Golf club

A golf club is provided, comprising a striking surface, a toe region, a heel region, a sole plate, a mass region and a hosel, the golf club further comprising a shaft attached to the club head by hosel of the club head. The sole plate extends from a bottom edge of the striking surface to a rear edge of the mass region and under the toe region to the heel region. The sole plate comprises the sole which contacts the ground as the club head lies at rest and has a width between about 1/2 inch and about 11/2 inches. The mass region extends from the top side of the striking surface to the rear edge of the sole plate. The club head includes a vertical center of gravity below a median between the top edge of the striking surface and the bottom edge of the striking surface.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a golf club, and more particularly to a 
golf club which combines advantageous features wedge clubs and woods. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Golf clubs are generally categorized as either woods or irons. Woods, 
including metal woods, are typically used to hit a golf ball long 
distances. Irons are typically used to hit a golf ball both long and short 
distances, and for purposes for which metal woods are not typically used, 
including hitting out of deep rough, fairway bunkers and chipping around 
the green. A subcategory of woods has become popular in recent years. 
These woods, known as "utility metal woods," are typically used in place 
of mid range and short range irons to hit a golf ball shorter distances. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A golf head comprising a striking surface, a toe region, a heel region, a 
sole plate, a mass region and a hosel, the golf club further comprising a 
shaft attached to the club head by hosel of the club head. The sole plate 
extends from a bottom edge of the striking surface to a rear edge of the 
mass region and under the toe region to the heel region. The sole plate 
comprises the sole which contacts the ground as the club head lies at rest 
and preferably has a width of between about 1/2 inch and about 11/2 
inches. The mass region extends from the top side of the striking surface 
to the rear edge of the sole plate. The club head includes a vertical 
center of gravity which is preferably below a median between the top edge 
of the striking surface and the bottom edge of the striking surface. 
The golf club of the invention provides a low vertical center of gravity. 
It is believed that this feature makes it generally easier to hit 
accurately than other golf clubs. The golf club of the present invention 
is also especially useful in certain situations, including, for example, 
hitting a golf ball out of a difficult lie (such as from the rough or from 
a fairway bunker), hitting a golf ball over tall obstacles and hitting a 
golf ball with a high trajectory so as to have it land with minimal roll. 
It is also useful for less accomplished golfers generally, by allowing 
them get the golf ball air- borne more easily than with other clubs. 
The above summary of the present invention is not intended to describe each 
illustrated embodiment or every implementation or the present invention. 
The figures and detailed description which follow particularly exemplify 
these embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The preferred embodiments of the invention are now described in detail and 
with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent 
like parts throughout the several views. Reference to the preferred 
embodiments does not limit the scope of the invention, which is limited 
only by the scope of the claims attached hereto. 
Referring to FIGS. 1-9, a golf club in accordance with the present 
invention is depicted at reference number 10. The golf club 10 includes a 
handle 12, a shaft 14 and a club head 16. 
The handle 12 is used by a golfer to hold or to grip the club and 
circumscribes the end of the shaft 14 opposite from the club head 16. The 
handle 12 includes a gripping surface 13, where the golfer places his or 
her hands when holding the club, which is generally located in the 
mid-section 15 of the handle 12. 
The shaft 14 extends through the handle 12 to the hosel 34 of the club head 
16. The shaft may vary in length. Conventional shaft lengths which can be 
used with the invention include 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 and 42 inches. The 
shaft may vary in flexibility. It is desirable to employ a shaft in a 
particular golf club to match the swing speed of the golfer, so that the 
degree of flexibility of the club allows the club head to flex and spring 
towards the golf ball at the appropriate time during the swing sequence. 
More flexible shafts should be employed in golf clubs for golfers with 
slower swing speeds, whereas stiffer shafts should be used in clubs for 
golfers with faster swing speeds. 
For purposes of the description herein, the terms, "front", "back", "top" 
and "bottom" refer to the orientation provided in FIG. 2, with the 
striking surface 18 representing the front of the club head 16. It should 
be understood that when the club is described as lying "at rest," it is 
meant that the club is in such a position so as to be held by the golfer 
before the golfer would strike a golf ball, with the club head resting on 
the ground and the striking surface 18 facing generally towards the 
intended target. It should be appreciated that the golf club 10 described 
herein is for a right-handed golfer, but the present invention relates to 
a golf club for both right-handed and left-handed golfers. Thus, the 
orientation of the golf club 10 described herein should be reversed for a 
left-handed golf club, with the face 18 of the club, for example, pointing 
backwards in relation to the orientation provide in FIG. 2. 
Referring now to FIG. 2, the club head 16 includes a striking surface 18, a 
toe region 20, a heel region 22 and a mass region 24. 
The striking surface 18 is that portion of the club head 16 which is 
adjacent to the golf ball when the club lies at rest. It is connected to a 
sole plate 30 at the bottom edge 21 of the striking surface 18 and the 
mass region 24. The height h of the striking surface 18 is preferably 
between about 11/4 inches and 23/4 inches, and more preferably between 
about 13/4 inches and 2 inches. What is meant by the height h of the 
striking surface 18 is the vertical distance between the midpoint 41 of 
the top edge of the striking surface 18 and the midpoint 42 of the bottom 
edge 21 of the striking surface 18. A lip 26 is formed by providing that 
the striking surface 18 extends above the top side 28 of the mass region 
24. 
The striking surface 18 includes a face 19, which is the portion of the 
striking surface 18 used to strike the golf ball. The face 19 is 
preferably substantially flat. By substantially flat, it is meant that the 
face 19 lacks a bulge and roll sufficient to cause a gear effect. The term 
"bulge" generally refers to convex curvature in a golf club face from the 
top of the striking surface to the bottom. The term "roll" generally 
refers to the convex curvature in a golf club face from toe to heel. Bulge 
and roll is known to cause a gear effect on golf shots. What is meant by 
the "gear effect" is the phenomenon of golf shots returning toward the 
intended target after being initially directed away from the intended 
target as a result of being hit off the toe or heel of the club. The gear 
effect is caused by spin imparted in a right to left fashion for shots 
unintentionally hit off the toe and in a left to right fashion for shots 
hit off the heel of the club head. Thus, whereas a shot hit off the toe of 
the club usually begins traveling at an angle to the right of the intended 
target, the right to left spin imparted on the ball by the gear effect 
causes the ball to gradually spin back towards the intended target. 
Similarly, whereas a shot hit off the heel of the club starts to the left 
of the intended target, the left to right spin imparted on the ball by the 
gear effect causes the ball to return gradually toward the intended 
target. 
While the invention is described in the context of a preferred embodiment 
where the face 19 lacks a bulge and roll, it should be appreciated that 
alternative embodiments include a face which has a bulge and roll. That 
is, the invention includes a golf club head which has a face providing a 
bulge and roll sufficient to cause a gear effect on a golf ball. 
A substantially flat face 19 is advantageous in order to reduce side spin 
on the golf ball. Many amateur golfers often have difficulty hitting a 
golf ball where they intend or desire to hit it because of the unwanted 
side spin they impart on the ball with their shots. The substantially flat 
face 19 of the golf club 10 described herein is desirable for these 
golfers, because it tends to reduce the side spin they impart on the ball, 
causing them to hit the ball straighter toward their intended target. 
Moreover, by reducing side spin, a substantially flat face 19 tends to 
increase underspin on the golf ball, causing the ball to fly higher and 
land softer, which also tends to increase accuracy of shots. 
The lip 26 between the top edge 25 of the striking surface 18 and the mass 
region 24 is formed by extending the striking surface 18 above the top 
side 28 of the mass region 24. The height of the lip 26, being the 
vertical distance between the top edge 25 of the striking surface 18 and 
the top side 28 of the mass region 24, is preferably about 1/8 inch to 
about 1/2 inch. The lip 26 increases the surface area of the face 19, 
thereby increasing the sweet spot 23 of the face 19. The sweet spot 23 is 
that portion of the face 19 in which it is most desirable to make contact 
with the golf ball to hit the ball the desired distance and with the 
desired accuracy. The larger the sweet spot, the easier it is for the 
golfer to make solid contact with the golf ball. 
The lip also provides more weight to the striking surface 18 near the heel 
region 22 and the toe region 20 than without the presence of lip 26, which 
increases the force behind those shots hit from those areas and thus 
increasing the margin for error for shots hit from those areas. 
The face 19 preferably includes grooves 27. The grooves 27 can be provided 
in those shapes commonly used on faces of golf clubs. Shapes of exemplary 
grooves include horizontal lines extending across the face 19 and parallel 
to the ground. The grooves are desirable because they tend to adhere to a 
golf ball better than without, providing greater control over ball flight. 
It is advantageous to be able to control the flight of the ball to be more 
accurate in making golf shots. 
The striking surface 18 is provided at a face angle .alpha., as depicted in 
FIG. 8. The face angle .alpha. refers to the angle formed by the striking 
surface 18 and the ground as the club head lies at rest. Face angle 
.alpha. may vary among clubs. Exemplary face angles include angles of 14 
to 16, 21 to 23, 29 to 31 and 37 to 39 degrees. Typically, lesser face 
angles may be used with longer shafts, and vice-versa. This is desirable 
because shaft length directly corresponds to club head speed. That is, the 
same swing produces greater club head speed with a longer shaft. Greater 
club head speed results in a more forceful impact with the golf ball, 
thereby resulting in a longer golf shot. Similarly, the less face angle on 
a club face, the less the launch angle and the further the ball will be 
propelled. Thus, clubs designed to hit the ball longer generally contain 
both longer shafts and lesser club face angles than clubs designed to hit 
the ball shorter distances. 
The sole plate 30 generally forms the bottom surface of the club head 16. 
The sole plate 30 extends from the bottom edge 21 of the striking surface 
18 across to the rear edge 29 of the mass region 24 and from the toe edge 
35 to the heel edge 36. The sole plate 30 contains a sole 32. The sole 32 
is the portion of the sole plate 30 which is designed to contact the 
ground as the club lies at rest. The curvature of the sole plate 30 
generally reflects the circumference of a circle. As shown in FIG. 9, the 
curvature between the toe edge 35 and the heel edge 36 generally conforms 
to the circumference of a circle, although it is not perfectly circular. 
Preferably, the curvature has a radius of between about 2 inches and about 
31/4 inches. By virtue of this curvature, the club head toe region 20 and 
the club head heel region 22 tend to sit above the ground when the club 
head 16 lies at rest. 
It is the sole 32 which is generally responsible for creating a divot 
during a golf swing. It is an advantage of the present invention that the 
width w of the sole 32, as depicted in FIG. 5, is relatively narrow. It is 
this narrow width w which provides a relatively narrow and long divot when 
the club 10 is swung properly. By providing a sole 32 with a narrow width 
w, it is easier for the club head 16 to swing through longer grass. 
Preferably, the width w of the sole 32 is between about 1/2 inch and about 
11/2 inches. More preferably, the width w of the sole 32 is between about 
3/4 inch and about 11/4 inches. 
It is also advantageous that the sole 32 extends entirely from the bottom 
edge 21 of the striking surface 18 to the rear edge 29 of the mass region 
24. This full extension allows the sole 32 more easily to cut through 
longer grass than clubs without a sole extending entirely from the front 
to the back of the sole plate. 
The distance from the toe end 44 of the width w of the sole 32 to the edge 
35 of the sole plate 30 is preferably between about 1 inch and about 2 
inches. The distance from the heel end 45 of the width w of the sole 32 to 
the heel edge 36 of the sole plate 30 is preferably between about 1 inch 
and about 21/2 inches. The ratio of the width s of the sole plate 30 to 
the width w of the sole is preferably between about 6:1 to about 3:1. 
The mass region 24 is provided behind the club head striking surface 18. 
The mass region 24 is connected to the striking surface 18 at a lip 26 
extending between the two adjacent to the top edge 25 of the striking 
surface 18. The top side 28 of the mass region 24 slopes downward linearly 
from the lip 26 to the rear edge 29 of the mass region 24. 
The club 10 is provided with a low vertical center of gravity. What is 
meant by a "vertical center of gravity" is the center of gravity in 
relation to the distance between the top edge 25 of the striking surface 
18 and the bottom edge 21 of the striking surface. The vertical center of 
gravity of the club head 16 is preferably located below the median 
distance between the top edge 25 of the striking surface 18 and the bottom 
edge 21 of the striking surface 18. The vertical center of gravity may 
also preferably be located below the equator of a golf ball when placed 
adjacent to the striking surface 18 on the ground or a planar surface. 
Generally, the vertical center of gravity is dependent upon the location 
and distribution of weight in a club head. The low vertical center of 
gravity in the present invention is provided by its weight being located 
and distributed relatively low, close to the ground as the club head lies 
at rest. The relatively small height h of the mass region 24 contributes 
to the low vertical center of gravity. The linear downward slope of the 
top side 24 of the mass region from front to back also concentrates weight 
lower in the club head, contributing to the low vertical center of 
gravity. A substantial portion of the weight of the golf club head 16 is 
contained in the sole plate 30, further contributing to the low vertical 
center of gravity. 
A low vertical center of gravity is desirable in that many golfers have 
difficulty getting the golf ball as air borne as they intend or desire. A 
club head with a low vertical center of gravity is advantageous for such a 
golfer by more easily allowing the golfer to make solid contact with the 
golf ball below the golf ball's equator. This in turn allows the golfer to 
hit the ball up in the air easier than with a club with a higher vertical 
center of gravity. 
In addition, a club with a low vertical center is desirable generally for 
all golfers in certain situations. A club with a low vertical center of 
gravity is useful for hitting shots with a high trajectory, which in turn 
results in high, soft landing shots. Such shots are desirable over shots 
with lower trajectories for all golfers, for example, when a golfer 
desires to hit the golf ball over tall obstacles such as trees. Shots with 
high trajectories are also desirable when a golfer wishes to hit a shot 
with minimal roll after landing, such as on to a green. 
The portion of the club head 16 which attaches the club head 16 to the 
shaft 14 is known as the hosel 34. The club 10 is provided with a 
horizontal center of gravity preferably located in line with the hosel 34. 
What is meant by the "horizontal center of gravity" is the center of 
gravity located at a distance between the bottom edge 21 of the striking 
surface 18 and the rear edge 29 of the mass region 24. 
It is advantageous to have the horizontal center of gravity of the club 
head 16 in line with the hosel 34 in that it is relatively rearwardly 
located within the club head 16. This allows a golfer to hit the ball up 
in the air easier than with a horizontal center of gravity located further 
towards the front of the club head. The rearward horizontal center of 
gravity also increases the chance of making solid contact with the golf 
ball out of difficult lies, by allowing the club more easily to cut 
through the surface of the ground, such as deep rough and fairway bunker 
sand. 
The size and static weight of the club head 16 may vary, according to the 
use or purpose of the club. Generally, the club head 16 used to hit the 
ball lower and farther distances will be smaller and lighter than one used 
to hit the ball higher and shorter distances. Thus, the size and static 
weight will increase for clubs with lesser face angles and longer shafts 
14 than those with higher face angles and shorter shafts 14. Exemplary 
sizes include 60 to 130 cubic centimeters. Exemplary static weights for 
different clubs include 221 to 229, 238 to 246, 252 to 260 and 268 to 276 
grams. 
The thickness of the walls of the club head 16 may vary. Generally, they 
should be of such a thickness to ensure that the club head 16 is 
sufficiently strong to repeatedly strike a golf ball at high swing speeds. 
At the same time, they should not be so thick so as to add unnecessary 
weight to the club head 16. The thickness of the walls of the club head 16 
may also vary according to the material used to manufacture the club head 
16. 
The golf club 10 club may be made of materials commonly used for 
manufacturing golf clubs. Exemplary materials for the handle include 12 
leather and rubber. Exemplary materials for the shaft 14 include steel and 
graphite. Exemplary materials for the club head 16 include stainless 
steel, titanium and a steel alloy. The face 19 may include materials 
different than the remainder of the club head 16. Exemplary materials of 
the face 19 include stainless steel and titanium. Titanium may be used, 
for example, for a face 19 of a club head 16 that is otherwise comprised 
of stainless steel, because titanium is lighter and stronger than 
stainless steel. It is desirable to have a light material making up the 
club head, and the golf club generally, because the lighter the club or 
club head, the faster a golfer can swing the club, thus generating greater 
club head speed. The greater the club head speed, the greater is the force 
of impact of the golf ball. A golf ball is propelled in direct relation to 
the force of impact, and thus, the greater the club head speed a golfer 
can generate, the further the ball will go. 
The inside of the club head 16, inside the walls of the striking surface 
18, the sole plate 30 and the top side 28 of the mass region 24, may be 
filled with a material, an exemplary material of which is foam 50. 
Alternatively, the inside of the club head 16 may be hollow. A foam-filled 
center 50 may be preferable in that it may tend to reduce noise and to 
reduce the vibration upon impact with the golf ball. 
The sole plate 30 may contain markings to indicate name of the club, its 
uses or other information. 
The top side 28 of the mass region 24 may contain an emblem or other 
markings 31, situated perpendicularly to the club head face 18. The emblem 
or markings 31 may be provided directly in line with the sweet spot 23 of 
the face 19, to assist the golfer in aligning the club 10 before a shot.