Crosscut wedge golf club

This application claims benefit to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/014,816 filed Dec. 19, 2007, the entire contents incorporated herein by reference.

1. Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates generally to golf clubs. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to modified groove configurations on the face of a golf club.

2. Background of the Disclosure

Golf clubs are used for striking a ball in the game of golf and are generally comprised of a shaft coupled to a clubhead. In addition, the shaft usually includes a grip for holding the golf club. Generally speaking, there are three types of clubs: woods, irons and putters. Woods are used for long distance fairway shots, irons are used for shots approaching the green, and putters are used on the green to hit the ball into the cup. The present diclosure is directed to irons, and particularly wedges. Wedges are irons typically having a loft higher than 52° and are used for short-distance, high-altitude shots such as hitting the ball onto the green or getting the ball out of the rough. Examples of such wedges include gap, sand, and lob wedges. Loft is measured by the angle between the club\'s face and the vertical plane. Clubs with shorter shafts and higher lofts typically give the ball a higher and shorter trajectory.

Clubheads may take on a variety of forms, but typically comprises a face having a toe, heel, crown, and sole. The United States Golf Association (USGA) provides rules and specifications for approved club designs. Such rules may be found in Appendices II and III of the “Rules of Golf” and are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

During a stroke, the club head serves to compress the ball and grooves on the club face help to impart spin on the ball. “Backspin” is a type of spin that moves in a fast clockwise motion as viewed from a parallel standpoint to the left of the ball. It is the combination of compression and backspin that give the ball aerodynamic lift. Typically, more backspin equals more control.

The grooves on the face of the club serve several purposes. As mentioned, grooves promote spin on the golf ball to help control flight. Secondly, grass can often interfere between the ball and the club face. Since grass is mostly water, the water must have someplace to go. Thus, the grooves also function in a manner similar to treads on a tire—to get the water out—and thus help to maintain contact with the ball.

Regarding grooves, current USGA specifications state that: the width and cross-section of grooves must be consistent across the face of the club and along the length of the grooves; any rounding of groove edges shall be in the form of a radius which does not exceed 0.20 inches; the width must not exceed 0.035 inches; the distance between edges of adjacent grooves must not be less than three times the width of a groove, and not less than 0.075 inches; and the depth of a groove must not exceed 0.020 inches.

Normally, it is desirable to have the club face “square” to the ball (90° with respect to the target line) at impact. However, when performing short chip shots to the green, players may “open” the club face to hit the ball higher and land the ball more softly on the green. When the club face is open, the toe of the club is tilted back such that the toe is behind the heel at impact. In other words, the club face is aligned greater than 90° with respect to the target line when in the open position.

One of several drawbacks of opening the club face with conventional clubs is that the grooves are no longer square with respect to the ball or to the target line. Consequently, inadequate backspin and undesirable sidespin result. Moreover, there is a tendency for higher handicappers to strike the ball in the smooth upper toe portion when opening the club face, thereby reducing backspin even further.

None of the prior art provides a golf club having a plurality of parallel grooves offset at an angle across the club face to provide optimum backspin on a ball from an open face address. There is therefore a need for a golf club that imparts improved backspin on a ball when struck with the club face open. A need also exists for a golf club that provides more control and stopping power when hitting a ball with the club face open. Furthermore, there is a need for a golf club having a modified groove configuration with more optimal alignment for hitting a ball with the face open, and that preferably conforms to USGA specifications. The present disclosure addresses these needs and others.

The present disclosure overcomes drawbacks of the prior art by providing “crosscut” grooves offset at an angle across the face of a club head. Such grooves are more optimally aligned to impart effective backspin on a ball for stopping it on the green when struck with the club face open. In embodiments, the grooves are offset between 15-30° with respect to the base of the club face, and preferably between 22-30°. By enabling improved backspin with an open face approach, golfers are able to get the ball up easier and are afforded more control and stopping power. The present disclosure additionally overcomes drawbacks of the prior art by providing grooves on the club face that extend into the toe portion, thereby increasing the usable impact area. Preferably, the disclosed grooves conform to USGA rules and standards.

Unlike golf clubs currently in use which are designed to impart optimum backspin when the club face is square to the target line at impact, the golf club of the present disclosure is able to impart improved backspin and control on a ball when hit with the face open (greater than 90° with respect to the target line). In other words, unlike prior art golf clubs which typically have a plurality of horizontal grooves, the present disclosure provides a plurality of grooves offset with respect to the base of the club (in the direction of the shaft). Preferably, the grooves are more optimally aligned, or square, with the ball and target line when struck with the club face open. As a result, more backspin and more control are imparted on the ball, thereby increasing its stopping ability on the green. Further, unlike most prior art clubs, the disclosed grooves may extend into the toe portion, thereby increasing usable impact area when the club is face open. Preferably, the disclosed grooves conform to USGA specifications and standards.

According to one aspect, the disclosure provides a golf club for striking a golf ball, the club comprising: a shaft; and a head coupled to the shaft, the head including: a face having a toe region, a heel region, a base, and a plurality of parallel grooves extending into the toe region, the grooves aligned at an angle offset in the direction of the shaft, whereby effective backspin is imparted on the ball when struck from an open face position for stopping the ball on a green. In embodiments, the groove offset angle is between 15-30° with respect to the base of the club face, and preferably between 22-30°. In further embodiments, the grooves extend substantially across the entire club face. According to some embodiments, the club is a wedge having a loft angle between 52-64°, or higher.

According to another aspect, the disclosure provides a golf club for striking a golf ball, the club comprising: a shaft; and a head coupled to the shaft, the head including: a face having a toe region, a heel region, a base, and a plurality of parallel grooves aligned at an angle offset in the direction of the shaft, whereby effective backspin is imparted on the ball when struck from an open face position for stopping the ball on a green. In embodiments, the groove offset angle is between 15-30°, and preferably between 22-30°. In further embodiments, the grooves extend substantially across the entire club face. According to some embodiments, the club is a wedge having a loft angle between 52-64°, or higher.

According to yet another aspect, the disclosure provides a golf club head for use with a shaft, the head comprising: a face having a toe region, a heel region, a base, and a plurality of parallel grooves extending into the toe region, the grooves aligned at an angle offset between 22-30° with respect to the base of the club face. In further embodiments, the grooves extend substantially across the entire club face.

One of several advantages of the disclosed golf club is its ability to impart effective backspin and a substantially straight trajectory on a ball when struck with the club face open. As a result, golfers are able to get the ball up and stop it quickly on the green. Furthermore, by offsetting the grooves to be more optimally aligned with the ball and target line in the open face position, control may be significantly improved.

As a result of improving the amount of backspin using an open face approach, better precision shots onto the green may be achieved. The disclosed golf club helps golfers, and especially higher handicappers, to get under the ball in order to “get the ball up” (from deep lies, hard pan, sand, etc.). Therefore, of the many other advantages provided by the device, it improves performance e.g., for higher handicappers who tend to hit the ball in the toe portion when opening the club face.