US20240082660A1 - Golf club head with textured striking face - Google Patents
Golf club head with textured striking face Download PDFInfo
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- US20240082660A1 US20240082660A1 US18/512,700 US202318512700A US2024082660A1 US 20240082660 A1 US20240082660 A1 US 20240082660A1 US 202318512700 A US202318512700 A US 202318512700A US 2024082660 A1 US2024082660 A1 US 2024082660A1
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- club head
- golf club
- striking face
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- toe
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Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B53/00—Golf clubs
- A63B53/04—Heads
- A63B53/047—Heads iron-type
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B53/00—Golf clubs
- A63B53/04—Heads
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B53/00—Golf clubs
- A63B53/04—Heads
- A63B53/047—Heads iron-type
- A63B2053/0479—Wedge-type clubs, details thereof
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B53/00—Golf clubs
- A63B53/04—Heads
- A63B53/0408—Heads characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B53/00—Golf clubs
- A63B53/04—Heads
- A63B53/0445—Details of grooves or the like on the impact surface
Definitions
- This disclosure relates generally to the field of golf clubs. More particularly, it relates to a golf club head with a textured striking face.
- a common goal of golf club head design is to create a striking face for the club head that imparts significant spin to a struck golf ball.
- the striking face of such a club head typically has a plurality of parallel horizontal grooves or scorelines. These scorelines assist in imparting spin at least by channeling water and debris as well as by increasing the friction between the striking face and the surface of the golf ball. Further improvements in the spin-imparting characteristics of club head striking faces have included the provision of low-scale surface textures in addition to, or in place of, the conventional scorelines.
- a ball hit with a club having a conventional club head that is swung at a specific speed would have different degrees of spin depending on whether the ball is squarely addressed by the club face or hit with an open club face, and also depending on where on the striking face the golf ball is struck, e.g., a mishit or a solidly struck shot.
- Other conditions such as moisture on the club face and/or the ball, and whether the ball is struck with a full swing, half swing, or chip-type swing of the club, can affect the degree of spin imparted to the ball.
- Ra represents the average of deviations from a mean line over a 2-dimensional sample length of a surface.
- Rz represents the maximum average peak-to-trough distance in a given two-dimensional sample length of the surface.
- a textured striking face for a golf club head has been sought that imparts a high degree of spin to the ball for a wide variety of golf shots under a wide variety of conditions, that has good wear characteristics, that complies with USGA rules, that is easily manufactured, and that increases the golfer's confidence as the result of its visual appearance.
- the present disclosure provides a golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises: a loft greater than 15 degrees; a heel portion; a toe portion; a sole portion; a top portion; and a striking face.
- the striking face in turn comprises a striking face periphery; a plurality of scorelines, wherein a first virtual vertical plane is perpendicular to the striking face and passes through a toe-wardmost extent of the scorelines and a second virtual vertical plane is parallel to the first virtual vertical plane and passes through a heel-wardmost extent of the scorelines; a central region bounded by the first virtual vertical plane, the second virtual vertical plane, and the striking face periphery, the central region having a first average surface roughness Ra 1 of between about 40 ⁇ in and about 180 ⁇ in; and a toe region bounded by the first vertical plane and the striking face periphery, a majority of the toe region being textured to have a second average surface roughness Ra 2 no less than 1.5 times Ra 1 .
- the present disclosure also provides a golf club head comprising: a loft greater than 15 degrees; a heel portion; a toe portion; a sole portion; a top portion; and a striking face.
- the striking face in turn comprises a face center; a virtual circular central region centered at the face center, having a radius no less than 10 mm, and a first average surface roughness Ra 1 no greater than about 180 ⁇ in; and a virtual circular periphery region located entirely peripheral to the central region and having a radius no less than 10 mm, the periphery region having a second average roughness Ra 2 no less than 270 ⁇ in.
- These advantageous golf club heads may be produced by a manufacturing method according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure.
- This method comprises (a) providing an intermediate golf club head body that, when oriented in a reference position, has a heel portion, a toe portion, a top portion, a bottom portion, and a striking face having a striking face periphery; (b) texturing a first region of the striking face to exhibit a first average surface roughness Ra 1 of no less than 270 ⁇ in by surface milling the first region in a first pass; and (c) texturing a second region of the striking face subsequent to step (b), the second region exhibiting a second average surface roughness Ra 2 that is less than Ra 1 .
- any disclosed range encompasses a disclosure of each and every sub-range thereof.
- the range of 1-5 encompasses a disclosure of at least 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5, 3-4, 3-5, and 4-5.
- the end points of any disclosed range encompass a disclosure of those exact end points as well as of values at approximately or at about those endpoints.
- FIG. 1 A shows a front elevation view of an exemplary golf club head in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 1 B shows a toe-side elevation view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 A .
- FIG. 2 A shows a detailed, front elevation view of a portion of the golf club head of FIG. 1 A .
- FIG. 2 B shows another detailed, front elevation view of a portion of the golf club head of FIG. 1 A .
- FIG. 2 C shows yet another detailed, front elevation view of a portion of the golf club head of FIG. 1 A .
- FIG. 3 A shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the golf club head of FIG. 2 A taken through the plane 3 A- 3 A.
- FIG. 3 B shows a detailed view of a portion of the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3 A .
- FIG. 4 A shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the golf club head of FIG. 2 A taken through the plane 4 A- 4 A.
- FIG. 4 B shows a detailed view of a portion of the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 A .
- FIG. 5 shows a flow chart detailing methods of forming a textured striking surface on a golf club head in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.
- FIGS. 6 A- 6 C show front elevation views of a golf club head that illustrate certain steps of the methods of FIG. 5 .
- FIGS. 6 D- 6 F show front elevation views of a golf club head that illustrate certain steps of the methods of FIG. 5 .
- FIG. 7 shows a front elevation view of an exemplary golf club head in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 8 shows a flow chart detailing a portion of a method of forming a textured striking surface of the golf club head of FIG. 7 .
- FIG. 9 A shows a detailed view of a portion 9 A of the golf club head of FIG. 7 .
- FIG. 9 B shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the golf club head of FIG. 9 A taken through the plane 9 B- 9 B.
- FIG. 10 shows a front elevation view of an exemplary golf club head in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 11 shows a flow chart detailing a portion of a method of forming a textured striking surface of the golf club head of FIG. 10 .
- FIG. 12 A shows a detailed view of a portion 12 A of the golf club head of FIG. 10 .
- FIG. 12 B shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the golf club head of FIG. 12 A taken through the plane 12 B- 12 B.
- FIG. 13 shows a front elevation view of an exemplary golf club head in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 14 shows a plot of roughness consistency for various offsets.
- FIGS. 1 A and 1 B Shown in FIGS. 1 A and 1 B is a golf club head 100 , which may be bounded by a toe 102 , a heel 104 opposite the toe 102 , a top line 106 , and a sole 108 opposite the top line 106 .
- the club head 100 may include, adjacent to the toe 102 , a toe region 110 , and adjacent to the heel 104 , it may further possess a heel region 112 .
- a hosel 120 for securing the club head 100 to an associated shaft may extend from the heel region 112 , and the hosel 120 may in turn define a virtual central hosel axis 122 .
- the club head 100 may further include a striking face 130 at a front portion thereof and a rear face 138 opposite to the striking face 130 .
- the striking face 130 is the substantially planar exterior surface part of the front portion that generally conforms to a virtual striking face plane 132 and that is arranged to contact a golf ball at a factory-designated loft angle 134 taken between the striking face plane 132 and the central hosel axis 122 .
- the striking face 130 may include a face center 136 that is equidistant between the uppermost point 137 of the striking face 130 and the lowermost point 139 of the striking face 130 as well as equidistant between the heelward-most point of the striking face 130 and the toeward-most point of the striking face 130 .
- the striking face 130 may be formed with surface features that increase traction between the striking face 130 and a struck golf ball to ensure both good contact with the ball (for example, in wet conditions) and impart a degree of spin to the ball, e.g., for stability in flight or to better control a struck golf ball once it has returned to the ground by way of backspin. Included in these surface features may be a grid of substantially parallel horizontal grooves or scorelines 150 as well as other surface features that form a texture pattern and will be shown and described in detail below.
- the golf club head 100 is shown in FIGS. 1 A and 1 B as being in the “reference position.”
- “reference position” denotes a position of a golf club head, e.g., the club head 100 , in which the sole 108 of the club head 100 contacts a virtual ground plane 140 such that the hosel axis 122 of the hosel 120 lies in a virtual vertical hosel plane 124 and the scorelines 150 are oriented horizontally relative to the ground plane 140 .
- all club head dimensions described herein are taken with the club head 100 in the reference position.
- the golf club head 100 that includes the above-mentioned surface features that increase traction is therefore preferably of an iron or a wedge type, although it could be a putter-type club head.
- the loft angle 134 may be at least 15 degrees and preferably between 23 and 64 degrees. Even more preferably, the loft angle 134 may be between 40 and 62 degrees, and yet even more preferably, this loft angle 134 may be between 46 and 62 degrees.
- the golf club head 100 may preferably be formed of a metal, e.g., titanium, steel, stainless steel, or alloys thereof. More preferably, the main body of the club head 100 may be formed of 431 stainless steel or 8620 stainless steel. The main body of the club head 100 may be integrally or unitarily formed, or the main body may be formed of plural components that are welded, co-molded, brazed, or adhesively secured together or otherwise permanently associated with each other, as is understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, the golf club head 100 may be formed of a main body of a first material and of a striking wall (including the striking face 130 ) of a second material different from the first and welded to the main body.
- a metal e.g., titanium, steel, stainless steel, or alloys thereof. More preferably, the main body of the club head 100 may be formed of 431 stainless steel or 8620 stainless steel. The main body of the club head 100 may be integrally or unitarily formed, or the main body may be formed of plural components
- the mass of the club head 100 may preferably be between 200 g and 400 g. Even more preferably, the mass of the golf club head 100 may be between 250 g and 350 g, and yet even more preferably, it may be between 275 g and 325 g.
- FIGS. 2 A- 2 C show enlarged views of a portion of the golf club head 100 , and particularly of the striking face 130 .
- the striking face 130 may include as surface features a plurality of substantially horizontal scorelines 150 .
- These scorelines 150 are typically formed by mechanical milling, e.g., spin-milling, but they may alternatively be formed by stamping, casting, electroforming, or any other suitable known method.
- First and second virtual planes 152 and 154 (shown in FIG. 2 B ), which are perpendicular to the striking face plane 132 and which are respectively defined by the toeward-most extent and the heelward-most extent of the scorelines 150 , delimit a scoreline region 114 of the striking face 130 .
- the scoreline region 114 may also be referred to herein as a central region of the striking face 130 .
- the first virtual plane 152 also delimits the heelward-most boundary of the toe region 110
- the second virtual plane 154 delimits the toeward-most boundary of the heel region 112 .
- the scorelines 150 may be designed to be in compliance with USGA regulations. These scorelines 150 may therefore preferably have an average width between 0.6 mm and 0.9 mm, more preferably between 0.65 mm and 0.8 mm, and even more preferably between 0.68 mm and 0.75 mm. For all purposes herein, and as would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, scoreline width is determined using the “30 degree method of measurement,” as described in Appendix II of the current USGA Rules of Golf (hereinafter “Rules of Golf”).
- the scorelines 150 may have an average depth, measured according to the Rules of Golf, of no less than 0.10 mm, preferably between 0.25 mm and 0.60 mm, more preferably between 0.30 mm and 0.55 mm, and most preferably between 0.36 mm and 0.44 mm.
- the draft angle of the scorelines 150 as that term would be construed by one of ordinary skill may be between 0 and 25 degrees, more preferably between 10 and 20 degrees, and most preferably between 13 and 19 degrees.
- the groove edge effective radius of the scorelines 150 as outlined in the Rules of Golf, may be between 0.150 mm and 0.30 mm, more preferably between 0.150 mm and 0.25 mm, and most preferably between 0.150 mm and 0.23 mm.
- the scoreline 150 dimensions may be calculated such that:
- A is the cross-sectional area of the scorelines 150
- W is their width
- S is the distance between edges of adjacent scorelines, as outlined in the Rules of Golf.
- the striking face 130 may have formed therein additional surface features in the form of texture patterns constituted by very narrow, relatively shallow grooves, which may be called “micro-grooves.”
- a first plurality of these micro-grooves 160 which may be formed by precision mechanical milling, e.g., CNC milling, may be located in the scoreline region 114 and are advantageously formed as a pattern of substantially parallel, arcuate lines intersecting the scorelines 150 .
- the texture pattern constituted by the micro-grooves 160 preferably covers most, i.e., the majority, if not all, of the scoreline region 114 of the striking face 130 .
- a second plurality of these micro-grooves 170 which are also advantageously formed as a pattern of substantially parallel, arcuate lines, may be located in the toe region 110 .
- the texture pattern constituted by the micro-grooves 170 preferably covers most, if not all, of the toe region 110 of the striking face 130 .
- FIGS. 3 A and 3 B show a cross-section taken through the plane 3 A- 3 A shown in FIG. 2 A , which intersects the scoreline region 114 .
- the plane 3 A- 3 A intersects not only the scorelines 150 but also the first plurality of micro-grooves 160 .
- the micro-grooves 160 may preferably have an average depth D 1 (shown in FIG. 3 B ) taken from the striking face 130 of no greater than 1100 ⁇ in, more preferably between 400 ⁇ in and 1100 ⁇ in, and most preferably between 600 ⁇ in and 1100 ⁇ in.
- the pitch P 1 of these micro-grooves 160 may preferably be between 0.01 in and 0.04 in, more preferably between 0.0175 in and 0.0325 in, and most preferably between 0.025 in and 0.03 in.
- the average depth D 1 and pitch P 1 of the micro-grooves 160 will have a significant impact on the roughness characteristics of the scoreline region 114 .
- the combination of the scorelines 150 and the texture pattern constituted by the micro-grooves 160 may imbue the scoreline region 114 with an average surface roughness Ra 1 of preferably less than or equal to 180 ⁇ in. More preferably, the average surface roughness Ra 1 may be between 40 ⁇ in and 180 ⁇ in, even more preferably between 100 ⁇ in and 180 ⁇ in, and it may most preferably be between 120 ⁇ in and 180 ⁇ in. And the average maximum profile height Rz 1 of the scoreline region 114 may preferably be less than or equal to 1000 ⁇ in. More preferably, the average maximum profile height Rz 1 may be between 300 ⁇ in and 1000 ⁇ in, even more preferably between 500 ⁇ in and 800 ⁇ in, and it may most preferably be between 600 ⁇ in and 700 ⁇ in.
- FIGS. 4 A and 4 B in turn show a cross-section taken through the plane 4 A- 4 A shown in FIG. 2 A , which intersects the toe region 110 .
- the plane 4 A- 4 A intersects the second plurality of micro-grooves 170 .
- the micro-grooves 170 may preferably have an average depth D 2 (shown in FIG. 4 B ) taken from the striking face 130 of no less than 800 ⁇ in, more preferably between 1000 ⁇ in and 2000 ⁇ in, even more preferably between 1000 ⁇ in and 1800 ⁇ in, and most preferably between 1300 ⁇ in and 1600 ⁇ in.
- the pitch P 2 of these micro-grooves 170 may preferably be between 0.03 in and 0.06 in, more preferably between 0.035 in and 0.055 in, and most preferably between 0.04 in and 0.05 in.
- the depth D 2 and the pitch P 2 of the micro-grooves 170 may thus exceed the depth D 1 and the pitch P 2 of the micro-grooves 160 .
- the average depth D 2 and pitch P 2 of the micro-grooves 170 will have a significant impact on the roughness characteristics of the toe region 110 .
- the texture pattern constituted by the micro-grooves 170 may preferably imbue most, i.e., the majority, if not all, of the toe region 110 with an average surface roughness Ra 2 of preferably greater than or equal to 270 ⁇ in. More preferably, the average surface roughness Ra 2 may be greater than or equal to 300 ⁇ in, and even more preferably, it may be greater than or equal to 350 ⁇ in. In comparison to Ra 1 of the scoreline region 114 , Ra 2 of the toe region 110 may preferably be greater than or equal to 1.5 ⁇ Ra 1 , more preferably greater than or equal to 2 ⁇ Ra 1 , and most preferably, Ra 2 may be greater than or equal to 3 ⁇ Ra 1 .
- the toe region 110 may have the average surface roughness Ra 2 , more preferably 80% of the toe region 110 may have the average surface roughness Ra 2 , and even more preferably 95% of the toe region 110 may have the average surface roughness Ra 2 .
- the average maximum profile height Rz 2 of the toe region 110 may preferably be greater than or equal to 1000 ⁇ in. More preferably, the average maximum profile height Rz 2 may be between 1000 ⁇ in and 2000 ⁇ in, even more preferably between 1200 ⁇ in and 1800 ⁇ in, and it may most preferably be between 1400 ⁇ in and 1600 ⁇ in.
- FIG. 2 C highlights certain portions of the striking face 130 by way of a virtual circular central region 115 , which may be within the scoreline region 114 , and a virtual circular periphery region 111 , which may be within the toe region 110 .
- Central region 115 may be centered at the face center 136 , and it may have a radius of no less than 10 mm.
- the central region 115 may also possess the average roughness Ra 1 , and its average surface roughness may thus be no greater than 180 ⁇ in.
- Periphery region 111 like the central region 115 , may have a radius of no less than 10 mm. This periphery region 111 may possess the average roughness Ra 2 , and its average surface roughness may thus be no less than 270 ⁇ in.
- FIGS. 6 A through 6 F illustrate the club head 100 after performance of certain steps of the processes shown in FIG. 5 .
- the club head 100 is oriented such that the striking face plane 132 coincides with the plane of the paper.
- the relative order of the various steps of the processes shown in FIG. 5 is for purposes of illustration only. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that, unless indicated otherwise, various steps of the processes may be omitted, other steps may be added, or the relative order of such steps may be altered.
- the body of the golf club head 100 may be formed. It may be formed by casting. Alternatively, the main body of the club head 100 may be formed by forging, machining, and/or any other suitable method as known in the art. Once formed, in step 202 , the club head body may optionally undergo a heat treatment process, whereby the club head body is case-hardened. Alternatively, or in addition, the body of the golf club head 100 may be cold-worked or otherwise forged to more advantageously tailor the body's material properties.
- the body of the golf club head 100 may optionally be polished by way of sandblasting (or another media blasting process).
- This step 204 helps to remove any burrs or flashing that may have resulted from the club head formation step 200 .
- the sandblasting process provides a foundation for an aesthetically pleasing final product.
- the body of the golf club head 100 may undergo a preliminary milling operation particularly directed at the striking face 130 .
- the preliminary milling operation may preferably be carried out using a machine bit, feed rate, and spin rate such that a resulting roughness value Ra is relatively low, e.g., an Ra value less than 40 ⁇ in.
- This process may be carried out as to preferably not result in any visually discernible ridges by, e.g., operating this process at a feed rate that is sufficiently high and/or a spin rate that is sufficiently low to generate this effect.
- subsequent texture-enhancing processes may effect a final striking face 130 having metrological properties closer to target and more consistent from sample to sample.
- the body of the golf club head 100 may be referred to at this time as an intermediate golf club head body.
- the striking face 130 of the intermediate golf club head body may be milled under a different set of machining parameters in a first groove milling pass to provide a milled surface having different visual and tactile characteristics.
- the first groove milling pass may create the extreme roughness Ra 2 across at least the toe region 110 .
- FIG. 6 A shows the striking face 130 after one possible first groove milling pass 208 A.
- the micro-grooves formed by this pass 208 A cover the entire toe region 110 and even extend into the scoreline region 114 , thereby imbuing these milled areas with the roughness Ra 2 .
- FIG. 6 D An alternative first groove milling pass is shown in FIG. 6 D .
- the micro-grooves formed by this pass 208 B preferably cover the majority of the striking face 130 , and they thus create the extreme roughness Ra 2 across more of the striking face 130 than the first groove milling pass 208 A.
- FIG. 6 D shows the micro-grooves formed by the milling pass 208 B as covering the toe region 110 and the scoreline region 114 , the extreme roughness may also be carried into the heel region 112 .
- a second groove milling pass with yet a different set of machining parameters may then be performed on the striking face 130 .
- this second groove milling pass endeavors to lower the average roughness in at least the scoreline region 114 to comply with USGA regulations, thereby preferably leaving only the toe region 110 with the extreme roughness Ra 2 .
- the second groove milling pass may thus create the scoreline region 114 that is distinct from the toe region 110 .
- FIG. 6 B shows the impact of a second groove milling pass 210 A that may be performed on the golf club head 100 shown in FIG. 6 A .
- This pass 210 A may be limited to the scoreline region 114 , and the heel region 112 in some implementations.
- the striking face 130 of this club head 100 is left with a toe region 110 with an extreme roughness Ra 2 and a scoreline region 114 , a majority of which possesses average roughness closer to or at Ra 1 .
- Also formed within the scoreline region 114 is an overlap region 116 .
- This overlap region 116 was subjected to both the first and second groove milling passes 208 A, 210 A, and as a result, has a visual appearance different from that of the non-overlap regions of the striking face 130 but preferably still possesses Ra values closer to Ra 1 at least within the scoreline region 114 .
- This visual appearance difference is created by the grooves from the second milling pass 210 A being superimposed onto the grooves formed by the first milling pass 208 A.
- FIG. 6 E in turn shows the impact of a second groove milling pass 210 B that may be performed on the golf club head 100 shown in FIG. 6 D .
- This pass 210 B may cover the entire scoreline region 114 (and possibly the heel region 112 ), thereby reducing the average roughness of the scoreline region 114 from the extreme roughness Ra 2 imparted by the first groove milling pass 208 B.
- the golf club head 100 shown in FIG. 6 E which is formed by the passes 208 B and 210 B, lacks the overlap region 116 due to the second groove milling pass 210 B removing the material of the grooves formed by the first groove milling pass described in step 208 B.
- the second groove milling pass 210 B may remove the material of the grooves formed by the first groove milling pass described in step 208 B as well as additional material of the club head 100 to form a visually discernible step between the higher grooves of the first groove milling pass and the lower grooves of the second groove milling pass.
- the scorelines 150 may be formed on the striking face 130 , thereby creating a club head body configuration as shown in FIGS. 6 C and 6 F .
- the score lines 150 may be integrally cast into the main body as a whole.
- the scorelines 150 may be stamped.
- the scorelines 150 may preferably be formed by milling, optionally spin-milling. This method is advantageous in its precision. Although it may occur prior to these operations, the formation of the scorelines 150 preferably occurs subsequent to the first and second groove milling passes. In this manner, greater consistency in roughness may be achieved as the milling bit may be applied with even pressure throughout. Further, the scorelines 150 may be formed with greater precision and more sharply-defined edges.
- the golf club head 100 may be plated or coated with a metallic layer, or treated chemically or thermally in a finishing step 214 .
- Such treatments are well-known, and they may enhance the aesthetic qualities of the club head and/or one or more utilitarian aspects of the club head, e.g., durability or rust-resistance.
- the golf club head 100 may be nickel-plated and optionally subsequently chrome-plated. Such plating enhances the rust-resistance characteristics of the club head 100 . Further, such plating improves the aesthetic quality of the club head 100 , and it may serve as a substrate for any future laser etching process.
- the striking face 130 may undergo a physical vapor deposition (“PVD” hereinafter) process.
- PVD physical vapor deposition
- the PVD operation results in a layer that comprises either a pure metal or a metal/non-metal compound.
- the PVD-formed layer comprises a metal comprising at least one of: vanadium, chromium, zirconium, titanium, niobium, molybdenum, hafnium, tantalum, and tungsten.
- the PVD-applied layer is characterized as a nitride, a carbide, an oxide, or a carbonitride.
- a layer of any of zirconium nitride, chromium nitride, and titanium carbide may be applied, depending on the desired visual effect, e.g., color and/or material properties.
- the PVD operation results in a layer of titanium carbide. This process enhances the aesthetic quality of the golf club head 100 , while also increasing the durability of the striking face 130 .
- a laser etching step 216 may be performed.
- the laser etching operation 216 may preferably be carried out after the scoreline forming process 212 A, 212 B, in part so that the scorelines 150 provide a basis for properly and efficiently aligning the feed direction of the laser.
- the laser etching operation may alternatively be performed before or after the first and second groove milling passes. It is conceived that the second groove milling passes 210 A, 210 B may be insufficient to bring the average surface roughness Ra of the scoreline region 114 into a range compliant with USGA requirements, e.g., Ra 1 . For example, the second passes 210 A, 210 B may actually bring the average roughness of this region 114 to about 200 ⁇ in.
- the above-described finishing step 214 in combination with the laser etching step 216 may then be used to bring the average surface roughness Ra of the scoreline region 114 down into the permissible ranges encompassed by Ra 1 .
- Additional other steps may also be performed.
- an additional sandblasting operation may be carried out immediately after the second groove milling passes 210 A and 210 B. Additional sandblasting may be performed for a variety of reasons, such as providing a particular aesthetic appearance, and deburring and cleaning the striking face after the milling steps are performed.
- the golf club head 100 with an extremely rough toe region 110 possesses numerous advantages over prior club heads, while nonetheless complying with USGA regulations regarding average surface roughness Ra and average maximum profile height Rz.
- the visual perception of this increased roughness at toe region 110 indicates to the golfer that the remainder of the striking face 130 is similarly roughened and thereby capable of generating more spin on the golf ball, which inspires confidence in the golfer.
- experienced golfers often intentionally strike the golf ball on the toe of the club head as part of, e.g., open face chip shots.
- the extremely rough toe region 110 of the golf club head 100 enables the golfer to impart more spin on the struck golf ball during such shots.
- the increased surface roughness of the toe region 110 may increase the struck golf ball's back spin, thereby reducing the velocity of the mishit shot.
- the directionality of the micro-grooves 170 constituting the surface texture of the toe region 110 is easily noticeable at address. As a result, it is easier for the golfer to align the golf club 100 before a shot, and the golfer's confidence in the direction of the shot is correspondingly increased.
- the club head 300 may include a toe 302 , a heel 304 opposite the toe 302 , a top line 306 , and a sole 308 opposite the top line 306 .
- the golf club head 300 may include, adjacent to the toe 302 , a toe region 310 , and adjacent to the heel 304 , it may further possess a heel region 312 .
- a hosel 320 for securing the golf club head 300 to an associated shaft may extend from the heel region 312 , and the hosel 320 may in turn define a virtual central hosel axis 322 .
- the golf club head 300 may further include a striking face 330 at a front portion thereof and a rear face (also not shown) opposite to the striking face 330 .
- the golf club head 400 may include a toe 402 , a heel 404 opposite the toe 402 , a top line 406 , and a sole 408 opposite the top line 406 .
- the club head 400 may include, adjacent to the toe 402 , a toe region 410 , and adjacent to the heel 404 , it may further possess a heel region 412 .
- a hosel 420 for securing the golf club head 400 to an associated shaft (not shown) may extend from the heel region 412 , and the hosel 420 may in turn define a virtual central hosel axis 422 .
- the golf club head 400 may further include a striking face 430 at a front portion thereof and a rear face (also not shown) opposite to the striking face 430 .
- the golf club heads 300 and 400 may be formed of the same materials as the golf club head 100 , and they may each have a similar mass. That is, the mass of each of the club heads 300 and 400 may preferably be between 200 and 400 g. Even more preferably, the mass of each of the club heads 300 and 400 may be between 250 g and 350 g, and yet even more preferably, it may be between 275 g and 325 g.
- the golf club heads 300 and 400 may preferably be of an iron or a wedge type, although they could be a putter-type club head.
- the loft angle of each of the club heads 300 and 400 may be greater than 15 degrees and preferably be between 23 and 64 degrees. Even more preferably, the loft angle may be between 40 and 62 degrees, and yet even more preferably, this loft angle may be between 46 and 60 degrees.
- Scorelines 350 and 450 may be formed in the striking faces 330 and 430 , respectively.
- the scorelines 350 and 450 may be formed in the same manner and have the same dimensions as the scorelines 150 , and they may thus be designed to be in compliance with USGA regulations. More specifically, these scorelines 350 and 450 may preferably have an average width between 0.6 mm and 0.9 mm, more preferably between 0.65 mm and 0.8 mm, and even more preferably between 0.68 mm and 0.75 mm.
- the scorelines 350 and 450 may also have an average depth from the generally planar surface of their respective striking faces of no less than 0.10 mm, preferably between 0.25 mm and 0.60 mm, more preferably between 0.30 mm and 0.55 mm, and most preferably between 0.36 mm and 0.44 mm.
- the draft angle of the scorelines 350 and 450 may be between 0 and 25 degrees, more preferably between 10 and 20 degrees, and most preferably between 13 and 19 degrees.
- the groove edge effective radius of the scorelines 350 and 450 may be between 0.150 mm and 0.30 mm, more preferably between 0.150 mm and 0.25 mm, and most preferably between 0.150 mm and 0.23 mm.
- the scorelines 350 and 450 are also designed to have a ratio W/(A+S) of less than 0.0030 in 2 . As would be understood by one of ordinary skill, all of the above dimensions are determined in accordance with the previously-discussed Rules of Golf.
- micro-grooves 360 and 460 preferably formed by precision mechanical milling, e.g., CNC milling, may be respectively formed in the striking faces 330 and 430 as a pattern of substantially parallel arcuate lines.
- the micro-grooves 360 and 460 may have an average depth taken from the corresponding striking face of no greater than 1100 ⁇ in, more preferably between 400 ⁇ in and 1100 ⁇ in, and most preferably between 600 ⁇ in and 1100 ⁇ in.
- the pitch of these micro-grooves 360 and 460 i.e., the distance between centers of adjacent micro-grooves taken in their direction of propagation, is discussed in detail below.
- the average depth and pitch of the micro-grooves 360 and 460 will have a significant impact on the roughness characteristics of the striking faces 330 and 430 .
- the striking faces 330 and 430 may each possess an average surface roughness Ra of preferably less than or equal to 180 ⁇ in. More preferably, the average surface roughness Ra may be between 40 ⁇ in and 180 ⁇ in, even more preferably between 60 ⁇ in and 180 ⁇ in, and most preferably between 110 ⁇ in and 180 ⁇ in.
- the average maximum profile height Rz of the striking faces 330 and 430 may preferably be less than or equal to 1000 ⁇ in. More preferably, the average maximum profile height Rz may be between 200 ⁇ in and 1000 ⁇ in, even more preferably between 400 ⁇ in and 900 ⁇ in, and most preferably between 500 ⁇ in and 800 ⁇ in.
- FIG. 8 A method for forming the micro-grooves 360 of the golf club head 300 by milling is shown in FIG. 8 .
- the club head 300 may have been previously subjected to various casting, heat treatment, polishing, and preliminary milling operations such as those described in steps 200 , 202 , 204 , and 206 above.
- a first step 370 the body of the golf club head 300 may be placed in a milling position where the hosel axis 322 is perpendicular to the ground plain.
- the golf club head 300 may then be subjected to a first milling pass 372 , in which the milling tool follows the vertical path 373 (shown in FIG. 7 ) as it moves across the striking face 330 from the sole 308 to the top line 306 .
- the milling tool is set at an angle with respect to the plane of the striking face 330 sufficient to ensure that the milling tool interacts with the striking face 330 only to create the top half of its circle circumference and thus misses the striking face 330 at the bottom half of the circle circumference.
- the milling tool creates a rotex pattern constituted by some of the arcuate micro-grooves 360 shown in FIG. 7 .
- the pitch of the micro-grooves 360 formed by this first pass 372 i.e, the distance between centers of adjacent ones of these micro-grooves 360 taken in their direction of propagation, may preferably be between 0.01 in and 0.04 in, more preferably between 0.0175 in and 0.0325 in, and even more preferably between 0.025 and 0.03 in.
- the golf club head 300 is subjected to a second milling pass 374 , in which the milling tool follows the vertical path 375 (shown in FIG. 7 ) as it moves across the striking face 330 from the sole 308 to the top line 306 .
- the texture pattern created by the first and second milling passes 372 and 374 creates an interference pattern on the striking face 330 that is composed of smaller diamond shapes.
- the path 373 of the first milling pass 372 may be offset toward the toe 302 between 3 mm and 6 mm, more preferably between 4.5 mm and 5.5 mm, and most preferably by 5 mm.
- This offset may be visually evident approximate the heel region 312 , at which there is a noticeable break in the texture pattern of the striking face 330 that corresponds to the offset of the milling tool.
- the milling tool is set at a sufficient angle with respect to the plane of the striking face 330 during the second milling pass 374 , thereby creating another rotex pattern constituted by the remainder of the micro-grooves 360 shown in FIG. 7 .
- the pitch of the micro-grooves 360 formed by this second pass 374 may preferably be between 0.01 in and 0.04 in, more preferably between 0.0175 in and 0.0325 in, and even more preferably between 0.025 and 0.03 in.
- FIG. 9 A illustrates a magnified portion of the striking face 330 shown in FIG. 7 .
- FIG. 9 B shows a cross-section of the finished striking face 330 taken along the plane 9 B- 9 B in FIG. 9 A . Because of the sequential first and second milling passes 372 and 374 that are offset from one another, the distance between adjacent peaks of the micro-grooves 360 varies along the striking face 330 from the top tine 306 to the sole 308 .
- FIG. 11 A method for forming the micro-grooves 460 of the golf club head 400 by milling is shown in FIG. 11 .
- the club head 400 may have been previously subjected to various casting, heat treatment, polishing, and preliminary milling operations such as those described in steps 200 , 202 , 204 , and 206 above.
- a first step 470 the body of the club head 400 is placed in a milling position where the hosel axis 422 is perpendicular to the ground plain.
- the club head 400 is then subjected to a first milling pass 472 , in which the milling tool follows the vertical path 473 as it moves across the striking face 430 from the sole 408 to the top line 406 .
- the milling tool is set at an angle with respect to the plane of the striking face 430 sufficient to ensure that the milling tool interacts with the striking face 430 only to create the top half of its circle circumference and thus misses the striking face 430 at the bottom half of the circle circumference.
- the milling tool creates a rotex pattern constituted by some of the micro-grooves 460 shown in FIG. 10 .
- the pitch of the micro-grooves 460 formed by this first pass 472 i.e, the distance between centers of adjacent ones of these micro-grooves 460 taken in their direction of propagation, may preferably be between 0.01 in and 0.04 in, more preferably between 0.0175 in and 0.0325 in, and even more preferably between 0.025 and 0.03 in.
- the club head 400 is subjected to a second milling pass 474 , in which the milling tool follows the vertical path 475 as it moves across the striking face 430 from the sole 408 to the top line 406 .
- the texture pattern created by the first and second milling passes 472 and 474 creates an interference pattern on the striking face 430 that is composed of larger diamond shapes.
- the path 473 of the first milling pass 472 may be offset toward the toe 402 between 1 mm and 3 mm, more preferably between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm, and most preferably by 2 mm.
- This offset may be visually evident approximate the heel region 412 , at which there is a noticeable break in the texture pattern of the striking face 430 that corresponds to the offset of the milling tool.
- the milling tool is set at an angle with respect to the plane of the striking face 430 during the second milling pass, thereby creating another rotex pattern constituted by the remainder of the micro-grooves 460 shown in FIG. 10 .
- the pitch of the micro-grooves 460 formed by this second pass 474 may preferably be between 0.01 in and 0.04 in, more preferably between 0.0175 in and 0.0325 in, and even more preferably between 0.025 and 0.03 in.
- FIG. 12 A illustrates a magnified portion of the striking face 430 shown in FIG. 10 .
- FIG. 12 B shows a cross-section of the finished striking surface 430 taken along the plane 12 B- 12 B in FIG. 10 . Because of the sequential first and second milling passes 472 and 474 that are offset from one another, the distance between adjacent peaks of the micro-grooves 460 varies along the striking face 430 from the top line 406 to the sole 408 .
- the respective combinations of the first milling passes 372 , 472 with the second milling passes 374 , 474 thus create interference patterns on the striking faces 330 and 430 that are constituted by diamonds.
- the diamonds are created by the grooves from the second milling passes 374 , 474 being superimposed over the grooves from the first milling passes 372 , 472 , respectively.
- These interference patterns each create more consistent roughness across the corresponding striking face, including having peak roughness at locations on the face where impact is most common, e.g., along the vertical centerline of the striking face. For example, as shown in FIG.
- average maximum profile height Rz peaks for both the striking face 330 , i.e., 5 mm offset, and the striking face 430 , i.e., 2 mm offset, around the center of the striking face.
- the interference patterns described above also create more spin from the rough and in wet conditions, as is evidenced by the increase in average maximum profile height Rz for the striking faces 330 and 430 compared to a striking face with no offset.
- the interference pattern on the striking face 330 is constituted by smaller diamonds.
- the directionality of this interference pattern faces thus toward the target.
- the club head 300 may thus be such a lower-lofted club head.
- the interference pattern on the striking face 430 is constituted by larger diamonds, however. Higher lofted clubs, i.e., those with a loft angle of 54 degrees and greater, often face the golf ball at address with the club face in an open position.
- this open position which is desired for many sand bunker shots, lob shots, and chip shots, results in the club face appearing offline, e.g., aimed to the right of the target.
- the directionality of the interference pattern on the striking face 430 cures this visual issue by creating the appearance that the micro-grooves 460 are directed toward the target, even though the face is open.
- the golf club head 400 may thus be such a higher-lofted club head.
- FIG. 6 E shows an embodiment in which the micro-grooves from the first milling pass 208 B are removed in the scoreline region 114 by the second groove milling pass 210 B
- the grooves from the second groove milling pass 210 B may be entirely superimposed onto the grooves of the first groove milling pass 208 B.
- both groove patterns may be visually discernible in the scoreline region 114 while still maintaining Ra 1 values in the scoreline region 114 and Ra 2 values in the toe region 110 , as shown in FIG. 13 . Accordingly, the foregoing discussion and the accompanying drawings are to be regarded as merely illustrative of the present invention rather than as limiting its scope in any manner.
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Abstract
A golf club head includes a striking face with a plurality of scorelines. A first virtual vertical plane is perpendicular to the striking face and passes through a toe-wardmost extent of the scorelines, and a second virtual vertical plane is parallel to the first virtual vertical plane and passes through a heel-wardmost extent of the scorelines. A central region bounded by the first virtual vertical plane, the second virtual vertical plane, and a striking face periphery has a first average surface roughness Ra1 of between about 40 μin and about 180 μin. And a majority of a toe region bounded by the first vertical plane and the striking face periphery is textured to have a second average surface roughness Ra2 no less than 1.5 times Ra1.
Description
- This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/324,789 filed May 19, 2021 which in turn is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/451,628 filed Jun. 25, 2019, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/793,538 filed Oct. 25, 2017, which in turn is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/219,850 filed Jul. 26, 2016. The disclosure of each of the above-identified prior applications is hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
- This disclosure relates generally to the field of golf clubs. More particularly, it relates to a golf club head with a textured striking face.
- A common goal of golf club head design, specifically for iron-type and utility-type club heads, and more particularly for wedges, is to create a striking face for the club head that imparts significant spin to a struck golf ball. The striking face of such a club head typically has a plurality of parallel horizontal grooves or scorelines. These scorelines assist in imparting spin at least by channeling water and debris as well as by increasing the friction between the striking face and the surface of the golf ball. Further improvements in the spin-imparting characteristics of club head striking faces have included the provision of low-scale surface textures in addition to, or in place of, the conventional scorelines.
- The spin-imparting qualities provided by such scorelines are limited, however, by United States Golf Association (“USGA” hereinafter) regulations governing scoreline geometry as well as similar regulations propagated by other international golf equipment regulatory bodies. Moreover, conventional scorelines fail to account for low-scale dynamic interactions between the striking face and the ball.
- Surface textures, on the other hand, tend not to take into account the specific interaction between a conventional elastomer-covered golf ball and a metallic striking face. Conventional surface texturing is also subject to rapid wear, is often costly to produce, and may detract from the aesthetic quality of the club head. Furthermore, conventional striking face textures are generally ineffective at providing a high degree of spin for each of the multitude of different types of golf shots that a golfer may attempt. For example, a ball hit with a club having a conventional club head that is swung at a specific speed would have different degrees of spin depending on whether the ball is squarely addressed by the club face or hit with an open club face, and also depending on where on the striking face the golf ball is struck, e.g., a mishit or a solidly struck shot. Other conditions, such as moisture on the club face and/or the ball, and whether the ball is struck with a full swing, half swing, or chip-type swing of the club, can affect the degree of spin imparted to the ball.
- The creation of spin, particularly back-spin, on a struck golf ball is largely a function of the magnitude of the frictional contact or “traction” between the striking face of the club head and the ball on impact. Where a high degree of back-spin is desired, as in irons and wedges with higher loft angles, maximizing this traction factor is therefore a design goal. Increased traction is generally associated with increased average surface roughness of the striking face, which is commonly expressed in terms of Ra and defined as follows:
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R a=1/nΣ i=1 n |y i| - where n is the number of sampling points and y is the deviation from a mean line (at a given sampling point). As a practical matter, Ra represents the average of deviations from a mean line over a 2-dimensional sample length of a surface. Another surface roughness parameter is average maximum profile height Rz, which represents the maximum average peak-to-trough distance in a given two-dimensional sample length of the surface.
- The regulations of the USGA limit the surface roughness of the striking face of golf clubs generally to a degree of roughness no greater than that imparted by decorative sand-blasting or fine milling. In practical terms, this standard has been interpreted to mean a surface having a value of Ra no greater than 0.0046 mm (180 μin), and a value of Rz of no more than 0.025 mm (1000 μin). Thus, the need is evident to maximize the traction between the club face and the struck ball within the rules outlined by the USGA.
- Also not to be overlooked, however, is the visual impact of a surface texture on the golfer. Depending on the orientation of the surface texture at address, it can either improve the golfer's confidence that the golf club head is properly aligned or it can have the exact opposite effect.
- Accordingly, a textured striking face for a golf club head has been sought that imparts a high degree of spin to the ball for a wide variety of golf shots under a wide variety of conditions, that has good wear characteristics, that complies with USGA rules, that is easily manufactured, and that increases the golfer's confidence as the result of its visual appearance.
- These goals may be achieved by one or more aspects of the present disclosure. For example, the present disclosure provides a golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises: a loft greater than 15 degrees; a heel portion; a toe portion; a sole portion; a top portion; and a striking face. The striking face in turn comprises a striking face periphery; a plurality of scorelines, wherein a first virtual vertical plane is perpendicular to the striking face and passes through a toe-wardmost extent of the scorelines and a second virtual vertical plane is parallel to the first virtual vertical plane and passes through a heel-wardmost extent of the scorelines; a central region bounded by the first virtual vertical plane, the second virtual vertical plane, and the striking face periphery, the central region having a first average surface roughness Ra1 of between about 40 μin and about 180 μin; and a toe region bounded by the first vertical plane and the striking face periphery, a majority of the toe region being textured to have a second average surface roughness Ra2 no less than 1.5 times Ra1.
- The present disclosure also provides a golf club head comprising: a loft greater than 15 degrees; a heel portion; a toe portion; a sole portion; a top portion; and a striking face. The striking face in turn comprises a face center; a virtual circular central region centered at the face center, having a radius no less than 10 mm, and a first average surface roughness Ra1 no greater than about 180 μin; and a virtual circular periphery region located entirely peripheral to the central region and having a radius no less than 10 mm, the periphery region having a second average roughness Ra2 no less than 270 μin.
- These advantageous golf club heads may be produced by a manufacturing method according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. This method comprises (a) providing an intermediate golf club head body that, when oriented in a reference position, has a heel portion, a toe portion, a top portion, a bottom portion, and a striking face having a striking face periphery; (b) texturing a first region of the striking face to exhibit a first average surface roughness Ra1 of no less than 270 μin by surface milling the first region in a first pass; and (c) texturing a second region of the striking face subsequent to step (b), the second region exhibiting a second average surface roughness Ra2 that is less than Ra1.
- These and other features and advantages of the golf club head according to the various aspects of the present disclosure will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description, drawings, and appended claims. The description and drawings described below are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any manner. It is also to be understood that, for the purposes of this application, any disclosed range encompasses a disclosure of each and every sub-range thereof. For example, the range of 1-5 encompasses a disclosure of at least 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5, 3-4, 3-5, and 4-5. Further, the end points of any disclosed range encompass a disclosure of those exact end points as well as of values at approximately or at about those endpoints.
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FIG. 1A shows a front elevation view of an exemplary golf club head in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 1B shows a toe-side elevation view of the golf club head ofFIG. 1A . -
FIG. 2A shows a detailed, front elevation view of a portion of the golf club head ofFIG. 1A . -
FIG. 2B shows another detailed, front elevation view of a portion of the golf club head ofFIG. 1A . -
FIG. 2C shows yet another detailed, front elevation view of a portion of the golf club head ofFIG. 1A . -
FIG. 3A shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the golf club head ofFIG. 2A taken through theplane 3A-3A. -
FIG. 3B shows a detailed view of a portion of the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 3A . -
FIG. 4A shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the golf club head ofFIG. 2A taken through theplane 4A-4A. -
FIG. 4B shows a detailed view of a portion of the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 4A . -
FIG. 5 shows a flow chart detailing methods of forming a textured striking surface on a golf club head in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure. -
FIGS. 6A-6C show front elevation views of a golf club head that illustrate certain steps of the methods ofFIG. 5 . -
FIGS. 6D-6F show front elevation views of a golf club head that illustrate certain steps of the methods ofFIG. 5 . -
FIG. 7 shows a front elevation view of an exemplary golf club head in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 8 shows a flow chart detailing a portion of a method of forming a textured striking surface of the golf club head ofFIG. 7 . -
FIG. 9A shows a detailed view of aportion 9A of the golf club head ofFIG. 7 . -
FIG. 9B shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the golf club head ofFIG. 9A taken through theplane 9B-9B. -
FIG. 10 shows a front elevation view of an exemplary golf club head in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 11 shows a flow chart detailing a portion of a method of forming a textured striking surface of the golf club head ofFIG. 10 . -
FIG. 12A shows a detailed view of a portion 12A of the golf club head ofFIG. 10 . -
FIG. 12B shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the golf club head ofFIG. 12A taken through theplane 12B-12B. -
FIG. 13 shows a front elevation view of an exemplary golf club head in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 14 shows a plot of roughness consistency for various offsets. - Shown in
FIGS. 1A and 1B is agolf club head 100, which may be bounded by atoe 102, aheel 104 opposite thetoe 102, atop line 106, and a sole 108 opposite thetop line 106. Theclub head 100 may include, adjacent to thetoe 102, atoe region 110, and adjacent to theheel 104, it may further possess aheel region 112. Ahosel 120 for securing theclub head 100 to an associated shaft (not shown) may extend from theheel region 112, and thehosel 120 may in turn define a virtualcentral hosel axis 122. Theclub head 100 may further include astriking face 130 at a front portion thereof and arear face 138 opposite to thestriking face 130. Thestriking face 130 is the substantially planar exterior surface part of the front portion that generally conforms to a virtualstriking face plane 132 and that is arranged to contact a golf ball at a factory-designatedloft angle 134 taken between thestriking face plane 132 and thecentral hosel axis 122. Thestriking face 130 may include aface center 136 that is equidistant between theuppermost point 137 of thestriking face 130 and thelowermost point 139 of thestriking face 130 as well as equidistant between the heelward-most point of thestriking face 130 and the toeward-most point of thestriking face 130. Additionally, thestriking face 130 may be formed with surface features that increase traction between thestriking face 130 and a struck golf ball to ensure both good contact with the ball (for example, in wet conditions) and impart a degree of spin to the ball, e.g., for stability in flight or to better control a struck golf ball once it has returned to the ground by way of backspin. Included in these surface features may be a grid of substantially parallel horizontal grooves orscorelines 150 as well as other surface features that form a texture pattern and will be shown and described in detail below. - The
golf club head 100 is shown inFIGS. 1A and 1B as being in the “reference position.” As used herein, “reference position” denotes a position of a golf club head, e.g., theclub head 100, in which the sole 108 of theclub head 100 contacts avirtual ground plane 140 such that thehosel axis 122 of thehosel 120 lies in a virtual vertical hosel plane 124 and thescorelines 150 are oriented horizontally relative to theground plane 140. Unless otherwise specified, all club head dimensions described herein are taken with theclub head 100 in the reference position. - As the golfer nears the pin, precision in golf shots provided by, e.g., improved contact with the ball or increased backspin, generally becomes more critical than other considerations such as distance. The
golf club head 100 that includes the above-mentioned surface features that increase traction is therefore preferably of an iron or a wedge type, although it could be a putter-type club head. In particular, theloft angle 134 may be at least 15 degrees and preferably between 23 and 64 degrees. Even more preferably, theloft angle 134 may be between 40 and 62 degrees, and yet even more preferably, thisloft angle 134 may be between 46 and 62 degrees. - The
golf club head 100 may preferably be formed of a metal, e.g., titanium, steel, stainless steel, or alloys thereof. More preferably, the main body of theclub head 100 may be formed of 431 stainless steel or 8620 stainless steel. The main body of theclub head 100 may be integrally or unitarily formed, or the main body may be formed of plural components that are welded, co-molded, brazed, or adhesively secured together or otherwise permanently associated with each other, as is understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, thegolf club head 100 may be formed of a main body of a first material and of a striking wall (including the striking face 130) of a second material different from the first and welded to the main body. The mass of theclub head 100 may preferably be between 200 g and 400 g. Even more preferably, the mass of thegolf club head 100 may be between 250 g and 350 g, and yet even more preferably, it may be between 275 g and 325 g. -
FIGS. 2A-2C show enlarged views of a portion of thegolf club head 100, and particularly of thestriking face 130. As mentioned previously, thestriking face 130 may include as surface features a plurality of substantiallyhorizontal scorelines 150. Thesescorelines 150 are typically formed by mechanical milling, e.g., spin-milling, but they may alternatively be formed by stamping, casting, electroforming, or any other suitable known method. First and second virtual planes 152 and 154 (shown inFIG. 2B ), which are perpendicular to thestriking face plane 132 and which are respectively defined by the toeward-most extent and the heelward-most extent of thescorelines 150, delimit ascoreline region 114 of thestriking face 130. Thescoreline region 114 may also be referred to herein as a central region of thestriking face 130. The first virtual plane 152 also delimits the heelward-most boundary of thetoe region 110, and the secondvirtual plane 154 delimits the toeward-most boundary of theheel region 112. - The
scorelines 150 may be designed to be in compliance with USGA regulations. Thesescorelines 150 may therefore preferably have an average width between 0.6 mm and 0.9 mm, more preferably between 0.65 mm and 0.8 mm, and even more preferably between 0.68 mm and 0.75 mm. For all purposes herein, and as would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, scoreline width is determined using the “30 degree method of measurement,” as described in Appendix II of the current USGA Rules of Golf (hereinafter “Rules of Golf”). Thescorelines 150 may have an average depth, measured according to the Rules of Golf, of no less than 0.10 mm, preferably between 0.25 mm and 0.60 mm, more preferably between 0.30 mm and 0.55 mm, and most preferably between 0.36 mm and 0.44 mm. To further comply with USGA regulations, the draft angle of thescorelines 150 as that term would be construed by one of ordinary skill may be between 0 and 25 degrees, more preferably between 10 and 20 degrees, and most preferably between 13 and 19 degrees. And the groove edge effective radius of thescorelines 150, as outlined in the Rules of Golf, may be between 0.150 mm and 0.30 mm, more preferably between 0.150 mm and 0.25 mm, and most preferably between 0.150 mm and 0.23 mm. Ultimately, thescoreline 150 dimensions may be calculated such that: -
A/W+S≤0.0030 in2, - where A is the cross-sectional area of the
scorelines 150, W is their width, and S is the distance between edges of adjacent scorelines, as outlined in the Rules of Golf. - With further reference to
FIGS. 2A-2C , thestriking face 130 may have formed therein additional surface features in the form of texture patterns constituted by very narrow, relatively shallow grooves, which may be called “micro-grooves.” A first plurality of thesemicro-grooves 160, which may be formed by precision mechanical milling, e.g., CNC milling, may be located in thescoreline region 114 and are advantageously formed as a pattern of substantially parallel, arcuate lines intersecting thescorelines 150. The texture pattern constituted by themicro-grooves 160 preferably covers most, i.e., the majority, if not all, of thescoreline region 114 of thestriking face 130. A second plurality of thesemicro-grooves 170, which are also advantageously formed as a pattern of substantially parallel, arcuate lines, may be located in thetoe region 110. The texture pattern constituted by themicro-grooves 170 preferably covers most, if not all, of thetoe region 110 of thestriking face 130. -
FIGS. 3A and 3B show a cross-section taken through theplane 3A-3A shown inFIG. 2A , which intersects thescoreline region 114. Theplane 3A-3A intersects not only thescorelines 150 but also the first plurality ofmicro-grooves 160. The micro-grooves 160 may preferably have an average depth D1 (shown inFIG. 3B ) taken from thestriking face 130 of no greater than 1100 μin, more preferably between 400 μin and 1100 μin, and most preferably between 600 μin and 1100 μin. The pitch P1 of thesemicro-grooves 160, i.e., the distance between centers ofadjacent micro-grooves 160 taken in their direction of propagation, may preferably be between 0.01 in and 0.04 in, more preferably between 0.0175 in and 0.0325 in, and most preferably between 0.025 in and 0.03 in. As will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, the average depth D1 and pitch P1 of the micro-grooves 160 will have a significant impact on the roughness characteristics of thescoreline region 114. In particular, to ensure compliance with USGA regulations, the combination of thescorelines 150 and the texture pattern constituted by themicro-grooves 160 may imbue thescoreline region 114 with an average surface roughness Ra1 of preferably less than or equal to 180 μin. More preferably, the average surface roughness Ra1 may be between 40 μin and 180 μin, even more preferably between 100 μin and 180 μin, and it may most preferably be between 120 μin and 180 μin. And the average maximum profile height Rz1 of thescoreline region 114 may preferably be less than or equal to 1000 μin. More preferably, the average maximum profile height Rz1 may be between 300 μin and 1000 μin, even more preferably between 500 μin and 800 μin, and it may most preferably be between 600 μin and 700 μin. -
FIGS. 4A and 4B in turn show a cross-section taken through theplane 4A-4A shown inFIG. 2A , which intersects thetoe region 110. Theplane 4A-4A intersects the second plurality ofmicro-grooves 170. The micro-grooves 170 may preferably have an average depth D2 (shown inFIG. 4B ) taken from thestriking face 130 of no less than 800 μin, more preferably between 1000 μin and 2000 μin, even more preferably between 1000 μin and 1800 μin, and most preferably between 1300 μin and 1600 μin. The pitch P2 of thesemicro-grooves 170, i.e., the distance between centers ofadjacent micro-grooves 170 taken in their direction of propagation, may preferably be between 0.03 in and 0.06 in, more preferably between 0.035 in and 0.055 in, and most preferably between 0.04 in and 0.05 in. The depth D2 and the pitch P2 of the micro-grooves 170 may thus exceed the depth D1 and the pitch P2 of the micro-grooves 160. Similar to themicro-grooves 160, the average depth D2 and pitch P2 of the micro-grooves 170 will have a significant impact on the roughness characteristics of thetoe region 110. In particular, the texture pattern constituted by themicro-grooves 170 may preferably imbue most, i.e., the majority, if not all, of thetoe region 110 with an average surface roughness Ra2 of preferably greater than or equal to 270 μin. More preferably, the average surface roughness Ra2 may be greater than or equal to 300 μin, and even more preferably, it may be greater than or equal to 350 μin. In comparison to Ra1 of thescoreline region 114, Ra2 of thetoe region 110 may preferably be greater than or equal to 1.5×Ra1, more preferably greater than or equal to 2×Ra1, and most preferably, Ra2 may be greater than or equal to 3×Ra1. Although at least a majority of thetoe region 110 may have the average surface roughness Ra2, more preferably 80% of thetoe region 110 may have the average surface roughness Ra2, and even more preferably 95% of thetoe region 110 may have the average surface roughness Ra2. The average maximum profile height Rz2 of thetoe region 110 may preferably be greater than or equal to 1000 μin. More preferably, the average maximum profile height Rz2 may be between 1000 μin and 2000 μin, even more preferably between 1200 μin and 1800 μin, and it may most preferably be between 1400 μin and 1600 μin. -
FIG. 2C highlights certain portions of thestriking face 130 by way of a virtual circular central region 115, which may be within thescoreline region 114, and a virtualcircular periphery region 111, which may be within thetoe region 110. Central region 115 may be centered at theface center 136, and it may have a radius of no less than 10 mm. The central region 115 may also possess the average roughness Ra1, and its average surface roughness may thus be no greater than 180 μin.Periphery region 111, like the central region 115, may have a radius of no less than 10 mm. Thisperiphery region 111 may possess the average roughness Ra2, and its average surface roughness may thus be no less than 270 μin. - Referring to
FIG. 5 , exemplary processes for forming thestriking face 130 of thegolf club head 100 by milling are shown.FIGS. 6A through 6F illustrate theclub head 100 after performance of certain steps of the processes shown inFIG. 5 . In each ofFIGS. 6A through 6F , theclub head 100 is oriented such that thestriking face plane 132 coincides with the plane of the paper. The relative order of the various steps of the processes shown inFIG. 5 is for purposes of illustration only. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that, unless indicated otherwise, various steps of the processes may be omitted, other steps may be added, or the relative order of such steps may be altered. - In a
first step 200, the body of thegolf club head 100 may be formed. It may be formed by casting. Alternatively, the main body of theclub head 100 may be formed by forging, machining, and/or any other suitable method as known in the art. Once formed, instep 202, the club head body may optionally undergo a heat treatment process, whereby the club head body is case-hardened. Alternatively, or in addition, the body of thegolf club head 100 may be cold-worked or otherwise forged to more advantageously tailor the body's material properties. - Next, in
step 204, the body of thegolf club head 100 may optionally be polished by way of sandblasting (or another media blasting process). Thisstep 204 helps to remove any burrs or flashing that may have resulted from the clubhead formation step 200. In addition, the sandblasting process provides a foundation for an aesthetically pleasing final product. - Once polished, in
step 206, the body of thegolf club head 100 may undergo a preliminary milling operation particularly directed at thestriking face 130. The preliminary milling operation may preferably be carried out using a machine bit, feed rate, and spin rate such that a resulting roughness value Ra is relatively low, e.g., an Ra value less than 40 μin. This process may be carried out as to preferably not result in any visually discernible ridges by, e.g., operating this process at a feed rate that is sufficiently high and/or a spin rate that is sufficiently low to generate this effect. In this manner, subsequent texture-enhancing processes may effect a finalstriking face 130 having metrological properties closer to target and more consistent from sample to sample. The body of thegolf club head 100 may be referred to at this time as an intermediate golf club head body. - After the preliminary milling operation of
step 206, thestriking face 130 of the intermediate golf club head body may be milled under a different set of machining parameters in a first groove milling pass to provide a milled surface having different visual and tactile characteristics. In particular, the first groove milling pass may create the extreme roughness Ra2 across at least thetoe region 110.FIG. 6A , for example, shows thestriking face 130 after one possible firstgroove milling pass 208A. The micro-grooves formed by thispass 208A cover theentire toe region 110 and even extend into thescoreline region 114, thereby imbuing these milled areas with the roughness Ra2. - An alternative first groove milling pass is shown in
FIG. 6D . The micro-grooves formed by thispass 208B preferably cover the majority of thestriking face 130, and they thus create the extreme roughness Ra2 across more of thestriking face 130 than the firstgroove milling pass 208A. AlthoughFIG. 6D shows the micro-grooves formed by themilling pass 208B as covering thetoe region 110 and thescoreline region 114, the extreme roughness may also be carried into theheel region 112. - A second groove milling pass with yet a different set of machining parameters may then be performed on the
striking face 130. Whereas the first groove milling pass created the extreme roughness Ra2, this second groove milling pass endeavors to lower the average roughness in at least thescoreline region 114 to comply with USGA regulations, thereby preferably leaving only thetoe region 110 with the extreme roughness Ra2. The second groove milling pass may thus create thescoreline region 114 that is distinct from thetoe region 110. -
FIG. 6B shows the impact of a secondgroove milling pass 210A that may be performed on thegolf club head 100 shown inFIG. 6A . Thispass 210A may be limited to thescoreline region 114, and theheel region 112 in some implementations. As a result, thestriking face 130 of thisclub head 100 is left with atoe region 110 with an extreme roughness Ra2 and ascoreline region 114, a majority of which possesses average roughness closer to or at Ra1. Also formed within thescoreline region 114, however, is anoverlap region 116. Thisoverlap region 116 was subjected to both the first and second groove milling passes 208A, 210A, and as a result, has a visual appearance different from that of the non-overlap regions of thestriking face 130 but preferably still possesses Ra values closer to Ra1 at least within thescoreline region 114. This visual appearance difference is created by the grooves from thesecond milling pass 210A being superimposed onto the grooves formed by thefirst milling pass 208A. -
FIG. 6E in turn shows the impact of a secondgroove milling pass 210B that may be performed on thegolf club head 100 shown inFIG. 6D . Thispass 210B, like thepass 210A, may cover the entire scoreline region 114 (and possibly the heel region 112), thereby reducing the average roughness of thescoreline region 114 from the extreme roughness Ra2 imparted by the firstgroove milling pass 208B. Unlike the golf club head shown inFIG. 6B , thegolf club head 100 shown inFIG. 6E , which is formed by thepasses overlap region 116 due to the secondgroove milling pass 210B removing the material of the grooves formed by the first groove milling pass described instep 208B. As such, in some implementations, only the micro-grooves formed by thesecond pass 210B may remain in thescoreline region 114. In some implementations, the secondgroove milling pass 210B may remove the material of the grooves formed by the first groove milling pass described instep 208B as well as additional material of theclub head 100 to form a visually discernible step between the higher grooves of the first groove milling pass and the lower grooves of the second groove milling pass. - Next, the
scorelines 150 may be formed on thestriking face 130, thereby creating a club head body configuration as shown inFIGS. 6C and 6F . The score lines 150 may be integrally cast into the main body as a whole. Alternatively, thescorelines 150 may be stamped. However, thescorelines 150 may preferably be formed by milling, optionally spin-milling. This method is advantageous in its precision. Although it may occur prior to these operations, the formation of thescorelines 150 preferably occurs subsequent to the first and second groove milling passes. In this manner, greater consistency in roughness may be achieved as the milling bit may be applied with even pressure throughout. Further, thescorelines 150 may be formed with greater precision and more sharply-defined edges. - Optionally, after the
scorelines 150 are formed, thegolf club head 100, or just thestriking face 130, may be plated or coated with a metallic layer, or treated chemically or thermally in a finishingstep 214. Such treatments are well-known, and they may enhance the aesthetic qualities of the club head and/or one or more utilitarian aspects of the club head, e.g., durability or rust-resistance. For example, thegolf club head 100 may be nickel-plated and optionally subsequently chrome-plated. Such plating enhances the rust-resistance characteristics of theclub head 100. Further, such plating improves the aesthetic quality of theclub head 100, and it may serve as a substrate for any future laser etching process. Plating selection is also believed to have an effect on the visual and/or textural characteristics of subsequently-formed laser-etched regions superimposed thereon. Optionally, subsequent to the nickel- and chrome-plating, thestriking face 130 may undergo a physical vapor deposition (“PVD” hereinafter) process. Preferably, the PVD operation results in a layer that comprises either a pure metal or a metal/non-metal compound. Preferably, the PVD-formed layer comprises a metal comprising at least one of: vanadium, chromium, zirconium, titanium, niobium, molybdenum, hafnium, tantalum, and tungsten. More preferably, the PVD-applied layer is characterized as a nitride, a carbide, an oxide, or a carbonitride. For example, a layer of any of zirconium nitride, chromium nitride, and titanium carbide may be applied, depending on the desired visual effect, e.g., color and/or material properties. Preferably, the PVD operation results in a layer of titanium carbide. This process enhances the aesthetic quality of thegolf club head 100, while also increasing the durability of thestriking face 130. - Next, a
laser etching step 216 may be performed. Thelaser etching operation 216 may preferably be carried out after thescoreline forming process 212A, 212B, in part so that thescorelines 150 provide a basis for properly and efficiently aligning the feed direction of the laser. However, the laser etching operation may alternatively be performed before or after the first and second groove milling passes. It is conceived that the second groove milling passes 210A, 210B may be insufficient to bring the average surface roughness Ra of thescoreline region 114 into a range compliant with USGA requirements, e.g., Ra1. For example, the second passes 210A, 210B may actually bring the average roughness of thisregion 114 to about 200 μin. The above-describedfinishing step 214 in combination with thelaser etching step 216 may then be used to bring the average surface roughness Ra of thescoreline region 114 down into the permissible ranges encompassed by Ra1. - Additional other steps may also be performed. For example, an additional sandblasting operation may be carried out immediately after the second groove milling passes 210A and 210B. Additional sandblasting may be performed for a variety of reasons, such as providing a particular aesthetic appearance, and deburring and cleaning the striking face after the milling steps are performed.
- Described above are thus a
golf club head 100 and methods of its manufacture. Thegolf club head 100 with an extremelyrough toe region 110 possesses numerous advantages over prior club heads, while nonetheless complying with USGA regulations regarding average surface roughness Ra and average maximum profile height Rz. For example, the visual perception of this increased roughness attoe region 110 indicates to the golfer that the remainder of thestriking face 130 is similarly roughened and thereby capable of generating more spin on the golf ball, which inspires confidence in the golfer. Further, when in the vicinity of the green, experienced golfers often intentionally strike the golf ball on the toe of the club head as part of, e.g., open face chip shots. The extremelyrough toe region 110 of thegolf club head 100 enables the golfer to impart more spin on the struck golf ball during such shots. For a shot mishit off thetoe region 110, e.g., a “skulled shot,” that often has higher velocity and lower trajectory than desired, the increased surface roughness of thetoe region 110 may increase the struck golf ball's back spin, thereby reducing the velocity of the mishit shot. And further still, the directionality of the micro-grooves 170 constituting the surface texture of thetoe region 110 is easily noticeable at address. As a result, it is easier for the golfer to align thegolf club 100 before a shot, and the golfer's confidence in the direction of the shot is correspondingly increased. - Also envisioned are a
golf club head 300 and agolf club head 400, shown in the reference position inFIGS. 7 and 10 , respectively. Like thegolf club head 100, theclub head 300 may include atoe 302, aheel 304 opposite thetoe 302, atop line 306, and a sole 308 opposite thetop line 306. Thegolf club head 300 may include, adjacent to thetoe 302, atoe region 310, and adjacent to theheel 304, it may further possess aheel region 312. Ahosel 320 for securing thegolf club head 300 to an associated shaft (not shown) may extend from theheel region 312, and thehosel 320 may in turn define a virtualcentral hosel axis 322. Thegolf club head 300 may further include a striking face 330 at a front portion thereof and a rear face (also not shown) opposite to the striking face 330. - Similarly, the
golf club head 400 may include atoe 402, aheel 404 opposite thetoe 402, atop line 406, and a sole 408 opposite thetop line 406. Theclub head 400 may include, adjacent to thetoe 402, atoe region 410, and adjacent to theheel 404, it may further possess aheel region 412. Ahosel 420 for securing thegolf club head 400 to an associated shaft (not shown) may extend from theheel region 412, and thehosel 420 may in turn define a virtualcentral hosel axis 422. Thegolf club head 400 may further include a striking face 430 at a front portion thereof and a rear face (also not shown) opposite to the striking face 430. - The golf club heads 300 and 400 may be formed of the same materials as the
golf club head 100, and they may each have a similar mass. That is, the mass of each of the club heads 300 and 400 may preferably be between 200 and 400 g. Even more preferably, the mass of each of the club heads 300 and 400 may be between 250 g and 350 g, and yet even more preferably, it may be between 275 g and 325 g. - The golf club heads 300 and 400 may preferably be of an iron or a wedge type, although they could be a putter-type club head. In particular, the loft angle of each of the club heads 300 and 400 may be greater than 15 degrees and preferably be between 23 and 64 degrees. Even more preferably, the loft angle may be between 40 and 62 degrees, and yet even more preferably, this loft angle may be between 46 and 60 degrees.
-
Scorelines scorelines scorelines 150, and they may thus be designed to be in compliance with USGA regulations. More specifically, thesescorelines scorelines scorelines scorelines golf club head 100 above, thescorelines - Also like the
golf club head 100, micro-grooves 360 and 460 preferably formed by precision mechanical milling, e.g., CNC milling, may be respectively formed in the striking faces 330 and 430 as a pattern of substantially parallel arcuate lines. The micro-grooves 360 and 460 may have an average depth taken from the corresponding striking face of no greater than 1100 μin, more preferably between 400 μin and 1100 μin, and most preferably between 600 μin and 1100 μin. The pitch of thesemicro-grooves - A method for forming the
micro-grooves 360 of thegolf club head 300 by milling is shown inFIG. 8 . Theclub head 300 may have been previously subjected to various casting, heat treatment, polishing, and preliminary milling operations such as those described insteps first step 370, the body of thegolf club head 300 may be placed in a milling position where thehosel axis 322 is perpendicular to the ground plain. - The
golf club head 300 may then be subjected to afirst milling pass 372, in which the milling tool follows the vertical path 373 (shown inFIG. 7 ) as it moves across the striking face 330 from the sole 308 to thetop line 306. During thisfirst milling pass 372, the milling tool is set at an angle with respect to the plane of the striking face 330 sufficient to ensure that the milling tool interacts with the striking face 330 only to create the top half of its circle circumference and thus misses the striking face 330 at the bottom half of the circle circumference. In this manner, the milling tool creates a rotex pattern constituted by some of thearcuate micro-grooves 360 shown inFIG. 7 . The pitch of the micro-grooves 360 formed by thisfirst pass 372, i.e, the distance between centers of adjacent ones of thesemicro-grooves 360 taken in their direction of propagation, may preferably be between 0.01 in and 0.04 in, more preferably between 0.0175 in and 0.0325 in, and even more preferably between 0.025 and 0.03 in. - Thereafter, the
golf club head 300 is subjected to asecond milling pass 374, in which the milling tool follows the vertical path 375 (shown inFIG. 7 ) as it moves across the striking face 330 from the sole 308 to thetop line 306. The texture pattern created by the first and second milling passes 372 and 374 creates an interference pattern on the striking face 330 that is composed of smaller diamond shapes. Relative to thevertical path 375, thepath 373 of thefirst milling pass 372 may be offset toward thetoe 302 between 3 mm and 6 mm, more preferably between 4.5 mm and 5.5 mm, and most preferably by 5 mm. This offset may be visually evident approximate theheel region 312, at which there is a noticeable break in the texture pattern of the striking face 330 that corresponds to the offset of the milling tool. As in thefirst milling pass 372, the milling tool is set at a sufficient angle with respect to the plane of the striking face 330 during thesecond milling pass 374, thereby creating another rotex pattern constituted by the remainder of the micro-grooves 360 shown inFIG. 7 . Also like the first milling pass, the pitch of the micro-grooves 360 formed by thissecond pass 374, i.e, the distance between centers of adjacent ones of thesemicro-grooves 360 taken in their direction of propagation, may preferably be between 0.01 in and 0.04 in, more preferably between 0.0175 in and 0.0325 in, and even more preferably between 0.025 and 0.03 in. - After the first and second milling passes 372 and 374, the
golf club head 300 may then be subjected to various additional processes such as the scoreline formation, optional treatment, and laser etching steps previously described in connection withsteps FIG. 9A illustrates a magnified portion of the striking face 330 shown inFIG. 7 .FIG. 9B shows a cross-section of the finished striking face 330 taken along theplane 9B-9B inFIG. 9A . Because of the sequential first and second milling passes 372 and 374 that are offset from one another, the distance between adjacent peaks of the micro-grooves 360 varies along the striking face 330 from thetop tine 306 to the sole 308. - A method for forming the
micro-grooves 460 of thegolf club head 400 by milling is shown inFIG. 11 . Theclub head 400 may have been previously subjected to various casting, heat treatment, polishing, and preliminary milling operations such as those described insteps golf club head 300, in afirst step 470, the body of theclub head 400 is placed in a milling position where thehosel axis 422 is perpendicular to the ground plain. - The
club head 400 is then subjected to afirst milling pass 472, in which the milling tool follows thevertical path 473 as it moves across the striking face 430 from the sole 408 to thetop line 406. During thisfirst milling pass 472, the milling tool is set at an angle with respect to the plane of the striking face 430 sufficient to ensure that the milling tool interacts with the striking face 430 only to create the top half of its circle circumference and thus misses the striking face 430 at the bottom half of the circle circumference. In this manner, the milling tool creates a rotex pattern constituted by some of the micro-grooves 460 shown inFIG. 10 . Like thestep 372, the pitch of the micro-grooves 460 formed by thisfirst pass 472, i.e, the distance between centers of adjacent ones of thesemicro-grooves 460 taken in their direction of propagation, may preferably be between 0.01 in and 0.04 in, more preferably between 0.0175 in and 0.0325 in, and even more preferably between 0.025 and 0.03 in. - Thereafter, the
club head 400 is subjected to asecond milling pass 474, in which the milling tool follows thevertical path 475 as it moves across the striking face 430 from the sole 408 to thetop line 406. The texture pattern created by the first and second milling passes 472 and 474 creates an interference pattern on the striking face 430 that is composed of larger diamond shapes. Relative to thevertical path 475, thepath 473 of thefirst milling pass 472 may be offset toward thetoe 402 between 1 mm and 3 mm, more preferably between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm, and most preferably by 2 mm. This offset may be visually evident approximate theheel region 412, at which there is a noticeable break in the texture pattern of the striking face 430 that corresponds to the offset of the milling tool. As in thefirst milling pass 472, the milling tool is set at an angle with respect to the plane of the striking face 430 during the second milling pass, thereby creating another rotex pattern constituted by the remainder of the micro-grooves 460 shown inFIG. 10 . Also like thefirst milling pass 472, the pitch of the micro-grooves 460 formed by thissecond pass 474, i.e, the distance between centers of adjacent ones of thesemicro-grooves 460 taken in their direction of propagation, may preferably be between 0.01 in and 0.04 in, more preferably between 0.0175 in and 0.0325 in, and even more preferably between 0.025 and 0.03 in. - After the first and second milling passes 472 and 474, the
golf club head 400 may be subjected to various additional processes such as the scoreline formation, optional treatment, and laser etching steps previously described in connection withsteps FIG. 12A illustrates a magnified portion of the striking face 430 shown inFIG. 10 .FIG. 12B shows a cross-section of the finished striking surface 430 taken along theplane 12B-12B inFIG. 10 . Because of the sequential first and second milling passes 472 and 474 that are offset from one another, the distance between adjacent peaks of the micro-grooves 460 varies along the striking face 430 from thetop line 406 to the sole 408. - The respective combinations of the first milling passes 372, 472 with the second milling passes 374, 474 thus create interference patterns on the striking faces 330 and 430 that are constituted by diamonds. The diamonds are created by the grooves from the second milling passes 374, 474 being superimposed over the grooves from the first milling passes 372, 472, respectively. These interference patterns each create more consistent roughness across the corresponding striking face, including having peak roughness at locations on the face where impact is most common, e.g., along the vertical centerline of the striking face. For example, as shown in
FIG. 14 , average maximum profile height Rz peaks for both the striking face 330, i.e., 5 mm offset, and the striking face 430, i.e., 2 mm offset, around the center of the striking face. The interference patterns described above also create more spin from the rough and in wet conditions, as is evidenced by the increase in average maximum profile height Rz for the striking faces 330 and 430 compared to a striking face with no offset. - As mentioned previously, the interference pattern on the striking face 330 is constituted by smaller diamonds. When the
golf club head 300 is in the closed, or normal position at address, the directionality of this interference pattern faces thus toward the target. This is particularly advantageous in the context of lower-lofted clubs, i.e., clubs with a loft angle of 52 degrees and below, which often face the golf ball at address with the club head in this closed, or normal position. Theclub head 300 may thus be such a lower-lofted club head. The interference pattern on the striking face 430 is constituted by larger diamonds, however. Higher lofted clubs, i.e., those with a loft angle of 54 degrees and greater, often face the golf ball at address with the club face in an open position. In prior art golf clubs, this open position, which is desired for many sand bunker shots, lob shots, and chip shots, results in the club face appearing offline, e.g., aimed to the right of the target. The directionality of the interference pattern on the striking face 430, however, cures this visual issue by creating the appearance that the micro-grooves 460 are directed toward the target, even though the face is open. Thegolf club head 400 may thus be such a higher-lofted club head. - In the foregoing discussion, the present invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary aspects thereof. However, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these exemplary aspects without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention. For example, although
FIG. 6E shows an embodiment in which the micro-grooves from thefirst milling pass 208B are removed in thescoreline region 114 by the secondgroove milling pass 210B, in some implementations, the grooves from the secondgroove milling pass 210B may be entirely superimposed onto the grooves of the firstgroove milling pass 208B. As a result, both groove patterns may be visually discernible in thescoreline region 114 while still maintaining Ra1 values in thescoreline region 114 and Ra2 values in thetoe region 110, as shown inFIG. 13 . Accordingly, the foregoing discussion and the accompanying drawings are to be regarded as merely illustrative of the present invention rather than as limiting its scope in any manner.
Claims (20)
1. A golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:
a loft greater than 40 degrees;
a heel portion;
a toe portion opposite the heel portion;
a sole portion;
a top portion opposite the sole portion; and
a striking face comprising:
a striking face periphery;
a plurality of scorelines having a toe-wardmost extent and a heel-wardmost extent, wherein a first virtual vertical plane is perpendicular to the striking face and passes through the toe-wardmost extent and a second virtual vertical plane is parallel to the first virtual vertical plane and passes through the heel-wardmost extent;
a central region bounded by the first virtual vertical plane, the second virtual vertical plane, and the striking face periphery;
a first plurality of microgrooves located within the central region;
a toe region, toe-ward of the central region, bounded by the first virtual vertical plane and the striking face periphery; and
a second plurality of microgrooves located within the toe region, the second plurality of microgrooves (i) being distinct from the first plurality of microgrooves, (ii) including an average depth no less than 1000 μin, and (iii) including an average pitch no less than 0.03 in.
2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of microgrooves or the second plurality of microgrooves comprise milled grooves.
3. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the central region comprises a first average surface roughness, Ra1, between 40 μin and 180 μin.
4. The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein the toe region comprises a second average surface roughness, Ra2, no less than 1.5 times Ra1.
5. The golf club head of claim 4 , wherein Ra2 is no less than 2 times Ra1.
6. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the toe region comprises an average surface roughness, Ra2, no less than 270 μin.
7. The golf club head of claim 6 , wherein the toe region comprises an average surface roughness, Ra2, no less than 300 μin.
8. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of microgrooves follows an arcuate path.
9. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of microgrooves comprises a maximum profile height, Rt2, greater than or equal to 1000 μin.
10. A golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:
a heel portion;
a toe portion opposite the heel portion;
a sole portion;
a top portion opposite the sole portion; and
a striking face comprising:
a striking face periphery;
a plurality of scorelines having a toe-wardmost extent and a heel-wardmost extent, wherein a first virtual vertical plane is perpendicular to the striking face and passes through the toe-wardmost extent and a second virtual vertical plane is parallel to the first virtual vertical plane and passes through the heel-wardmost extent;
a central region bounded by the first virtual vertical plane, the second virtual vertical plane, and the striking face periphery;
a first plurality of microgrooves disposed within the central region;
a toe region, toe-ward of the central region, bounded by the first virtual vertical plane and the striking face periphery; and
a second plurality of microgrooves located within the toe region, the second plurality of microgrooves (i) being distinct from the first plurality of microgrooves, (ii) including an average depth no less than 1000 μin, and (iii) including an average pitch no less than 0.03 in.
11. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the first plurality of microgrooves or the second plurality of microgrooves comprise milled grooves.
12. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the central region comprises a first average surface roughness, Ra1, no greater than 180 μin.
13. The golf club head of claim 12 , wherein the toe region comprises a second average surface roughness, Ra2, no less than 1.5 times Ra1.
14. The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein Ra2 is no less than 2 times Ra1.
15. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the toe region comprises an average surface roughness, Ra2, no less than 270 μin.
16. The golf club head of claim 15 , wherein the toe region comprises an average surface roughness, Ra2, no less than 300 μin.
17. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the second plurality of microgrooves follows an arcuate path.
18. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the second plurality of microgrooves comprises a maximum profile height, Rt2, greater than or equal to 1000 μin.
19. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the average pitch is between 0.03 in and 0.06 in.
20. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the golf club head is an iron-type or wedge-type golf club head.
Priority Applications (1)
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US18/512,700 US20240082660A1 (en) | 2016-07-26 | 2023-11-17 | Golf club head with textured striking face |
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US15/219,850 US9868037B1 (en) | 2016-07-26 | 2016-07-26 | Golf club head with textured striking face |
US15/793,538 US10376755B2 (en) | 2016-07-26 | 2017-10-25 | Golf club head with textured striking face |
US16/451,628 US11033786B2 (en) | 2016-07-26 | 2019-06-25 | Golf club head with textured striking face |
US17/324,789 US11857849B2 (en) | 2016-07-26 | 2021-05-19 | Golf club head with textured striking face |
US18/512,700 US20240082660A1 (en) | 2016-07-26 | 2023-11-17 | Golf club head with textured striking face |
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US17/324,789 Continuation US11857849B2 (en) | 2016-07-26 | 2021-05-19 | Golf club head with textured striking face |
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US20240082660A1 true US20240082660A1 (en) | 2024-03-14 |
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US15/793,538 Active US10376755B2 (en) | 2016-07-26 | 2017-10-25 | Golf club head with textured striking face |
US29/626,940 Active USD845417S1 (en) | 2016-07-26 | 2017-11-21 | Golf club head |
US16/451,628 Active US11033786B2 (en) | 2016-07-26 | 2019-06-25 | Golf club head with textured striking face |
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US18/512,700 Pending US20240082660A1 (en) | 2016-07-26 | 2023-11-17 | Golf club head with textured striking face |
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US15/219,850 Active US9868037B1 (en) | 2016-07-26 | 2016-07-26 | Golf club head with textured striking face |
US15/793,538 Active US10376755B2 (en) | 2016-07-26 | 2017-10-25 | Golf club head with textured striking face |
US29/626,940 Active USD845417S1 (en) | 2016-07-26 | 2017-11-21 | Golf club head |
US16/451,628 Active US11033786B2 (en) | 2016-07-26 | 2019-06-25 | Golf club head with textured striking face |
US17/324,789 Active 2036-11-24 US11857849B2 (en) | 2016-07-26 | 2021-05-19 | Golf club head with textured striking face |
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US (6) | US9868037B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP6915376B2 (en) |
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-
2016
- 2016-07-26 US US15/219,850 patent/US9868037B1/en active Active
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2017
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US11033786B2 (en) | 2021-06-15 |
USD845417S1 (en) | 2019-04-09 |
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CN207237197U (en) | 2018-04-17 |
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US20190314688A1 (en) | 2019-10-17 |
KR102384423B1 (en) | 2022-04-07 |
US20210268343A1 (en) | 2021-09-02 |
JP6915376B2 (en) | 2021-08-04 |
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JP2018015548A (en) | 2018-02-01 |
US20180056147A1 (en) | 2018-03-01 |
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