Golf club

The present invention relates to an improved wood-type golf club. More particularly, it relates to a golf club which is designed to give the golfer maximum margin of error in making contact with the club head and the ball to obtain a straight trajectory on the ball. The shaft and the club head are so aligned that if the center line of the shaft is extended it will intercept a plane positioned perpendicular to the base of the club head and pass through the center of gravity of the club head. The striking face of the club head has a number of horizontal corrugations, ranging from 1/64 to 1/8 inch in depth, which act as knuckle to strike the ball. The striking face of the club tapers inward from the bottom to top at an angle between about 10.degree. to 15.degree.. The area of the face nearest the toe of the club head is tapered inward toward the rear of the club head to compensate for side spin that would otherwise be imparted to a ball hit in the toe area. The club head is equipped with corrugations or runners 1/64 to 1/8 inch in depth on the base thereof to aid in keeping the club straight if the bottom of the club comes in contact with the ground prior to hitting the ball.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
It is estimated that, in the United States alone, more than 200,000,000 
rounds of golf are played each year. Assuming that each round takes 
between 31/2 and 4 hours, 700,000,000 to 800,000,000 person-hours are 
expended on the golf course in a single year. The present invention seeks 
to either lessen the number of person-hours, or to make such hours more 
enjoyable for the golfer. 
Very basically, golf is a game of impact between the head of the golf club 
and a golf ball. No matter the course, the equipment, the grip, physique 
or stature of the golfer, his stance or timing, the proper contact between 
the club head and the golf ball is primary to a successful golf game. 
During a downswing, a good golfer can generate up to four horsepower. 
During a full drive, the face of the driver is in contact with the golf 
ball for about 1/2 millisecond. From the amount of impact until the ball 
springs free of the driver, the ball and club travel together about 
three-fourths of an inch. The force applied to the ball by the club head 
during impact on a full drive rises to a peak of about 2,000 pounds. The 
average force applied during the 1/2 millisecond contact, that is, during 
contact of the club head and the ball until departure of the ball is about 
1,400 pounds. 
The time used by the club head of a driver going from rest (at the top of 
the backswing) to the bottom of the downswing, travelling at a speed of 
about 100 miles per hour, is about one-fifth second. On impact with a 
seven ounce driver head, the ball proceeds at about 135 miles per hour. 
With these factors in mind, the present club is designed to give the golfer 
maximum effectiveness in controlling the aim and flight of the ball, while 
at the same time allowing a wide margin for error in the area of contact 
between the club head and the ball. 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The present golf club has several attributes which combine to produce 
rather wonderous results for the golfer. These attributes are separately 
described as follows. 
The present golf club consists of a shaft and a club head. The club head is 
attached to the shaft and aligned therewith so that if the center line of 
the shaft is extended it will intercept, within the club head, a vertical 
plane which is perpendicular to the base of the club head and also passes 
through the center of gravity of the club head. The center of gravity is 
defined as a point at equal weight distances from the edges of the club 
head. The position of the vertical plane which passes through the center 
of gravity may be determined by balancing the club head at a point between 
the heel and toe on a knife edge. 
Because of the unbalanced club head on most golf clubs in use today, the 
golfer has to hold rather tightly to the club handle to overcome the 
torque or twist of the shaft during a swing. The tight grip required 
tenses muscles and makes a loose, free swing almost impossible. The 
present club, being balanced, alliviates the torque during the swing and 
allows the golfer to concentrate on the smoothness of his swing and, most 
important, ball contact, rather than struggling to hold the striking face 
of the club on a straight line. 
When the club head meets the ball, a twist or torque is introduced to the 
club shaft. The twist or torque on the shaft is increased when the ball is 
struck at a point not on the center portion of the striking face. The 
present alignment of the club shaft and club head minimizes the torque 
induced on the club shaft when the ball is hit at a point other than the 
center of the striking face and thereby minimizes the tendency of the ball 
to hook (turn right) or slice (turn left). 
The striking face of the present head has a plurality of parallel 
corrugations or continuous elongated protuberances thereon extending from 
the toe to the heel of the club head. The corrugations are positioned 
horizontal to the club head. Generally from about three to about six 
corrugations are useful and particularly useful are from four to five. 
Preferably one of the corrugations is positioned adjacent to the base of 
the club head and extends outward slightly more than the other 
corrugations. The corrugations generally range from about 1/64 inch to 
about 1/16 inch in height as measured from the club face. 
The base portion of the club head is equipped with a plurality of parallel 
corrugations, or runners, positioned in a plane perpendicular to the 
corrugations on the striking face and parallel to the direction that the 
club head would travel to strike a ball. 
The function of the corrugations on the striking face is to give a 
knuckle-like striking surface for ball contact and the runners on the base 
portion of the club head provide an aid to the golfer to keep the club 
head straight during ball contact.

Looking now at FIG. 1, club head 11 has a base portion 13. Base portion 13 
has a plurality of corrugations, or runners, 15 thereon extending from the 
front to the back of the club head. Club head 11 has a plane a--a' passing 
therethrough. Plane a--a' is positioned perpendicular to base portion 13 
and passes through the center 2 of gravity of club head 11. FIG. 1 also 
shows a second plane b--b' passing through club head 11. Plane b--b' may 
be used to align the club head and shaft in a more preferred alignment. 
Plane b--b' is positioned perpendicular to plane a--a' and as with plane 
a--a' passes through the center of gravity of club head 11. Shaft 17, 
partially shown, is attached to club head 11 in such a manner that center 
line 19 of shaft 17 intercepts plane a--a' within the confines of club 
head 11. Preferably the angle of intercept 4 is between about 30.degree. 
and about 60.degree., and more preferably between about 50.degree. and 
about 55.degree.. Excellent results are obtained when the angle is about 
53.degree.. Preferably center line 19 is contiguous to a line formed by 
the intersection of planes a--a' and b--b' and, in a most preferred 
embodiment, center line 19 is contiguous to the center of gravity of the 
club head. 
Runners 15 are positioned on base portion 13 of club head 11 to aid in 
maintaining the club head on a straight line during ball contact. The 
runners are expecially useful to stabilize the direction of the club head 
if the club comes in contact with the ground prior to hitting the ball. 
The mumber of runners is generally not critical. Usually from about two to 
about fifteen runners are used, however, from about five to about eight 
are usually sufficient to provide both a physical and a psychological aid 
for the golfer in maintaining a straight swing. Runners 15 usually are 
uniform in height and generally vary from about 1/64 inch to about 1/16 
inch as measured from base portion 13. A height of about 1/32 inch has 
been found to be practical and useful. The runners generally vary from 
about 1/8 inch to about 1/64 inch in width. A width of about 1/16 inch is 
particularly adapted to use. The spacing between the runners is not 
critical and generally spacings of between about 1/16 inch and about 1/2 
inch are used and found to be adequate. 
The toe portion, the portion furtherest from the shaft, of the striking 
face is tapered inward toward back portion of club head 11. At least about 
20%, and preferably about 40%, to about 50% of the striking face is so 
inwardly tapered. The angle of the taper, measured from the untapered 
portion of the striking face at the heel of the club head, generally 
ranges between about 6.degree. and about 12.degree.. An angle of about 
8.degree. has been found particularly adapted to use. 
The tapered portion and the untapered portion of the striking face may be 
considered as dividing the striking face into two general striking area, A 
and B. If the ball is struck in the area A nearest the center of the 
striking surface, which is the most ideal contact portion, maximum 
distance and little or no side spin will be imparted to the ball. If the 
ball is struck in the area of A nearer the heel of the club head, the 
flight of the ball will be slightly to the left (hook), but because of the 
alignment of the shaft and club head, no side spin will be imparted to the 
ball. If the ball is struck in the area of B slightly less distance will 
be obtained than if the ball were hit in area A. However, the ball will 
fly straight because the angle of the face, which normally would apply 
side spin making the ball fly to the left, is counteracted by the main 
force at the point of impact which is centralized in the club head, but is 
off-center to the ball. 
FIG. 2 is a side view of the club of FIG. 1 showing corrugations 21, 23, 25 
and 27 positioned on striking face 29. In a preferred embodiment one of 
the corrugations, 21 is positioned at the base of club head 11 and 
protrudes outwardly slightly further than the other corrugations. The 
extended corrugation at the bottom of the striking face acts as a scoop 
when the ball is hit. Striking face 29 of the club head is preferably 
tapered from the top to the bottom of the face at an angle of between 
about 10.degree. and 15.degree. and most preferred is an angle of between 
about 12.degree. and about 13.degree.. 
In use corrugation 21 acts as a scoop allowing the golfer to get under the 
ball with the lower and leading portion of the club head thereby giving 
the ball loft. Corrugations 23, 25 and 27 acts as knuckles. When a ball is 
hit these corrugations penetrate the ball providing maximum compression of 
the ball at the point of contact and thereby projecting the ball a maximum 
distance. 
Corrugations 23, 25 and 27 protrude from the striking face from about 1/64 
inch to about 1/8 inch and preferably about 1/32 inch. Although the 
leading edges of the corrugations may be square, best results are obtained 
when the edges are rounded or slightly rounded. The corrugations usually 
range in width from about 1/16 inch to about 1/4 inch in width and within 
that range widths of between about 1/8 inch and about 3/16 inch are aptly 
suited to use. The spacing between corrugations depends upon the number of 
corrugations utilized in the striking face. Spacings of between about 1/16 
inch and 1/4 inch have been found particularly useful to give the desired 
surface for contact with a golf ball. When striking face 29 is slightly 
rounded or bulged, corrugations 23, 25 and 27 act to apply a more 
concentrated penetration of the ball, preferably at a point above the 
center of the ball. This action tends to apply an overspin to the ball and 
results in greater distance in the air and longer roll after the ball hits 
the ground. 
The material of the club head and shaft are not critical to the present 
invention, and those materials generally used to fabricate golf equipment 
may be readily adapted to use with the present club, namely wood, plastic 
or metal for the club head, and wood, metal, plastic, graphite or 
fiberglass for the shaft. 
The invention described in the preceding specification includes in scope 
such modifications and/or equivalents as would be obvious substitutes to a 
person of skill in the art.