Golf club head with highly polished hard contact fact

Abstract

A head for a golf club used for hitting balls long distances, or for putting, has a hitting or contact surface formed by an insert placed within a pocket formed within the club head face. The insert has at least a surface layer made of polycrystalline diamond or cubic boron nitride. The insert may be polished very smooth to place less backspin on the ball and reduce surface flaws. The edges of the insert may also be rounded or chamfered to reduce chipping or cracking of the insert. Furthermore, the pocket into which the insert is set may be reinforced to reduce deformation of the pocket during ball contact that places stress on the insert.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A golf club head with a ball contact surface area on its face comprising a hard or superhard material polished to a smoothness of less than 20 micro-inches.  
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein the hard or superhard material is polished to a smoothness of less than 10 micro-inches.  
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein the hard or superhard material is polished to a smoothness of less than 2 micro-inches.  
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the ball contact surface area is comprised of superhard material, and the superhard material is comprised of polycrystalline diamond or cubic boron nitride.  
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 4  wherein the superhard material is polished to a smoothness of less than 10 micro-inches.  
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 4  wherein the superhard material is polished to a smoothness of less than 2 micro-inches.  
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein the ball contact area includes an insert disposed within a recess formed in the club head, the insert having on its front face a hard or super hard material.  
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein the insert further includes at least one base layer with which the hard or superhard material is supported.  
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein the front face of the insert is comprised of a layer of polycrystalline diamond or cubic boron nitride, and one of the one or more base layers is comprised of tungsten carbide.  
     
     
         10 . A golf club head with a contact area comprised of an insert within a recess formed on the golf club head's face, the insert having a front face having hard or super hard material, wherein one or more edges around the front face of the insert are chamfered, radiused or honed.  
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 10  wherein the front face is polished to a smoothness of less than 20 micro-inches.  
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 10  wherein the front face is polished to a smoothness of less than 10 micro-inches.  
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 10  wherein the front face is polished to a smoothness of less than 2 micro-inches.  
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the front face is a superhard material comprised of polycrystalline diamond or cubic boron nitride.  
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 14  wherein the superhard material is polished to a smoothness of less than 10 micro-inches.  
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 14  wherein the superhard material is polished to a smoothness of less than 2 micro-inches.  
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the insert further includes a base material for supporting the hard or superhard material.  
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the front face of the insert is comprised of a surface layer of polycrystalline diamond or cubic boron nitride supported by one or more base layers, or regions of material different from that of the surface layer.  
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 18  wherein one of the one or more base layers or regions is comprised of tungsten carbide.  
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , where the insert has a back face having hard or super hard material, wherein one or more edges around the back face of the insert are chamfered, radiused or honed.  
     
     
         21 . A golf club comprised of an elongated shaft connected with a hollow golf club head, the golf club head having a face formed by a wall with a front and a rear surface, the wall having defined therein a pocket for receiving an insert comprised of hard or super hard material that forms at least part of a ball contacting surface; the rear surface having disposed on it at least one reinforcing rib for reducing deformation of the pocket when under stress.  
     
     
         22 . The golf club of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one reinforcing rib extends across the pocket.  
     
     
         23 . The golf club of  claim 21  wherein the insert having a front face having hard or super hard material, wherein one or more edges around the front face of the insert are chamfered, radiused or honed.  
     
     
         24 . The golf club of  claim 21  wherein the front face is polished to a smoothness of less than 20 micro-inches.  
     
     
         25 . The golf club of  claim 21  wherein the front face is polished to a smoothness of less than 10 micro-inches.  
     
     
         26 . The golf club of  claim 21  wherein the front face is polished to a smoothness of less than 2 micro-inches.  
     
     
         27 . The golf club of  claim 21 , wherein the front face is a superhard material comprised of polycrystalline diamond or cubic boron nitride.  
     
     
         28 . The golf club of  claim 26  wherein the superhard material is polished to a smoothness of less than 10 micro-inches.  
     
     
         29 . The golf club of  claim 26  wherein the superhard material is polished to a smoothness of less than 2 micro-inches.  
     
     
         30 . The golf club of  claim 21 , wherein the insert further includes a base material for supporting the hard or superhard material.  
     
     
         31 . The golf club of  claim 21 , wherein the insert has a front face comprised of a layer of polycrystalline diamond or cubic boron nitride supported by one or more base layers, one of the one or more base layers being comprised of tungsten carbide.  
     
     
         32 . The golf club of  claim 21 , wherein the rear surface has disposed on it multiple ribs.  
     
     
         33 . The golf club of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one rib is disposed on the rear surface to stiffen the pocket to reduce flexure of the pocket during ball impact.  
     
     
         34 . The golf club of  claim 33 , wherein the at least one rib extends fully across the pocket.  
     
     
         35 . The golf club of  claim 21  wherein the at least one rib is disposed to strengthen the wall around the pocket.