Abstract:
A golf club which comprises a shaft and an improved club head, the club head having a toe portion, a heel portion, a sole, a front face defined by a bottom edge adjacent the sole, a heel side edge and a toe side edge adjacent the heel and toe portions respectively, and a top edge, the front face having a recessed portion extending substantially between the heel side edge and the toe side edge. The recessed portion may have various configurations from concave to the combination of different planar surfaces.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to golf equipment and more particularly, relates to a novel golf club head designed to impart spin to a ball. 
     The field of golf clubs is replete with many structures designed to improve or render easier the hitting of a golf ball. Included among the proposals in the art are golf club heads with means for imparting a corrective spin or action to a golf ball when struck by the golf club. Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,059 issued to Alfred O. Stuss, Oct. 11, 1994, discloses a golf club head having plural grooves extending along their face in at least two nonparallel directions for the purpose of achieving a variety of different corrective actions to golf balls struck by the face of the club. The grooves are more specifically adapted to control backspin and skidding and also to compensate for toe and heel shots. U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,703 issued to Angelo Koumarianos, Feb. 25, 1992, discloses a golf club in which the ball engaging face of the club head has a rectangular central opening through which sand can pass during a stroke while the club is used as a sand wedge. Upper and lower flat rim surfaces are dimensioned, angled and spaced so as to contact the golf club at intermediate portions between the outer and inner edges of the rim surfaces. U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,076 issued to Richard Cella, Aug. 21, 1969, discloses a golf club having a blade face formed with a longitudinal edge which has a normal ball striking component of the golf club located above the center line of the ball in blade striking position and is thus capable on proper alignment with the ball of causing the latter to roll with minimal deviation towards its target. On the reverse side of the blade there is provided a secondary ball striking edge located below the center line of the ball. 
     Many of the prior art structures are directed specifically towards a putter type of club to be used on or around the green. As will be appreciated, it is desirable to provide a golf club wherein the risk of hooking or slicing the golf ball is minimized and particularly when used by the average golfer. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a golf club which provides a desired spin to the golf ball when struck thereby. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved golf club head which may be utilized to impart backspin to the ball. 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a golf club which comprises a shaft and a club head, the club head having a toe portion, a heel portion, a sole, a front face defined by a bottom edge adjacent to the sole, first and second side edges adjacent the heel and toe portions respectively of the club head, and a top edge, the front face having a recessed portion extending substantially between the first and second side edges. 
     In a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a golf club comprising a shaft and a club head, the club head having a toe portion, a heel portion, a sole, a front face defined by a bottom edge adjacent the sole, a heel side edge and a toe side edge adjacent the heel and toe portions respectively of the club head, and a top edge, the front face having a recessed portion defined by a first front face portion extending rearwardly from a position proximate the sole towards the back face with respect to a plane extending between the sole and the top edge, and a second front face portion extending rearwardly from a position proximate the top edge towards the back face with respect to the plane, the front face having a protuberance extending substantially parallel to the sole, the protuberance having a generally convex configuration and being located proximate the top edge, the protuberance extending substantially between the heel side edge and the toe side edge. 
     The golf club of the present invention may take any conventional form and method of manufacture insofar as the connection between the club head and the shaft. The unique features lie in the particular configuration of the front face of the club head. As such, there may be provided conventional means for securing the club head to a shaft by means of a suitable hosel and the shaft may be formed of any suitable material such as graphite, stainless steel, etc. A suitable handle may be provided on the end of the shaft as is conventional. 
     Similarly, the front face may be provided with suitable friction imparting means such as relatively small grooves and/or a rough surface on the face. 
     Although the front face may take various configurations in terms of the overall size and shape, the front face is preferably of a generally conventional outline. It is, however, preferred that the front face be sized such that the ball will complete close to a full rotation on the front face. As such, it would have a surface length approximating at least the circumference of a golf ball which is normally approximately 44 mm. Thus, a surface height of between 35-55 mm would be appropriate. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Having thus generally described the invention, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings illustrating embodiments thereof, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf club head according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevational view thereof; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the golf club head illustrating the motion imparted to a golf ball upon impact with the club head; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a left-hand golf club according to the present invention having a configuration similar to that of the right-hand golf club head of FIGS. 1 to  3 ; 
     FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a left-hand golf club having a modified recessed portion on the front face thereof; 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a further embodiment of a recessed portion on the front face of the club head; 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a further embodiment of a recessed portion on the front face of the club head; 
     FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of a further embodiment of a recessed portion on the front face of the club head; 
     FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of a further embodiment of a recessed portion on the front face of the club head; 
     FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of a further embodiment of a recessed portion on the front face of the club head; 
     FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of a further embodiment of a recessed portion on the front face of the club head; 
     FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of a further embodiment of a recessed portion on the front face of the club head; 
     FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of a further embodiment of a recessed portion on the front face of the club head; 
     FIG. 14 is a front elevational view of a still further embodiment of a golf club head according to the present invention; and 
     FIG. 15 is a front elevational view of a still further embodiment of a golf club head according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings in greater detail and by reference characters thereto, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a golf club head generally designated by reference numeral  10  and which golf club bead  10  is connected to a shaft  12  by means of a hosel  14  in a substantially conventional manner. 
     Golf club head  10  includes a bottom sole  16  which extends between the club head toe generally designated by reference numeral  18  and the club head heel generally designated by reference numeral  20 . Club head  10  also includes a top edge  22 , a side edge  24  at toe  18  and a side edge  26  at heel  20 . 
     Club head  10  also has a front face generally designated by reference numeral  28  and a back face  30 . Front face  28  includes a plurality of grooves  32  in a substantially conventional arrangement. 
     Front face  28 , as may be best seen in FIG. 3, has a recessed portion which extends inwardly towards back face  30  with respect to a plane extending between top edge  22  and sole  16 . In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3, the recessed portion is of a generally concave configuration. 
     In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to  3 , there is provided a protuberance  34  which is of a generally convex configuration and which is located proximate top edge  22  and extends in a line generally parallel to sole  16 . Protuberance  34  extends from toe side edge  24  to a point proximate heel side edge  26 . 
     In use, a golf ball  38 , as best seen in FIG. 3, when hit in a conventional manner with club head  10  such that a lower portion of front face  28  contacts golf ball  38 , will cause golf ball  38  to &lt;&lt;roll up&gt;&gt; front face  28  and due to the grooves  32  and/or other conventional friction creating means, will impart a spin as indicated by arrows  36 . It will be noted that as golf ball  38  reaches a point adjacent top edge  22 , it will contact protuberance  34  which will further accelerate the rotation of golf ball  38  prior to its separation from club head  10 . 
     As previously mentioned, the distance between sole  16  and top edge  22  preferably approximates the circumference of a golf ball—i.e. approximately 44 mm. As will be seen from FIG. 3, the spin imparted to the golf ball is that normally referred to as &lt;&lt;backspin&gt;&gt; which normally implies that the ball will attain a greater height and stop relatively quickly upon impact with the ground. 
     Various configurations for the recessed portion are possible and reference will now be made to FIGS. 4 to  15  illustrating some of the possible embodiments according to the present invention. 
     In FIG. 4, there is illustrated a club head  10  which is of a left-hand configuration, but otherwise identical to that shown in FIGS. 1 to  3 . As shown in this figure, front face  28  is of a concave outline and has a curvature as indicated by arrow  40  which is of a substantially uniform radius. 
     In the embodiment of FIG. 5, front face  28  has a first lower arcuate segment indicated by arrow  44  which is of a first radius and a second upper arcuate segment indicated by arrow  46  of a differing larger radius compared to the lower segment. 
     In the embodiment of FIG. 6, golf club head  10  has a recessed portion which is opposite to that shown in FIG.  5 —i.e. there is a first lower arcuate segment indicated by arrow  48  having a larger radius compared to a second lower arcuate segment indicated by arrow  50  which has a smaller radius. 
     In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, golf club head  10  has a lower arcuate segment indicated by arrow  54  which connects to an upper straight or flat segment indicated by arrow  56 . 
     In the embodiment of FIG. 8, golf club head  10  has a lower straight segment shown by arrow  60  which merges with an arcuate upper segment indicated by arrow  62 . 
     FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment wherein golf club head  10  has a lower straight segment indicated by arrow  66  which connects to an upper straight segment indicated by arrow  68 , with the angles between the segments being designated by angle. In the embodiment of FIG. 10, golf club head  10  has a lower relatively short straight or flat segment indicated by arrow  72  and an upper relatively long straight or flat segment indicated by arrow  74 . 
     FIG. 11 illustrates a reverse embodiment to that shown in FIG.  10 —there is provided a lower relatively long straight segment indicated by arrow  78  and a shorter upper straight or flat segment indicated by arrow  80 . 
     FIG. 12 illustrates an embodiment wherein golf club head  10  has a front face  28  which is formed of five straight or flat segments  84 , each segment  84  being of a substantially identical height. 
     In FIG. 13, the arrangement is similar to that of FIG. 12 in that golf club head  10  has a front face  28  defined by ten relatively short straight or flat segments  88  when the segments become small enough, this configuration approaches the concave configuration previously described in FIG.  4 . 
     Variations of the above embodiments are illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15. In the embodiment of FIG. 14, there is provided a pair of triangularly shaped flat sections  92  divided by a concave portion  94  which extends diagonally across front face  28  of golf club head  10  from proximate the point of juncture of sole  16  and heel side edge  26  to a point proximate the point of juncture of top edge  22  and toe side edge  24 . 
     The reverse configuration is illustrated in FIG. 15 wherein flat sections  96  are separated by a concave portion  98  which extends diagonally upwardly from proximate the point of juncture of toe side edge  24  and sole  16  to proximate the point of juncture of top edge  22  and heel side edge  26 . 
     It will be seen from the above that many different arrangements are possible to provide a recessed portion within front face  28 . These embodiments are intended for illustration of the possibilities and it will be understood that further modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.