Golf club sets

Abstract: A set of golf club heads which utilizes progressively longer hosel lengths (12) for the purpose of enlarging the main body of the clubhead and/or redistributing weight within the main body of the clubhead. The hosel length (12) may progress from a very short hosel on the lowest lofted clubhead (1, DRIVER) to a conventional length hosel on the highest lofted clubhead (SW, 7WOOD). By reducing the length of the hosel, weight is made available that can be used to enlarge the size of the clubhead and/or redistribute weight within the main body of the clubhead.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to golf clubheads, and in particular to golf clubheads having varying hosel lengths in order to achieve optimum clubhead size and weight distribution within the main body of the clubhead. The hosel portion of a golf club is the tubular shaped member which connects the head portion of the club to the shaft portion of the club. Hosels are generally all the same length, i.e., they do not vary from club to club within a set. Golf club irons are designed with varying degrees of loft, ranging from a minimum of about 15° for a number 1 iron to a maximum of about 60° for a wedge type club. Golf clubs also vary in length. Golf club woods are designed with varying degrees of loft ranging from about 8° to about 27°. The different degrees of loft and length help to control the trajectory and distance a golf ball is hit. With reference to Fig. 1, a golf club iron includes a blade member 2 having a toe portion 4, a top ridge 6, a bottom sole portion 8 and a heel portion 10. Extending from the heel portion region of the clubhead is a hosel portion 12 adapted to receive and be retained on a shaft member (not shown). The clubhead is provided with a substantially flat surface 16, having therein a center of percussion 18, which is the spot ideally adapted to engage a golf ball at impact, and a rear surface having a perimeter defining a cavity. One of the problems associated with the less lofted clubs is that the size of those clubs has generally been restricted by the head weight. The less lofted iron clubheads are typically the lightest weight because they will be cut to the longest overall club length and must still be within an acceptable swing weight range. These restrictions have thus far dictated that the size of the main body of the less lofted iron clubheads remain very small volumetrically. It is desirable to increase the size of the main body of the less lofted clubs in order to make them easier to hit. It is also desirable to provide more of an impact on the actual distribution of weight within the normal golf clubhead shape or profile. The optimum weight distribution system of an iron type golf clubhead is one in which the optimum amount of weight is positioned toward the toe area of the head on the less lofted clubs and progressively shifts toward the heel area of the head on the more lofted clubs. Placement of the weight in these positions helps eliminate the average golfer's natural tendency to hit the ball to the right when using the less lofted clubs, and hit the ball to the left when using the more lofted clubs. Efforts to move or redistribute enough weight to produce a significant impact in this area have not been completely successful because there is simply not enough material or mass contained within the main body of the conventional clubhead profile which could be moved or redistributed to effectively achieve the optimum results. One attempt at improvement in this area has been the use of hosels of varying lengths to permit redistribution of weight within the main body of the clubhead. U.S. Patent No. 4,715,601 to Lamanna discloses the use of hosels of varying lengths to achieve a relatively constant center of percussion for the set of lofted clubs. Lamanna discloses a design for clubs in which the hosel portions of the clubs progress in length as the loft increases, with the standard or conventional length hosel on the lowest lofted club and the longest, or longer than conventional length hosel, on the highest lofted club. As the clubhead weight increases from the lower lofted irons to the higher lofted irons, the weight of the hosel portion also increases. Therefore, the center of mass is maintained at a relatively constant location in relation to the blade portion of the clubhead and the planar face of the blade portion. Thus, Lamanna discloses that the location of center of mass remains relatively constant for all of the various lofted clubs. GB-A-2230196 relates to a set of irons designed to enable the player to align the club visibly for minimising the risk of slicing the ball, wherein the head face has indicator score lines and the head and shaft are offset by a goose distance which increases as the shaft length increases, whereby the toe profile is such that weight distribution of the head body is towards the toe side so that the moment of inertia of the head body is increased, and optionally the head has a neck which is decreased in length as the shaft length increases whereby the moment of inertia increases with shaft length. As mentioned above, it is desirable to have a set of golf clubs in which the center of mass shifts, with the optimum amount of weight toward the toe area on the less lofted clubs shifting progressively toward the heel on the more lofted club. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a set of golf clubs in which the size of the main body of the less lofted clubs is increased to make them easier to hit. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a set of golf clubs having more of an impact on the actual distribution of weight within the normal golf clubhead shape or profile. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a golf clubhead in which the optimum amount of weight is moved toward the toe area of the head on the less lofted clubs with the weight shifting progressively toward the heel area of the head on the more lofted clubs. This locates the center of gravity of each clubhead in an optimum position. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a golf club which will help eliminate the average golfer's natural tendency to hit the ball to the right when using the less lofted clubs and hit the ball to the left when using the more lofted clubs. The invention achieves the objectives set forth above by providing a set of golf clubs which utilizes progressively longer hosel lengths for the purpose of enlarging the main body of the clubhead and/or redistributing weight within the main body of the clubhead. The hosel length progresses from a very short hosel of less than about 5 cm (2 inches) for the lowest lofted club to, for instance, about 6.7 cm (2⅝ inches) (iron) or about 7.9 cm (3⅛ inches) (wood) for the highest lofted club. By reducing the length of the hosel, weight is made available that can be used to enlarge the size of the clubhead and/or redistribute weight within the main body of the clubhead. Specifically, the overall size of the number 1 iron can be increased to that of a number 3 iron, with the size of the sand wedge remaining standard and all clubs in between progressing in size in order to maintain continuity in the set. The increase in size of the main body of the clubhead makes the club easier to hit. The extra weight may also be redistributed around the perimeter of the cavity in order to shift the center of gravity to the optimum position to maximize the distance and direction when striking a golf ball. In the less lofted clubs, the weight is redistributed toward the toe area and then moves back progressively toward the heel in the more lofted clubs. The above and other features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and combination of parts, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular devices embodying the invention are shown by way of illustration only and not as limitations of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which is shown an illustrative embodiment of the invention from which its novel features and advantages will be apparent. In the drawings: FIG. 1 shows a golf iron clubhead; FIG. 2 shows a back view of set of golf iron clubheads according to the invention; FIG. 3 shows a front view of a set of golf club irons according to the invention; FIG. 4 shows a side view comparison of the varying hosel lengths according to the invention; FIG. 5 shows a front view of golf club woods according to the invention; FIG. 6 shows a blind bore section of a hosel; and FIG. 7 shows a golf club wood having an enlarged face. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings, and particularly Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the illustrative golf clubhead includes a blade member 2 having a toe portion 4, a top ridge portion 6, a bottom sole portion 8 and a heel portion 10. Extending from the heel portion region of the clubhead is a hosel portion 12 adapted to receive and be retained on a shaft member (not shown). The clubhead is provided with a substantially flat surface 16, having therein a center of percussion 18, which is the spot ideally adapted to engage a golf ball at impact, and a rear surface 20 having a perimeter 22 defining a cavity 24. Figs. 2-4 show a set of clubs including irons numbers 1-9 and the pitching wedge and sand wedge. The hosel length of the number 1 iron is reduced from the standard length of 6.7 cm (2⅝") to 3.5 cm (1⅜"), and the length of each hosel progresses 0.3 cm (⅛") per club to a conventional 6.7 cm (2⅝") length on the sand wedge. Fig. 4 shows a side view comparison of the hosel lengths for each iron. The hosel offsets progress from 0.70 cm (0.276") on the number 1 iron to 0.19 cm (0.076") on the sand wedge, thereby giving the appearance of a straight or conventional blade on the short irons. (" = inches). The leading edge 30 of the clubhead is straight or without toe-to-heel radius. The leading edge 30 may be radiused or rolled in the direction from the bottom of the face to the sole. There is no indentation where the leading edge blends into the hosel from the number 8 iron through to the sand wedge. In a first embodiment, the weight made available from reducing the size of the hosel 12 is used to enlarge the size of the clubhead. For example, the overall size of the number 1 iron is increased to that of a conventional number 3 iron. The overall size of the sand wedge remains conventional and all clubs in between progress in size in order to maintain continuity in the set. By reducing the length of the number 1 iron hosel from its normal length of 6.7 cm (2⅝") to approximately 3.5 cm (1⅜"), approximately 35 grams of weight are removed which may be used to increase the size of the main body. As an example, in a typical set of golf club irons, the head weight specification increases 7 grams per club number, i.e. a normal number 1 iron head weight specification is 232 grams, the number 2 iron head weight is 239 grams, etc. By reducing the hosel length on the number 1 iron and utilizing a very thin (0.3 cm) (⅛") blind bore hosel configuration, as shown in Fig. 6, approximately 35 grams of weight can be redistributed over the main body of the clubhead. That excess weight makes it possible to produce a number 1 iron with a main body size which is volumetrically similar to that of a conventional number 3 iron. Once the main body of the iron is increased to the size of a number 3 iron, the sand wedge remains at a standard size and all club members in between are progressional. Fig. 6 shows a blind bore section of a hosel. The oval 44 represents the angle cut inside the bore. The dotted lines represent the hosel bore 46, and the area 42 between the oval 44 and the sole 8 is the blind bore section. As the hosel length increases by 0.3 cm (⅛") per club number, the blind bore section located at the base of the hosel will also increase or get thicker by an additional 0.3 cm (⅛") per club number, or in other words, the hosel bore depth remains constant at 3.2 cm (1¼") throughout the set for the number 1 iron through to the sand wedge due to the progressively increasing blind bore section. In order to accomplish this, the tips of the shafts used on the short hosel clubs, i.e. the numbers 1 to 4 irons, are cut at exact matching angles to fit properly. This procedure also creates a mechanical locking device thus improving the aspect of clubhead to shaft bonding. The invention is applicable to woods as well as irons because the same features are desired on both, i.e. maximum enlargement of the main body of the less lofted clubheads. Fig. 5 shows a front view of the varying hosel lengths for the driver and numbers 1, 3, 5 and 7 woods. Approximate physical dimensions of the progressive length hosel theory of head main body enlargement are outlined below, in which all of the hosels have a blind bore section: WOODS For a constant Hosel Bore Depth of about 3.8 cm (1½"):- Club No. Overall Hosel Length - cm Shaft Stopping Distance From Clubhead Sole - cm 1 4.1 (1⅝") 0.3 (⅛") 3 5.4 (2⅛") 1.6 (⅝") 5 6.7 (2⅝") 2.9 (1⅛") 7 7.9 (3⅛") 4.1 (1⅝") IRONS For a constant Hosel Bore Depth of about 3.2 cm (1¼"):- Club No. Overall Hosel Length - cm Blind Bore Solid Thickness From Clubhead Sole - cm 1 3.5 (1⅜") 0.3 (⅛") 2 3.8 (1½") 0.6 (¼") 3 4.1 (1⅝") 0.9 (⅜") 4 4.5 (1¾") 1.3 (½") 5 4.8 (1⅞") 1.6 (⅝") 6 5.1 (2") 1.9 (¾) 7 5.4 (2⅛") 2.2 (⅞") 8 5.7 (2¼") 2.5 (1") 9 6.1 (2⅜") 2.9 (1⅛") PW 6.4 (2½") 3.2 (1¼") SW 6.7 (2⅝") 3.5 (1⅜") In a second embodiment, the weight available from reducing the hosel length on the less lofted clubs is used to redistribute the weight within the main body of the clubhead. As mentioned above, by reducing the hosel length to approximately 3.5 cm (1⅜") and utilizing a very thin 0.3 cm (⅛") blind bore type hosel configuration, approximately 35 grams of weight can be removed from the heel section of the clubhead which can then be redistributed to the toe area of the head, thus greatly impacting the center of percussion or weight distribution of the head. The 35 grams of mass is moved to the toe area of the number 1 iron. The mass can be gradually moved back toward the heel area of the clubhead by increasing the length of the hosel by 0.3 cm (⅛") per club until the conventional 6.7 cm (2⅝") overall hosel length is achieved on the sand wedge. The weight which is removed from the hosel area may be redistributed around the perimeter of the cavity. Weight may be positioned low in the sole and toward the toe on the less lofted irons and progress toward the heel on the more lofted irons. This dramatically increases the toe/heel weighting aspect within the main body of the clubhead. The hosel length and blind bore thickness relationships through the clubhead set and the clubhead/shaft mechanical locking feature described hereinbefore in relation to the first embodiment are applicable also to the second and other embodiments of the invention. The second embodiment also is applicable to woods as well as irons because the same distribution of weight features are desired on both, i.e. the optimum amount of weight located toward the toe on the less lofted clubs (i.e. the driver and the number 1 iron) is progressively moved toward the heel on the more lofted clubs (number 7 wood and sand wedge). As an alternative, a wood clubhead with a conventionally sized main body can be improved by redistributing weight from the hosel 12 to the face area 32. By extending the face height, an enlarged hitting surface is created utilizing a high lip 34 across the topline of the face 38, as shown in Fig. 7. This face extension or lip 34 is highest on the less lofted clubs (or driver) progressively decreasing in size on the more lofted clubs (or 7 wood). Approximate physical dimensions of the progressive length hosel theory of weight distribution are similar to those tabulated hereinbefore in relation to the first embodiment. In a third embodiment, the weight made from reducing the length of the hosel is used both to increase the size of the clubheads and to shift the weight toward the toe on the less lofted clubs and toward the heel on the highest lofted clubs. Approximate physical dimensions of clubheads embodying those features are outlined below: IRONS Club No. Loft Hosel Length cm Hosel Offset cm 1 14-16° 3.49 (1.375") 0.70 (0.276") 2 17-19° 3.81 (1.500") 0.65 (0.256") 3 20-22° 4.13 (1.625") 0.60 (0.236") 4 23-25° 4.45 (1.750") 0.55 (0.216") 5 27-29° 4.76 (1.875") 0.50 (0.196") 6 31-33° 5.08 (2.000") 0.44 (0.175") 7 35-37° 5.40 (2.125") 0.40 (0.156") 8 39-41° 5.72 (2.250") 0.35 (0.136") 9 43-45° 6.03 (2.375") 0.30 (0.116") PW 49-51° 6.35 (2.500") 0.24 (0.096") SW 54-56° 6.67 (2.625") 0.19 (0.076") Club No. Toe Height cm Heel Height cm Finished Head Weight 1 5.24 (2.063") 2.54 (1.000") 227 g 2 5.32 (2.094") 2.62 (1.031") 234 g 3 5.40 (2.125") 2.70 (1.063") 241 g 4 5.48 (2.156") 2.78 (1.094") 248 g 5 5.56 (2.188") 2.86 (1.125") 255 g 6 5.64 (2.219") 2.94 (1.156") 262 g 7 5.72 (2.250") 3.02 (1.188") 269 g 8 5.79 (2.281") 3.10 (1.219") 276 g 9 5.88 (2.313") 3.18 (1.250") 283 g PW 5.95 (2.344") 3.25 (1.281") 290 g SW 5.95 (2.344") 3.34 (1.313") 297 g Blade Length = 7.30 cm (2.875"); Hosel Bore Depth = 3.2 cm (1.25"); Hosel Bore Internal Diameter = 0.90 cm (0.355") at bottom to 0.92 cm (0.364") at exit point, or tapered tip; Hose Outside Diameter = 1.37 cm (0.540"); Sole Radius = 25 cm (10"); Sole Width (center) = from 1.7 cm (0.675") for no. 1 iron to 2.22 cm (0.875") for sand wedge; Toe Radius = 7.6 cm (3"); Top Toe Radius = 1.11 cm (0.438"); Bottom Toe Radius = 1.91 cm (0.750"); Heel Radius = 1.91 cm (0.750"); Neck Radius = 0.64 cm (0.250"); Top Line Thickness = 0.56 cm (0.220") radiused. WOODS Club No. Head Weight Lie Angle Loft 1 195 g 54° 9.5° or 10.5° 3 203 g 55° 15° 5 210 g 56° 20° 7 217 g 57° 23° It is to be noted that the dimensions for the remaining woods follow in progression. For example, the head weight of the number 2 wood is approximately 198-199 g; the head weight of the number 4 wood is approximately 213.5 g; etc. Of course these instanced dimensions are merely typical examples. For instance, a preferred head weight for the least lofted wood may be in a range of about 195 g to 198 g and a related preferred head weight for the highest lofted wood may be in a range of about 214 g to 220 g. It is to be understood that the present invention is by no means limited to the particular constructions herein disclosed and/or shown in the drawings, but also comprises any modifications or equivalents within the scope of the disclosure.

Claims: A set of golf club iron heads, each head having a hosel (12) for connecting the head to a club shaft, wherein the heads range in loft from a minimum of approximately 14° for a least lofted head to a maximum of approximately 56° for a highest lofted head and wherein the lengths of the hosels (12) increase progressively in a range of from less than 5 cm (2 inches) for the least lofted head to 6.7 cm (2⅝ inches) for the highest lofted head, and wherein weight is positioned toward the toe (4) and the sole (8) on the least lofted head and is positioned progressively toward the heel (10) as the loft of the heads increases, with more weight positioned toward the heel (10) of the highest lofted head, whereby the center of gravity is shifted in the set to an optimum ball-striking location for each head. A set according to Claim 1, wherein the lengths of the hosels (12) increase progressively from 3.5 cm (1⅜ inches) for the least lofted head to 6.7 cm (2⅝ inches) for the highest lofted head. A set according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the size of the main body of the least lofted head is the same as that of the main body of the head of a conventional number 3 iron. A set according to Claim 3 comprising a sand wedge head having a highest loft and a conventional size, wherein the sizes of the main body of the heads between the least lofted head and the sand wedge head progress in size as the loft increases. A set according to any of the preceding Claims, wherein each head has a blind bore section (42) located at a base of the hosel, and the thickness of the blind bore section on the least lofted head is 0.3 cm (⅛ inch). A set according to Claim 5, wherein the thickness of the blind bore section (42) increases by 0.3 cm (⅛ inch) as the overall hosel length increases by 0.3 cm (⅛ inch), for each head in the set, as the loft increases. A set according to any of the preceding Claims, wherein the weight of the least lofted head is approximately 277 g and the weight of each head in the set increases by approximately 7 g as the heads increase in loft. A set of golf club wood heads, each head having a hosel (12) for connecting the head to a club shaft, wherein the heads range in loft from a minimum of approximately 9.5° for a least lofted head to a maximum of approximately 23° for a highest lofted head, and wherein the lengths of the hosels (12) increase progressively in a range of from less than 5 cm (2 inches) for the least lofted head to 7.9 cm (3⅛ inches) for the highest lofted head, and wherein weight is positioned toward the toe (4) of the least lofted head and is positioned progressively toward the heel (10) as the loft of the heads increases, with more weight positioned toward the heel (10) of the highest lofted head, whereby the center of gravity is shifted in the set to an optimum ball-striking location for each head. A set according to Claim 8, wherein the lengths of the hosels (12) increase progressively from 4.1 cm (1⅝ inches) for the least lofted head to 7.9 cm (3⅛ inches) for the highest lofted head. A set of golf club woods according to Claim 8 or 9 wherein the weight of the least lofted head is in a range of about 195 g to 198 g and the weight of the highest lofted head is in a range of about 214 g to 220 g. A set according to any of Claims 8 to 10, wherein each head has a blind bore (42) with a shaft stop at a base of the hosel (12) and the thickness of the blind bore (42) of the least lofted head is 0.3 cm (⅛ inch). A set according to any of Claims 8 to 11, wherein each head has a face extension (34) extending above the face (32) of the head, with the extension (34) being highest on the least lofted head and progressively decreasing in size as the loft of the heads increases. A set according to any of Claims 8 to 12, wherein the weight of the least lofted head is approximately 195 g and the weight of each head in the set increases progressively as the heads increase in loft. A set of golf club irons comprising at least part of a set of heads according to any of Claims 1 to 7 with the hosel (12) of each head connected to a club shaft. A set of golf club woods comprising at least part of a set of heads according to any of Claims 8 to 13 with the hosel (12) of each head connected to a club shaft. A set of golf clubs according to Claim 14 or 15 wherein the hosel (12) of at least one of the heads has a blind bore (42) with an angled face (44) and the tip of the shaft is cut to have a matching angle, whereby a mechanical lock is created by mating of the shaft tip with the blind bore face (44).

Inventors: CHAPPELL CHRIS, CHAPPELL, CHRIS
Applicants: DUNLOP LTD, DUNLOP LIMITED
Application year: 1993
Main classification: A63B53
IPC codes: A63B53