US 12,064,673 B2
Golf club set providing improved distance gapping adjustability
Justin M. Girard, Dallas, TX (US); Michael Scott Burnett, McKinney, TX (US); and Jason Sulak, Waco, TX (US)
Assigned to Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc., Carlsbad, CA (US)
Filed by Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc., Carlsbad, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 22, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/181,923.
Application 17/181,923 is a continuation of application No. 16/215,722, filed on Dec. 11, 2018, abandoned.
Application 16/215,722 is a continuation of application No. 15/141,893, filed on Apr. 29, 2016, granted, now 10,155,145, issued on Dec. 18, 2018.
Application 15/141,893 is a continuation of application No. 14/227,008, filed on Mar. 27, 2014, granted, now 9,333,400, issued on May 10, 2016.
Application 14/227,008 is a continuation in part of application No. 13/750,127, filed on Jan. 25, 2013, granted, now 8,696,488, issued on Apr. 15, 2014.
Application 13/750,127 is a continuation of application No. 12/961,652, filed on Dec. 7, 2010, granted, now 8,382,607, issued on Feb. 26, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2021/0170248 A1, Jun. 10, 2021
Int. Cl. A63B 60/42 (2015.01); A63B 53/02 (2015.01); A63B 53/04 (2015.01); A63B 53/00 (2015.01); A63B 102/18 (2015.01)
CPC A63B 60/42 (2015.10) [A63B 53/02 (2013.01); A63B 53/0466 (2013.01); A63B 53/047 (2013.01); A63B 53/005 (2020.08); A63B 53/026 (2020.08); A63B 2102/18 (2015.10)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A set of golf clubs, comprising:
A) a first curved face adjustable loft hybrid golf club having:
(I) a first curved face golf club head having:
(a) a first curved face positioned at a first front portion of the first curved face golf club head where the first curved face golf club head impacts a golf ball, wherein the first curved face has a first design loft of at least 15 degrees and no more than 42.5 degrees, and wherein the first curved face includes a first engineered impact point, and a first rear portion opposite the first curved face;
(b) a first sole positioned at a first bottom portion of the first curved face golf club head;
(c) a first crown positioned at a first top portion of the first curved face golf club head;
(d) a first skirt positioned around a portion of a periphery of the first curved face golf club head between the first sole and the first crown, wherein the first curved face, first sole, first crown, and first skirt define a first outer shell that further defines a first head volume that is at least 40 cubic centimeters and less than 130 cubic centimeters;
(e) a first hosel with a first bore having a first center that defines a first bore axis which intersects with a horizontal ground plane (GP) to define a first origin point, wherein the first bore is located at a first heel side of the first curved face golf club head, and wherein a first toe side of the first curved face golf club head is located opposite of the first heel side;
(II) a first shaft having a first proximal end and a first distal end;
(III) a first adjustability system including a first shaft sleeve attached to an end of the first shaft that adjustably cooperates with the first hosel of the first curved face golf club head and capable of adjusting the first design loft to a first weak loft, thereby defining a first loft adjustability range, wherein the mass properties of the first curved face golf club head with the first adjustability system installed produce a first center of gravity (CG) located:
(a) vertically toward the first top portion of the first curved face golf club head from the first origin point a first distance Ycg;
(b) horizontally from the first origin point toward the first toe side of the first curved face golf club head a first distance Xcg that is generally parallel to the first curved face and the ground plane (GP);
(c) a first distance Zcg from the first origin toward the first rear portion in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure the first Ycg and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure the first Xcg; and
(d) thereby defining a first club moment arm measured from the first CG to the first engineered impact point;
(IV) a first grip attached to the first shaft proximal end; and
(V) wherein the first curved face golf club has a first club length of at least 36 inches and no more than 42 inches;
B) a first flat face adjustable golf club having:
(I) a first flat face golf club head having:
(a) a first flat face positioned at a first flat face front portion of the first flat face golf club head where the first flat face golf club head impacts a golf ball, wherein the first flat face has a first flat face design loft, and wherein the first flat face includes a first flat face engineered impact point, and a first flat face rear portion opposite the first flat face;
(b) a first flat face club head volume;
(c) a first flat face hosel with a first flat face bore having a first flat face center that defines a first flat face bore axis which intersects with a horizontal ground plane to define a first flat face origin point, wherein the first flat face bore is located at a first flat face heel side of the first flat face golf club head, and wherein a first flat face toe side of the first flat face golf club head is located opposite of the first flat face heel side;
(II) a first flat face shaft having a first flat face proximal end and a first flat face distal end;
(III) a first flat face adjustability system including a first flat face shaft sleeve attached to an end of the first flat face shaft that adjustably cooperates with the first flat face hosel and is capable of (a) adjusting the first flat face design loft from a first flat face weak loft to a first flat face strong loft, thereby defining a first flat face loft adjustability range of at least 3 degrees, and (b) adjusting the first flat face adjustable golf club in lie angle from a first flat face design lie angle to a first flat face upright lie angle, thereby defining a first flat face lie adjustability range of at least 0.5 degrees, wherein the mass properties of the first flat face golf club head with the first flat face adjustability system installed produce a first flat face center of gravity (CG) and define a first flat face club moment arm;
(IV) a first flat face grip attached to the first flat face shaft proximal end; and
(V) wherein the first flat face golf club has a first flat face club length of at least 36 inches and no more than 42 inches;
C) a second flat face adjustable golf club having:
(I) a second flat face golf club head having:
(a) a second flat face positioned at a second flat face front portion of the second flat face golf club head where the second flat face golf club head impacts a golf ball, wherein the second flat face has a second flat face design loft of at least 2 degrees greater than the first flat face design loft, and wherein the second flat face includes a second flat face engineered impact point, and a second flat face rear portion opposite the second flat face;
(b) a second flat face club head volume;
(c) a second flat face hosel with a second flat face bore having a second flat face center that defines a second flat face bore axis which intersects with a horizontal ground plane to define a second flat face origin point, wherein the second flat face bore is located at a second flat face heel side of the second flat face golf club head, and wherein a second flat face toe side of the second flat face golf club head is located opposite of the second flat face heel side;
(II) a second flat face shaft having a second flat face proximal end and a second flat face distal end;
(III) a second flat face adjustability system including a second flat face shaft sleeve attached to an end of the second flat face shaft that adjustably cooperates with the second flat face hosel and is capable of (a) adjusting the second flat face design loft from a second flat face weak loft to a second flat face strong loft, thereby defining a second flat face loft adjustability range of at least 3 degrees, and (b) adjusting the second flat face adjustable golf club in lie angle from a second flat face design lie angle to a second flat face flat lie angle, thereby defining a second flat face lie adjustability range of at least 0.5 degrees, and wherein the mass properties of the second flat face golf club head with the second flat face adjustability system installed produce a second flat face center of gravity (CG) and define a second flat face club moment arm;
(IV) a second flat face grip attached to the second flat face shaft proximal end; and
(V) wherein the second flat face golf club has a second flat face club length of at least 36 inches and no more than 42 inches;
D) wherein the first curved face weak loft is within 1.5 degrees of the first flat face design loft, the first flat face weak loft is within 1.5 degrees of the second flat face design loft, the first flat face strong loft is equal to, or less than, the first curved face weak loft, the second flat face strong loft is equal to, or less than, the first flat face weak loft, the first flat face flat lie angle is equal to, or less than, the first curved face upright lie angle, and the second flat face flat lie angle is equal to, or less than, the first flat face upright lie angle;
E) wherein a first flat face golf club head moment of inertia around a vertical axis through the CG, parallel to a vertical Y-axis, varies by less than 10 percent throughout the first flat face loft adjustability range and the first flat face lie adjustability range, a second flat face golf club head moment of inertia around a vertical axis through the CG, varies by less than 10 percent throughout the second flat face loft adjustability range and the second flat face lie adjustability range;
F) the second flat face club moment arm is within 15% of the first flat face club moment arm; and
G) the first curved face adjustable golf club has a first performance indicator, the first flat face adjustable golf club has a second performance indicator, and the second flat face golf club has a third performance indicator, and wherein the first performance indicator is less than at least one of the second performance indicator and the third performance indicator.