US 12,364,906 B2
Golf club head
Christopher John Harbert, Carlsbad, CA (US); Todd P. Beach, Encinitas, CA (US); Matthew David Johnson, Encinitas, CA (US); Nathan T. Sargent, Oceanside, CA (US); Kraig Alan Willett, Fallbrook, CA (US); Michelle Penney, Carlsbad, CA (US); Marc Kronenberg, Hobe Sound, FL (US); Matthew Greensmith, Vista, CA (US); and Joseph Henry Hoffman, Carlsbad, CA (US)
Assigned to Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc., Carlsbad, CA (US)
Filed by Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc., Carlsbad, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 20, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/211,751.
Application 18/211,751 is a continuation of application No. 17/526,981, filed on Nov. 15, 2021, granted, now 11,731,010.
Application 17/526,981 is a continuation of application No. 17/131,539, filed on Dec. 22, 2020, granted, now 11,202,943, issued on Dec. 21, 2021.
Application 17/131,539 is a continuation of application No. 16/586,776, filed on Sep. 27, 2019, granted, now 10,898,764, issued on Jan. 26, 2021.
Application 16/586,776 is a continuation of application No. 15/617,919, filed on Jun. 8, 2017, granted, now 10,478,679, issued on Nov. 19, 2019.
Application 15/617,919 is a continuation of application No. 14/871,789, filed on Sep. 30, 2015, granted, now 9,700,763, issued on Jul. 11, 2017.
Application 14/871,789 is a continuation of application No. 14/701,476, filed on Apr. 30, 2015, granted, now 9,211,447, issued on Dec. 15, 2015.
Application 14/701,476 is a continuation of application No. 14/495,795, filed on Sep. 24, 2014, granted, now 9,186,560, issued on Nov. 17, 2015.
Application 14/495,795 is a continuation of application No. 13/828,675, filed on Mar. 14, 2013, granted, now 8,888,607, issued on Nov. 18, 2014.
Application 13/828,675 is a continuation in part of application No. 13/469,031, filed on May 10, 2012, granted, now 9,220,953, issued on Dec. 29, 2015.
Application 13/469,031 is a continuation in part of application No. 13/338,197, filed on Dec. 27, 2011, granted, now 8,900,069, issued on Dec. 2, 2014.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/427,772, filed on Dec. 28, 2010.
Prior Publication US 2023/0405411 A1, Dec. 21, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A63B 53/02 (2015.01); A63B 53/04 (2015.01); A63B 53/06 (2015.01); A63B 60/52 (2015.01)
CPC A63B 53/02 (2013.01) [A63B 53/04 (2013.01); A63B 53/0466 (2013.01); A63B 53/06 (2013.01); A63B 60/52 (2015.10); A63B 53/023 (2020.08); A63B 53/0408 (2020.08); A63B 53/0412 (2020.08); A63B 53/0433 (2020.08); A63B 53/045 (2020.08); A63B 2053/0491 (2013.01); A63B 2209/00 (2013.01); A63B 2225/01 (2013.01)] 29 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A golf club, comprising:
a club head comprising:
a crown portion,
a sole portion,
a front portion comprising a striking face,
a rear portion opposite the front portion,
a hosel comprising a hosel bore defining a hosel axis,
a heel portion proximate the hosel, and
a toe portion opposite the heel portion;
an adjustable head-shaft connection assembly comprising a sleeve, the sleeve coupled to a lower end portion of a golf club shaft, the adjustable head-shaft connection assembly coupled to the hosel;
a recessed port extending from the sole portion into an interior of the club head toward the crown portion, the recessed port is in communication with the hosel bore, wherein the recessed port is configured to receive a fastener, and the fastener is configured to secure the adjustable head-shaft connection assembly;
a slot positioned in the sole portion of the club head adjacent the striking face, and extending into an interior cavity of the club head, wherein:
the slot has a slot width defined as a distance between a forward edge of the slot and a rearward edge of the slot, and a slot length along its heel-to-toe orientation, the slot length defined as a distance between a toeward edge of the slot and a heelward edge of the slot,
a forwardmost portion of the forward edge of the slot is located within 20 mm from a forward edge of the sole portion,
the slot length is at least 25 mm, and
a portion of the sole portion is located between the striking face and the forward edge of the slot; and
a first weight port positioned in the sole portion of the club head and rearward of the slot, and the first weight port is configured to retain a first weight;
wherein:
a geometric center of the striking face defines an origin of a coordinate system, when the club head is at a normal address position, the coordinate system including:
an x-axis being tangent to the striking face at the origin and parallel to a ground plane, wherein the x-axis extends in a positive direction from the origin to a heel portion of the club head,
a y-axis intersecting the origin being parallel to the ground plane and orthogonal to the x-axis, wherein the y-axis extends in a positive direction from the origin to the rear portion of the club head, and
a z-axis intersecting the origin being orthogonal to both the x-axis and the y-axis, wherein the z-axis extends in a positive direction from the origin to the crown portion of the club head,
the heel portion of the club head is defined as a portion of the club head extending toward the hosel from a y-z plane passing through the origin, and the heel portion comprises the recessed port;
the toe portion of the club head is defined as a portion of the club head extending in a direction opposite the heel portion from the y-z plane passing through the origin; and
the club head comprises:
a balance point located on the striking face;
a mass between 185 grams and 245 grams;
an above ground center-of-gravity location Zup measured in mm;
a moment of inertia about a center-of-gravity z-axis Izz measured in kg-mm2;
a moment of inertia about a center-of-gravity x-axis Ixx measured in kg-mm2;
a coefficient of restitution (COR) of no less than 0.80 as measured at the balance point on the striking face; and
a characteristic time measured at the geometric center of the striking face of no less than 218 microseconds.