge of the face 14 down to near the bottom edge 16, or the sole of the club, and preferably are about ⅛ inch in width and about 1-½ inches long, depending on the exact height of the face 14 for the particular hybrid club being utilized. A lower number hybrid, such as a two or a three-hybrid, will have less height to the face 14 than a seven or an eight-hybrid. Hence, the ribs 32 will be longer on the higher numbered hybrids and shorter on the lower numbered hybrids.
Referring now to FIG. 4 of the drawings, this shows the base 16 in an exploded position away from the club head, and particularly shows how the base 16 projects from the bottom edge of the face 14 up to the back edge of the upper rear surface of the club. It is particularly important to achieving the objects of the invention that the sole slope from the front bottom edge of the face 14 and backwardly and upwardly to come into engagement with the rear edge of the top of the club as particularly shown at numeral 34 in FIG. 4. This sloping is necessary to achieve the movement of the club through grass and through the divot with the alignment groove 18 achieving that guidance as the club moves through high grass and/or a divot, as described in conjunction with FIGS. 1 through 3.
An important feature of the invention is shown in FIG. 5, which is a cross sectional illustration taken on lines 5-5 of FIG. 4, and it shows the portion of the base flange 16 to have the thickened and mass weight indicated generally by numeral 40 in FIG. 5 positioned centrally around the groove 18 and thickened most at the alignment with the groove 18 and gradually thinning as it moves out toward the toe and the heel of the golf club and the face 14. This mass weight 40 is thickest and with the most weight directly in line with the groove 18, but tapers out to the left and the right as shown in FIG. 5 approximately one-fourth of the distance from the central groove 18 to the edges comprising 42 and 44 of the flange 16. It has been found particularly advantageous to have this weight mass 40 taper out to the areas of 40 a and 40 b to the left and right as shown in FIG. 5 so that there is a gradual focus of the addition of the weight at the rear of the club elevated with respect to the face 14 and having its greatest mass focused almost exactly on the center of percussion 22 on the face of the club as shown in FIG. 1.
Essentially, I have found that this tapering of the thickness shown in FIG. 5 is extremely important to obtaining the highest possible focal point of the mass added to achieve the optimum transfer of energy to the center of percussion 22, and that it is because of the tapered configuration in portions 40 a and 40 b that the total weight can be more uniformly focused at the center of percussion 22. Basically, the amount of total weight added to the club will be in the range of 15 grams to 30 grams and the total width from the edges 40 a and 40 b across the weight will be between one and two inches in the transverse direction as shown in FIG. 5, and approximately the same total length as shown in FIG. 10, which shows how the weight mass 40 is positioned as high as possible and as rearwardly as possible in the sole plate so as to more optimally provide the transfer of energy to the center of percussion 22.
FIGS. 6 through 9 illustrate the actual external appearance of the club and highlight the slope towards the rearward of the sole plate and attention is particularly directed to FIG. 8, which shows the alignment lines 30 extended across the whole top surface of the wood-like configuration of the hybrid club.
FIG. 8 illustrates eight of these lines and the invention contemplates that there should be at least three and spaced across more than 50 percent of the width of the face 14 of the club face. It is an extremely important feature of this invention that these lines help the user obtain a very precise feel of the direction that the club is faced because the lines 30 are perpendicular to the face 14 and, hence, the overall impression because of the length of the lines 30 is very significant and assists greatly in making the aiming point accurate. Another important feature of the lines 30 is that a front line 30 a is positioned parallel to the club face and at the leading edge and intersecting with the lines 30 so as to further enhance the ability to align the club face directly to the intended target. The line 30 a that runs parallel to the face is used to square up the club face, or to open or close the face, depending on what the player is trying to do. The lines 13 are used for aiming at an intermediate target 12 to 36 inches in front of the ball, and then setting up your body to the club for proper aim.
Thus, it should be understood that the objects of the invention are achieved by providing a uniquely shaped and operative hybrid that has a unique configuration of the sole plate and alignment channel or groove 18 with the flared out sections 24 and 26 on the sole plate itself, the massing of a tapered weight at the optimum point for the center of percussion, this being best seen in FIGS. 5 and 10, and the alignment lines 30 for facilitating target aim point as best shown in FIG. 8.
It is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby, but that its scope is defined in the appended Claims.

Claims

1. A hybrid golf club having a club face, a sole, and a center of percussion, with a head shaped like a wood, having a rearward configured surface gently curved from the face in a partial semi-circle, which is characterized by,

a plurality of parallel lines extending substantially perpendicular to the club face and providing alignment characteristics of the club face to the intended target, and

a tapered thickness to the rearward portion of the sole centrally aligned to the center of percussion, extending about one and one-half to two inches across the center of percussion and about three-quarters to one and one-half inches toward the club face to provide a focus of weight momentum to the club face at about the center of percussion.

2. A hybrid golf club according to claim 1 wherein there are strengthening ribs formed into the inside surface of the club face to strengthen the surface and facilitate transfer of energy from the surface to the golf ball.

3. A hybrid golf club according to claim 1 wherein a recessed groove is provided in the bottom center of the sole plate to facilitate guiding the sole plate through high grass and in a divot by having alignment through the center of percussion from the face to the rearward flange of the wood-shaped configuration.

4. A hybrid golf club according to claim 3, which includes dished cavities on the right and left sides of the alignment groove of claim 3, which extend from the bottom of the face to near the top of the face at the rearward portion of the wood-shaped club surface.

5. A hybrid golf club according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of parallel lines is at least three in number and extends over at least one-third of the central surface of the width of the face of the hybrid.

6. A hybrid golf club having a club face, a sole, and a center of percussion, with a head shaped like a wood, having a rearward configured surface gently curved from the face in a partial semi-circle, which is characterized by,

a plurality of parallel lines extending substantially perpendicular to the club face and providing alignment characteristics of the club face to the intended target.

7. A hybrid golf club according to claim 6 which includes a line extending parallel to the club face across nearly the width of the face and intersecting and perpendicular to the parallel lines.