Golf club head with L-shaped face plate and weight pad

Abstract

Described herein are embodiments of an iron-type golf club head including an L-shaped face plate configured for flexibility. The L-shaped face plate includes a striking face portion and a sole return that wraps around the leading edge of the golf club head. In some embodiments, the L-shaped face plate further includes a top rail extension and a toe extension that extend to the surface of the golf club head. The golf club head includes a rear body configured to receive the L-shaped face plate and form a hollow interior cavity. The rear body includes a sole ledge configured to receive the sole return. In some embodiments, the golf club head further includes a weight pad that overhangs a portion of the sole return. In some embodiments, the golf club head further includes a dynamic loft feature that increases flex of the rear body.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIORITY) This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 282,577, filed November 23, 2021, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 263,936, filed November 11, 2021, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 140,741, filed January 22, 2021, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 583,103, filed January 24, 2022. This application further claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 500,880, filed May 8, 2023, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 376,422, filed September 20, 2022, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 376,059, filed September 16, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 371,453, filed August 15, 2022, all of which are incorporated in their entirety.

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to golf clubs, and more particularly to golf clubs having high energy transmission golf club heads and laser welded faces. [Background technology]

[0003] The flexing and bending of a golf club head at impact affects the launch characteristics of a struck golf ball. The amount of flexing of the face plate and / or other parts of the club head at impact affects the amount of energy transferred from the club head to the ball and the ball's speed. The backward deflection of the face plate at impact (hereinafter "dynamic loft") further affects the ball's speed and launch angle. The dynamic loft of a golf club is measured as the amount of loft of the club face relative to the ground surface at impact. Increasing the flexing of the club head, or dynamic loft, can increase the amount of spring energy stored in the golf club. Transferring more spring energy back to the golf ball can increase the ball's speed off the face, improving club performance. Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a golf club with better flexing, bending, and / or dynamic loft characteristics.

[0004] To facilitate further description of the embodiments, the following drawings are provided: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0005] [Figure 1A] 1 shows a toe-side perspective view of a golf club head with an L-shaped face plate according to a first embodiment.

[0006] [Figure 1B] 1B shows a front view of the golf club head of FIG. 1A.

[0007] [Figure 2A] 1B shows a view of the golf club head of FIG. 1A as seen from the toe side.

[0008] [Figure 2B] 1B shows a top view of the golf club head of FIG. 1A.

[0009] [Figure 2C]1B shows the golf club head of FIG. 1A as viewed from the sole side.

[0010] [Figure 2D] 1B shows a view of the golf club head of FIG. 1A as seen from the heel side.

[0011] [Figure 3] 1B shows an exploded view of the face plate and rear body of the golf club head of FIG. 1A.

[0012] [Figure 4] 1B shows a cross-sectional view of the golf club head of FIG. 1A as seen from the toe side.

[0013] [Figure 5] 1B shows a front view of the golf club of FIG. 1A with the face plate removed.

[0014] [Figure 6] 1B shows a front view of the golf club head of FIG. 1A.

[0015] [Figure 7] 1B shows the golf club head of FIG. 1A as viewed from the sole side.

[0016] [Figure 8] 10 shows a toe-side perspective view of a golf club head with an L-shaped face plate according to a second embodiment.

[0017] [Figure 9] 9 shows an exploded view of the face plate and rear body of the golf club head of FIG. 8.

[0018] [Figure 10] 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a golf club head with an L-shaped face plate and an inclined weight pad, viewed from the toe side.

[0019] [Figure 11]10 shows an enlarged view of FIG. 10 focusing on the sole return and tilted weight pad.

[0020] [Figure 12] 1 shows a cross-sectional view from the toe side of a golf club head with an L-shaped face plate and a weight pad with an extension.

[0021] [Figure 13] 13 shows an enlarged view of FIG. 12 focusing on the sole return and weight pad with extension.

[0022] [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the golf club head of FIG. 12 as viewed from the toe side, with the rear wall angle emphasized.

[0023] [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the golf club head of FIG. 12 from the toe side, highlighting the upper and lower internal undercuts.

[0024] [Figure 16] 1 shows a rear perspective view of a golf club head with a rear external cavity.

[0025] [Figure 17] 1 illustrates a rear view of a golf club head with dynamic loft features.

[0026] [Figure 18A] 18 is a cross-sectional view of the golf club head of FIG. 17 as viewed from the toe side.

[0027] [Figure 18B] 18 shows an enlarged cross-sectional perspective view of the golf club head of FIG. 17 from the toe side, focusing on the flexure hinge.

[0028] [Figure 18C] 10 shows a cross-sectional view of a golf club head according to another embodiment, viewed from the toe side.

[0029] [Figure 18D] 18D shows an enlarged cross-sectional perspective view of the golf club head of FIG. 18C from the toe side, focusing on the flexure hinge.

[0030] [Figure 19] 18 illustrates a front cross-sectional view of the golf club head of FIG. 17, highlighting the flexion notch.

[0031] [Figure 20] 1 shows a toe-side perspective view of a golf club head with a toe port.

[0032] [Figure 21] 1 shows a toe-side cross-sectional view of a golf club head with a filled internal cavity.

[0033] [Figure 22] 1 illustrates a front view of a hollow body club head according to one embodiment.

[0034] [Figure 23] 23 shows a cross-sectional view of the golf club head of FIG. 22.

[0035] [Figure 24] 23 shows a detailed cross-sectional view of the golf club head of FIG. 22.

[0036] [Figure 25] 1 shows a toe-side cross-sectional view of an iron-type golf club head having an L-shaped face plate and a continuous inner surface.

[0037] [Figure 26] 26 shows a detailed view of the golf club head of FIG. 25.

[0038] [Figure 27] 26 shows a detailed plan view of the golf club head of FIG. 25.

[0039] [Figure 28] 26 shows an enlarged view of the golf club head of FIG. 25.

[0040] [Figure 29] 1 shows a toe-side cross-sectional view of an iron-type golf club head having an L-shaped face plate and a continuous inner surface having a plurality of flat surfaces.

[0041] [Figure 30] 30 shows a detailed plan view of the golf club head of FIG. 29.

[0042] [Figure 31] 30 shows a detailed view of the golf club head of FIG. 29.

[0043] [Figure 32] FIG. 30 shows a front view of the golf club head of FIG. 29.

[0044] [Figure 33] 31 shows a front view of the heel and toe regions of the golf club head of FIG. 30.

[0045] [Figure 34] 1 shows a toe-side cross-sectional view of an iron-type golf club head having an L-shaped face plate and a beveled inner surface.

[0046] [Figure 35] 1 shows a toe-side cross-sectional view of an iron-type golf club head having an L-shaped face plate and a sloped lower inner surface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0047] Various embodiments of the golf club head described herein may be iron-type golf clubs or crossover-type golf clubs with an L-shaped face plate, a sole ledge, and / or an undercut to increase ball speed by increasing face plate deflection. A rear body is connected to the L-shaped face plate to cover a hollow internal cavity, and the rear body may further include a rear portion configured to increase dynamic loft at impact. The L-shaped face plate may incorporate areas of the club head that would normally be provided separately from a conventional face plate, such as the rear body. Furthermore, the L-shaped face plate may be formed of a material with a higher strength than the rear body, allowing the thickness of the area incorporated into the L-shaped face plate to be reduced without losing structural integrity. The reduced thickness increases deflection, resulting in increased ball speed. In some embodiments, an internal weight pad is provided, allowing mass to be located lower within the golf club head. The internal weight pad extends above the sole return, creating an undercut that prevents the face plate from contacting the internal weight pad. The sole ledge provides a buffer area between the L-shaped face plate and the rear body and also prevents the internal weight pad from interfering with the flex of the L-shaped face plate.

[0048] The club head may further include additional features that increase dynamic loft. For example, the inner surface of the rear portion may have a flexure notch or cutout located near the toe end of the club head. Similarly, the rear wall of the rear body may have a flexure hinge, such as a groove or crease, that is recessed in some embodiments and not in others. The flexure hinge extends from the heel end of the club head to the toe end of the club head. The increased dynamic loft of the club head due to the dynamic loft features described above results in a higher launch angle at impact and increased ball speed.

[0049] The L-shaped face plates described herein may include a sole return, a toe extension, a top rail extension, or any combination thereof. Each of these L-shaped face plate embodiments may be combined with any of the rear body embodiments described herein, including a rear body having a sole ledge, a sloped weight pad, a weight pad with an extension, a heel mass and / or a toe mass, a lower internal undercut, an upper internal undercut, a rear external cavity, an external flexure hinge, an internal flexure notch, an internal weld rib, or any combination thereof.

[0050] For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawings show general structural aspects, and descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. Further, the illustrated elements are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the illustrated elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements to facilitate understanding of embodiments of the present invention. The same reference numbers in different drawings refer to the same elements.

[0051] When terms such as "first," "second," "third," and "fourth" are used in the specification and claims, they are used to distinguish between similar elements and not necessarily to describe a particular sequence or chronological order. It is understood that such terms are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances, such as when the embodiments described herein are capable of operating in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprise" and "have," and variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus comprising a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent in such process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus.

[0052] When used in this specification and claims, terms such as "left," "right," "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "upper," "lower," and the like are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily to describe permanent relative positions. It should be understood that such terms are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances, for example, where the embodiments of the invention described herein are operable in orientations other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.

[0053] The terms "connect," "connected," "connect," "connecting," and the like should be understood broadly and refer to connecting two or more elements or signals in an electrical, mechanical, and / or other manner.

[0054] As used herein, the term "striking face" refers to the front of the club head that is configured to strike a golf ball. The term "striking face" may be used interchangeably with "face."

[0055] As used herein, the term "striking face perimeter" may refer to the edge of the striking face. The striking face perimeter may be located along the outer edge of the striking face where the curvature deviates from the bulge and / or roll of the striking face.

[0056] The term "geometric center point" as used herein may refer to the geometric center point 103 of the striking face perimeter, which is located at the midpoint of the face height of the striking face. In the same example or other examples, the geometric center point 103 may be the center of an engineered impact zone, which may be defined by groove areas on the striking face. As an alternative approach, the geometric center point 103 of the striking face may be located according to a definition by a golf governing body, such as the United States Golf Association (USGA). For example, the geometric center point 103 of the striking face may be determined according to Section 6.1 of the USGA's Procedure for Measuring the Flexibility of a Golf Clubhead (USGA-TPX3004, Rev. 1.0.0, May 1, 2008) (available at http: / / www.usga.org / equipment / testing / protocols / Procedure-For-Measuring-The-Flexibility-Of-A-Golf-Club-Head / ) ("Flexibility Procedure").

[0057] As used herein, the term "ground plane" may refer to a reference plane relative to the surface on which a golf ball rests. The ground plane may be the horizontal plane that contacts the sole at address.

[0058] As used herein, the term "loft plane" may refer to a reference plane that is tangent to the geometric center point of the striking face.

[0059] As used herein, the term "loft angle" may refer to the angle measured between the ground plane and the loft plane.

[0060] As used herein, the term "effective depth" may refer to the depth of the sole return that does not contact any portion of the rear body. In some embodiments, the effective depth is the depth of the sole return that is not obstructed by the weight pad.

[0061] The golf club head has a coordinate system centered at an origin 125 slightly offset from the leading edge of the striking face. The origin 125 is located where the loft plane intersects the contact surface 123. The origin also lies on a vertical front-to-back plane that intersects the geometric center point 103 of the striking face and is perpendicular to the contact surface. The coordinate system has an X-axis 127, a Y-axis 129, and a Z-axis. The X-axis 127 extends through the origin 125 in a heel-to-toe direction and is positive toward the heel end of the club head. The Y-axis 129 extends through the origin in a sole-to-top rail direction and is positive toward the top rail. The Z-axis extends through the origin in a front-to-back direction and is positive toward the front.

[0062] The term "CG height" may refer to the CG position along the Y axis measured from the origin.

[0063] 1A, a hollow body club head 100 with an L-shaped face plate 150 and dynamic loft features includes a front end 102, a rear end 104, a heel end 106, a toe end 108, a top rail 110, and a sole 112. The L-shaped face plate 150 includes a hitting face 116 at the front end 102 along which a loft plane 101 (FIG. 2) extends.

[0064] The top rail 110, heel end 106, toe end 108, and sole 112 extend rearward from a striking face perimeter 163 (FIG. 6) and define the perimeter of the club head 100. With reference to FIGS. 2A-2D, the perimeter of the club head is defined by surfaces of the club head 100 that do not form part of the striking face 116 and are located between the front end 102 and the rear end 104. The striking face perimeter 163 extends around the striking face 116 and is defined as the point at which the front end 102 is substantially out of plane, aside from grooves on the striking face 116. With reference to FIG. 2A, the club head 100 defines a toe surface 124 that extends along the toe end 108 between the front end 102 and the rear end 104 and between the sole 112 and the top rail 110. With reference to Figure 2B, the club head 100 further defines a top rail surface 126 extending along the top rail 110 between the front end 102 and the rear end 104 and between the heel end 106 and the toe end 108. With reference to Figure 2C, the club head 100 further defines a sole surface 128 extending along the sole 112 between the front end 102 and the rear end 104 and between the heel end 106 and the toe end 108. With reference to Figure 2D, the club head 100 further defines a heel surface 122 extending along the heel end 106 between the front end 102 and the rear end 104 and between the sole 112 and the top rail 110.

[0065] (IL-shaped faceplate) As shown in FIG. 1A, club head 100 includes a face plate 150 connected at its front end 102 to a rear body 130. When viewed in side cross section as shown in FIG. 4, face plate 150 has a generally "L-shape" and includes a striking face portion 152 that extends along loft plane 101 and a sole return 154. A striking face perimeter 163 extends to club head surfaces 122, 124, 126, and 128, and sole return 154 extends rearward from striking face portion 152 to form part of sole 112, as best shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 6, and 7. This shape and arrangement of face plate 150 allows the thickness of face plate 150 and portions of rear body 130 to be reduced without compromising structural integrity, thus allowing face plate 150 to provide club head 100 with greater face plate deflection and greater ball speeds.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 3 , the club head 100 has a hollow body structure formed by an L-shaped face plate 150 connected to the rear body 130 and covering the hollow interior cavity 114. The rear body 130 includes a rear body top rail portion 132, a rear body sole portion 138, a rear body heel portion 134, a rear body toe portion 136, a hosel 142, and a rear wall 140. The rear wall 140 extends upward from the rear body sole portion 138 toward the top rail portion 132 and covers the rear end 104 of the club head 100. The rear body 130 also includes a rear body opening 144 near the front end 102 of the club head 100. The rear body opening 144 is formed between the rear body top rail portion 132, the rear body heel portion 134, the rear body toe portion 136, and the rear body sole portion 138. 5, a plurality of welding surfaces 146 extend along the periphery of the rear body opening 144. The welding surfaces 146 are formed by the forward-most edges of the rear body top rail portion 132, the rear body heel portion 134, the rear body toe portion 136, and the rear body sole portion 138. The welding surfaces 146 provide a contact surface for connecting the faceplate 150 to the rear body 130. In many embodiments, the welding surfaces 146 may be a substantially flat surface configured to receive the faceplate 150.

[0067] The rear body 130 further includes multiple weighting features designed to lower the center of gravity (CG) of the club head 100. Referring to FIG. 10 , the rear body 130 may include a weight pad 1000 located low and rearward within the internal cavity 114. The weight pad 1000 is integrally formed with both the rear body sole portion 138 and the rear wall 140. The weight pad 1000 has a low profile, allowing for more mass to be concentrated low on the club head 100. The weight pad 1000 extends across a majority of the distance between the rear body heel portion 134 and the rear body toe portion 136, as best shown in FIG. 5 .

[0068] 5, rear body 130 may further include a heel mass 147 and a toe mass 149 located within the under-heel and under-toe regions of internal cavity 114, respectively. Heel mass 147 and toe mass 149 increase the perimeter weight of club head 100, thereby increasing the club head's moment of inertia in the heel-toe direction. Heel mass 147 may be integrally formed with rear body sole portion 138, rear body heel portion 134, and rear wall 140. Toe mass 149 may be integrally formed with rear body sole portion 138, rear body toe portion 136, and rear wall 140. In many embodiments, heel mass 147 and toe mass 149 are integrated with weight pad 1000, as shown in FIG. 5. Locating heel mass 147 and toe mass 149 at the lower rear heel and lower rear toe portions of internal cavity 114 lowers the CG location and increases the moment of inertia in the heel-to-toe direction compared to a club head without a heel mass and / or toe mass. This placement of heel mass 147 and toe mass 149 improves these club head characteristics without interfering with the flexure of L-shaped face plate 150.

[0069] 4 and 5, the rear body 130 further defines a sole ledge 148 in the rear body sole portion 138. The sole ledge 148 may be combined with any of the faceplate configurations described above or below, including the sole return 154, the top rail extension 170, the toe extension 168, or any combination thereof. The sole ledge 148 is integrally formed with the rear body 130 and is located immediately forward of the weight pad 1000. The sole ledge 148 projects forward from the weight pad 1000 and extends along the length of the weight pad 1000 from near the heel end 106 to near the toe end 108. The sole ledge 148 includes a sole ledge front face 151, which is the forward-most surface of the sole ledge 148. The sole ledge front face 151 forms a welding surface 146 along the sole 112 and provides a surface for easily attaching the sole return 154 to the rear body sole portion 138. Specifically, the sole ledge front surface 151 contacts the sole perimeter 166 of the face plate 150, as described in more detail below. In many embodiments, the sole perimeter 166 is the only portion of the sole return 154 that contacts the rear body 130. The sole ledge 148 forms part of the sole 112 and separates the sole return 154 from the weight pad 1000.

[0070] The sole ledge 148 forms a relatively small portion of the sole 112. Referring to FIG. 11 , the sole ledge 148 defines a sole ledge depth 153 measured from the weight pad front wall 1010 to the sole perimeter edge 166 of the face plate. In some embodiments, the sole ledge depth 153 varies in the heel-to-toe direction. In other embodiments, the sole ledge depth 153 is constant in the heel-to-toe direction. The sole ledge depth 153 may be between 0.01 inches and 0.20 inches. In some embodiments, the sole ledge depth 153 is between 0.01 inches and 0.05 inches, between 0.03 inches and 0.07 inches, between 0.05 inches and 0.10 inches, between 0.07 inches and 0.10 inches, between 0.09 inches and 0.12 inches, between 0.10 inches and 0.15 inches, between 0.13 inches and 0.17 inches, between 0.15 inches and 0.20 inches, or between 0.17 inches and 0.20 inches. In some embodiments, sole ledge depth 153 is approximately 0.01 inch, 0.02 inch, 0.03 inch, 0.04 inch, 0.05 inch, 0.06 inch, 0.07 inch, 0.08 inch, 0.09 inch, 0.10 inch, 0.11 inch, 0.12 inch, 0.13 inch, 0.14 inch, 0.15 inch, 0.16 inch, 0.17 inch, 0.18 inch, 0.19 inch, or 0.20 inch. In one exemplary embodiment, sole ledge depth 153 is 0.09 inch. Sole ledge depth 153 is large enough to move face plate 150 away from weight pad 1000 while still increasing sole return depth 158 ( FIG. 7 ). Sole ledge depth 153 is selected to increase deflection of face plate 150. As discussed above, increasing the deflection of the face plate 150 transfers more energy to the golf ball, increasing ball velocity.

[0071] As explained in more detail below, sole ledge depth 153 is selected to increase sole return depth 158 while providing sufficient distance between sole return 154 and weight pad 1000 so that weight pad 1000 does not contact sole return 154. Without sole ledge 148, weight pad 1000 would likely contact sole return 154, effectively reducing sole return depth 158 and reducing deflection of face plate 150. To further increase deflection of face plate 150, sole ledge 148 has a thickness that is the same as or very similar to the thickness of sole return 154, as explained in more detail below.

[0072] The sole ledge 148 also provides manufacturing advantages. The sole ledge 148 requires only one surface of the sole return 154 (i.e., the sole periphery 166) to contact the rear body 130. Some golf club heads that do not include a sole ledge require multiple surfaces of the sole return to contact the rear body. For example, some golf club heads require both the sole periphery and a portion of the inner surface to contact the rear body. All surfaces of the sole return 154 that contact the rear body 130 must be pre-prepared, and pre-preparing multiple surfaces increases manufacturing costs. Therefore, the sole ledge 148 reduces manufacturing costs because only one surface of the sole return 154 needs to be pre-prepared.

[0073] Furthermore, the sole ledge 148 facilitates assembly of the face plate 150 to the rear body 130. More specifically, only one surface of the sole return 154 needs to be aligned with one surface of the rear body 130. Some golf club heads without a sole ledge have complex receiving configurations that require multiple surfaces of the sole return to be aligned with multiple surfaces of the rear body. The greater the number of surfaces, the smaller the tolerance range that can be tolerated when aligning the sole return 154 with the rear body 130. A smaller tolerance range requires that the sole ledge 148 be formed to tighter tolerances, which can increase the cost and complicate the manufacturing of the face plate 150. Therefore, a club head 100 with a sole ledge 148 is easier and less expensive to manufacture than a golf club head without a sole ledge.

[0074] The sole ledge 148 advantageously defines a buffer region between the sole return 154 and the weight pad 1000. As described above, the sole return 154 contacts the rear body 130 only at the sole ledge front surface 151. In some golf club heads without a sole ledge, the rear body overlaps the sole return so that multiple surfaces of the sole return contact the rear body. For example, in some golf club heads without a sole ledge, the sole return extends into the weight pad so that the weight pad overlaps the rearmost portion of the sole return. The more surfaces that contact or cover the sole return 154, the smaller the effective depth of the sole return 154, which can restrict flex. In such an embodiment, less energy is stored and returned to the golf ball at impact compared to a club head with a sole ledge 148, resulting in reduced ball velocity.

[0075] In the embodiment described herein, the sole ledge 148 protrudes from the weight pad front wall 1010 to prevent the sole return 154 from contacting the weight pad 1000. The sole ledge front surface 151 is the only portion of the rear body 130 that contacts the sole perimeter edge 166 of the face plate. The sole return inner surface 161 does not contact any portion of the weight pad 1000. More specifically, the sole return inner surface 161 does not contact the weight pad front wall 1010. Instead, a smooth transition is defined from the sole ledge 148 to the sole return 154.

[0076] 1A, the club head 100 includes an L-shaped face plate 150 configured to increase deflection and, therefore, ball speed. The L-shaped face plate 150 is connected to the rear body 130 at a weld surface 146 to cover the rear body opening 144 and close the hollow interior cavity 114. The face plate 150 may be formed from a material different from that of the rear body 130. For example, the face plate 150 may be constructed from a material that is stronger than the material of the rear body.

[0077] In many embodiments, the rear body material is selected to facilitate casting of the rear body, which may have a complex shape. In many embodiments, the rear body material is a stainless steel, such as 17-4 stainless steel. In other embodiments, the rear body material may be a steel or stainless steel alloy, such as 15-5 stainless steel, 431 stainless steel, 4140 steel, 4340 steel, or other material suitable for casting the complex shape of the rear body 130.

[0078] In many embodiments, the yield strength of the rear body material may be between about 60 ksi and about 140 ksi. In some embodiments, the yield strength of the rear body material may be between 60 ksi and 70 ksi, between 70 ksi and 80 ksi, between 80 ksi and 90 ksi, between 90 ksi and 100 ksi, between 100 ksi and 110 ksi, between 110 ksi and 120 ksi, between 120 ksi and 130 ksi, or between 130 ksi and 140 ksi. In some embodiments, the yield strength of the rear body material may be greater than 60 ksi, greater than 70 ksi, greater than 80 ksi, greater than 90 ksi, greater than 100 ksi, greater than 110 ksi, greater than 120 ksi, or greater than 130 ksi.

[0079] The faceplate material may be a higher strength material than the rear body material. In many embodiments, the faceplate material may be a maraging steel such as C300. In other embodiments, the faceplate material may be a high-strength steel or steel alloy, such as C250, C350, AerMet® 100, AerMet® 310, AerMet® 340, HSR300, K300, or any other high-strength material suitable for forming an L-shaped faceplate.

[0080] In many embodiments, the yield strength of the faceplate material can be from about 220 ksi to about 300 ksi. In some embodiments, the yield strength of the faceplate material can be from 220 ksi to 230 ksi, 230 ksi to 240 ksi, 240 ksi to 250 ksi, 250 ksi to 260 ksi, 260 ksi to 270 ksi, 270 ksi to 280 ksi, 280 ksi to 290 ksi, or 290 ksi to 300 ksi. In some embodiments, the yield strength of the rear body material can be greater than 220 ksi, greater than 230 ksi, greater than 240 ksi, greater than 250 ksi, greater than 260 ksi, greater than 270 ksi, greater than 280 ksi, or greater than 290 ksi.

[0081] In many embodiments, the modulus of elasticity of the face plate material may be substantially the same as the modulus of elasticity of the rear body material. That is, the face plate material may be stronger than the rear body material, but the flexibility of the face plate material and the rear body material may be similar. Replacing the lower strength rear body material with a stronger face plate material having a similar modulus of elasticity may increase the flex of the club head 100. This allows the portion of the rear body 130 replaced by the face plate material to be thinner without compromising the flexibility of the material or the structural integrity of that portion.

[0082] In many embodiments, the face plate material may have a modulus of elasticity between 170 GPa and 220 GPa. In some embodiments, the face plate material may have a modulus of elasticity between 170 GPa and 180 GPa, between 180 GPa and 190 GPa, between 180 GPa and 190 GPa, between 190 GPa and 200 GPa, between 200 GPa and 210 GPa, or between 210 GPa and 220 GPa. In many embodiments, the face plate material may have a modulus of elasticity greater than 170 GPa, greater than 175 GPa, greater than 180 GPa, greater than 185 GPa, greater than 190 GPa, greater than 195 GPa, greater than 200 GPa, greater than 205 GPa, greater than 210 GPa, greater than 215 GPa, or greater than 220 GPa. The combination of high yield strength and high modulus of elasticity allows the face plate material to thin portions of the club head 100 and increase flexibility without compromising structural integrity.

[0083] As described above, the L-shaped face plate 150 includes a hitting face portion 152 extending along the loft plane 101 from the sole 112 to the top rail 110, and a sole return 154 forming a portion of the sole 112. The L-shaped face plate 150 forming the sole return 154 may be combined with any rear body 130 configuration, including the sole ledge 148, the angled weight pad 1000, the weight pad 2000 with the extension 2050, the heel mass 147 and / or the toe mass 149, the lower internal undercut 190, the upper internal undercut 195, the rear external cavity 198, the external flexure hinge 3000, the internal flexure notch 3100, the internal weld rib 179, or any combination thereof, or any of the features described above or below.

[0084] The sole return 154 extends rearward from the leading edge 118. When viewed in a side cross-sectional view, as shown in FIG. 4 , the face plate 150 forms an “L” shape, with the L-shaped face plate 150 wrapping around the leading edge 118 toward the sole 112. The leading edge 118 forms the “elbow” of the L. The leading edge 118 is the junction or transition between the striking face portion 152 of the L-shaped face plate 150 and the sole return 154.

[0085] The sole return 154 allows the L-shaped face plate 150 to flex more than a similar face plate without the sole return 154. The sole return 154 forms part of the sole 112 of the face plate material that would otherwise be attached to the rear body 130. In many embodiments, the face plate material has a higher yield strength than the rear body material while maintaining a similar modulus of elasticity. The portion of the rear body sole portion 138 replaced by the sole return 154 can be reduced in thickness without compromising structural integrity, thereby allowing for greater flex. The increased flex associated with the sole return increases energy transfer between the striking face 116 and the golf ball upon impact, resulting in a club head 100 that produces greater ball speeds.

[0086] The sole return 154 allows the sole 112 and face plate 150 to be thinner without compromising structural integrity, thereby increasing the flex of the club head 100. In some golf clubs, structural failure occurs along high-stress areas, typically in the portion of the sole near the leading edge or striking face. In some golf clubs, the sole is constructed from a relatively weak cast material, which requires a thicker portion of the sole and / or striking face to achieve the required structural integrity in the high-stress areas. The sole return 154 replaces weaker rear body material with stronger face plate material in the high-stress areas. By placing the high-strength material of the face plate in the high-stress areas (such as the sole near the leading edge 118), the striking face 116 and sole 112 can be thinner, thereby increasing flex and improving ball speed without compromising durability.

[0087] In many embodiments, the sole return 154 allows for a reduced thickness of the striking face 116, allowing for increased deflection of the striking face 116. In many embodiments, the thickness of the striking face 116 may vary. For example, the striking face 116 may include a thicker region 172 near the center of the striking face 116, as shown in FIG. 4. The thicker region 172 may define a maximum thickness of the striking face 116. A region of the striking face 116 away from the thicker region 172 and located closer to the perimeter of the striking face 116 may define a minimum thickness of the striking face 116. In many embodiments, the maximum thickness of the striking face 116 may be between about 0.085 inches and about 0.100 inches. In many embodiments, the maximum thickness of the striking face 116 may be between 0.085 inches and 0.0875 inches, between 0.085 inches and 0.090 inches, between 0.085 inches and 0.0925 inches, or between 0.085 inches and 0.095 inches. In many embodiments, the minimum thickness of the striking face 116 may be between about 0.060 inches and about 0.075 inches. In some embodiments, the minimum thickness of the striking face 116 may be between 0.060 inches and 0.0625 inches, between 0.060 inches and 0.065 inches, between 0.060 inches and 0.0675 inches, between 0.060 inches and 0.070 inches, or between 0.060 inches and 0.0725 inches. The thicknesses of different portions of the striking face 116 may be selected to increase the deflection of the face plate 150.

[0088] The sole return 154 allows for a uniform reduction in the thickness of the striking face 116 without sacrificing durability. The sole return 154 allows for a reduction in the thickness of the striking face 116 (compared to a similar club head without a sole return) of 0.001 inch or more, 0.0025 inch or more, 0.005 inch or more, 0.0075 inch or more, 0.010 inch or more, 0.0125 inch or more, 0.0150 inch or more, 0.0175 inch or more, or 0.020 inch or more. As discussed above, reducing the thickness of the striking face 116 increases the deflection of the face plate 150.

[0089] Similarly, in many embodiments, the sole return 154 may reduce the thickness of a portion of the sole 112 near the leading edge 118, allowing for greater flexure of the face plate 150 and sole 112. In many embodiments, the sole return 154 may have a thickness of about 0.030 inches to about 0.060 inches. In some embodiments, the sole return 154 may have a thickness of 0.035 inches to 0.045 inches, 0.040 inches to 0.050 inches, 0.045 inches to 0.055 inches, or 0.050 inches to 0.060 inches. In some embodiments, the sole return 154 may have a thickness of 0.030 inches to 0.035 inches, 0.030 inches to 0.040 inches, 0.030 inches to 0.045 inches, 0.030 inches to 0.050 inches, 0.030 inches to 0.055 inches, or 0.030 inches to 0.060 inches. The thickness of the sole return 154 is selected to allow for increased flexure of the face plate 150 while providing structural integrity to the leading edge 118 .

[0090] The sole return 154 allows the portion of the sole 112 near the leading edge 118 (i.e., the portion where the sole return is located) to be thinner by about 0.001 inch or more, 0.0025 inch or more, 0.005 inch or more, 0.0075 inch or more, 0.010 inch or more, 0.0125 inch or more, 0.0150 inch or more, 0.0175 inch or more, or 0.020 inch or more than a similar club head without a sole return. The thinner leading edge 118 promotes flexion, resulting in greater deflection of the face plate 150.

[0091] Additionally, the sole return 154 allows the thickness of the sole ledge 148, located rearward of the sole return 154 and forward of the weight pad 1000, to be reduced without compromising structural integrity. In many embodiments, the sole ledge 148 has a thickness that is the same as or very similar to that of the sole return 154, as shown in FIG. 11 . Having a similar thickness for the sole ledge to that of the sole return increases the flexibility of the sole return 154. By providing a very thin sole ledge 148, the sole return 154 and the sole ledge 148 together form a continuous, thin sole section with a substantially constant thickness. The sole ledge 148 may be formed from a lower strength rear body material, but because the sole ledge 148 is located further rearward than the peak stresses generated by the leading edge 118, it can be as thin as the higher strength sole return 154. Furthermore, the similar modulus of elasticity of the rear body material forming the sole ledge 148 and the face plate material forming the sole return 154 allows the thin sole section to flex without fracture.

[0092] In many embodiments, sole ledge 148 has a similar thickness to sole return 154, which may be between about 0.030 inches and about 0.060 inches. In some embodiments, sole ledge 148 may have a thickness between 0.035 inches and 0.045 inches, between 0.040 inches and 0.050 inches, between 0.045 inches and 0.055 inches, or between 0.050 inches and 0.060 inches. In some embodiments, sole ledge 148 may have a thickness between 0.030 inches and 0.035 inches, between 0.030 inches and 0.040 inches, between 0.030 inches and 0.045 inches, between 0.030 inches and 0.050 inches, between 0.030 inches and 0.055 inches, or between 0.030 inches and 0.060 inches. The similar thickness of the sole ledge 148 and the sole return 154 provides a smooth transition from the rear body 130 to the face plate 150 .

[0093] A. L-shaped faceplate with top rail extension and toe extension 6, the L-shaped face plate 150 extends beyond the striking face perimeter 163. The face plate 150 may include a toe extension 168 and a top rail extension 170, with the edges of the face plate 150 extending to the club head surfaces 122, 124, 126, 128. The L-shaped face plate 150 with toe extension 168 and top rail extension 170 may be combined with any configuration of the rear body 130 including the sole ledge 148, the angled weight pad 1000, the weight pad 2000 with extension 2050, the heel mass 147 and / or the toe mass 149, the lower internal undercut 190, the upper internal undercut 195, the rear external cavity 198, the external flexure hinge 3000, the internal flexure notch 3100, the internal weld rib 179, or any combination thereof, or features described any above or below.

[0094] An L-shaped face plate 150, including a toe extension 168 and a top rail extension 170, forms at least a portion of the top rail 110 and a portion of the toe end 108. The shape of the L-shaped face plate 150 may be defined by multiple edges forming the periphery of the face plate. The L-shaped face plate 150 may include a top perimeter 160, a heel perimeter 162, a toe perimeter 164, and a sole perimeter 166, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 .

[0095] 2A, 2B, and 4, face plate 150 extends to top rail surface 126 via top rail extension 170, and top outer periphery 160 is located on top rail 110. Similarly, face plate 150 extends to toe surface 124 via toe extension 168, and toe outer periphery 164 is located on toe end 108. Face plate 150 extends to sole surface 128 via sole return 154, and sole outer periphery 166 is located on sole 112. Face plate 150 forms at least a portion of top rail 110, at least a portion of toe end 108, and at least a portion of sole 112. Thus, the top perimeter 160, the toe perimeter 164, and the sole perimeter 166 are all located on the club head surfaces 122, 124, 128 and are spaced from the striking face 116. The heel perimeter 162 is located on the front end 102 of the club head 100 and borders the striking face 116 on the heel end 106 side. The heel perimeter 162 separates the hosel 142 from the striking face 116.

[0096] The outer periphery of the faceplate 150 provides a contact surface between the faceplate 150 and the rear body 130. Referring to Figure 4, the outer periphery of the faceplate 150 is welded to the welding surface 146 of the rear body 130 to connect the faceplate 150 to the rear body 130. At the contact between the outer periphery of the faceplate and the welding surface 146 of the rear body, multiple weld lines are formed between the faceplate 150 and the rear body 130. In many embodiments, the faceplate 150 and the rear body 130 are welded together by a laser welding process.

[0097] In many embodiments, each outer periphery of the face plate 150, specifically the top outer periphery 160, the toe outer periphery 164, the top rail extension 170, the toe extension 168, and the sole outer periphery 166, includes a beveled surface or a chamfer, as shown in FIG. 4. The beveled surfaces and / or chamfers of the toe extension 168 and the top rail extension 170 provide a smooth transition from the hitting face 116 to the toe surface 124 and the top rail surface 126, respectively. For example, the toe extension 168 forms a chamfer at the transition between the hitting face 116 and the toe end 108, and the top rail extension 170 forms a chamfer at the transition between the hitting face 116 and the top rail 110.

[0098] The shape of the face plate 150 and the location of its outer edge on the surface of the club head offset the weld line from the striking face 116, increasing the flex of the face plate 150. Many prior art hollow-body irons include a non-L-shaped face insert attached to the front of the club head to form a hollow interior cavity. In such prior art club heads, the insert is located inward relative to the surface of the club head, and the weld line between the face insert and the body is located entirely on the striking face. The weld lines in prior art clubs increase the thickness of the striking face, reducing the flexibility of the face plate. The increased thickness caused by the weld line reduces the face plate's ability to flex. In contrast, the L-shaped face plate 150, which includes the sole return 154, toe extension 168, and top rail extension 170, does not form any weld lines on the striking face 116. Instead, the weld lines are located on the surfaces 122, 124, 128 of the club head, which allows the face plate 150 to flex more.

[0099] Referring to FIG. 4 , in many embodiments, the L-shaped face plate 150 does not form a return at the top rail 110 or the toe end 108. The hitting face has a substantially flat hitting face rear surface 156 adjacent the top rail 110 and along the heel end 106. The portion of the face plate 150 near the toe end 108 or the top rail 110 does not extend rearward from the hitting face rear surface 156 or form a return. Thus, the face plate 150 has an L-shape with a straight hitting face portion 152 and a sole return 154 adjacent the sole 112, as opposed to a cup-shaped face plate that has a return at the top and / or toe end of the hitting face. The various embodiments of the L-shaped face plate 150 described herein are designed to increase the flex of the face plate 150.

[0100] The face plate 150 has a face plate surface area measured across the face plate 150 and defined by a top perimeter edge 160, a toe perimeter edge 164, a heel perimeter edge 162, and a leading edge 118. The face plate surface area is related to the spring-like effect of the face plate 150. The greater the face plate surface area, the greater the spring-like effect of the face plate 150 and the greater the deflection of the face plate 150. The greater the deflection, the more energy the face plate 150 can transfer to the golf ball, resulting in greater ball velocity.

[0101] In some embodiments, the faceplate surface area is about 3.50 in 2 ~approx. 5.00in 2 In some embodiments, the faceplate surface area is 3.50 in 2 ~3.75in 2 , 3.65in 2 ~3.90in 2 , 3.80in 2 ~4.20in 2 , 4.00in 2 ~4.25in2 , 4.25in 2 ~4.50in 2 , 4.50in 2 ~4.75in 2 , or 4.70 in. 2 ~5.00in 2 In some embodiments, the faceplate surface area is about 3.50 in 2 , 3.55in 2 , 3.60in 2 , 3.65in 2 , 3.70in 2 , 3.75in 2 , 3.80in 2 , 3.85in 2 , 3.90in 2 , 3.95in 2 , 4.00in 2 , 4.05in 2 , 4.10in 2 , 4.15in 2 , 4.20in 2 , 4.25in 2 , 4.30in 2 , 4.35in 2 , 4.30in 2 , 4.35in 2 , 4.40in 2 , 4.45in 2 , 4.50in 2 , 4.55in 2 , 4.60in 2 , 4.65in 2 , 4.70in 2 , 4.75in 2 , 4.80in 2 , 4.85in 2 , 4.90in 2 , 4.95in 2 , or 5.00 in. 2 The faceplate surface area is selected to facilitate deflection of the faceplate 150.

[0102] In some embodiments, faceplate 150 with top rail extensions 170 and toe extensions 168 has a larger faceplate surface area than a faceplate without these features. In some embodiments, the faceplate surface area is approximately 5.00 in 2 ~approx. 6.00in 2 In some embodiments, the faceplate surface area is 5.00 in 2 ~5.30in 2 , 5.15in 2 ~5.25in 2 , 5.20in 2 ~5.40in 2 , 5.35in 2 ~5.60in 2 , 5.50in 2 ~5.70in 2 , or 5.60in 2 ~6.00in 2 In some embodiments, the faceplate surface area is about 5.00 in 2 , 5.05in 2 , 5.10in 2 , 5.15in 2 , 5.20in 2 , 5.25in 2 , 5.30in 2 , 5.35in 2 , 5.30in 2 , 5.35in 2 , 5.40in 2 , 5.45in 2 , 5.50in 2 , 5.55in 2 , 5.60in 2 , 5.65in 2 , 5.70in 2 , 5.75in 2 , 5.80in 2 , 5.85in 2 , 5.90in 2 , 5.95in 2 , or 6.00 in. 2 The surface area of ​​the faceplate 150 is selected to facilitate flexing of the faceplate 150.

[0103] In some embodiments, the surface area of ​​a faceplate 150 with top rail extensions 170 and toe extensions 168 is approximately 1.00 in 2 larger than a faceplate without these features. 2 ~approx. 3.00in 2 In some embodiments, the surface area of ​​faceplate 150 is 1.00 in or more greater than the surface area of ​​a faceplate without the top rail and toe extensions. 2 ~1.25in 2 , 1.20in 2 ~1.50in 2 , 1.40in 2 ~1.75in 2 , 1.50in 2 ~2.00in 2 , 1.75in 2 ~2.25in 2 , 2.20in 2 ~2.50in 2 , 2.40in 2 ~2.75in 2 , or 2.50in 2 ~3.00in 2 The large surface area of ​​the faceplate 150 including the toe extensions 168 and top rail extensions 170 facilitates large deflections of the faceplate 150.

[0104] 4, the contour of the sole perimeter 166 defines the shape of the sole return 154. In the sole return 154, the sole perimeter 166 extends rearward along the sole 112 and defines a boundary between the L-shaped face plate 150 and the rear body sole portion 138. The sole return 154 may have a complementary shape to be flush with the sole ledge 148. The contour of the welding surface 146 on the rear body sole portion 138 matches the contour of the sole perimeter 166 of the sole return 154. The complementary shapes of the sole return 154 and the rear body sole portion 138 create a continuous sole surface without gaps or slots between the rear body 130 and the face plate 150.

[0105] 3, 4, and 7, in many embodiments, sole perimeter 166 may include rear sole perimeter 166a, heel side sole perimeter 166b, and toe side sole perimeter 166c. As best shown in FIG. 7, heel side sole perimeter 166b and toe side sole perimeter 166c may extend diagonally rearward from leading edge 118, and rear sole perimeter 166a may extend substantially parallel to leading edge 118 between heel side sole perimeter 166b and toe side sole perimeter 166c in the heel-to-toe direction.

[0106] In many embodiments, the sole return 154 does not extend rearward from the entire length of the leading edge 118. Referring to FIG. 7 , the sole return 154 defines a sole return width 157 measured in the heel-toe direction. In many embodiments, the sole return width 157 may be less than the length of the leading edge 118, and the sole return 154 does not extend across the entire leading edge 118 or the entire sole 112 from the heel-side sole periphery 166b to the toe-side sole periphery 166c in the heel-to-toe direction. In some embodiments, the sole return width 157 may taper from near the leading edge 118 toward the rear sole periphery 166a. In such embodiments, the sole return 154 may have a greatest width near the leading edge 118 and a smallest width at the rear sole periphery 166a. In some embodiments, the sole return 154 may not be tapered, and the sole return width 157 may be constant in the front-to-rear direction.

[0107] The rate of decrease of the sole return width 157 may be characterized by multiple taper angles βt, βh. Referring to FIG. 7, the multiple taper angles βt, βh may be measured as the external angle between the sole periphery 166 and the leading edge 118. The sole return 154 may have a heel taper angle βh measured between the heel-side sole periphery 166b and the leading edge 118, and a toe taper angle βt measured between the toe-side sole periphery 166c and the leading edge 118. In many embodiments, the heel taper angle βh and the toe taper angle βt may be the same or very similar. In other embodiments, the heel taper angle βh and the toe taper angle βt may be different.

[0108] In many embodiments, the heel taper angle βh may be between about 100 degrees and about 160 degrees. In many embodiments, the heel taper angle βh may be between 100 degrees and 110 degrees, between 110 degrees and 120 degrees, between 120 degrees and 130 degrees, between 130 degrees and 140 degrees, between 140 degrees and 150 degrees, or between 150 degrees and 160 degrees. In many embodiments, the heel taper angle βh may be between 110 degrees and 130 degrees, between 115 degrees and 135 degrees, between 120 degrees and 140 degrees, between 125 degrees and 145 degrees, between 130 degrees and 150 degrees, or between 140 degrees and 160 degrees. In some embodiments, heel taper angle β can be approximately 120 degrees, 121 degrees, 122 degrees, 123 degrees, 124 degrees, 125 degrees, 126 degrees, 127 degrees, 128 degrees, 129 degrees, 130 degrees, 131 degrees, 132 degrees, 133 degrees, 134 degrees, 135 degrees, 136 degrees, 137 degrees, 138 degrees, 139 degrees, or 140 degrees. In many embodiments, heel taper angle β can be similar to toe taper angle β.

[0109] In many embodiments, the toe taper angle βt may be about 100 degrees to about 160 degrees. In many embodiments, the toe taper angle βt may be 100 degrees to 110 degrees, 110 degrees to 120 degrees, 120 degrees to 130 degrees, 130 degrees to 140 degrees, 140 degrees to 150 degrees, or 150 degrees to 160 degrees. In many embodiments, the toe taper angle βt may be 110 degrees to 130 degrees, 115 degrees to 135 degrees, 120 degrees to 140 degrees, 125 degrees to 145 degrees, or 130 degrees to 150 degrees. In some embodiments, the toe taper angle may be approximately 120 degrees, 121 degrees, 122 degrees, 123 degrees, 124 degrees, 125 degrees, 126 degrees, 127 degrees, 128 degrees, 129 degrees, 130 degrees, 131 degrees, 132 degrees, 133 degrees, 134 degrees, 135 degrees, 136 degrees, 137 degrees, 138 degrees, 139 degrees, or 140 degrees.

[0110] The tapered shape of the sole return 154 allows space for the heel mass 147 and the toe mass 149 to concentrate mass in the lower heel and toe regions without contacting the sole return 154. The tapered shape of the sole return 154 allows space for the heel mass 147 and the toe mass 149 to distribute more mass without contacting the sole return 154. This configuration increases perimeter weighting of the club head 100 without interfering with the flexure of the face plate 150.

[0111] In many embodiments, the sole return 154 may have a maximum sole return width 157 of about 1.5 inches to about 3.0 inches. In some embodiments, the maximum sole return width 157 may be 1.5 inches to 2.5 inches, 1.75 inches to 2.75 inches, or 2.0 inches to 3.0 inches. In some embodiments, the maximum sole return width 157 may be 1.5 inches to 2.0 inches, 1.5 inches to 2.25 inches, 1.5 inches to 2.5 inches, 1.5 inches to 2.75 inches, 2.0 inches to 2.25 inches, 2.0 inches to 2.5 inches, 2.0 inches to 2.75 inches, or 2.0 inches to 3.0 inches.

[0112] As described above, the sole return 154 further defines a sole return depth 158 measured in the fore-and-aft direction from the leading edge 118 to the rear sole perimeter 166a of the sole return 154. In many embodiments, the sole return depth 158 may be substantially constant in the heel-to-toe direction, as shown in FIG. 7 . In other embodiments, the sole return depth 158 may vary from the heel end 106 to the toe end 108. In some embodiments, the sole return 154 may have a maximum sole return depth 158 near the center of the sole return 154 (in the heel-to-toe direction) and a minimum sole return depth 158 near the heel end 106 and / or toe end 108.

[0113] In many embodiments, the sole return 154 may have a maximum sole return depth 158 of about 0.2 inches to about 0.4 inches. In some embodiments, the maximum sole return depth 158 may be 0.2 inches to 0.4 inches, or 0.3 inches to 0.4 inches. In some embodiments, the maximum sole return depth 158 may be 0.2 inches to 0.25 inches, 0.25 inches to 0.275 inches, 0.275 inches to 0.3 inches, 0.3 inches to 0.325 inches, 0.325 inches to 0.35 inches, 0.35 inches to 0.375 inches, or 0.375 inches to 0.4 inches. In many embodiments, the maximum sole return depth 158 may be greater than 0.2 inches. In some embodiments, the maximum sole return depth 158 may be greater than 0.2 inches, greater than 0.225 inches, greater than 0.25 inches, greater than 0.275 inches, greater than 0.3 inches, greater than 0.325 inches, greater than 0.35 inches, or greater than 0.375 inches.

[0114] In many embodiments, sole return depth 158 is as large as the manufacturing process used to form face plate 150 will allow. In many embodiments, sole return depth 158 should be less than approximately 0.400 inches. In many embodiments, face plate 150 is formed by a machining and molding process. In such processes, sole return depth 158 is limited by the molding tooling. In many embodiments, sole return depth 158 is as close as possible to the maximum depth allowed by the molding tooling. Maximizing sole return depth 158 allows the club head 100 to flex the greatest amount, maximizing ball speed.

[0115] The flexing of the sole return 154 may depend on the amount of the sole return 154 that is not obstructed by other surfaces. For example, because the sole return 154 is unobstructed along the depth 158, the depth 158 may be considered the "effective" sole return depth, and the sole return 154 is free to flex along the unobstructed effective sole return depth. In some embodiments, in which the golf club head 100 includes a sole ledge 148, the sole return 154 is not obstructed by the weight pad 1000 or other surfaces. In these embodiments, the effective sole return depth and the sole return depth 158 are the same. For example, the club head 100 shown in FIG. 6 and the club head 200 shown in FIG. 8 each include a sole ledge 148, 248, respectively, that makes the effective sole return depth equal to the sole return depth 158. Typically, the greater the effective sole return depth, the more the sole return 154 can flex.

[0116] The sole perimeter 166 in the embodiment of FIG. 7 forms a generally trapezoidal shape with respect to the sole return 154. In some embodiments, the sole return 154 may have a variety of other shapes. In many embodiments, the sole return 154 may be generally rectangular. In other embodiments, when viewed from the sole side, the sole return 154 may resemble a parallelogram, a polygon, a semicircle, a semi-oval, a triangle, or any other suitable shape.

[0117] 6 and 7, it should be noted that the sole return 154 significantly increases energy transfer at impact. The sole return 154 replaces a significant amount of rear body material with face plate material, and the weld line on the sole 112 is located farther from the striking face 116 than a club head without a sole return. This increases deflection and therefore increases energy transfer on low mis-hits (i.e., shots struck below the center of the face and closer to the sole). While similar prior art hollow body irons without a sole return experience a significant loss of ball speed on low mis-hits, the club head 100 with the sole return 154 maintains high ball speeds even on low mis-hits.

[0118] As described above, the L-shaped face plate 150 can be joined to the rear body 130 by welding the outer periphery of the face plate to the welding surface 146 of the rear body 130. As shown in FIG. 4 , the outer periphery of the face plate can be welded flush to the rear body 130 at the welding surface 146 so that the rear body 130 and face plate 150 do not overlap, without the use of additional mechanical attachment or retention features. At the contact between the outer periphery of the face plate and the welding surface 146 of the rear body, multiple weld lines can be formed between the L-shaped face plate 150 and the rear body 130. The multiple weld lines can be formed at the outermost points of contact between the welding surface 146 and the outer periphery (i.e., on the toe, top rail, and / or outer surface of the sole). In many embodiments, the multiple weld lines are located away from the striking face 116 at the surfaces 122, 124, 128 of the club head, thereby promoting flexing of the striking face 116. In many embodiments, the faceplate 150 and the rear body 130 may be welded together by a laser welding process. In other embodiments, the faceplate 150 and the rear body 130 may be welded together by plasma welding, electron beam welding, metal inert gas welding, or other welding processes.

[0119] In alternative embodiments, face plate 150 may optionally form any combination of a top rail return, a toe return, and a sole return. In such embodiments, the top rail return and the toe return may each extend rearward from striking face rear surface 156 and form a majority of top rail 110 and toe end 108, respectively. In such embodiments, more rear body material, particularly in rear body top rail portion 132 and rear body toe portion 136, may be replaced with face plate material, and the weld lines along top rail 110 and toe end 108 may be moved further away from striking face 116. The inclusion of a top rail return and / or a toe return may further flex club head 100, resulting in greater ball speed.

[0120] (B. L-shaped faceplate without top rail extension and toe extension) In some embodiments, the perimeter of the L-shaped face plate may not include a toe extension and / or a heel extension, and may not extend to the toe end and / or top rail of the club head surface. FIGS. 8 and 9 show a second embodiment hollow-body iron-type club head 200 including an L-shaped face plate 250 without a toe extension and a top rail extension. The second embodiment club head 200 is very similar to the club head 100, except for the different shape of the face plate. The club head 200 may include similar features to the club head 100, and these features are numbered using the 200 numbering system (i.e., the club head 200 includes a rear body 230, a face plate 250, etc.).

[0121] The L-shaped face plate 250 of the club head 200 does not include a toe extension or a top rail extension, and therefore includes peripheral edges 260, 262, 264 that do not extend to the club head surfaces 222, 224, 226. The L-shaped face plate 250 without a toe extension or a top rail extension may be combined with any configuration of the rear body 230, including the sole ledge 248, the angled weight pad 1000, the weight pad 2000 with extension 2050, the heel mass 247 and / or the toe mass 249, the lower internal undercut 290, the upper internal undercut 295, the rear external cavity 298, the external flexure hinge 3000, the internal flexure notch 3100, the internal weld rib 279, or any combination thereof, or any of the features described above or below.

[0122] As shown in FIG. 8 , the toe outer periphery 264 is adjacent to the toe end 208 but is located on the hitting face 216. Therefore, the face plate 250 does not form a toe extension. Near the toe end 208, the face plate 250 is constrained within the hitting face 216. The face plate does not form any part of the toe end 208, and the toe outer periphery 264 does not lie on the toe surface 224. Similarly, the top outer periphery 260 is adjacent to the top rail 210 but is located on the hitting face 216. Therefore, the face plate 250 does not form a top rail extension. Near the top rail 210, the face plate 250 is constrained within the hitting face 216. The face plate 250 does not form any part of the top rail 210, and the top outer periphery 260 does not lie on the top rail surface 226.

[0123] Without the top rail and toe extensions, the rear body 230 of the club head 200 forms the entirety of the club head surfaces 222, 224, 226, except for the sole surface 228, which comprises the sole return 254 of the face plate. Referring to Figure 9, the rear body 230 forms the entire top rail 210, the entire toe end 208, and the entire heel end 206 (including the hosel structure). The L-shaped face plate 250 of the club head 200 is confined within the striking face 216, except for the sole return 254, which wraps around the leading edge 218 and forms part of the sole 212.

[0124] Similar to the club head 100, the L-shaped face plate 250 increases the amount of flex experienced by the club head 200 upon impact, resulting in increased ball speed. The sole return 254 replaces the portion of the sole 212 that would otherwise be formed by the rear body 230 with a stronger face plate material. The sole return 254 allows for the use of a stronger face plate material in high-stress areas (i.e., the portion of the sole 212 near the leading edge 118), allowing for a thinner striking face 216 and sole 212 without sacrificing durability. The sole return 254 also increases the flexibility of the face plate 250 by shifting the bottom weld line from the striking face 216 toward the sole 212. By increasing the flexibility of the face plate 250, the L-shaped face plate 250 increases the energy transfer between the striking face 216 and the golf ball upon impact. A club head with an L-shaped face plate 250 produces greater ball speeds compared to a similar club head without a similar face plate.

[0125] (II. Protruding weight pad) In many embodiments, the rear body 130 may include a weight pad 1000 formed within the internal cavity 114, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 , that forms an overhang extending above a portion of the sole 112 and / or a portion of the sole return 154. To lower the CG of the club head 100 without compromising the flexibility of the L-shaped face plate 150, a portion of the weight pad 1000 may overhang above the sole 112 without contacting the face plate 150. The weight pad 1000 extends upward from the sole 112 into the internal cavity 114 and comprises a mass of material of the rear body 130 located near the rear wall 140. The weight pad 1000 may be integrally formed with both the rear body sole portion 138 and the rear wall 140. The weight pad 1000 places most of its mass toward the sole 112, lowering the center of gravity of the club head 100 while still allowing space for the face plate 150 to flex. The weight pad 1000 may extend from the heel end 106 to the toe end 108 of the interior cavity 114. The weight pad 1000 may include a front wall 1010 facing the front end 102 of the club head 100, a top wall 1020 facing the top rail 1100, and a transition region 1030 between the front wall 1010 and the top wall 1020. In many embodiments, the transition region 1030 may be rounded to provide a smooth transition between the top wall 1020 and the front wall 1010, as shown in FIG. 11 .

[0126] The front wall 1010 of the weight pad 1000 forms a junction with the sole ledge 148 near the sole 112. The weight pad 1000 is located rearward of the face plate 150 and is separated from the face plate 150 by the sole ledge 148. The sole ledge depth 153 is selected to provide a buffer area between the weight pad 1000 and the face plate 150, although it is possible for the weight pad 1000 to overhang the face plate 150.

[0127] As described in more detail below, the weight pad 1000 defines a lower interior undercut 190 between the lower and / or front surface of the weight pad 1000 and the sole 112. The lower interior undercut 190 allows for additional mass to be added to the weight pad 1000 to lower the CG location of the club head without interfering with the flexure of the face plate 150. The lower interior undercut 190 also provides stress relief within the thinner portions of the sole 112 (i.e., the sole ledge 148 and the sole return 154) by substantially increasing the length of those portions.

[0128] In some embodiments, the club head may have a CG height 109 between 0.425 inches and 0.650 inches. In some embodiments, the CG height 109 may be between 0.425 inches and 0.450 inches, between 0.450 inches and 0.475 inches, between 0.475 inches and 0.500 inches, between 0.500 inches and 0.525 inches, between 0.525 inches and 0.550 inches, between 0.550 inches and 0.575 inches, between 0.575 inches and 0.600 inches, between 0.600 inches and 0.625 inches, or between 0.625 inches and 0.650 inches. In some embodiments, the CG height is less than 0.650 inches, less than 0.600 inches, less than 0.550 inches, less than 0.500 inches, less than 0.450 inches, or less than 0.400 inches.

[0129] 10 and 11 , the front wall 1010 of the weight pad may be angled relative to the sole 112. In many embodiments, the front wall 1010 of the weight pad forms an acute angle α with the inner sole return surface 161, as shown in FIG. 11 , causing a portion of the weight pad 1000 to overhang a portion of the sole return 154. Due to the angled nature of the weight pad 1000, the front wall 1010 extends upward from the sole 112 and toward the face plate 150. In many embodiments, the transition region 1030 may be located at the top of the front wall 1010 and thus form the forward-most portion of the weight pad 1000.

[0130] In some embodiments, the angle α between the weight pad front wall 1010 and the sole return inner surface 161 may be between about 30 degrees and about 80 degrees. In some embodiments, the angle α may be between 30 degrees and 35 degrees, between 35 degrees and 40 degrees, between 40 degrees and 45 degrees, between 45 degrees and 50 degrees, between 50 degrees and 55 degrees, between 55 degrees and 60 degrees, between 60 degrees and 65 degrees, between 65 degrees and 70 degrees, between 70 degrees and 75 degrees, or between 75 degrees and 80 degrees. The angle α may be selected so that the weight pad 1000 protrudes substantially forward toward the face plate 150. A steeper angle α allows the weight pad 1000 to protrude further forward and downward, thereby lowering the CG of the club head 100.

[0131] The sloped weight pad 1000 offers several performance advantages over weight pads without a sloped front wall 1010. The sloped front wall 1010 allows a portion of the weight pad 1000 to overhang a portion of the sole return 154. By overhanging the sole return 154, the weight pad 1000 concentrates more mass low in the club head 100 without contacting the sole return 154. This arrangement lowers the club head's CG without interfering with the flex of the face plate 150. The combination of the low CG and increased flexibility of the club head 100 results in improved performance, such as increased ball speed and a higher launch angle.

[0132] 11 , the amount that the angled weight pad 1000 overhangs the sole return 154 can be characterized by an overhang distance 1090. The overhang distance 1090 can be measured as the horizontal distance between the weight pad transition area 1030 and the sole perimeter 166. A larger overhang distance 1090 allows more mass to be placed lower in the club head 100 without contacting the sole return 154, thereby allowing for a lower CG without impeding flex. The overhang distance 1090 can be greater than about 0.025 inches, greater than about 0.05 inches, greater than about 0.075 inches, greater than about 0.100 inches, greater than about 0.125 inches, greater than about 0.150 inches, greater than about 0.175 inches, or greater than about 0.200 inches. In some embodiments, the overhang distance 1090 can be between 0.025 inches and 0.075 inches, between 0.040 inches and 0.060 inches, between 0.075 inches and 0.100 inches, between 0.090 inches and 0.125 inches, between 0.120 inches and 0.175 inches, between 0.150 inches and 0.200 inches, or between 0.175 inches and 0.300 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, the overhang distance 1090 is approximately 0.05 inches. The overhang distance 1090 is selected to allow the face plate 150 to flex without contacting the weight pad 2000.

[0133] The weight pad's front wall 1010 is sloped forward, forming a lower interior undercut 190 between the weight pad's sloped front wall 1010 and the sole 112. As best shown in FIG. 11 , the lower interior undercut 190 is defined as the volume below the weight pad's front wall 1010 and above the sole return 154 and sole ledge 148. The lower interior undercut 190 separates the thinned portion of the sole from the weight pad 2000. Referring to FIG. 11 , the lower interior undercut 190 may define a lower interior undercut depth 192 and a lower interior undercut height 191. The lower interior undercut depth 192 is measured as the anterior-posterior distance between the weight pad's transition region 1030 and the junction of the front wall 1010 and sole ledge 148 (the rearmost point of the lower interior undercut). The lower interior undercut height 191 is defined as the vertical distance between the front wall 1010 of the weight pad and the sole return interior surface 161 .

[0134] Referring to FIG. 11, the lower interior undercut depth 192 measured between the weight pad transition area 1030 and the junction of the front wall 1010 and sole ledge 148 may be between 0.010 inches and 0.300 inches. For example, the lower interior undercut depth 192 can be 0.010 inches to 0.030 inches, 0.030 inches to 0.050 inches, 0.050 inches to 0.070 inches, 0.070 inches to 0.090 inches, 0.090 inches to 0.110 inches, 0.110 inches to 0.130 inches, 0.130 inches to 0.150 inches, 0.150 inches to 0.170 inches, 0.170 inches to 0.190 inches, 0.190 inches to 0.210 inches, 0.210 inches to 0.230 inches, 0.230 inches to 0.250 inches, 0.250 inches to 0.270 inches, 0.270 inches to 0.290 inches, or 0.290 inches to 0.300 inches. The lower interior undercut depth 192 can be greater than about 0.010 inches, greater than about 0.015 inches, greater than about 0.020 inches, greater than about 0.025 inches, greater than about 0.05 inches, greater than about 0.075 inches, greater than about 0.100 inches, greater than about 0.125 inches, greater than about 0.150 inches, greater than about 0.175 inches, or greater than about 0.200 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, the lower interior undercut depth 192 is about 0.140 inches.

[0135] 11 , the lower interior undercut height 191, measured between the front wall 1010 and the sole return inner surface 161, may be between about 0.030 inches and about 0.400 inches. For example, the lower interior undercut height 191 may be between 0.030 inches and 0.050 inches, 0.050 inches and 0.070 inches, 0.070 inches and 0.090 inches, 0.090 inches and 0.110 inches, 0.110 inches and 0.130 inches, 0.130 inches and 0.150 inches, 0.150 inches and 0.170 inches, 0.170 inches and 0.190 inches, 0.190 inches and 0.210 inches, 0. It may be 210 inches to 0.230 inches, 0.230 inches to 0.250 inches, 0.250 inches to 0.270 inches, 0.270 inches to 0.290 inches, 0.290 inches to 0.310 inches, 0.310 inches to 0.330 inches, 0.330 inches to 0.350 inches, 0.350 inches to 0.370 inches, 0.370 inches to 0.390 inches, or 0.390 inches to 0.400 inches. The lower interior undercut height 191 can be greater than about 0.010 inches, greater than about 0.015 inches, greater than about 0.020 inches, greater than about 0.025 inches, greater than about 0.05 inches, greater than about 0.075 inches, greater than about 0.100 inches, greater than about 0.125 inches, greater than about 0.150 inches, greater than about 0.175 inches, greater than about 0.200 inches, greater than about 0.225 inches, greater than about 0.250 inches, greater than about 0.275 inches, greater than about 0.300 inches, greater than about 0.325 inches, greater than about 0.350 inches, or greater than about 0.375 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, the lower interior undercut height 191 is about 0.340 inches.

[0136] The lower internal undercut 190 can be thought of as a removed area of ​​the weight pad 1000 compared to an iron-type golf club head without an undercut. The lower internal undercut 190 allows the thinned portion of the sole 112 to lengthen. The lower internal undercut 190 reduces peak stresses in the thinned portion of the sole 112 and increases the flexibility of the sole 112. Rather than acting as a rigid connection, the lower internal undercut 190 creates stress relief at the transition between the face and the sole by allowing the sole return 154 and sole ledge 148 to flex more under impact loads. The length of the sole return 154 and / or sole ledge 148 is effectively extended by the lower internal undercut 190, increasing the total surface area over which impact loads are distributed and reducing peak stresses in the sole ledge 148 and sole return. The lower interior undercut 190 relieves stress concentrations at the sole ledge 148 and sole return 154 and increases the flex / spring effect of the sole 112 .

[0137] 12 , the weight pad 2000 is not angled relative to the sole 112, but rather forms a weight pad extension 2050 that projects forward from the weight pad 2000 toward the face plate 150 and overhangs the sole return 154 and sole ledge 148. The overhang of the weight pad 2000 over the sole return 154 and sole ledge 148 forms the lower interior undercut 190, as will be described in more detail below. The weight pad 2000 with the weight pad extension 2050 and lower interior undercut 190 allows for more mass to be placed lower in the club head 100 without interfering with the flexure of the face plate 150.

[0138] 13 , the weight pad extension 2050 may protrude from the front wall 2010 of the weight pad 2000 and extend generally parallel to the sole 112. The weight pad extension 2050 protrudes forward within the internal cavity 114 toward the striking face rear surface 156. The weight pad extension 2050 has a forward edge 2060 that defines the forward-most extent of the weight pad extension 2050. The weight pad extension 2050 does not contact the striking face rear surface 156. The forward edge 2060 of the weight pad extension 2050 is spaced from the striking face rear surface 156 so as not to interfere with the flexing of the face plate 150 upon impact.

[0139] The spacing between the weight pad extension 2050 and the face plate 150 can be characterized by a horizontal offset distance 2080 measured between the striking face rear surface 156 and the forward edge 2060 of the weight pad extension 2050. The horizontal offset distance 2080 can be as small as possible while still allowing enough space for the striking face 116 to flex upon impact. It is desirable for the weight pad extension 2050 to extend as close to the striking face rear surface 156 as possible without interfering with the flexion of the face plate 150. The smaller the horizontal offset distance 2080 between the striking face rear surface 156 and the forward edge 2060 of the weight pad extension 2050, the more mass can be allocated low in the club head 100.

[0140] In many embodiments, the horizontal offset distance 2080 between the striking face rear surface 156 and the forward edge 2060 of the weight pad extension 2050 may be less than about 0.30 inches. In some embodiments, the horizontal offset distance 2080 may be less than about 0.275 inches, less than about 0.25 inches, less than about 0.225 inches, less than about 0.20 inches, less than about 0.175 inches, less than about 0.15 inches, less than about 0.125 inches, less than about 0.10 inches, less than about 0.075 inches, or less than about 0.05 inches. The horizontal offset distance 2080 is selected to allow the face plate 150 to flex without contacting the weight pad 2000.

[0141] As described above, weight pad extension 2050 overhangs both sole ledge 148 and sole return 154. The overhang of weight pad extension 2050 creates lower interior undercut 190, which allows the mass of weight pad 2000 to be positioned low and forward without contacting sole return 154 or interfering with flexure of face plate 150.

[0142] The weight pad extension 2050 overhangs the sole return 154, thereby lowering the CG position of the club head without the weight pad 2000 contacting the sole return 154 or preventing the face plate 150 from flexing. The amount of overhang can be characterized by an overhang distance 2090 measured between the forward edge 2060 of the weight pad extension and the outer sole edge 166. The greater the overhang distance 2090, the shorter the weight pad 2000 can be without contacting the sole return 154, thereby lowering the CG without preventing flexing. The overhang distance 2090 can be greater than about 0.050 inches, greater than about 0.075 inches, greater than about 0.100 inches, greater than about 0.125 inches, greater than about 0.150 inches, greater than about 0.175 inches, or greater than about 0.200 inches. In some embodiments, overhang distance 2090 can be between 0.050 inches and 0.075 inches, between 0.020 inches and 0.060 inches, between 0.075 inches and 0.100 inches, between 0.090 inches and 0.125 inches, between 0.120 inches and 0.175 inches, between 0.150 inches and 0.200 inches, or between 0.175 inches and 0.300 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, overhang distance 2090 is approximately 0.250 inches. Overhang distance 2090 is selected to allow face plate 150 to flex without contacting weight pad 2000.

[0143] 13 , the weight pad extension 2050 includes a lower surface 2070 that is oriented toward the sole 112. The lower surface 2070 of the weight pad extension may be vertically offset from the sole return inner surface 161 so that the weight pad extension 2050 does not contact the sole return 154. The vertical offset between the lower surface 2070 of the weight pad extension and the sole return inner surface 161 forms a lower interior undercut 190. The lower interior undercut 190 is defined as the volume below the weight pad extension 2050 and above the sole 112. The lower interior undercut 190 is defined by the front wall 2010 of the weight pad 2000, the lower surface 2070 of the weight pad extension 2050, the sole ledge 148, and the sole return inner surface 161. The lower interior undercut 190 extends laterally in the heel-to-toe direction across the heel-to-toe length of the weight pad 2000. The weight pad extension 2050 may define a first plane 2065 that extends along a forward edge 2060 of the weight pad extension 2050 and intersects the sole 112. A lower interior undercut opening may be formed between the weight pad extension 2050 and the sole at the first plane 2065. The lower interior undercut 190 may define a lower interior undercut depth 192 and a lower interior undercut height 191. The lower interior undercut depth 192 is measured as the perpendicular distance between the first plane 2065 and the front wall of the weight pad (the rearmost point of the lower interior undercut 190). The lower interior undercut height 191 is defined as the vertical distance between the lower surface 2070 of the weight pad extension and the sole return inner surface 161.

[0144] Referring to FIG. 13, the lower interior undercut depth 192 between the first flat surface 2065 and the sole return interior surface 161 may be between about 0.010 inches and about 0.300 inches. For example, the lower interior undercut depth 192 can be 0.010 inches to 0.030 inches, 0.030 inches to 0.050 inches, 0.050 inches to 0.070 inches, 0.070 inches to 0.090 inches, 0.090 inches to 0.110 inches, 0.110 inches to 0.130 inches, 0.130 inches to 0.150 inches, 0.150 inches to 0.170 inches, 0.170 inches to 0.190 inches, 0.190 inches to 0.210 inches, 0.210 inches to 0.230 inches, 0.230 inches to 0.250 inches, 0.250 inches to 0.270 inches, 0.270 inches to 0.290 inches, or 0.290 inches to 0.300 inches. The lower interior undercut depth 192 can be greater than about 0.010 inches, greater than about 0.015 inches, greater than about 0.020 inches, greater than about 0.025 inches, greater than about 0.05 inches, greater than about 0.075 inches, greater than about 0.100 inches, greater than about 0.125 inches, greater than about 0.150 inches, greater than about 0.175 inches, greater than about 0.200 inches, greater than about 0.225 inches, greater than about 0.250 inches, or greater than about 0.275 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, the lower interior undercut depth 192 is about 0.140 inches.

[0145] 13, the lower interior undercut height 191, measured between the weight pad extension lower surface 2070 and the sole return inner surface 161, may be between about 0.030 inches and about 0.200 inches. For example, the lower interior undercut height 191 may be between 0.030 inches and 0.040 inches, 0.040 inches and 0.050 inches, 0.050 inches and 0.060 inches, 0.060 inches and 0.070 inches, 0.070 inches and 0.080 inches, 0.080 inches and 0.090 inches, 0.090 inches and 0.100 inches, 0.100 inches and 0.110 inches, 0.120 inches and 0.130 inches. The lower interior undercut height 191 can be greater than about 0.010 inches, greater than about 0.015 inches, greater than about 0.020 inches, greater than about 0.025 inches, greater than about 0.05 inches, greater than about 0.075 inches, greater than about 0.100 inches, greater than about 0.125 inches, greater than about 0.150 inches, or greater than about 0.175 inches.

[0146] The above-described overhanging weight pads 1000, 2000 may be combined with any of the various configurations of the above-described L-shaped face plate 150, including the sole return 154, the toe extension 168, the top rail extension 170, or any combination thereof. The above-described overhanging weight pads 1000, 2000 may also be combined with any configuration or feature of the rear body 130 described above or below, including the sole ledge 148, the heel mass 147 and / or the toe mass 149, the lower internal undercut 190, the upper internal undercut 195, the rear external cavity 198, the external flexure hinge 3000, the internal flexure notch 3100, the internal weld rib 179, or any combination thereof. Similarly, the lower internal undercut 190 may be combined with any configuration of the above-described face plate 150, any configuration or feature of the above-described rear body 130, or any combination thereof.

[0147] (A. Protruding weight pad connected to the inner surface of the rear wall) 25-28 disclose club head embodiments having a weight pad connected to the upper rear wall 480. In these embodiments of FIGS. 25-28, there is no cavity, transition, or other recess between the weight pad 4000 and the upper rear wall 480. The weight pad 4000 is formed in a portion of the rear body 430 located below the upper rear wall 480 (referred to as the lower rear wall). The weight pad 4000 includes a forward edge 477 extending continuously from the inner surface 459 of the upper rear wall. The forward edge 477 includes an upper region 467 and a lower region 469 and is spaced from the striking face rear surface 456. A lower interior undercut 490 extends rearward from the forward edge 477 between the weight pad 4000 and the sole ledge 448. The lower interior undercut 490 forms a gap between the weight pad 4000 and the sole return 454. The rear body 430 includes an exterior surface that may include a shelf 443 that contacts the upper end of the weight pad 4000. Additionally, a rear surface 440 contacts the rear end of the weight pad 4000 and may form the exterior shape of the rear body together with the shelf 443.

[0148] 25-28 , one embodiment of the club head 400 may include a weight pad 4000 contiguous with the upper rear wall 480 within the rear body 430. The weight pad 4000 is formed between the lower rear wall outer surface 473 and the lower rear wall inner surface 445 and is located near the sole 412. The upper rear wall inner surface 459 lies on a first plane 420, and at least an upper region 467 of a front edge 477 of the weight pad lies on a second plane 421. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 25-28 , the first plane 420 and the second plane 421 are coplanar. In this embodiment, the lower region 469 of the front edge 477 of the weight pad may lie on the second plane 421 together with the upper region 467. The first plane 420 and the second plane 421 are further parallel to the loft plane 401.

[0149] The rear wall inner surface 439 has an upper surface 459 and a lower surface 445 that correspond to the upper surface 480 and the lower surface 431 of the rear wall. The upper inner surface 459 of the rear wall transitions continuously to the weight pad forward edge 477. The lower portion of the rear wall coincides with the forward edge 477 of the weight pad 4000. A portion of the weight pad 4000 may overhang above the sole return 454 without contacting the face plate 450. The weight pad 4000 places more mass toward the sole 412 of the club head 400, allowing for a lower CG position of the club head 400, with a CG height of 0.425 inches to 0.650 inches as described above, while also allowing space for the face plate 450 to flex upon impact with the golf ball.

[0150] 25-27 , the upper rear wall 480 may be comprised of an upper rear wall inner surface 459 and an upper rear wall outer surface 455. The thickness of the upper rear wall 480 may be measured between the upper rear wall inner surface 459 and the upper rear wall outer surface 455. Minimizing the upper rear wall thickness 435 and distributing more mass downward and forward allows the L-shaped face plate 450 and sole 412 to flex while lowering the CG. Additionally, thinning the upper rear wall 480 allows the body of the club head 400 to flex more. The upper rear wall thickness 435 may be constant throughout the entire upper rear wall 480. In some embodiments, the upper rear wall thickness 435 may be between 0.025 inches and 0.070 inches. In some embodiments, rear wall top thickness 435 can be between 0.025 inches and 0.030 inches, between 0.025 inches and 0.035 inches, or between 0.025 inches and 0.040 inches. In some embodiments, rear wall top thickness 435 can be less than about 0.070 inches, less than about 0.065 inches, less than about 0.060 inches, less than about 0.055 inches, less than about 0.050 inches, less than about 0.045 inches, less than about 0.040 inches, less than about 0.035 inches, less than about 0.030 inches, or less than about 0.025 inches. Rear wall top thickness 435 can be between 0.025 inches and 0.050 inches, between 0.035 inches and 0.050 inches, between 0.040 inches and 0.065 inches, or between 0.045 inches and 0.070 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, the rear wall top thickness 435 is approximately 0.032 inches.

[0151] Furthermore, the rear wall upper inner surface 459 lies on the first plane 420, and the rear wall lower inner surface 445 lies on the second plane 421. As shown in FIG. 27 , the first plane 420 and the second plane 421 are coplanar. Therefore, the entire rear wall inner surface 439 is coplanar. Because the front edge 477 of the weight pad 4000 coincides with the rear wall lower inner surface 445, the front edge 477 of the weight pad 4000 also lies on the second plane 421 and is coplanar with the first plane 420. The first plane 420 and the second plane 421 may be parallel to the loft plane 401, and therefore the rear wall upper inner surface 459 and the front edge 477 of the weight pad 4000 are also parallel to the loft plane 401. In this embodiment, the upper region 467 and the lower region 469 of the front edge 477 of the weight pad are on the second plane 421.

[0152] In some embodiments, first plane 420 may be orthogonally offset from loft plane 401 by a distance between 0.200 inches and 0.300 inches. In some embodiments, first plane 420 may be orthogonally offset from loft plane 401 by a distance between 0.200 inches and 0.205 inches, 0.205 inches and 0.210 inches, 0.210 inches and 0.215 inches, 0.215 inches and 0.220 inches, 0.220 inches and 0.225 inches, 0.225 inches and 0.230 inches, 0.230 inches and 0.235 inches, 0.235 inches and 0.240 inches, 0.240 inches and 0.245 inches, or 0.245 inches and 0. The offset may be a distance of 250 inches, 0.250 inches to 0.255 inches, 0.255 inches to 0.260 inches, 0.260 inches to 0.265 inches, 0.265 inches to 0.270 inches, 0.270 inches to 0.275 inches, 0.275 inches to 0.280 inches, 0.280 inches to 0.285 inches, 0.285 inches to 0.290 inches, 0.290 inches to 0.295 inches, or 0.295 inches to 0.300 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, first plane 420 is offset from loft plane 401 by a distance of 0.250 inches.

[0153] In some embodiments, second plane 421 may be orthogonally offset from loft plane 401 by a distance between 0.200 inches and 0.300 inches. In some embodiments, second plane 421 may be orthogonally offset from loft plane 401 by a distance between 0.200 inches and 0.205 inches, 0.205 inches and 0.210 inches, 0.210 inches and 0.215 inches, 0.215 inches and 0.220 inches, 0.220 inches and 0.225 inches, 0.225 inches and 0.230 inches, 0.230 inches and 0.235 inches, 0.235 inches and 0.240 inches, 0.240 inches and 0.245 inches, or 0.245 inches and 0. The offset may be a distance of 250 inches, 0.250 inches to 0.255 inches, 0.255 inches to 0.260 inches, 0.260 inches to 0.265 inches, 0.265 inches to 0.270 inches, 0.270 inches to 0.275 inches, 0.275 inches to 0.280 inches, 0.280 inches to 0.285 inches, 0.285 inches to 0.290 inches, 0.290 inches to 0.295 inches, or 0.295 inches to 0.300 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, second plane 421 is offset from loft plane 401 by a distance of 0.250 inches.

[0154] In some embodiments, the rear wall inner surface 439 may be orthogonally offset from the loft surface 401 by a distance between 0.200 inches and 0.300 inches. In some embodiments, the rear wall inner surface 439 may be orthogonally offset from the loft surface 401 by a distance between 0.200 inches and 0.205 inches, 0.205 inches and 0.210 inches, 0.210 inches and 0.215 inches, 0.215 inches and 0.220 inches, 0.220 inches and 0.225 inches, 0.225 inches and 0.230 inches, 0.230 inches and 0.235 inches, 0.235 inches and 0.240 inches, 0.240 inches and 0.245 inches, or 0.245 inches and 0. The offset may be a distance of 250 inches, 0.250 inches to 0.255 inches, 0.255 inches to 0.260 inches, 0.260 inches to 0.265 inches, 0.265 inches to 0.270 inches, 0.270 inches to 0.275 inches, 0.275 inches to 0.280 inches, 0.280 inches to 0.285 inches, 0.285 inches to 0.290 inches, 0.290 inches to 0.295 inches, or 0.295 inches to 0.300 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, the rear wall inner surface 439 is offset from the loft plane 401 by a distance of 0.250 inches.

[0155] In some embodiments, the weight pad forward edge 477 may be orthogonally offset from the loft plane 401 by a distance between 0.200 inches and 0.300 inches. In some embodiments, the weight pad forward edge 477 may be orthogonally offset from the loft plane 401 by a distance between 0.200 inches and 0.205 inches, 0.205 inches and 0.210 inches, 0.210 inches and 0.215 inches, 0.215 inches and 0.220 inches, 0.220 inches and 0.225 inches, 0.225 inches and 0.230 inches, 0.230 inches and 0.235 inches, 0.235 inches and 0.240 inches, 0.240 inches and 0.245 inches, or 0.245 inches. The offset may be between 0.250 inches, 0.250 inches and 0.255 inches, 0.255 inches and 0.260 inches, 0.260 inches and 0.265 inches, 0.265 inches and 0.270 inches, 0.270 inches and 0.275 inches, 0.275 inches and 0.280 inches, 0.280 inches and 0.285 inches, 0.285 inches and 0.290 inches, 0.290 inches and 0.295 inches, or 0.295 inches and 0.300 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, the weight pad forward edge 477 is offset from the loft plane 401 by a distance of 0.250 inches.

[0156] Referring to FIG. 25 , a lower interior undercut 490 is located between the weight pad 4000 and the sole ledge 448. The lower interior undercut 490 extends rearward from the weight pad's forward edge 477, forming a gap between the weight pad 4000 and the sole return 454. As shown in FIG. 25 , the lower interior undercut 490 further defines a volume below the weight pad 4000 and above the sole return 454 and the sole ledge 448. Referring to FIG. 28 , the lower interior undercut 490 may define a lower interior undercut depth 492 and a lower interior undercut height 491. The lower interior undercut depth 492 is measured as the fore-aft distance between the forward-most point of the weight pad 4000 and the rearward-most point of the lower interior undercut 490. In some embodiments, the lower interior undercut depth 492 may be between 0.225 inches and 0.275 inches. In some examples, the lower interior undercut depth 492 can be between 0.225 inches and 0.230 inches, between 0.230 inches and 0.235 inches, between 0.235 inches and 0.240 inches, between 0.240 inches and 0.245 inches, between 0.245 inches and 0.250 inches, between 0.250 inches and 0.255 inches, between 0.255 inches and 0.260 inches, between 0.260 inches and 0.265 inches, between 0.265 inches and 0.270 inches, or between 0.270 inches and 0.275 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, the lower interior undercut depth 492 is 0.250 inches. The lower interior undercut height 491 is defined as the vertical distance between the lower surface 465 and the sole return inner surface 419. In some embodiments, the lower interior undercut height 491 can be between 0.140 inches and 0.190 inches. In some examples, the lower interior undercut height 491 can be between 0.140 inches and 0.145 inches, between 0.145 inches and 0.150 inches, between 0.150 inches and 0.155 inches, between 0.155 inches and 0.160 inches, between 0.160 inches and 0.165 inches, between 0.165 inches and 0.170 inches, between 0.170 inches and 0.175 inches, between 0.175 inches and 0.180 inches, between 0.180 inches and 0.185 inches, or between 0.185 inches and 0.190 inches.In one exemplary embodiment, the lower interior undercut height 491 is 0.162 inches.

[0157] In some embodiments, the volume of the internal cavity is 0.555 in 3 ~0.955in 3 In some embodiments, the volume of the internal cavity may be 0.555 in 3 ~0.600in 3 , 0.600in 3 ~0.655in 3 , 0.655in 3 ~0.700in 3 , 0.700in 3 ~0.755in 3 , 0.755in 3 ~0.800in 3 , 0.800in 3 ~0.855in 3 , 0.855in 3 ~0.900in 3 , or 0.900 in. 3 ~0.955in 3 In one exemplary embodiment, the volume of the internal cavity may be 0.772 in 3 It may be.

[0158] As described above, rear wall inner surface 439 includes upper and lower surfaces 459 and 445 corresponding to the upper and lower portions of the rear wall. In some embodiments, rear wall upper inner surface 459 may occupy between 55% and 65% of rear wall inner surface 439. In some embodiments, rear wall upper inner surface 459 may occupy between 55% and 57%, 57% and 59%, 59% and 61%, 61% and 63%, or 63% and 65% of rear wall inner surface 439. In one exemplary embodiment, rear wall upper inner surface 459 may occupy 60% of rear wall inner surface 439. In some embodiments, rear wall lower inner surface 445 may occupy between 30% and 50% of rear wall inner surface 439. In some embodiments, rear wall lower inner surface 445 may occupy 30%-32%, 32%-34%, 34%-36%, 36%-38%, 38%-40%, 40%-42%, 42%-44%, 44%-46%, 46%-48%, or 48%-50% of rear wall inner surface 439. In one exemplary embodiment, rear wall lower inner surface 445 may occupy 40% of rear wall inner surface 439. In some embodiments, weight pad forward edge 477 may occupy 30%-32%, 32%-34%, 34%-36%, 36%-38%, 38%-40%, 40%-42%, 42%-44%, 44%-46%, 46%-48%, or 48%-50% of rear wall inner surface 439. In one exemplary embodiment, the forward end 477 of the weight pad may occupy 40% of the rear wall inner surface 439 .

[0159] 26 , the rear wall lower outer surface 473 may include a ledge 443 that meets the upper edge of the weight pad 4000. The ledge 443 may extend approximately perpendicular (within 15° of perpendicular) to the rear wall upper outer surface 455. The rear wall lower outer surface 473 may include a rear surface 440 that meets the rear edge of the weight pad 4000. The rear surface 440 may extend between the ledge 443 and the rear body sole portion 438.

[0160] (B. A protruding weight pad that is continuous with the inner surface of the rear wall and offset from the inner surface of the rear wall) 29-33 disclose an embodiment of a club head having a weight pad that is continuous with the upper rear wall 480. While there is no cavity or recess between the weight pad and the upper rear wall 480, there may be at least one transition, and the weight pad 4000 is offset relative to the upper rear wall inner surface 459. The upper rear wall inner surface 459 lies on a first plane 420, and at least an upper region 467 of the weight pad's forward edge 477 lies on a second plane 421, with the first plane 420 and the second plane 421 intersecting. The first plane 420 is parallel to the loft plane 401, while the second plane 421 intersects with the loft plane 401. As discussed in detail above, a portion of the weight pad 4000 may overhang above the sole return 454 without contacting the face plate 450. The weight pad 4000 distributes more mass to the sole 412 side of the golf club head 400, lowering the CG position of the club head 400 to a CG height of 0.425 inches to 0.650 inches as described above, while ensuring space for the face plate 450 to flex.

[0161] As described above, the rear wall may include a rear wall upper portion 480. In some embodiments, the rear wall upper portion 480 lies on a first plane 420. The first plane 420 may be parallel to the loft plane 401, and therefore the rear wall upper portion 480 is also parallel to the loft plane 401. In some embodiments, the first plane 420 may be offset from the loft plane 401 by a distance between 0.210 inches and 0.280 inches. In some embodiments, the first plane 420 may be offset from the loft plane 401 by a distance between 0.210 inches and 0.215 inches, between 0.215 inches and 0.220 inches, between 0.220 inches and 0.225 inches, between 0.225 inches and 0.230 inches, between 0.230 inches and 0.235 inches, between 0.235 inches and 0.240 inches, between 0.240 inches and 0.245 inches, between 0.245 inches and 0.250 inches, between 0.250 inches and 0.255 inches, between 0.255 inches and 0.260 inches, between 0.260 inches and 0.265 inches, between 0.265 inches and 0.270 inches, between 0.270 inches and 0.275 inches, or between 0.275 inches and 0.280 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, first plane 420 is offset from loft surface 401 by a distance of 0.255 inches. Similarly, in some embodiments, rear wall upper portion 480 may be offset from loft surface 401 by a distance of between 0.210 inches and 0.280 inches. In some embodiments, the upper rear wall 480 may be offset from the loft surface 401 by a distance of 0.210 inches to 0.215 inches, 0.215 inches to 0.220 inches, 0.220 inches to 0.225 inches, 0.225 inches to 0.230 inches, 0.230 inches to 0.235 inches, 0.235 inches to 0.240 inches, 0.240 inches to 0.245 inches, 0.245 inches to 0.250 inches, 0.250 inches to 0.255 inches, 0.255 inches to 0.260 inches, 0.260 inches to 0.265 inches, 0.265 inches to 0.270 inches, 0.270 inches to 0.275 inches, or 0.275 inches to 0.280 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, the upper rear wall 480 is offset from the loft surface 401 by a distance of 0.255 inches.

[0162] 31 , upper rear wall 480 may be comprised of upper rear wall inner surface 459 and upper rear wall outer surface 455. The thickness of upper rear wall 480 may be measured between upper rear wall inner surface 459 and upper rear wall outer surface 455. Minimizing upper rear wall thickness 435 allows more mass downward and forward, lowering CG while still allowing L-shaped faceplate 450 and sole 412 to flex. Upper rear wall thickness 435 may be constant throughout upper rear wall 480. In some embodiments, upper rear wall thickness 435 may be between 0.01 inches and 0.04 inches. In some embodiments, the rear wall top thickness 435 can be between 0.01 inches and 0.015 inches, between 0.015 inches and 0.02 inches, between 0.025 inches and 0.025 inches, between 0.025 inches and 0.03 inches, between 0.03 inches and 0.035 inches, or between 0.035 inches and 0.40 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, the rear wall top thickness 435 can be 0.030 inches.

[0163] As mentioned above, the weight pad forward edge 477 may extend downward toward the sole 412 and undercut. In some embodiments, the weight pad forward edge 477 may not contact the sole return 454 so as not to restrict the movement and flexion of the L-shaped face plate 450. The weight pad forward edge 477 may be offset from the upper region 467 to position the mass further downward and forward for improved performance characteristics.

[0164] 29-30 , the rear wall upper inner surface 459 lies on a first plane 420, an upper region 467 of the weight pad's forward edge 477 lies on a second plane 421, and a lower region 469 of the weight pad's forward edge 477 lies on a third plane 423. The first plane 420 and the third plane 423 are parallel to the loft plane 401. The second plane 421 intersects the loft plane 401, the first plane 420, and the third plane 423 at an acute angle relative to the plane in which the rear wall inner surface 439 lies. The location and nature of the upper region 467 on the second plane 421 offsets the lower region 469 of the weight pad's forward edge 477 from the rear wall upper inner surface 459, resulting in a lower and more forward center of gravity and reduced heel-to-toe gearing, which can result in higher ball speeds. This offset also allows for a smaller internal cavity volume, which reduces vibration amplitude at impact, which in turn reduces noise heard when using the golf club, improving the overall feel of the golf club.

[0165] In some embodiments, the third plane 423 may be orthogonally offset from the first plane 420 by a distance between 0.025 inches and 0.075 inches. In some embodiments, the third plane 423 may be offset from the first plane 420 by a distance between 0.025 inches and 0.032 inches, between 0.032 inches and 0.039 inches, between 0.039 inches and 0.046 inches, between 0.046 inches and 0.053 inches, between 0.053 inches and 0.060 inches, between 0.060 inches and 0.067 inches, or between 0.067 inches and 0.075 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, the third plane 423 may be offset from the first plane 420 by a distance of 0.050 inches. Additionally, the first plane may be offset from the loft plane in a manner similar to that described above with respect to FIGS. 25-28.

[0166] In some embodiments, the lower region 469 of the weight pad's forward edge 477 may be offset from the rear wall upper inner surface 459 by a distance between 0.025 inches and 0.075 inches. In some embodiments, the lower region 469 of the weight pad's forward edge 477 may be offset from the rear wall upper inner surface 459 by a distance between 0.025 inches and 0.032 inches, between 0.032 inches and 0.039 inches, between 0.039 inches and 0.046 inches, between 0.046 inches and 0.053 inches, between 0.053 inches and 0.060 inches, between 0.060 inches and 0.067 inches, or between 0.067 inches and 0.075 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, the lower region 469 of the weight pad's forward edge 477 may be offset from the rear wall upper inner surface 459 by a distance of 0.050 inches.

[0167] Second plane 421 can be defined as a tangent plane to first plane 420. Additionally, an angle θ may be defined between first plane 420 and second plane 421. In some embodiments, θ may be between 5 degrees and 25 degrees. In some embodiments, θ may be between 5 degrees and 8 degrees, between 8 degrees and 11 degrees, between 11 degrees and 14 degrees, between 14 degrees and 17 degrees, between 17 degrees and 20 degrees, between 20 degrees and 23 degrees, or between 23 degrees and 25 degrees. In some embodiments, θ may be between 5 degrees and 15 degrees, between 10 degrees and 20 degrees, or between 15 degrees and 25 degrees. In one exemplary embodiment, θ may be 16 degrees.

[0168] In some embodiments, the volume of the internal cavity is 0.555 in 3 ~0.955in 3 In some embodiments, the volume of the internal cavity may be 0.555 in 3 ~0.600in 3 , 0.600in 3 ~0.655in 3 , 0.655in 3 ~0.700in 3 , 0.700in 3 ~0.755in 3 , 0.755in 3 ~0.800in 3 , 0.800in 3~0.855in 3 , 0.855in 3 ~0.900in 3 , or 0.900 in. 3 ~0.955in 3 In one exemplary embodiment, the volume of the internal cavity may be 0.772 in 3 It may be.

[0169] In some embodiments, the rear wall upper inner surface 459 may occupy 55% to 65% of the rear wall inner surface 439. In some embodiments, the rear wall upper inner surface 459 may occupy 55% to 57%, 57% to 59%, 59% to 61%, 61% to 63%, or 63% to 65% of the rear wall inner surface 439. In one exemplary embodiment, the rear wall upper inner surface 459 may occupy 60% of the rear wall inner surface 439. In some embodiments, the upper region 467 of the weight pad forward edge 477 may occupy 15% to 25% of the rear wall inner surface 439. In some embodiments, the upper region 467 of the weight pad forward edge 477 may occupy 15% to 17%, 17% to 19%, 19% to 21%, 21% to 23%, or 23% to 25% of the rear wall inner surface 439. In one exemplary embodiment, the upper region 467 of the weight pad's forward edge 477 may occupy 20% of the rear wall inner surface 439. In some embodiments, the lower region 469 of the weight pad's forward edge 477 may occupy 15% to 25% of the rear wall inner surface 439. In some embodiments, the lower region 469 of the weight pad's forward edge 477 may occupy 15% to 17%, 17% to 19%, 19% to 21%, 21% to 23%, or 23% to 25% of the rear wall inner surface 439. In one exemplary embodiment, the lower region 469 of the weight pad's forward edge 477 may occupy 20% of the rear wall inner surface 439.

[0170] 32-33, in some embodiments, the upper region 467 of the weight pad's forward edge 477 may extend across the rear wall's inner surface 439 from the lower heel region 434 to the central toe region 436, consistent with the orientation of the rear wall's upper inner surface 459. The upper region 467 of the weight pad's forward edge 477 may follow the angle of the ledge. The slope of the upper region 467 of the weight pad's forward edge 477 allows for more mass to be placed in the toe region. The increased mass results in a more centralized CG and reduced heel-to-toe gearing. The increased mass also optimizes MOI, leading to improved performance characteristics.

[0171] In this exemplary embodiment, the undercut depth, undercut height, and rear wall configuration can also be described in the same manner as in the embodiment of FIGS.

[0172] (C. Protruding weight pad with inclined surface) FIG. 34 discloses an embodiment of a club head 400 similar to the club head of FIGS. 25-28 , but with a sloped surface having a weight pad 4000 connected to an upper rear wall 480. The weight pad 4000 may include some features of the previously described embodiments, such as the weight pad's forward edge 477 and the upper rear wall's inner surface 459. These features continue to cooperate with the L-shaped face plate 450 to increase the face plate's flex, improving ball speed and launch characteristics. In this exemplary embodiment, the upper rear wall's inner surface 459 may lie on the first plane 420, as in the previously described embodiments. In this embodiment, the upper and lower regions 467 and 469 of the weight pad's forward edge 477 also lie on the first plane 420. As previously described, the weight pad's forward edge 477 is continuous with and extends continuously from the upper rear wall's inner surface 459. Additionally, a portion of the weight pad 4000 may overhang above the sole return 454 without contacting the face plate 450. The weight pad 4000 distributes more mass toward the sole 412 of the golf club head 400, lowering the CG position of the club head 400 while allowing space for the face plate 450 to flex.

[0173] In this exemplary embodiment, the first plane 420 is offset from the loft plane 401 and may not be parallel to the loft plane 401. Thus, the rear wall upper inner surface 459, the upper region 467 of the weight pad's forward edge 477, and the lower portion of the weight pad's forward edge 477 are not parallel to the loft plane 401. As previously described, tilting the rear wall upper inner surface 459 and the weight pad's forward edge 477 relative to the loft plane 401 moves the club head's mass lower and forward. This allows the face plate 450 to flex while still lowering the club head's center of gravity. In some embodiments, the angle between the loft plane 401 and the first plane 420 may be between 1 degree and 5 degrees. In some embodiments, the angle between loft surface 401 and first plane 420 may be between 5 degrees and 8 degrees, between 8 degrees and 11 degrees, between 11 degrees and 14 degrees, between 14 degrees and 17 degrees, between 17 degrees and 20 degrees, between 20 degrees and 23 degrees, or between 23 degrees and 25 degrees. In one preferred embodiment, the angle between loft surface 401 and first plane may be 5 degrees.

[0174] In another embodiment, the golf club head 400 may have a distance between the first plane 420 and the loft plane 401 that is perpendicular to the loft plane 401. This perpendicular distance may vary with position along the loft plane 401. In a preferred embodiment, the perpendicular distance decreases from the position closest to the top rail 410 to the position closest to the sole 412. Thus, the perpendicular offset distance between the loft plane 401 and the first plane 420 is greater toward the top rail 410 of the golf club head 400 than toward the sole 412. This shifts more mass of the club head forward, improving ball speed and launch characteristics. In some embodiments, the perpendicular offset between the first plane 420 and the loft plane 401 may vary by a distance between 0.01 inches and 0.25 inches. In some embodiments, the orthogonal offset may vary by a distance between 0.01 inches and 0.05 inches, between 0.05 inches and 0.09 inches, between 0.09 inches and 0.13 inches, between 0.13 inches and 0.17 inches, between 0.17 inches and 0.21 inches, or between 0.21 inches and 0.25 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, the orthogonal offset may vary by a distance between 0.15 inches and 0.20 inches. In another embodiment, the orthogonal distance may be greater at a heel-side location than at a toe-side location. Alternatively, the orthogonal distance may be greater at a toe-side location than at a heel-side location. Varying the orthogonal offset distance in the heel-toe direction may redistribute the mass of the club head to ensure proper MOI characteristics.

[0175] As previously mentioned, the thickness 435 of the upper rear wall 480 can be minimized to allow more mass downward and forward, lowering the CG while allowing the L-shaped face plate 450 and sole 412 to flex. A thinner upper rear wall 480 also allows the body of the club head 400 to flex more, similar to a springboard effect. In a preferred embodiment, the upper rear wall thickness 435 may be constant throughout the upper rear wall 480. In other embodiments, the upper rear wall thickness 435 may vary. In some embodiments, the upper rear wall thickness 435 may be between 0.010 inches and 0.040 inches. In some embodiments, rear wall top thickness 435 can be between 0.010 inches and 0.015 inches, between 0.015 inches and 0.020 inches, between 0.020 inches and 0.025 inches, between 0.025 inches and 0.030 inches, between 0.030 inches and 0.035 inches, or between 0.035 inches and 0.040 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, rear wall top thickness 435 can be 0.030 inches. In another exemplary embodiment, rear wall top thickness 435 can be 0.032 inches.

[0176] In this exemplary embodiment, the undercut depth, undercut height, internal cavity volume, and rear wall upper / lower inner surface occupancy rate can also be explained in the same manner as in the embodiment of FIGS.

[0177] (D. Overhanging weight pad with sloped bottom area) FIG. 35 discloses an embodiment with a convex weight pad 4000 and a sloped lower region. Similar to the embodiments of FIGS. 25-33, the rear wall inner surface 439 may include portions that lie on separate planes, as well as some of the features of the previously described embodiments. These features continue to cooperate with the L-shaped face plate 450 to increase the flexibility of the face plate 450 and improve ball speed and launch characteristics. In this embodiment, the rear wall upper inner surface 459 may lie on a first plane 420, while the upper and lower regions 467 and 469 of the weight pad's forward edge 477 lie on a second plane 421. Thus, the rear wall upper inner surface 459 is not coplanar with the upper and lower regions 467 and 469 of the weight pad's forward edge 477. The non-coplanar rear wall inner surface 439 allows more mass to be positioned forward, resulting in a greater convexity of the weight pad 4000. The greater the overhang of the weight pad 4000, the more forward mass there is in the golf club head 400, resulting in better golf ball launch characteristics.

[0178] In a preferred embodiment, the first plane 420 may be parallel to the loft plane 401. In another embodiment, the first plane 420 and / or the second plane 421 are not parallel to the loft plane 401. In some embodiments, the angle between the loft plane 401 and the first plane 420 may be between 0.5 degrees and 3 degrees. In some embodiments, the angle between the first plane 420 and the second plane 421 may be between 3 degrees and 5 degrees, between 5 degrees and 8 degrees, between 8 degrees and 11 degrees, between 11 degrees and 14 degrees, between 14 degrees and 17 degrees, between 17 degrees and 20 degrees, or between 20 degrees and 23 degrees. In one exemplary embodiment, the angle between the loft plane 401 and the first plane 420 may be 3 degrees. In other embodiments, the angle θ between the first plane 420 and the second plane 421 may be between 1 degree and 3 degrees, as depicted in FIG. 35 . In some embodiments, the angle between first plane 420 and second plane 421 may be between 3 degrees and 5 degrees, between 5 degrees and 8 degrees, between 8 degrees and 11 degrees, between 11 degrees and 14 degrees, between 14 degrees and 17 degrees, between 17 degrees and 20 degrees, between 20 degrees and 23 degrees, or between 23 degrees and 25 degrees. In one exemplary embodiment, the angle θ between first plane 420 and second plane 421 may be 5 degrees.

[0179] As described in the previous embodiment, the orthogonal distance may be greater along the weight pad's forward edge 477 nearest the top rail 410 than nearest the sole 412. This orthogonal offset directly corresponds to the weight pad's forward edge 477 being angled relative to the rear wall's upper inner surface 459. Specifically, the weight pad's forward edge 477 is angled relative to the rear wall's upper inner surface 459, which distributes mass within the club head 400 to move the CG further downward and forward. The angled weight pad's forward edge 477 also reduces the volume of the internal cavity, thereby reducing the amplitude of the golf club head 400's swing at impact. The reduced swing reduces the noise heard when using the golf club, thereby improving the overall feel of the golf club.

[0180] As previously mentioned, the thickness 435 of the upper rear wall 480 may be minimized to allow the face plate 450 to flex while still moving more mass downward and forward to lower the CG. A thinner upper rear wall 480 may also allow the body of the club head 400 to flex more. In some embodiments, the upper rear wall thickness 435 may be constant throughout the upper rear wall 480. In some embodiments, the upper rear wall thickness 435 may be at most 0.010 inches. In some embodiments, the upper rear wall thickness 435 may be at most 0.20 inches. In other embodiments, the upper rear wall thickness 435 may be at most 0.030 inches. In other embodiments, the upper rear wall thickness 435 may be at most 0.040 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, the upper rear wall thickness 435 may be 0.030 inches. In another exemplary embodiment, the upper rear wall thickness 435 may be 0.032 inches.

[0181] Similar to the embodiment of Figures 29-33, the upper region 467 of the weight pad's forward edge 477 may extend across the inner rear wall surface from the lower heel region 434 to the central toe region 436. Specifically, the upper region 467 of the weight pad's forward edge 477 may follow the angle of the ledge, similar to the previously described embodiment. This slope of the upper region 467 of the weight pad's forward edge 477 allows for more mass to be placed in the toe region. As previously discussed, the extra mass is necessary to more centralize the CG and reduce heel-to-toe gearing, thereby increasing MOI and improving performance characteristics.

[0182] In these exemplary embodiments, the rear wall inner surface, weight pad forward edge 477, first plane 420, and second plane 421 may be offset orthogonally from the loft plane at a distance similar to the embodiment of Figures 25-33. Additionally, the undercut depth, undercut height, internal cavity volume, and percentage of the inner surface of the upper / lower rear wall may also be described similarly to the embodiment of Figures 25-33.

[0183] (III. Rear Wall with Rear Exterior Cavity) In many embodiments, the rear wall 140 of the club head 100 has a shape that defines a rear exterior cavity 198. In some embodiments, the rear exterior cavity 198 may be configured to receive a badge 199 that dampens vibrations and / or provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance. The shape of the rear wall 140 may increase the flexibility of the club head 100, which may increase ball speed.

[0184] 12-16, the rear wall 140 extends upward from the rear body sole portion 138 to the rear body top rail portion 132 and covers the rear end 104 of the club head 100. The rear wall 140 includes a rear wall upper portion 180, a rear wall upper transition portion 182, a rear wall middle portion 184, a rear wall lower portion 188, a rear wall lower transition portion 186, and a rear wall toe portion 189. Each portion 180, 182, 184, 186, 188, 189 of the rear wall 140 further includes an outer surface and an inner surface. The rear wall upper portion 180 extends from the rear body top rail portion 132 toward the sole 112 parallel to the loft plane 101 defined by the hitting face 116. The rear wall upper transition portion 182 extends into the hollow interior cavity 114 toward the front end 102 and the hitting face 116. The rear wall intermediate portion 184 extends generally toward the sole 112 from the rear wall upper transition portion 182 to a rear wall lower transition portion 186. The rear wall lower transition portion 186 extends rearward from the rear wall intermediate portion 184, away from the hitting face 116. The rear wall 140 further includes a rear wall toe transition portion 194 between the rear wall intermediate portion 184 and a rear wall toe portion 189. The rear wall toe transition portion 194 may connect the rear wall upper transition portion 182 and the rear wall lower transition portion 186 at the toe end 108. In many embodiments, the rear wall upper transition portion 182 and the rear wall lower transition portion 186 may meet near the heel end 106, as shown in FIG. 14 . In other embodiments, rear wall 140 may further define a rear wall heel transition portion connecting rear wall upper transition portion 182 and rear wall lower transition portion 186 at heel end 106. Thus, rear wall intermediate portion 184 may be bounded by rear wall lower transition portion 186, rear wall toe transition portion 194, and rear wall upper transition portion 182.

[0185] The hollow body nature of the club head 100 allows the top rail and rear wall 140 to be very thin without sacrificing durability. Thinner top rails and rear wall 140 allow for greater flexing of portions of the top rail and rear wall 140, thereby increasing ball speed.

[0186] As shown in FIG. 15 , the top rail thickness 174 may be thin enough to increase the flex of the rear body top rail portion 132. The thinner the rear body top rail portion 132, the greater the flex of the club head 100, resulting in greater ball speed. In many embodiments, the top rail thickness 174 may vary slightly. For example, in some embodiments, the top rail thickness 174 may be greatest near the face plate 150 and decrease as it approaches the upper rear wall 180. In other embodiments, the top rail thickness 174 may be substantially constant from the face plate 150 to the upper rear wall 180.

[0187] In many embodiments, the top rail thickness 174 can be less than about 0.070 inches, less than about 0.065 inches, less than about 0.060 inches, less than about 0.055 inches, less than about 0.050 inches, less than about 0.045 inches, less than about 0.040 inches, less than about 0.035 inches, less than about 0.030 inches, or less than about 0.025 inches. The top rail thickness 174 can be between 0.025 inches and 0.050 inches, between 0.035 inches and 0.050 inches, between 0.040 inches and 0.065 inches, or between 0.045 inches and 0.070 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, the top rail thickness is about 0.045 inches.

[0188] The thin rear body top rail 132 having the thickness described above is only feasible in hollow-body irons. To make the rear body top rail 132 thin enough, the club head 100 must have a continuous rear wall 140 that provides structural support to the rear body top rail 132. If the thin rear body top rail 132 described above were applied to a cavity-back iron or a club head that does not have a continuous rear wall 140, the rear body top rail 132 would break under the force of an impact.

[0189] 15, rear wall 140 has a rear wall thickness 178. Rear wall thickness 178 may be between 0.030 inches and 0.070 inches. Rear wall thickness 178 may vary within this range from rear body top rail portion 132 to rear wall lower transition portion 186. Rear wall upper portion 180, rear wall upper transition portion 182, rear wall middle portion 184, and rear wall lower transition portion 186 may each have a different thickness 178. Rear wall lower portion 188 is thicker than the rest of rear wall 140 because it is integrated with weight pad 1000.

[0190] In many embodiments, the rear wall thickness 178 can be less than about 0.070 inches, less than about 0.065 inches, less than about 0.060 inches, less than about 0.055 inches, less than about 0.050 inches, less than about 0.045 inches, less than about 0.040 inches, less than about 0.035 inches, less than about 0.030 inches, or less than about 0.025 inches. The rear wall thickness 178 can be between 0.025 inches and 0.050 inches, between 0.035 inches and 0.050 inches, between 0.040 inches and 0.065 inches, or between 0.045 inches and 0.070 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, the top rail thickness is about 0.045 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, the rear wall thickness 178 is about 0.045 inches. In another exemplary embodiment, the rear wall thickness 178 is about 0.032 inches.

[0191] In some embodiments, rear wall thickness 178 may be substantially the same at rear wall top 180, rear wall upper transition portion 182, rear wall middle portion 184, and rear wall lower transition portion 186. In other embodiments, rear wall thickness 178 may be different from one another at one or more of rear wall top 180, rear wall upper transition portion 182, rear wall middle portion 184, and / or rear wall lower transition portion 186.

[0192] The upper rear wall portion 180 forms an upper rear wall angle with an upper rear wall transition portion 182. The upper rear wall angle is greater than 90 degrees. The middle rear wall portion 184 forms a lower rear wall angle with a lower rear wall transition portion 186. The lower rear wall angle is greater than 90 degrees. The outer surface of the middle rear wall portion 184 is substantially planar.

[0193] 14 , rear wall intermediate plane 143 intersects loft plane 101 outside golf club head 100 and above rear body top rail portion 132. Rear wall intermediate plane 143 forms loft plane intersection angle 141 where it intersects with loft plane 101, and this angle is between 5 degrees and 25 degrees. In many embodiments, loft plane intersection angle 141 may be 5 degrees, 6 degrees, 7 degrees, 8 degrees, 9 degrees, 10 degrees, 11 degrees, 12 degrees, 13 degrees, 14 degrees, 15 degrees, 16 degrees, 17 degrees, 18 degrees, 19 degrees, 20 degrees, 21 degrees, 22 degrees, 23 degrees, 24 degrees, or 25 degrees.

[0194] In many embodiments, the rear wall upper portion 180 extends parallel to the striking face portion of the L-shaped face plate 150. As shown in FIG. 15 , the rear wall upper portion 180 is offset from the striking face portion 152 by a rear wall upper offset distance 181. The rear wall upper offset distance 181 may be between 0.100 inches and 0.300 inches, depending on the loft angle of the particular club head 100. Because the rear wall upper portion 180 is parallel to the striking face portion 152, the rear wall upper offset distance 181 is constant and does not change for a given golf club head 100.

[0195] The upper rear wall offset 181 protects the upper rear wall 180 from damage during welding. As described above, the rear body 130 further includes an opening near the front end 102 of the club head 100, the opening being formed between the top rail 110, the heel end 106, the toe end 108, and the sole 112 of the rear body 130. The welding surface 146 extends along the periphery of the rear body opening 144, and the welding surface 146 is formed by the forward-most edges of the rear body top rail portion 132, the rear body heel portion 134, the rear body toe portion 136, and the sole portion 138. The smaller the upper rear wall offset distance 181, the greater the deflection of the rear body top rail portion 132 and the upper rear wall 180. However, the upper rear wall offset 181 must provide a sufficient distance between the welding surface 146 and the upper rear wall 180 to prevent the upper rear wall 180 from melting or distorting during the welding process. Club head 100 has a rear wall upper offset distance 181 that allows for increased deflection of rear wall 140 during welding without damaging rear wall upper portion 180. In one exemplary embodiment, rear wall upper offset distance 181 is approximately 0.188 inches.

[0196] Additionally, rear wall intermediate portion 184 defines a rear wall intermediate offset distance 183. Rear wall intermediate offset distance 183 may be measured between the inner surface of rear wall upper transition portion 182 and striking face rear surface 156. Rear wall intermediate offset distance 183 is as small as possible to encourage flexion of rear wall 140 without hindering flexion of face plate 150.

[0197] In many embodiments, the posterior wall intermediate offset distance 183 can be greater than about 0.025 inches, greater than about 0.05 inches, greater than about 0.075 inches, greater than about 0.100 inches, greater than about 0.125 inches, greater than about 0.150 inches, greater than about 0.175 inches, or greater than about 0.200 inches. In some embodiments, the posterior wall intermediate offset distance 183 can be between 0.025 inches and 0.095 inches, between 0.070 inches and 0.100 inches, between 0.080 inches and 0.125 inches, between 0.120 inches and 0.175 inches, between 0.150 inches and 0.200 inches, or between 0.175 inches and 0.300 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, the posterior wall intermediate offset distance 183 is about 0.09 inches.

[0198] As described above, the rear body 130 may include a weight pad 1000 formed within the internal cavity 114 and overhanging a portion of the sole 112 and / or a portion of the sole return 154. Referring to FIG. 15 , the inner surface of the rear wall lower transition portion 186 extends rearward, away from the striking face rear surface 156. The rear wall intermediate plane 143 intersects with the top wall 1020 of the weight pad 1000. The portion of the inner surface of the rear wall lower transition portion 186 rearward of the rear wall intermediate plane 143, the radiused transition between the inner surface of the rear wall lower transition portion 186 and the weight pad top wall 1020, and the portion of the weight pad top wall 1020 rearward of the rear wall intermediate plane 143 together form an upper interior undercut 195. The upper interior undercut 195 has an upper interior undercut height 196 measured between the inner surface of the rear wall lower transition portion 186 and the weight pad upper wall 1020. The upper interior undercut height 196 may vary from about 0.010 inches to about 0.200 inches. The upper interior undercut 195 has an upper interior undercut depth 197 measured from the rearmost point of the upper interior undercut 195 to the rear wall mid-plane 143.

[0199] The upper interior undercut depth 197 may vary from about 0.010 inches to about 0.300 inches. For example, the upper interior undercut depth 197 can be between 0.010 inches and 0.030 inches, between 0.030 inches and 0.050 inches, between 0.050 inches and 0.070 inches, between 0.070 inches and 0.090 inches, between 0.090 inches and 0.110 inches, between 0.110 inches and 0.130 inches, between 0.130 inches and 0.150 inches, between 0.150 inches and 0.170 inches, between 0.170 inches and 0.190 inches, between 0.190 inches and 0.210 inches, between 0.210 inches and 0.230 inches, between 0.230 inches and 0.250 inches, between 0.250 inches and 0.270 inches, between 0.270 inches and 0.290 inches, or between 0.290 inches and 0.300 inches. The upper interior undercut depth 197 can be greater than about 0.010 inches, greater than about 0.015 inches, greater than about 0.020 inches, greater than about 0.025 inches, greater than about 0.05 inches, greater than about 0.075 inches, greater than about 0.100 inches, greater than about 0.125 inches, greater than about 0.150 inches, greater than about 0.175 inches, or greater than about 0.200 inches.

[0200] The outer surface of the rear wall lower transition portion 186 is essentially planar and extends essentially parallel to the ground contact surface 123 when the golf club head 100 is in the address position. The outer surface of the rear wall toe transition portion 194 is essentially planar. The outer surfaces of the rear wall upper transition portion 182, the rear wall lower transition portion 186, the rear wall toe transition portion 194, and the rear wall intermediate portion 184 together define a rear external cavity 198. The rear wall intermediate portion 184 is recessed from the outer surface of the rear wall by the rear wall lower transition portion 186, the rear wall toe transition portion 194, and the rear wall upper transition portion 182. The rear external cavity 198 further includes a fillet or curved transition between the planar rear cavity outer surface and the surrounding surfaces. The shape of the rear wall 130 forming the rear external cavity 198 may be combined with any of the various L-shaped face plate 150 shapes described above, including the sole return 154, the toe extension 168, the top rail extension 170, or any combination thereof. The shape of the rear wall 130 forming the rear external cavity 198 may also be combined with any other suitable rear body 130 shape or feature described either above or below, including the sole ledge 148, the angled weight pad 1000, the weight pad 2000 with extension 2050, the heel mass 147 and / or the toe mass 149, the lower internal undercut 190, the upper internal undercut 195, the external flexure hinge 3000, the internal flexure notch 3100, the internal weld rib 179, or any combination thereof.

[0201] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 16 , a badge 199 may be applied to the outer surface of the rear wall 140 of the golf club head. The badge 199 may be applied to the outer surface of the rear wall intermediate portion 184. In some embodiments, the badge 199 comprises an inner adhesive badge layer and an outer metal badge layer permanently affixed to the inner adhesive badge layer. As described above, the rear wall intermediate portion 184 is planar. Furthermore, the rear wall intermediate portion 184 is within the rear external cavity 198. As a result, the badge 199, when affixed, is fully contained within the rear external cavity 198. Furthermore, the badge 199 may also be planar. Furthermore, the badge 199 may have a thickness. The thickness of the badge 199 may be constant. The thickness of the badge 199 may vary across the badge 199. In many embodiments, it is desirable to manufacture a badge 199 with a constant badge thickness because a badge with a planar, constant thickness is significantly less expensive than a badge with a non-planar, varying thickness. The thickness of the badge may vary from 0.010 inches to 0.500 inches. The badge 199 is configured so as not to protrude rearward beyond the outer surface of the upper rear wall 180 or the outer surface of the lower rear wall 188.

[0202] Referring to FIG. 16, the badge 199 occupies a majority of the rear wall 140. The badge 199 has a surface area exposed at the rear end 104 of the club head 100. The surface area of ​​the badge 199 is 1.00 in 2 ~2.00in 2 In some embodiments, the surface area of ​​the badge 199 may be 1.00 in 2 ~1.25in 2 , 1.10in 2 ~1.45in 2 , 1.30in 2 ~1.55in 2 , 1.50in 2 ~1.75in 2 , or 1.70 in 2 ~2.00in 2In some embodiments, the badge 199 occupies a majority of the rear wall 140. In some embodiments, the badge 199 occupies 10%-30%, 25%-40%, 30%-50%, 45%-60%, 50%-75%, 60%-75%, or 70%-80% of the surface area of ​​the rear wall 140. By occupying a majority of the rear wall 140, the badge 199 can provide vibration damping and / or acoustic benefits to the club head 100.

[0203] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5 , the rear wall 140 may define an internal weld rib 179. The internal weld rib 179 comprises a thickened region along the rear wall 140, which protects the rear wall 140 during the welding process. The internal weld rib 179 is located on the rear wall 140 near the heel end 106 and extends substantially vertically. The internal weld rib 179 may extend at least partially between the rear body top rail portion 132 and the rear body sole portion 138. In many embodiments, the internal weld rib 179 may extend from near the rear body top rail portion 132 toward the sole 112 and terminate just above the upper wall 1020 of the weight pad and / or the upper surface of the heel mass portion 147. Depending on the thickness of the internal weld rib 179, the internal weld rib 179 protrudes from the inner surface of the rear wall 140 into the hollow interior cavity 114. In some embodiments, the internal weld rib 179 may protrude from the interior surface of the upper rear wall 180, the upper rear wall transition portion 182, the middle rear wall portion 184, the lower rear wall transition portion 186, and / or the lower rear wall portion 188.

[0204] As shown in FIG. 5 , when viewed from the front, the internal weld rib 179 may be located near the heel end 106 of the club head 100. The internal weld rib 179 may be located on the rear body 130 directly behind the location of the heel outer periphery 162 of the face plate 150. Because the heel outer periphery 162 is welded perpendicular to the rear wall 140, the area of ​​the rear wall 140 rearward of the weld line may be reinforced by the internal weld rib 179 and may protect the rear wall 140 from damage or discoloration that may occur during the welding process. In many embodiments, the thickness of the internal weld rib 179 may be between 0.060 inches and 0.140 inches. The thickness of the internal weld rib 179 may be between 0.060 inches and 0.080 inches, between 0.075 inches and 0.100 inches, between 0.090 inches and 0.120 inches, or between 0.110 inches and 0.140 inches. The thickness of the internal weld rib 179 can be about 0.060 inches or more, about 0.065 inches or more, about 0.070 inches or more, about 0.075 inches or more, about 0.080 inches or more, about 0.085 inches or more, about 0.090 inches or more, about 0.095 inches or more, about 0.100 inches or more, about 0.105 inches or more, about 0.110 inches or more, about 0.115 inches or more, about 0.120 inches or more, about 0.125 inches or more, about 0.130 inches or more, about 0.135 inches or more, or about 0.140 inches or more. In many embodiments, the thickness of the internal weld rib 179 can be about twice the thickness of the back wall 178.

[0205] The internal weld rib 179 may be combined with any of the various L-shaped face plate 150 shapes described above, including the sole return 154, the toe extension 168, the top rail extension 170, or combinations thereof. The internal weld rib 179 may also be combined with any of the rear body 130 shapes or features described above or below, including the sole ledge 148, the angled weight pad 1000, the weight pad 2000 with extension 2050, the heel mass 147 and / or the toe mass 149, the lower internal undercut 190, the upper internal undercut 195, the rear external cavity 198, the external flexure hinge 3000, the internal flexure notch 3100, the internal weld rib 179, or any combination thereof.

[0206] (IV. Dynamic Loft Features) Referring now to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 17-19, the rear body 330 of the golf club head 300 may include one or more dynamic loft features. The one or more dynamic loft features increase the flex of the rear body 330, particularly the flex of the rear wall 340. The dynamic loft features also increase the dynamic loft of the club head 300 at impact. Dynamic loft refers to the increase or decrease in loft angle at impact between the club head 300 and the golf ball. A higher dynamic loft results in a higher launch without sacrificing ball speed. The flex of the rear wall 340 at impact affects the dynamic loft of the club head 300. In particular, the greater the rearward rotation of the rear wall 340 relative to the sole, the greater the dynamic loft. The dynamic loft feature increases the dynamic loft of the club head by allowing the upper portion of the rear wall 340 to flex rearward at impact. In many embodiments, one or more dynamic loft features may comprise a flexure hinge and / or an internal flexure notch. Club head 300 of the third embodiment is very similar to club head 100, except for the inclusion of a dynamic loft feature. Club head 300 may include similar features as club head 100, which are numbered under the 300 numbering system (i.e., club head 300 includes rear body 330, face plate 350, etc.).

[0207] (A. Flexure hinge) 17, 18A, 18B, 18C, and 18D, the club head 300 includes a flexure hinge 3000 that extends in a heel-to-toe direction along the rear wall 340. The club head 300 includes the flexure hinge 3000, which promotes rotational bending of the rear wall 340 about the sole, thereby increasing the dynamic loft of the golf club head 300.

[0208] 17, 18A, 18B, 18C, and 18D, the rear wall 340 may be bisected lengthwise by a flexure hinge 3000. The flexure hinge 3000 therefore defines an upper rear wall portion 380 and a lower rear wall portion 388. The upper rear wall portion 380 may be defined as the portion between the top rail 310 and the flexure hinge 3000, and the lower rear wall portion 388 may be defined as the portion between the sole and the flexure hinge 3000.

[0209] As described above, the flexing hinge 3000 extends in a heel-toe direction along the rear wall 340. The flexing hinge 3000 includes a hinge heel end 3010 and a hinge toe end 3012 opposite the hinge heel end 3010. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 19 , the flexing hinge 3000 may extend the entire length of the rear wall 340 from heel to toe, such that the hinge heel end 3010 is located near the heel surface 322 and the hinge toe end 3012 is located near the toe surface 324. In other embodiments, the flexing hinge 3000 may not extend the entire length of the rear wall 340 from heel to toe, and at least one of the hinge heel end 3010 and the hinge toe end 3012 may terminate midway through the rear wall 340 and away from the surface of the club head.

[0210] 18B shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of a golf club head 300 including the above-described flexure hinge 3000. As shown, the flexure hinge 3000 may include a top surface 3014, a bottom surface 3016, and a bottom portion 3020 that forms a transition between the top hinge surface 3014 and the bottom hinge surface 3016. The top hinge surface 3014 and the bottom hinge surface 3016 may each be angled toward the front end 302 of the club head 300. In this orientation, the flexure hinge 3000 protrudes into the interior cavity 314, with the bottom portion 3020 forming the portion of the flexure hinge 3000 closest to the front end 302 of the club head 3000. Flexure hinge 3000 strategically weakens a portion of rear wall 340 by forming a groove in rear wall 340, thereby allowing the area of ​​rear wall 340 where flexure hinge 3000 is located to flex. Flexure hinge 3000 allows rear wall 340 to flex along the entire length of club head 300 from heel to toe. In other words, flexure hinge 3000 allows rear wall upper portion 380 to flex rearward about the sole upon impact. Flexure hinge 3000 increases the dynamic loft of club head 300, allowing club head 300 to store more spring energy that is transferred to the golf ball, resulting in increased ball speed.

[0211] As described above, the flexure hinge 3000 protrudes into the interior cavity 314 beyond the adjacent surface of the rear wall 340. As shown in FIG. 19 , when viewed from the rear, the flexure hinge 3000 forms a groove recessed into the rear wall 340. In some embodiments, the width of this groove may vary, such as being wider nearer the heel end 306 than nearer the toe end, or being wider nearer the toe end than nearer the heel end 306. In many embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in FIG. 17 , the groove may have a substantially constant width. The width of the groove may be determined by the flexure hinge height 3030, as described in more detail below.

[0212] In some embodiments, such as the embodiment of FIGS. 18A and 18B , the flexure hinge 3000 may have a generally semi-elliptical shape when viewed in cross section. The semi-elliptical flexure hinge 3000 may include a top surface 3014, a bottom surface 3016, and a semi-elliptical bottom. The semi-elliptical bottom 3020 may have a radius that defines the curve of the hinge. In some embodiments, the bottom 3020 may have a radius of curvature between 0.050 inches and 0.70 inches. For example, the bottom 3020 may have a radius of curvature of 0.050 inches, 0.055 inches, 0.060 inches, 0.065 inches, or 0.070 inches. In other embodiments, the flexure hinge 3000 may have a generally semi-circular, triangular, rectangular, oval, or any other suitable shape that allows the rear wall 340 to flex to increase dynamic loft.

[0213] 18B, the flexure hinge 3000 may have a hinge width 3060, measured as the vertical distance between the top surface 3014 and the bottom surface 3016. The hinge width 3060 may be between 0.050 inches and 0.150 inches. For example, the hinge width 3060 may be 0.050 inches, 0.060 inches, 0.070 inches, 0.080 inches, 0.090 inches, 0.100 inches, 0.110 inches, 0.120 inches, 0.130 inches, 0.140 inches, or 0.150 inches. In some embodiments, the hinge width 3060 can be between 0.050 inches and 0.060 inches, between 0.060 inches and 0.070 inches, between 0.070 inches and 0.080 inches, between 0.080 inches and 0.090 inches, between 0.090 inches and 0.100 inches, between 0.100 inches and 0.110 inches, between 0.110 inches and 0.120 inches, between 0.120 inches and 0.130 inches, between 0.130 inches and 0.140 inches, or between 0.140 inches and 0.150 inches. The larger the flex hinge width 3060, the more likely it is to bend.

[0214] The top surface 3014 and bottom surface 3016 of the flexure hinge 3000 may have a top depth 3040 and a bottom depth 3050. The top depth 3040 may be measured as the linear distance between the bottom end of the upper portion 380 and the bottom portion 3020. The bottom depth 3050 may be measured as the linear distance between the top end of the lower portion 388 and the bottom portion 3020. In some embodiments, the top depth 3040 is between about 0.080 inches and about 0.150 inches. For example, the top depth 3040 can be 0.080 inches, 0.085 inches, 0.090 inches, 0.095 inches, 0.100 inches, 0.105 inches, 0.110 inches, 0.115 inches, 0.120 inches, 0.125 inches, 0.130 inches, 0.135 inches, 0.140 inches, 0.145 inches, or 0.150 inches. Similarly, in some embodiments, the bottom depth 3050 can be between about 0.120 inches and about 0.260 inches. For example, the bottom depth 3050 may be 0.120 inches, 0.130 inches, 0.140 inches, 0.150 inches, 0.160 inches, 0.170 inches, 0.180 inches, 0.190 inches, 0.200 inches, 0.210 inches, 0.220 inches, 0.230 inches, 0.240 inches, 0.250 inches, or 0.260 inches. In some embodiments, the top depth 3040 and the bottom depth 3050 may vary from the hinge heel end 3010 to the hinge toe end 3012. For example, the bottom depth 3050 may increase from the hinge heel end 3010 to the hinge toe end 3012. In other embodiments, the top depth 3040 and the bottom depth 3050 may be constant from the hinge heel end 3010 to the hinge toe end 3012.

[0215] In other embodiments, as shown in Figures 18C and 18D, the flexure hinge 3001 may be formed as a crease between the upper and lower rear walls 380, 388 rather than a groove. The upper and lower rear walls 380, 388 together form a bottom 3020, and the upper and lower rear walls 380, 388 are generally perpendicular. In this particular embodiment, the top surface 3014 and the bottom surface 3016 are synonymous with the upper and lower rear walls 380, 388. As shown in Figures 18C and 18D, because the flexure hinge 3001 is not recessed into the rear wall, the top depth 3040, the bottom depth 3050, and the hinge width are zero or negligible.

[0216] 17 , the flexure hinge 3001 may further have a hinge height 3030, which is measured as the vertical distance of the bottom 3020 from the ground contact surface 3002. The hinge height 3030 may be measured at any point along the heel-to-toe length of the flexure hinge 3001. In some embodiments, the flexure hinge 3001 has a constant hinge height 3030 along the heel-to-toe length of the flexure hinge 3001. In other embodiments, the hinge height 3030 varies along the heel-to-toe length of the flexure hinge 3001. In some embodiments, the flexure hinge 3001 is located sufficiently low in the club head 300.

[0217] If the flexure hinge 3001 is located sufficiently low on the rear wall 340, the upper rear wall 380 will bend rearward significantly upon impact. The rearward bending of the upper rear wall 380 is caused by the torque exerted on the flexure hinge 3001 by the impact force. When the flexure hinge 3001 is located low on the rear wall 340, the moment arm between the impact force and the flexure hinge 3001 is longer, and the torque is greater, causing the upper rear wall 380 to bend rearward more significantly. In some embodiments, the flexure hinge 3001 may be parallel to the ground surface 3002. In other embodiments, the flexure hinge 3001 may form an angle between 0.1 degrees and 45 degrees with the ground surface 3002.

[0218] The embodiment of FIG. 19 illustrates a club head 300 with a varying hinge height 3030. Specifically, the hinge height 3030 increases linearly from the hinge heel end 3010 to the hinge toe end 3012. In many embodiments, the hinge height 3030 at the hinge toe end 3012 may be between 0.78 inches and 0.96 inches. For example, the hinge height 3030 at the hinge toe end 3012 may be 0.78 inches, 0.79 inches, 0.80 inches, 0.81 inches, 0.82 inches, 0.83 inches, 0.84 inches, 0.85 inches, 0.86 inches, 0.87 inches, 0.88 inches, 0.89 inches, 0.90 inches, 0.91 inches, 0.92 inches, 0.93 inches, 0.94 inches, 0.95 inches, or 0.96 inches. In some embodiments, the hinge height 3030 at the hinge toe end 3012 can be between 0.78 inches and 0.80 inches, between 0.80 inches and 0.82 inches, between 0.82 inches and 0.84 inches, between 0.84 inches and 0.86 inches, between 0.86 inches and 0.88 inches, between 0.88 inches and 0.90 inches, between 0.90 inches and 0.92 inches, between 0.92 inches and 0.94 inches, or between 0.94 inches and 0.96 inches. In some embodiments, the hinge height 3030 at the hinge heel end 3010 can be between 0.15 inches and 0.28 inches. The hinge height 3030 at the hinge heel end 3010 can be 0.15 inches, 0.16 inches, 0.17 inches, 0.18 inches, 0.19 inches, 0.20 inches, 0.21 inches, 0.22 inches, 0.23 inches, 0.24 inches, 0.25 inches, 0.26 inches, 0.27 inches, or 0.28 inches. In some embodiments, the hinge height 3030 at the hinge heel end 3010 can be between 0.15 inches and 0.17 inches, between 0.17 inches and 0.19 inches, between 0.19 inches and 0.21 inches, between 0.21 inches and 0.23 inches, between 0.23 inches and 0.25 inches, between 0.25 inches and 0.27 inches, or between 0.27 inches and 0.28 inches. The hinge height 3030 may increase linearly from the hinge heel end 3010 to the hinge toe end 3012. In other embodiments, the hinge height 3030 may vary non-linearly.The hinge height 3030 may be measured at the hinge heel end 3010, the hinge toe end 3012, or the hinge center 3018, where the hinge center 3018 is located within the hinge and aligned with the geometric center of the face.

[0219] (B. Flexion Notch) As briefly discussed above, the club head 300 of the present disclosure may further include an internal flexion notch 3100 to further increase the dynamic loft of the club head 300 at impact. The internal flexion notch 3100 affects rotational bending of the upper rear wall 380 about the sole 312. FIG. 19 shows a front view of the internal cavity 314 of the club head 300 with the flexion notch 3100 at the toe end 308 of the golf club head 300. The internal flexion notch 3100 may remove an area of ​​material from the toe portion of the rear body 330. In many embodiments, such as the embodiment of FIG. 19, the internal flexion notch 3100 is located approximately midway between the top rail 310 and the sole, enhancing the flex and energy storage potential of the golf club head 300.

[0220] Similar to flexure hinge 3000, flexure notch 3100 structurally weakens areas of club head 300 to encourage flexure of rear wall 340 and increase the dynamic loft of the club head. Internal flexure notch 3100 allows upper rear wall 380 to flex rearward at impact, increasing dynamic loft and storing elastic energy, resulting in higher ball speeds and higher launch angles.

[0221] In many embodiments, the location of the flexion notch 3100 may correspond to the location of the flexion hinge 3000. For example, in embodiments in which the internal flexion notch 3100 is located in the rear body toe section 336, the internal flexion notch 3100 may coincide with the location of the hinge toe end 3012. The flexion notch 3100 and the flexion hinge 3000 may be in corresponding locations such that the hinge toe end 3012 forms the outside of the rear wall 340 at approximately the same location as the internal flexion notch 3100 is located within the hollow interior cavity 314. The corresponding locations of the internal flexion notch 3100 and the flexion hinge 3000 combine their respective effects on the dynamic loft of the club head.

[0222] 19 , the flexion notch 3100 may have a flexion notch height 3110 measured as a percentage of the height of the club head 300 measured from the sole 312 to the top rail 310. In the illustrated embodiment, the flexion notch height 3110 is between about 8% and about 15% of the height of the club head 300 measured in the top rail-sole direction. For example, the flexion notch height 3110 may be 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, or 15% of the height of the club head. In some embodiments, the flexion notch height 3110 may be between 0.78 inches and 0.96 inches. For example, the flexion notch height 3110 can be approximately 0.78 inches, 0.79 inches, 0.80 inches, 0.81 inches, 0.82 inches, 0.83 inches, 0.84 inches, 0.85 inches, 0.86 inches, 0.87 inches, 0.88 inches, 0.89 inches, 0.90 inches, 0.91 inches, 0.92 inches, 0.93 inches, 0.94 inches, 0.95 inches, or 0.96 inches. In some embodiments, the flex notch height 3110 can be between 0.78 inches and 0.80 inches, between 0.80 inches and 0.82 inches, between 0.82 inches and 0.84 inches, between 0.84 inches and 0.86 inches, between 0.86 inches and 0.88 inches, between 0.88 inches and 0.90 inches, between 0.90 inches and 0.92 inches, between 0.92 inches and 0.94 inches, or between 0.94 inches and 0.96 inches.

[0223] Together, flexure hinge 3000 and flexure notch 3100 provide club head 300 with both internal and external structures configured to increase dynamic loft and store elastic energy. Specifically, flexure hinge 3000 allows club head 300 to flex in the heel-toe direction along the entire length of club head 300, regardless of impact location. Additionally, internal flexure notch 3100 allows for increased flexure in rear body toe region 336, where the majority of the club head's mass is located.

[0224] A club head 300 including both a flexure hinge 3000 and an internal flexure notch 3100 can increase the dynamic loft of the club head 300 at impact by at least 0.5 degrees compared to a similar club head without a flexure hinge and an internal flexure notch. In some embodiments, the dynamic loft feature can increase the dynamic loft of the club head 300 at impact by 0.25 degrees or more, 0.30 degrees or more, 0.35 degrees or more, 0.40 degrees or more, 0.45 degrees or more, 0.50 degrees or more, 0.55 degrees or more, 0.60 degrees or more, 0.65 degrees or more, 0.70 degrees or more, 0.75 degrees or more, 0.80 degrees or more, 0.85 degrees or more, 0.90 degrees or more, 0.95 degrees or more, or 1.00 degrees or more. This increased dynamic loft can result in a higher launch angle without sacrificing ball speed. In some embodiments, the dynamic loft feature can increase the dynamic loft of the club head 300 at impact by 0.25 degrees to 0.30 degrees, 0.30 degrees to 0.35 degrees, 0.35 degrees to 0.40 degrees, 0.40 degrees to 0.45 degrees, 0.45 degrees to 0.50 degrees, 0.50 degrees to 0.55 degrees, 0.55 degrees to 0.60 degrees, 0.60 degrees to 0.65 degrees, 0.65 degrees to 0.70 degrees, 0.70 degrees to 0.75 degrees, 0.75 degrees to 0.80 degrees, 0.80 degrees to 0.85 degrees, 0.85 degrees to 0.90 degrees, 0.90 degrees to 0.95 degrees, or 0.95 degrees to 1.00 degrees. A higher dynamic loft increases the amount of spring energy stored in the club head 300.

[0225] The flexure hinge 3000 and / or flexure notch 3100 may be combined with any of the various L-shaped faceplate 150 shapes described above, including the sole return 154, the toe extension 168, the top rail extension 170, or combinations thereof. The flexure hinge 3000 and / or flexure notch 3100 may also be combined with any of the rear body 130 shapes or features described above or below, including the sole ledge 148, the angled weight pad 1000, the weight pad 2000 with extension 2050, the heel mass 147 and / or the toe mass 149, the lower internal undercut 190, the upper internal undercut 195, the rear external cavity 198, the external flexure hinge 3000, the internal flexure notch 3100, the internal weld rib 179, or any combination thereof.

[0226] (V. Other Features) (A. Filled internal cavity) In many embodiments, the hollow interior cavity 114 of the club head 100 according to the above-described embodiments, including the L-shaped face plate 150, the dynamic loft feature, the rear wall 140 with the rear external cavity 198, or any combination thereof, may further include a filler material 403 to dampen vibrations generated upon impact and improve the sound and feel characteristics of the club head 100. Referring to FIG. 21 , the filler material 403 may be disposed or applied to the interior cavity 114 of the club head 100. In some embodiments, the filler material 403 may be applied as a paint to the entire interior surface or to selected portions of the interior surface. In other embodiments, the filler material 403 may be injected into the interior cavity 114 to fill a volume percentage of the interior cavity 114, for example, but not limited to, through a weight port 175 or an opening providing access to the interior surface of the club head 100, as shown in FIG. 20 . In some embodiments, the filler material 403 may fill substantially the entire interior cavity 114.

[0227] Filler material 403 may be disposed within interior cavity 114. In some embodiments, interior cavity 114 may be completely filled with filler material 403. In other embodiments, interior cavity 114 may be partially filled with filler material 403. Filler material 403 may be disposed on any interior surface of club head 100 forming interior cavity 114 or any interior surface of club head 100 that resides within interior cavity 114. Filler material 403 may be disposed on striking face rear surface 156, sole return interior surface 161, interior surface of top rail 110, interior surface of rear body heel portion, interior surface of rear wall 140, one or more surfaces of weight pad 1000, interior surface of sole return 154, or any combination thereof.

[0228] The filler material 403 may fill a portion of the internal cavity 114. In some embodiments, the filler material 403 fills substantially all of the volume of the internal cavity 114. In some embodiments, the filler material 403 may fill 5% or more, 10% or more, 20% or more, 30% or more, 40% or more, 50% or more, 60% or more, 70% or more, 80% or more, or 90% or more of the volume of the internal cavity 114. In other embodiments, the filler material 403 may fill less than 90%, less than 80%, less than 70%, less than 60%, less than 50%, less than 40%, less than 30%, less than 20%, less than 10%, or less than 5% of the volume of the internal cavity 114. In other embodiments, the filler material may fill 5% to 10%, 10% to 20%, 20% to 30%, 30% to 40%, 40% to 50%, 50% to 60%, 60% to 70%, 70% to 80%, 80% to 90%, 90% to 100%, 5% to 20%, 10% to 30%, 20% to 40%, 30% to 50%, 40% to 60%, 50% to 70%, 60% to 80%, 70% to 90%, or 80% to 100%. The amount of filler material 403 may be selected to provide acoustic and / or performance benefits to the club head 100.

[0229] In some embodiments, the infill material 403 may be disposed on the striking face rear surface 156. In some embodiments, the infill material 403 may be disposed over the entire striking face rear surface 156. In other embodiments, the infill material 403 may be disposed over only a portion of the striking face rear surface 156, such as an upper region located near the top rail 110, a bottom region located near the sole 112, a toe region located near the toe end 108, a heel region located near the heel end 106, a central region located near the center of the striking face 116, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the infill material 403 may cover the entire striking face rear surface 156. In other embodiments, the infill material 403 may cover 5% or more, 10% or more, 20% or more, 30% or more, 40% or more, 50% or more, 60% or more, 70% or more, 80% or more, or 90% or more of the striking face rear surface 156. In other embodiments, the infill material 403 may cover less than 90%, less than 80%, less than 70%, less than 60%, less than 50%, less than 40%, less than 30%, less than 20%, less than 10%, or less than 5% of the striking face rear surface 156. In other embodiments, the infill material may cover 5-10%, 10-20%, 20-30%, 30-40%, 40-50%, 50-60%, 60-70%, 70-80%, 80-90%, 90-100%, 5-20%, 10-30%, 20-40%, 30-50%, 40-60%, 50-70%, 60-80%, 70-90%, or 80-100%. The amount of coverage of the filler material 403 on the rear striking face 156 may be selected to provide acoustic and / or performance benefits to the club head 100 .

[0230] As described above, the filler material 403 may be injected into the internal cavity 114 through the weight port 175. In many embodiments, as shown in FIG. 21 , the club head 100 includes a weight port 175 located in the toe portion of the rear body 130 (i.e., on the periphery of the club head 100). The weight port 175 may form an opening that provides access to the internal cavity 114. After the rear body 130 and the face plate 150 are welded together, the filler material 403 may be injected through the opening formed by the weight port 175. The internal cavity 114 may then be sealed by fitting a weight member 176 into the weight port 175 and closing the opening. In many embodiments, the weight member 176 and the weight port 175 are formed with corresponding threads to allow the weight member 176 to be easily and securely fitted into the weight port 175.

[0231] In many embodiments, filler material 403 is a polymer. The polymer may be a thermoplastic, a thermoplastic elastomer, a polyurethane, ethylene, vinyl acetate, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), a polyolefin copolymer, styrene, styrene-butadiene, any other suitable polymeric material, or any combination thereof. In other embodiments, filler material 403 may be an elastomer, a polyurethane elastomer, silicone, a silicone elastomer, rubber, or vulcanized natural rubber latex. In still other embodiments, filler material 403 may be an epoxy, a resin, an adhesive, a polyurethane adhesive, a glue, or any other suitable adhesive. For example, filler material 403 may be a polyurethane adhesive such as Gorilla Glue (Gorilla Glue Company, Cincinnati, Ohio). In another example, filler material 403 may be a polyurethane elastomer such as Freeman 1040 (Freeman Manufacturing & Supply Company, Avon, Ohio) or a polyurethane-based thermoplastic elastomer such as Freeman 3040 (Freeman Manufacturing & Supply Company, Avon, Ohio).

[0232] The infill material 403 can be useful in damping vibrations that occur in the club head 100 upon impact with a golf ball. The inclusion of the infill material 403 can dampen (i.e., reduce the amplitude of) dominant vibrations that contribute to an unpleasant sound or feel. In some embodiments, the infill material 403 can be placed in targeted locations that correspond to the location of the dominant vibrations to efficiently dampen such vibrations. Damping the vibrations of the club head 100 by including the infill material 403 can result in a quieter, shorter sound upon impact that is more pleasing to the human ear, and a more pleasant, soft feel for the player swinging the golf club.

[0233] In some embodiments, in addition to providing vibration damping benefits, the filler material 403 can also contribute to improved performance. For example, in some embodiments, the filler material 403 may have desirable rebound properties that create a spring effect on the striking face rear surface 156 upon impact. The spring effect created by the filler material 403 can increase energy transfer between the striking face 116 and the golf ball, resulting in greater ball speed and longer shot distance.

[0234] In some embodiments, the filler material 403 can provide reinforcement to the rear surface of the striking face 116 or any other portion of the club head 100. The filler material 403 allows the striking face 116 or other portions of the club head 100 to be thinned without compromising structural integrity. The thin striking face 116, combined with the resilience properties of the filler material 403, allows for greater deflection of the face plate 150 with more "bounce" upon impact, which increases energy transfer and increases ball speed.

[0235] In many embodiments, it is desirable for the filler material 403 to be lightweight (i.e., the filler material 403 has a low density and a low mass relative to the overall mass of the club head 100). A lightweight filler material 403 provides vibration damping benefits to the club head 100, improving sound and feel, while negligibly affecting the mass properties of the club head 100 that affect performance (i.e., MOI and CG location). The mass of the filler material 403 may be less than 20 grams so as not to adversely affect the mass properties of the club head 100. In some embodiments, the mass of the filler material 403 is less than 18 grams, less than 16 grams, less than 14 grams, less than 12 grams, less than 10 grams, less than 8 grams, less than 6 grams, less than 4 grams, less than 2 grams, or less than 1 gram. In some embodiments, the mass of the filler material 403 is between 1 gram and 5 grams, between 5 grams and 10 grams, between 10 grams and 15 grams, or between 15 grams and 20 grams. In some embodiments, the mass of the filler material 403 may be 1 gram, 2 grams, 3 grams, 4 grams, 5 grams, 5.5 grams, 6 grams, 6.5 grams, 7 grams, 7.5 grams, 8 grams, 8.5 grams, 9 grams, 9.5 grams, 10 grams, 10.5 grams, 11 grams, 11.5 grams, 12 grams, 12.5 grams, 13 grams, 14 grams, 15 grams, 16 grams, 17 grams, 18 grams, 19 grams, or 20 grams. The mass of the filler material 403 may be selected to provide the club head 100 with a low density and low mass of the filler material 403 that provides acoustic and / or performance benefits.

[0236] As noted above, a high performance club head can be achieved by combining any of the L-shaped face plate shapes described above, including a sole return, a toe extension, a top rail extension, or any combination thereof, with any of the various rear body features or shapes described herein, including a sole ledge, a sloped weight pad, a weight pad with an extension, a heel mass and / or a toe mass, a lower internal undercut, an upper internal undercut, a rear external cavity, an external flexure hinge, an internal flexure notch, an internal weld rib, a filler, or any combination thereof. The combination of the various features described above results in a club head with greater deflection and internal energy at impact, thereby increasing ball speed.

[0237] (D. Rear rib) 22-24 illustrate another exemplary embodiment according to aspects of the present invention. In this embodiment, the golf club head 500 includes many of the features described above, such as the weight pad 5000, sole return, filler material, and thin walls. As described above, these features combine to provide optimal mass placement while dynamically lofting the striking face 516. In the illustrated embodiment, the golf club head 500 further includes a plurality of ribs 511 located on the interior surface of the rear wall 540. The ribs 511 work in conjunction with the features described above to further improve the frequency and acoustic response of the club head 500 upon impact with a golf ball.

[0238] The inner surface of the internal cavity of the rear wall 540 includes a plurality of ribs 511. The plurality of ribs 511 extend in a direction from the top rail 510 toward the sole 512. The plurality of ribs 511 may be located anywhere on the inner surface of the rear wall 540. In some examples, the plurality of ribs 511 may be located on a portion of the inner surface of the lower outer wall 545. In other examples, the plurality of ribs 511 may be located on a portion of the inner surface of the rear wall 540. In some embodiments, the plurality of ribs 511 may be located on a portion of the inner surface of the lower outer wall 545 and may extend into other portions of the rear wall 540. The plurality of ribs 511 may include 1 to 8 ribs. For example, the plurality of ribs 511 may include 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 ribs. In embodiments having one or more ribs 511, the ribs 511 may be equidistantly spaced from one another or concentrated near the heel region, toe region, top rail, or sole. The ribs 511 and the location of the ribs 511 help optimize the frequency and amplitude of the acoustic response.

[0239] The thickness of the rear wall can be adjusted by providing multiple ribs 511. Specifically, providing multiple ribs 511 along the inner surface of rear wall 540 allows for a thinner thickness of the perimeter rear wall 540, thereby increasing the flexibility of club head 500 and increasing ball speed while maintaining the durability of golf club head 500. Furthermore, the combination of a thin rear wall 540 and ribs improves the frequency and amplitude of the sound response, resulting in a better sound and feel upon impact.

[0240] (method) The golf club heads of the various embodiments described herein can be manufactured by various methods. As described above, the golf club head includes at least a rear body and an L-shaped face plate. Various embodiments of each feature can be combined to form numerous variations of the golf club head. The manufacturing method may vary depending on the variations of the golf club head. An exemplary method for manufacturing a golf club head is described below.

[0241] A method for manufacturing a golf club head with an L-shaped face plate may include: (1) providing a rear body; (2) providing a face plate; and (3) connecting the face plate to the rear body, or any combination of the above steps.

[0242] Preparing the rear body may include forming a rear body top rail portion, a sole portion, a rear body toe portion, and a rear body heel portion that define a rear body opening for receiving the faceplate. The rear body may further include a plurality of welding surfaces extending along the periphery of the rear body opening and providing contact surfaces for connecting the faceplate and the rear body. The rear body may further include a sole ledge for receiving the sole return. In some embodiments, the rear body may further include a weight pad protruding forward from the sole portion. In some embodiments, the rear body may further include one or more dynamic loft features. When preparing the rear body, the portions of the rear body may be integrally cast.

[0243] Preparing the face plate includes forming a striking face portion and a sole return that wraps around the leading edge to form a portion of the sole. The face plate may include a toe extension and a top rail extension. In preparing the face plate, the face plate may be formed by machining and molding processes.

[0244] Connecting the faceplate to the rear body may include connecting the faceplate to a welding surface of the rear body. The sole ledge may receive the sole return, and the weight pad may overhang a portion of the sole return. The faceplate may be welded to the welding surface of the rear body. Separately forming the rear body and the faceplate allows the rear body and the faceplate to be formed from different materials. Furthermore, separately forming the rear body and the faceplate allows the rear body and the faceplate to be formed in different ways. For example, the rear body may be cast and the faceplate may be forged.

[0245] (Example) VI. Example 1: Comparison of Faceplate Performance Results Additionally, a comparison of performance results between multiple crossover club heads with different face plate structures is described. The results compare the effect of face plate size and shape on performance and durability. The leading edge configuration, face plate weld line location, and face plate surface area were varied among the example club heads. As discussed above, the leading edge of a club head is a high-stress area typically formed from a rigid material. The results demonstrate the benefit of forming the leading edge from a high-strength material rather than the rear body material. Furthermore, the weld line limits the face plate's deflection capacity. The results further demonstrate the benefit of locating the weld line closer to the club head surface compared to conventional club heads. The face plate surface area is related to the face plate's spring-like effect. The results further demonstrate the benefit of increasing the face plate surface area. The club head face plate structures are described in more detail below.

[0246] A. First embodiment club head The first exemplary club head had an L-shaped face plate (hereinafter referred to as the "first example face plate") that formed the entire striking face. The first example face plate had a sole return, a toe extension, and a top rail extension, similar to the club head 100 shown in FIG. 1A. The first example face plate extended to the surface of the club head and formed part of the sole. Thus, the leading edge was formed from the first example face plate material. Weld lines were located near the surface of the club head. The first example face plate was laser welded to the rear body. The first example club head had a negligible amount of filler material. The first control club head had a face plate that differed in both shape and weld type.

[0247] The first control club head included a face plate (hereinafter referred to as the "first control face plate") that did not form the entire striking face or a portion of the sole. The first control face plate did not include a sole return, a toe extension, or a top rail extension. The first control face plate did not extend to the surface of the club head and did not form a portion of the sole. Instead, the first control club head included a stepped transition region at the leading edge of the club head. Thus, the leading edge was formed from the rear body material. The weld line was located on the perimeter of the striking face. The first control face plate was plasma welded to the rear body. The first control face plate represented a conventional face plate insert in which the face plate did not form a portion of the sole.

[0248] The face plate of the first control had a different shape than the face plate of the first example, which included a sole return. The face plate of the first example had a larger surface area than the face plate of the first control. The club head of the first example had a leading edge formed from the face plate material of the first example, and the club head of the first control had a face plate formed from the main body material. As described in more detail below, the face plate of the first example exhibited performance and durability advantages over the face plate of the first control.

[0249] (1. Performance Test) The performance tests measured ball speed, launch angle, spin rate, and carry distance for each face plate. The automated performance tests used a golf swing device to capture club head performance data under normal conditions. The results showed the performance of each face plate near the lower-center region, located directly below the center of the face plate.

[0250] The first embodiment club head demonstrated better performance advantages compared to the first control club head. Comparison of these two club heads demonstrated the effect of increasing the face plate surface area when forming the leading edge from face plate material. The first embodiment club head had a face plate that included a sole return and a larger face plate surface area compared to the first control club head. Table 1 below shows the performance improvement of the first embodiment club head over the first control club head. Ball speeds were measured in miles per hour, and carry distances were modeled in yards. [Table 1]

[0251] Referring to Table 1 above, the first embodiment club head is shown to be superior to the first control club head for under-center hits. The first control club head produced a ball speed of 133.7 mph for under-center hits, while the first embodiment club head produced a ball speed of 136.4 mph for under-center hits. The first embodiment club head produced a ball speed 2.7 mph greater for under-center hits compared to the first control club head. This increased ball speed resulted in a 1.7-yard increase in carry distance. The automated performance testing results were augmented by player performance testing results, which collected data from shots taken by actual players. The player performance testing results are shown in Table 2 below. [Table 2]

[0252] Referring to Table 2 above, player performance testing results further demonstrate the superiority of the first embodiment club head over the first control club head, with the first embodiment club head producing a ball speed 2 mph greater than the first control club head.

[0253] The improved performance of the first embodiment club head described above was due to the shape of the face plate. The sole return was formed from the face plate material of the first embodiment, allowing the leading edge (or lower center region) to be thinner and more flexible. The sole return allowed for greater deflection of the face plate near the leading edge. Also, because the face plate extended to the top rail surface and toe surface, it had a larger surface area than the control face plate. The face plate of the first embodiment was 2.49 in. 2It was big. Because the faceplate has a larger surface area, the weld seams had to be moved closer to the rear body. Weld seams can sometimes hinder deflection, so by moving the weld seams closer to the rear body, the faceplate deflected even more.

[0254] The face plate material of the first embodiment had greater strength than the rear body material. The increased deflection increased the spring-like effect of the face plate of the first embodiment, thereby transferring more energy from the face plate to the golf ball. Therefore, the combination of the sole return and the extended perimeter allowed the face plate of the first embodiment to deflect more, generating greater ball speeds. The face plate material of the first embodiment also had greater strength than the rear body material. As a result, the face plate structure of the first embodiment also increased the durability of the club head of the first embodiment, as described in more detail below in the section regarding durability testing.

[0255] (2. Durability Test) The durability test measured the number of hits a club head could withstand before breaking. For the durability test, an air cannon device was used to impact the club head with high-velocity golf balls. Table 3 below shows the results of the durability test. Three samples of each club head type were tested. Data from the three "First Example Club Head" samples and the three "First Control Club Head" samples were averaged. The "Hits to Break" row shows the average number of golf ball impacts each club head received before breaking. The "Minimum Hits to Break" row shows the poorest performing club head sample, which had the fewest number of impacts before breaking. All values ​​in Table 3 are expressed in terms of the number of golf balls. [Table 3]

[0256] Referring to Table 3 above, the club heads of the first embodiment demonstrated significant improvements in durability. The first control club heads were able to withstand an average of 1,584.2 hits, while the first embodiment club heads were able to withstand an average of 2,564 hits. The first embodiment club heads withstood an average of 61.8% more hits than the first control club heads. The first control club heads had a minimum of 1,000 hits before failure, while the first embodiment club heads had a minimum of 2,292 hits before failure. The poorest performing sample of the first embodiment club heads received 129.2% more hits than the poorest performing sample of the first control club heads. Golf club head failures are typically observed near the leading edge of the club head. The improved durability demonstrated by the first embodiment club heads was attributed to the sole return, which places high-strength material near the leading edge.

[0257] (B. Second Example Club Head) The club head of the second embodiment had an L-shaped face plate (hereinafter referred to as the "face plate of the second embodiment") that did not form the entire striking face. The face plate of the second embodiment had a sole return, but, like the club head shown in FIG. 8, did not have a toe extension or a top rail extension. Thus, although the face plate of the second embodiment formed part of the sole (although the leading edge was formed from the face plate material), it did not extend to the surface of the club head at the toe end and / or top rail. Weld lines were located on the perimeter of the striking face. The face plate of the second embodiment was plasma welded to the rear body. The club head of the second embodiment had a negligible amount of filler material. The face plate of the second embodiment was similar to the face plate of the first embodiment of Example 1, but differed in surface area and the type of welding used to secure the face plate of the second embodiment to the rear body.

[0258] The second control club head was similar to the first control club head of Example 1. The second control club head had a face plate (hereinafter referred to as the "second control face plate") that did not form the entire striking face or a portion of the sole. The second control club head was representative of a club head with a conventional face plate insert.

[0259] The face plate of the second control had a different shape than the face plate of the second example, including a sole return. Additionally, the face plate of the second example had a larger surface area than the face plate of the second control. The club head of the second example had a leading edge formed from the face plate material of the second example, and the club head of the second control had a face plate formed from the main body material. As described in more detail below, the face plate of the second example exhibited performance and durability advantages over the face plate of the second control.

[0260] (3. Performance Test) Performance testing was conducted similarly to that of Example 1. The club head of Example 2 demonstrated better performance advantages compared to the club head of the second control. As with Example 1, comparing the club head of Example 2 with the club head of the second control demonstrated the effect of increasing the surface area of ​​the face plate and forming the leading edge from the face plate material. Table 4 below shows the performance improvement of the club head of Example 2 over the club head of the second control. Ball speed was measured in miles per hour, and carry distance was modeled in yards. [Table 4]

[0261] Referring to Table 4 above, the second example club head performed better than the second control club head on under-center hits. The second control club head exhibited a ball speed of 131.1 mph on under-center hits, while the second example club head exhibited a ball speed of 132.1 mph on under-center hits. The second example club head exhibited a 1 mph increase in ball speed on under-center hits compared to the second control club head. This increase in ball speed resulted in a 1.7 yard increase in carry distance.

[0262] The performance improvement of the second embodiment club head described above is due to the shape of the face plate. As with the first embodiment club head in Example 1, the sole return of the second embodiment club head was formed from the second embodiment face plate material, allowing the leading edge (or lower center region) to be thinner and more flexible. The surface area of ​​the second embodiment face plate was 1.25 in , which is larger than the face plate of the second control. 2 The sole return, combined with the larger striking face, resulted in greater face plate flex, which in turn resulted in greater ball speed and longer carry distance. The face plate material of the second embodiment was also stronger than the rear body material. As a result, the face plate construction of the second embodiment also contributed to the durability of the second embodiment club head, as discussed in more detail below in the section on durability testing.

[0263] (4. Durability Test) Table 5 below shows the results of the durability testing. As with Example 1, three samples were tested for each club head type. Data from the three "Second Example Club Head" samples and the three "Second Control Club Head" samples were averaged. The "Hits to Failure" row shows the average number of golf ball impacts each club head received before failure. The "Minimum Hits to Failure" row shows the poorest performing sample of each club head type, which received the fewest impacts before failure. All values ​​in Table 5 are shown in terms of golf balls. [Table 5]

[0264] Referring to Table 5 above, the club heads of the second embodiment demonstrated significantly higher durability. The club heads of the second control endured an average of 1,584.2 hits, while the club heads of the second embodiment endured an average of 2,307.7 hits. The club heads of the second embodiment endured an average of 45.6% more hits than the club heads of the second control. The club heads of the second embodiment endured a minimum of 1,000 hits before failure, while the club heads of the second embodiment endured a minimum of 2,000 hits before failure. The poorest-performing club heads of the second embodiment received 129.2% more hits than the poorest-performing club heads of the second control. Golf club head failures are typically observed near the leading edge of the club head. The improved durability demonstrated by the club heads of the second embodiment was attributed to the sole return, which places a high-strength material near the leading edge.

[0265] The first and second example club heads produced greater ball speeds and longer carry distances than the corresponding control club heads. Furthermore, the first example club head produced greater ball speeds and longer carry distances than the second example club heads. The example club heads also demonstrated similar durability improvements compared to the corresponding control club heads. Regardless of the test conditions or the type of welding used to secure the face plate, the example club heads demonstrated improved performance and durability. Therefore, it is clear that a face plate with a larger surface area and a sole return provides improved performance compared to a similar club head without a sole return.

[0266] VII. Example 2: Finite Element Analysis (FEA) This section describes a comparison of finite element analysis performed on two crossover-type club heads with different sole ledge geometries. The finite element analysis (FEA) simulated ball speeds for each of the club heads with different configurations. As described above, the sole ledge is located immediately forward of the weight pad and forms part of the sole. The sole ledge provides a surface for easily attaching the face plate to the rear body. The purpose of the FEA comparison was to demonstrate that a golf club head with a sole ledge has similar performance compared to a golf club head without a sole ledge. Additionally, the following discussion demonstrates the ease of manufacturing offered by a club head with a sole ledge.

[0267] The sample clubheads had face plates similar to the L-shaped face plate shown in Figure 6. These face plates had a sole return, a toe extension, and a top rail extension. Furthermore, the sole return depth was the same for each sample clubhead. The sample clubheads also had similar center of gravity (CG) locations. To achieve a similar CG location for the control clubheads, a mass was added to the toe end of the clubhead near the top rail. The faceplate configuration and CG location were kept constant to eliminate performance differences due to differences in sole ledge configuration.

[0268] The control club head had a rear body with an overhanging weight pad similar to the weight pad shown in FIG. 12. The weight pad included a protrusion that extended toward the face plate and overhanged above the sole return. The control club head did not have a sole ledge. Instead, the sole return extended toward the weight pad so that the weight pad overlapped the rearmost portion of the sole return. The outer sole edge of the face plate and a portion of the inner surface of the face plate were in contact with the weight pad. The weight pad defined the upper rear boundary of the sole return.

[0269] The example club head had a rear body with a protruding weight pad similar to the weight pad shown in FIG. 10. The protruding weight pad was inclined relative to the sole and protruded above the sole return. The rear body also had a sole ledge similar to the sole ledge shown in FIG. 13, with the front surface of the sole ledge receiving the outer sole edge of the face plate. Furthermore, the weight pad did not contact the sole return or define the upper boundary of the sole return. The sole ledge had a thickness similar to that of the sole return.

[0270] The control club head and the example club heads had different weight pad and sole ledge structures. The control club head had a weight pad with a protrusion, while the example club heads had a sloped weight pad. The control club head did not have a sole ledge, and its weight pad contacted the sole return of the face plate. In contrast, the example club heads had a sole ledge that prevented the weight pad from contacting the sole return of the face plate. Compared to the example club heads, the control club head's effective sole return depth was smaller by the depth of the weight pad overlapping the sole return. The results below compare the effect of sole ledge shape on performance.

[0271] The FEA analysis simulated the internal energy (measured in pounds-force inches) of the sample club heads. Internal energy is the amount of elastic energy stored / released in the club head by a golf ball colliding with the striking face and bending the striking face. Differences in ball speed (measured in miles per hour) resulted from differences in internal energy. The sample club heads were tested at a swing speed of 85 mph to simulate real-world swing conditions. The results showed the performance of each face plate near the center of the face plate. [Table 6]

[0272] Referring to Table 6 above, the control club head exhibited an internal energy of 55.82 lbf-in, while the example club head exhibited an internal energy of 56.21 lbf-in. The example club head had an internal energy increase of 0.39 lbf-in over the control club head, which corresponds to a ball speed increase of 0.05 mph. The control club head and example club head exhibited similar performance.

[0273] Although the control club head and the example club head exhibited similar performance, the example club head had manufacturing advantages over the control club head. The example club head was not inferior in performance to the control club head and was cheaper and easier to manufacture than the control club head. As described above, the example club head had a sole ledge that accepted the outer periphery of the sole of the face plate. The control club head did not have a sole ledge; instead, a weight pad accepted the face plate near the sole. In the example club head, only one surface of the sole return (the outer periphery of the sole) needed to be attached to the sole ledge. In contrast, in the control club, two surfaces of the sole return (the outer periphery of the sole and a portion of the inner surface) needed to be attached to the rear body. Therefore, while the rear body of the control club head required two surfaces to be prepared to accept the sole return, the example club head only required one surface to be prepared. Having more surfaces to be prepared increased the manufacturing process steps, which increased the manufacturing cost of the control club head.

[0274] Furthermore, the control club heads had more complex receiving geometries than the example club heads. Each club head had a margin of error in the contact surface between the sole return and the rear body. Because the sole ledge required only one surface of the sole return to be aligned with the rear body, there was a greater margin of error in aligning the sole return with the rear body. In contrast, the control club heads required two surfaces of the sole return to be aligned with the rear body. This required the control club heads to more precisely align the sole return with the rear body, resulting in a smaller margin of error in the contact surface. This smaller margin of error required the control club heads to form the sole return within extremely tight tolerances. Therefore, the control club heads were more difficult to manufacture than the example club heads.

[0275] As described above, the sole return thickness and the sole ledge thickness were similar. The similar thicknesses allowed for the formation of an even weld bead on both sides of the face plate where it was welded to the rear body. In contrast, the weight pad of the control club head was located above the sole return, which prevented the formation of an even weld bead. Therefore, although the sample performance was similar, the example club head was cheaper and easier to manufacture than the control club head.

[0276] VIII. Example 3: L-Cup Depth This paper describes a finite element analysis comparison performed on two crossover-type club heads with different sole return geometries. The finite element analysis (FEA) simulated ball speeds for each club head with different configurations. As discussed above, a deeper sole return results in greater face plate deflection. Therefore, the purpose of the FEA comparison was to demonstrate performance improvements resulting from increasing the sole return depth.

[0277] The control clubhead had an L-shaped control faceplate similar to the faceplates shown in Figures 8 and 9. The control faceplate had a control sole return that wrapped around the leading edge and formed part of the sole. The depth of the control sole return was 0.30 inches. The control clubhead further had a control rear body having a control sole ledge that received the control sole return.

[0278] The example club head included an L-shaped example face plate similar to the control face plate. However, the example sole return depth was 0.40 inches. The example sole return depth was increased to the manufacturing limit. The example sole return depth was 33% greater than the control return depth. The example club head further included an example rear body having an example sole ledge to receive the example sole return.

[0279] The control club head and the example club heads had rear body structures similar to the club head shown in Figure 9. However, the sole ledge of the control was longer than the sole ledge of the example club head to accommodate the shortened sole return of the control. To eliminate any performance differences caused by the longer sole return of the example club head, the remainder of the rear body of the control and the example club heads were kept similar.

[0280] The FEA analysis simulated the internal energy (measured in pounds-force inches) of the sample club heads. Internal energy is the amount of elastic energy stored and released in the club head when a golf ball impacts the striking face, bending the striking face. Differences in ball speed (measured in miles per hour) resulted from differences in internal energy. The sample club heads were tested at a swing speed of 85 mph to simulate real-world swing conditions. The results showed the performance of each face plate near the center of the face plate and in the sub-center region located directly below the center of the face plate. [Table 7]

[0281] Referring to Table 7 above, the example club heads exhibited higher internal energy on both center hits and below-center hits. On center hits, the control club head exhibited an internal energy of 58.52 lbf-in, while the example club head exhibited an internal energy of 59.91 lbf-in. The example club heads had 1.39 lbf-in more internal energy than the control club head, which corresponded to a 0.18 mph greater ball speed on center hits.

[0282] For below-center strikes, the control club head exhibited an internal energy of 46.25 lbf-in, while the example club head exhibited an internal energy of 47.82 lbf-in. The example club head had 1.57 lbf-in more internal energy than the control club head, which corresponded to a 0.20 mph increase in ball speed for center strikes.

[0283] The results in Table 7 demonstrate the difference that sole return depth makes to ball speed gains. As detailed above, a larger sole return depth results in more rear body material being replaced by face plate material. Replacing rear body material with face plate material increases the flexibility of the sole. Increasing the sole return length directly resulted in a significant increase in ball speed. To improve performance, it is desirable to increase the sole return depth within the limits of manufacturability.

[0284] IX. Example 4: Comparison of Weight Pad Embodiments This paper describes a finite element analysis comparison performed on three crossover club heads with different weight pad configurations. The finite element analysis (FEA) simulated the durability and ball speed of each club head with different configurations. As discussed above, a low center of gravity (CG) and high flexibility in a club head can result in performance improvements such as higher ball speeds and higher launch angles. Therefore, the purpose of the FEA comparison was to demonstrate the performance improvements of the overhanging weight pad configuration. [Table 8]

[0285] The control club head had an L-shaped control face plate similar to the face plate shown in Figures 8 and 9. The control club had a rear body structure similar to the club head shown in Figure 18C. The rear body further had a sole ledge, the front of which received the outer sole edge of the face plate. Furthermore, the weight pad did not contact the sole return or define the upper boundary of the sole return. The sole ledge had a thickness similar to the sole return.

[0286] The club head of the first example had an L-shaped face plate and sole similar to the control club, except for the weight pad. The weight pad of the first example had a rear body structure similar to the club head shown in Figure 25. The club head of the second example had an L-shaped face plate and sole similar to the control club. However, the weight pad of the first example had a rear body structure similar to the club head shown in Figure 29. The results below compare the effect of club head structure on durability and performance.

[0287] The FEA analysis simulated the internal energy (pound-force inches), relative loft angle (degrees), and club head stress (ksi) of the sample club head. The sample club head was tested at a swing speed of 95 mph to simulate actual swing conditions. Referring to Table 8, the weight pad structure of the club head of the second embodiment distributed more mass downward compared to the control club. A smaller CG value (lower CG height) results in a higher ball speed and a higher golf ball launch angle. Further referring to Table 8, the relative loft angle of the club head of the first embodiment is greater than the relative loft angle of the control club. A larger relative loft angle results in a higher golf ball launch angle and ball spin value.

[0288] FEA analysis simulations also showed that the sole stress of the first and second example club heads was lower than that of the control club head. The yield stress of the body was 150 ksi. The sole stress of the control club head exceeded this maximum yield stress by 5 ksi, while the yield stress of the first and second example club heads was lower than this maximum yield stress. Because the weight pad and rear surface structures were different, the bending mechanisms of the first and second example club heads were different from those of the control club head, leading to reduced stress. This reduced stress means that thinner soles and other walls of the club head body can further improve ball performance, such as ball speed and launch angle.

[0289] (item) Item 1. An iron-type golf club head, comprising: a face plate and a rear body forming a club head body and enclosing a hollow interior cavity; a top rail; a sole; a heel end; and a toe end; the club head body forming a front end, a rear end, a top rail surface, a toe surface, a heel surface, and a sole surface; the face plate disposed at the front end; the face plate comprising: a striking face; a rear surface opposing the striking face; a leading edge adjacent the sole; a sole return extending rearward from the rear surface and forming at least a portion of the sole; and a face plate periphery; the face plate periphery comprising a top outer peripheral edge, a heel-side outer peripheral edge, a toe-side outer peripheral edge, and a sole outer peripheral edge; the rear body comprising at least a portion of the top rail, at least a portion of the sole, and at least a portion of the toe end. and a hosel structure located at a heel end of the rear body, the rear body including a rear wall extending from the sole to a top rail at a rear end thereof, a sole ledge, and a hosel structure located at a heel end thereof, the sole ledge protruding from the rear body toward a face plate and forming a part of the sole, a top outer peripheral edge of the face plate being located on the top rail surface of the club head body, a toe side outer peripheral edge of the face plate being located on the toe surface of the club head body, and a sole outer peripheral edge of the face plate being in contact with the sole ledge, the face plate being welded to the rear body along the periphery of the face plate, and the rear body further including a weight pad adjacent to the sole and the rear wall, the weight pad extending above the sole return, and the weight pad not in contact with the sole return.

[0290] Item 2. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 1, wherein the weight pad is separated from the sole return by a sole ledge.

[0291] Item 3. The golf club further includes a face plate surface area measured across the face plate between the top outer periphery, the toe outer periphery, the heel outer periphery, and the leading edge, wherein the face plate surface area is 5.00 in 2 ~6.00in 2 Item 2. The iron-type golf club head according to item 1,

[0292] Item 4. The iron-type golf club head according to item 1, wherein the face plate comprises a first material and the rear body comprises a second material different from the first material.

[0293] Item 5. The iron-type golf club head according to item 4, wherein the first material has a first yield strength, the second material has a second yield strength, and the first yield strength is greater than the second yield strength.

[0294] Item 6. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 5, wherein the first yield strength of the first material is 220 ksi to 300 ksi.

[0295] Item 7. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 1, wherein the sole ledge has a sole ledge depth of 0.01 inches to 0.20 inches.

[0296] Item 8. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 1, wherein the sole return defines a sole return thickness, the sole ledge defines a sole ledge thickness, and the sole return thickness at the outer periphery of the sole is the same as the sole ledge thickness.

[0297] Item 9. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 1, wherein the sole return has a sole return depth measured in the front-to-back direction from the leading edge to the outer periphery of the sole, and the sole return depth is 0.2 inches to 0.4 inches.

[0298] Item 10. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 1, wherein the outer peripheral edge of the sole is the only part of the sole return that comes into contact with the rear body.

[0299] Item 11. The iron-type golf club head according to item 1, wherein the top rail has a thickness of less than 0.060 inches.

[0300] Item 12. An iron-type golf club head, comprising: a face plate and a rear body forming a club head body and enclosing a hollow internal cavity; a top rail; a sole; a heel end; and a toe end; the club head body forming a front end, a rear end, a top rail surface, a toe surface, a heel surface, and a sole surface; the face plate disposed at the front end; the face plate comprising: a hitting face; a rear surface opposing the hitting face; a leading edge adjacent to the sole; a sole return extending rearward from the rear surface and forming at least a portion of the sole; and a face plate periphery; the face plate periphery comprising a top outer peripheral edge, a heel-side outer peripheral edge, a toe-side outer peripheral edge, and a sole outer peripheral edge; the rear body forming at least a portion of the top rail, at least a portion of the sole, and at least a portion of the toe end; a rear wall extending to a top rail, a sole ledge, and a hosel structure located at a heel end, the sole ledge protruding from the rear body toward a face plate and forming a part of the sole, a top outer peripheral edge of the face plate located on the top rail surface of the club head body, a toe outer peripheral edge of the face plate located on the toe surface of the club head body, and a sole outer peripheral edge of the face plate in contact with the sole ledge, the face plate being welded to the rear body along the periphery of the face plate, the rear body further comprising a weight pad adjacent to the sole and the rear wall, the weight pad overhanging above the sole return, the weight pad not in contact with the sole return, the weight pad comprising: a front wall opposite the front end, an upper wall opposite the top rail, and a transition region between the front wall and the upper wall, the front wall being inclined relative to the sole.

[0301] Item 13. The iron-type golf club head according to item 12, wherein the weight pad is separated from the sole return by a sole ledge.

[0302] Item 14. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 12, wherein the sole ledge has a sole ledge depth of 0.01 inches to 0.20 inches.

[0303] Item 15. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 12, further comprising an acute angle measured between the front wall of the weight pad and the inner surface of the sole return, the acute angle being between 30 degrees and 80 degrees.

[0304] Item 16. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 12, further comprising a lower internal undercut formed between the front wall of the weight pad and the sole, the lower internal undercut defining a lower internal undercut depth measured in the fore-aft direction between the transition region and the junction between the front wall and the sole ledge, the lower internal undercut depth being greater than 0.100 inches.

[0305] Item 17. An iron-type golf club head, comprising: a face plate and a rear body forming a club head body and enclosing a hollow internal cavity; a top rail; a sole; a heel end; and a toe end; the club head body forming a front end, a rear end, a top rail surface, a toe surface, a heel surface, and a sole surface; the face plate disposed at the front end; the face plate comprising: a striking face; a rear surface opposing the striking face; a leading edge adjacent to the sole; a sole return extending rearward from the rear surface and forming at least a portion of the sole; and a face plate periphery; the face plate periphery comprising a top outer peripheral edge; a heel-side outer peripheral edge; a toe-side outer peripheral edge; and a sole outer peripheral edge; the rear body forming at least a portion of the top rail, at least a portion of the sole, and at least a portion of the toe end; an iron-type golf club head including a rear wall extending to a plate, a sole ledge, and a hosel structure located at a heel end, the sole ledge protruding from the rear body toward a face plate and forming a part of the sole, a top outer peripheral edge of the face plate located on a top rail surface of the club head body, a toe side outer peripheral edge of the face plate located on a toe surface of the club head body, and a sole outer peripheral edge of the face plate in contact with the sole ledge, the face plate being welded to the rear body along the face plate periphery, the rear body further including a weight pad adjacent to the sole and the rear wall, the weight pad overhanging above the sole return, the weight pad not in contact with the sole return, and a weight pad extension protruding forward from a front wall of the weight pad toward the face plate and overhanging above the sole return.

[0306] Item 18. The iron-type golf club head according to item 17, wherein the weight pad is separated from the sole return by a sole ledge.

[0307] Item 19. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 17, wherein the weight pad extension has a forward edge and a lower surface disposed toward the sole, with a lower internal undercut formed between the lower surface and the inner surface of the sole.

[0308] Item 20. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 19, wherein the lower internal undercut has a lower internal undercut depth measured from the forward edge of the weight pad extension to the front wall of the weight pad, and the lower internal undercut depth is greater than 0.100 inches.

[0309] Item 21. An iron-type golf club head comprising: a face plate; and a rear body connected to the face plate to form a club head body enclosing a hollow interior cavity, the club head body defining a top rail, a sole, a heel end, a toe end, a front end, a rear end, a top rail surface, a toe surface, a heel surface, and a sole surface; the face plate is disposed at the front end and has a hitting face, a rear surface opposing the hitting face, a leading edge adjacent the sole, and a leading edge extending rearward from the rear surface. a sole return forming at least a portion of the sole along a faceplate periphery, the faceplate periphery including a top periphery, a heel-side periphery, a toe-side periphery, and a sole periphery; a rear body connected to the faceplate along the faceplate periphery, the rear body including: a rear body top rail portion connected to the top periphery of the faceplate periphery and forming at least a portion of the top rail; a rear body sole portion including a sole ledge connected to the sole periphery of the faceplate periphery and forming at least a portion of the sole; a rear body heel portion connected to the heel-side periphery of the faceplate periphery and forming at least a portion of the heel end, the rear body toe portion connected to the toe-side periphery of the faceplate periphery and forming at least a portion of the toe end; and a rear wall extending from the rear body sole portion to the rear body top rail portion and extending between the rear body heel portion and the heel-body toe portion to cover the rear end of the club head, the rear wall including a rear wall upper outer surface and an upper rear wall having an upper rear wall inner surface, wherein an upper rear wall thickness between the upper rear wall outer surface and the upper rear wall inner surface is substantially constant; a lower rear wall having a lower rear wall outer surface, an lower rear wall inner surface, and a weight pad formed between the lower rear wall outer surface and the lower rear wall inner surface and proximate the sole, the weight pad being connected to the upper rear wall inner surface and extending continuously from the upper rear wall inner surface, a weight pad forward edge spaced from a rear surface of the striking face, and a weight pad extending rearward from the weight pad forward edge and between the weight pad and the sole ledge;an inner lower undercut forming a gap between the weight pad and the sole return;

[0310] Item 22. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 21, wherein the upper inner surface of the rear wall is on a first plane.

[0311] Item 23. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 22, wherein the weight pad front edge includes an upper region and a lower region, and at least the upper region is on the second plane.

[0312] Item 24. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 23, wherein the first plane and the second plane are on the same plane.

[0313] Item 25. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 24, wherein both the upper and lower regions of the weight pad front edge are on the second plane.

[0314] Item 26. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 25, wherein the face plate defines a loft plane, and the first plane and the second plane are parallel to the loft plane.

[0315] Item 27. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 23, wherein the second plane intersects with the first plane.

[0316] Item 28. The iron-type golf club head according to item 27, wherein the face plate defines a loft plane, the first plane is parallel to the loft plane, and the second plane intersects the loft plane.

[0317] Item 29. The iron-type golf club head according to item 28, wherein the lower region of the weight pad front edge lies on a third plane, and the second plane intersects with the third plane.

[0318] Item 30. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 29, wherein the third plane is parallel to the loft plane.

[0319] Item 31. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 21, wherein the rear wall lower outer surface includes a shelf surface that contacts the upper end of the weight pad, the shelf surface extending substantially perpendicular to the rear wall upper outer surface.

[0320] Item 32. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 31, wherein the rear wall lower outer surface has a rear surface that contacts the rear end of the weight pad, and the rear surface extends between the shelf surface and the rear body sole portion.

[0321] Item 33. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 26, wherein the rear wall upper thickness is 0.025 inches to 0.040 inches.

[0322] Item 34. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 26, wherein the rear wall upper thickness is 0.025 inches to 0.060 inches.

[0323] Item 35. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 26, wherein the first plane is offset perpendicularly from the loft plane by a distance of 0.200 inches to 0.300 inches.

[0324] Item 36. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 30, wherein the first plane is offset perpendicularly from the loft plane by a distance of 0.200 inches to 0.300 inches.

[0325] Item 37. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 36, wherein the third plane is orthogonally offset from the first plane by a distance between 0.025 inches and 0.075 inches.

[0326] Item 38. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 30, wherein the angle between the first plane and the second plane is 10 degrees to 20 degrees.

[0327] Item 39. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 30, wherein the angle between the first plane and the second plane is 5 degrees to 25 degrees.

[0328] Item 40. The iron-type golf club head according to Item 30, wherein the upper inner surface of the rear wall occupies 55% to 65% of the inner surface of the rear wall.

[0329] Replacement of one or more claimed elements is a rebuild, not a repair. Furthermore, benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described with respect to particular embodiments. However, an advantage, utility, solution to a problem, and any element that may give rise to or make more pronounced an advantage, utility, or solution, should not be construed as a critical, essential, or required feature or element of any or all of the claims, unless such advantage, utility, solution, or element is recited in such claim.

[0330] Furthermore, the embodiments and limitations disclosed herein are not available to the public under the doctrine of equivalents if the embodiments and / or limitations (1) are not expressly recited in the claims, and (2) are equivalent or potentially equivalent to the explicit elements and / or limitations recited in the claims under the doctrine of equivalents.

Claims

1. An iron-type golf club head, A face plate and a rear body connected to the face plate to form a club head body enclosing a hollow interior cavity; the club head body defining a top rail, a sole, a heel end, a toe end, a front end, a rear end, a top rail surface, a toe surface, a heel surface, and a sole surface; the face plate is disposed at the front end and includes a striking face, a rear surface opposing the striking face, a leading edge adjacent the sole, a sole return extending rearward from the rear surface and forming at least a portion of the sole, and a face plate periphery; the face plate outer periphery includes a top outer periphery, a heel side outer periphery, a toe side outer periphery, and a sole outer periphery, the rear body is connected to the face plate along an outer periphery of the face plate, The rear body is a rear body top rail portion connected to the top outer peripheral edge portion of the faceplate outer peripheral portion and forming at least a portion of the top rail; a rear body sole portion including a sole ledge connected to the sole outer periphery of the face plate and forming at least a portion of the sole; a rear body heel portion connected to the heel-side outer peripheral edge portion of the face plate outer peripheral portion and forming at least a portion of the heel end, the rear body heel portion including a hosel; a rear body toe portion connected to the toe-side outer peripheral edge portion of the face plate outer peripheral portion and forming at least a portion of the toe end; a rear wall extending from the rear body sole portion to the rear body top rail portion and extending between the rear body heel portion and the heel body toe portion to cover the rear end of the club head; The rear wall is a rear wall upper portion including a rear wall upper outer surface and a rear wall upper inner surface, wherein a rear wall upper thickness between the rear wall upper outer surface and the rear wall upper inner surface is substantially constant; a rear wall lower portion including a rear wall lower outer surface, a rear wall lower inner surface, and a weight pad formed between the rear wall lower outer surface and the rear wall lower inner surface and positioned adjacent to the sole; The weight pad is a weight pad front edge connected to the rear wall upper inner surface, extending continuously from the rear wall upper inner surface and spaced apart from the rear surface of the striking face; a lower interior undercut extending rearward from the weight pad forward edge and extending between the weight pad and the sole ledge, forming a gap between the weight pad and the sole return; Iron type golf club head.

2. the rear wall upper inner surface is on a first plane; 2. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 1.

3. the weight pad front edge includes an upper region and a lower region; At least the upper region is on a second plane.

3. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 2.

4. the first plane and the second plane are coplanar; 4. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 3.

5. both the upper and lower regions of the weight pad front edge lie on the second plane; 5. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 4.

6. the face plate defining a loft surface; the first plane and the second plane are parallel to the loft plane; 6. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 5.

7. the second plane intersects with the first plane; 4. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 3.

8. the face plate defining a loft surface; the first plane is parallel to the loft plane; the second plane intersects with the loft plane; 8. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 7.

9. the lower region of the weight pad front edge lies on a third plane; the second plane intersects with the third plane; 9. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 8.

10. the third plane is parallel to the loft plane; 10. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 9.

11. the rear wall lower outer surface has a shelf surface that contacts the upper end of the weight pad; The shelf extends substantially perpendicular to the rear wall upper outer surface.

2. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 1.

12. the rear wall lower outer surface has a rear surface that contacts the rear end of the weight pad, The rear surface extends between the shelf surface and the rear body sole portion. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 11.

13. the rear wall upper thickness is between 0.025 inches and 0.040 inches; 7. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 6.

14. the rear wall upper thickness is between 0.025 inches and 0.060 inches; 7. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 6.

15. the first plane is orthogonally offset from the loft plane by a distance of 0.200 inches to 0.300 inches; 7. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 6.

16. the first plane is orthogonally offset from the loft plane by a distance of 0.200 inches to 0.300 inches; The iron-type golf club head according to claim 10.

17. the third plane being orthogonally offset from the first plane by a distance between 0.025 inches and 0.075 inches; 17. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 16.

18. the angle between the first plane and the second plane is between 10 degrees and 20 degrees; The iron-type golf club head according to claim 10.

19. the angle between the first plane and the second plane is between 5 degrees and 25 degrees; The iron-type golf club head according to claim 10.

20. The upper inner surface of the rear wall occupies 55% to 65% of the inner surface of the rear wall. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 10.

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