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Metal wood clubMetal wood club description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070149315, Metal wood club. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001]This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 29/245,472, filed on Dec. 23, 2005, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002]The present invention relates to an improved golf club. More particularly, the present invention relates to a wood-type golf club head with improved physical attributes. BACKGROUND [0003]Golf club heads come in many different forms and makes, such as wood- or metal-type (including drivers and fairway woods), iron-type (including wedge-type club heads), utility- or specialty-type, and putter-type. Each of these styles has a prescribed function and make-up. The present invention relates primarily to hollow golf club heads, such as wood-type and utility-type (generally referred to herein as wood-type golf clubs). [0004]Wood-type or metal-type golf club heads generally include a front or striking face, a crown, a sole and an arcuate skirt including a heel, a toe and a back. The crown and skirt are sometimes referred to as a shell. The front face interfaces with and strikes the golf ball. A plurality of grooves, sometimes referred to as "score lines," may be provided on the face to assist in imparting spin to the ball and for decorative purposes. The crown is generally configured to have a particular look to the golfer and to provide structural rigidity for the striking face. The sole of the golf club is particularly important to the golf shot because it contacts and interacts with the ground during the swing. [0005]The complexities of golf club design are well known. The specifications for each component of the club (i.e., the club head, shaft, grip, and subcomponents thereof) directly impact the performance of the club. Thus, by varying the design specifications, a golf club can be tailored to have specific performance characteristics. [0006]The design and manufacture of wood-type club heads requires careful attention to club head construction. Among the many factors that must be considered are material selection, material treatment, structural integrity and overall geometrical design. Exemplary geometrical design considerations include loft, lie, face angle, horizontal face bulge, vertical face roll, face size, center of gravity, sole curvature, and overall head weight. The interior design of the club head may be tailored to achieve particular characteristics, such as by including hosel or shaft attachment means, perimeter weighting on the face or body of the club head, and fillers within hollow club heads. Club heads are typically formed from stainless steel, aluminum, or titanium and are cast, stamped, as by forming sheet metal with pressure, forged, or formed by a combination of any two or more of these processes. [0007]The club heads may be formed from multiple pieces that are welded or otherwise joined together to form a hollow head, as is often the case of club heads designed with inserts, such as soleplates or crown plates. The multi-piece constructions facilitate access to the cavity formed within the club head, thereby permitting the attachment of various other components to the head such as internal weights and the club shaft. The cavity may remain empty, or may be partially or completely filled, such as with foam. An adhesive may be injected into the club head to provide the correct swing weight and to collect and retain any debris that may be in the club head. In addition, due to difficulties in manufacturing one-piece club heads to high dimensional tolerances, the use of multi-piece constructions allows the manufacture of a club head to a tight set of standards. [0008]It is known to make wood-type golf clubs out of metallic materials. These clubs were originally manufactured primarily by casting durable metals such as stainless steel, aluminum, beryllium copper, etc. into a unitary structure comprising a metal body, face and hosel. As technology progressed, it became more desirable to increase the performance of the face of the club, usually by using a titanium material. [0009]Players generally seek a metal wood driver and golf ball combination that delivers maximum distance and landing accuracy. The distance a ball travels after impact is dictated by the magnitude and direction of the ball's translational velocity and the ball's rotational velocity or spin. Environmental conditions, including atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature, and wind speed, further influence the ball's flight. However, these environmental effects are beyond the control of the golf equipment manufacturer. Golf ball landing accuracy is driven by a number of factors as well. Some of these factors are attributed to club head design, such as center of gravity and club face flexibility. [0010]Known methods to enhance the weight distribution of wood-type club heads to help reduce the club from being open upon contact with the ball usually include the addition of weights to the body casting itself or strategically adding a weight element at some point in the club. Many efforts have been made to incorporate weight elements into the wood-type club head. These weight elements are usually placed at specific locations, which will have a positive influence on the flight of the ball or to overcome a particular golfer's shortcomings. [0011]The sole of the golf club is particularly important to the golf shot because it contacts and interacts with the ground during the golf shot. There are many sole configurations to optimize the performance of the club. Typically, the sole of the club is slightly curved such that when the club head is placed on the ground, the leading edge is located above the ground. The curvature toward the front of the club generally provides bounce. Bounce assists in preventing the club from digging into the ground and substantially slowing club head speed. The curvature toward the trailing edge generally prevents the club head from getting caught on the ground during the back swing. [0012]The present invention is directed to an improved golf club sole for wood-type golf clubs that increases the club's playability. Additionally, the present invention is directed to an improved weighting system for wood-type golf clubs that increases the club's playability. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0013]The present invention relates to a golf club head comprising a body having a face, a sole, a crown and a skirt joining the face, sole and crown, the body having a heel end and a toe end, wherein the body has an address position with a zero degree bounce portion on the sole and a center sole position with a negative bounce portion on the sole. In one embodiment the negative bounce portion may comprise a negative 0.5 to a negative 4.0 degree surface, or more preferably a least a negative 2.0 degree surface. [0014]The negative bounce portion may further comprise a cutaway portion extending to the back of the sole. The cutaway portion may have a depth of about 0.05 to 0.5 inch. The negative bounce portion may have a generally triangular or parabolic shape. The negative bounce portion may be located on the sole a distance of about 0.1 to 1.0 inch from the face of the club head, or more preferably a distance of about 0.35 to 0.65 inches from the face of the club head. The negative bounce portion may have a constant angle or an angle that varies toward the back of the sole. [0015]In another embodiment a golf club according to the invention may have a club head with a body having a face, a sole, a crown and a skirt joining the face, sole and crown, the body having a heel end and a toe end, wherein when the toe end is up at least 5 degrees a first measurement of the face measures square, and at a centered position a second measurement of the face measures different from the first measurement. The face may measure at least two degrees more open at the second measurement or at least two degrees open at the second measurement. The centered position may comprise a negative bounce portion. The negative bounce portion may further comprise a cutaway portion extending to the back of the sole. The second measurement of the centered position may occur at club head impact with a golf ball. At the second measurement the shaft angle may measure about 55 to 60 degrees from a ground surface. The first measurement may occur at address position and the shaft angle may measure about 55 to 45 degrees from a ground surface. [0016]In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a golf club head comprising a body having a face, a sole, a crown and a skirt joining the face, sole and crown, the body having a center of gravity. The body has a coordinate system with an x-axis located horizontal to the club face, a y-axis located vertical to the club face, and a z-axis located through the club face, and a weight system for the club head, wherein the center of gravity is adjustable at least along the z-axis and the y-axis. The center of gravity is movable within a 6 mm distance along the z-axis, and more preferably within a 4 mm distance along the z-axis. The center of gravity is movable within a 6 mm distance along the y-axis, and more preferably within a 2 mm distance along the y-axis. The center of gravity is movable within a 2 mm distance along the x-axis, and more preferably within a 0.5 mm distance along the x-axis. [0017]The weight system may comprise at least one tube for placement within the club head and within a plane formed by the y axis and z axis to adjust the center of gravity. In one embodiment, multiple inserts varying in weight may be placed within the tube at various positions to move the center of gravity to the desired location. Alternatively, a weight is provided at one end of the tube, and the tube is placed within the club head to move the center of gravity to the desired location for a desired ball flight. The tube may be angled downward toward the face of the club head by at least 3 degrees from the z-axis, more preferably about 3 to about 7 degrees. [0018]The tube may be flippable, such that the weight is moveable to the other end of the club head to move the center of gravity for a desired different ball flight. When the weight is located at a back of the club head, a shot hit off the club head has increased backspin and a higher launch angle resulting in a softer landing. When the weight is located at a front of the club head a shot hit off the club head has less backspin and a lower trajectory resulting in a shallower landing for increased distance. [0019]In one embodiment, the weight comprises tungsten. The weight may have a mass from about 10 grams to about 35 grams. The tube and weight combine to have a mass of about 20 to about 40 grams. The tube may comprise aluminum. The tube may include a fastener on at least one end to assist in fastening the tube in the club head. The tube may be fastened to the inside of the club head adjacent the face. In an alternative embodiment, the tube may be fastened to the outside of the club head substantially flush with the club head body. [0020]In an alternative embodiment, the weight system may further comprise three cavities provided in the club head and three separate inserts provided for placement within the cavities, wherein the inserts may have a different mass and may be placed in different cavities to move the center of gravity within the coordinate system. Continue reading about Metal wood club... Full patent description for Metal wood club Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Metal wood club patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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