Golf driver having titanium alloy head and flexible shaft

Abstract

A golf driver has a head which includes an alpha-beta titanium alloy body and a crown formed of a beta titanium plate which is thinner than the body and brazed to the body. The face of the club head comprises a variable-thickness beta titanium faceplate that is plasma welded to the body. Heat generated during the plasma welding causes the thin border region of the faceplate to become even more flexible to enhance the spacing action of the faceplate. Two weights are attached at the toe and heel, respectively, of the body to minimize twisting of the body during an off-center hit. Two additional weights are disposed in the sole of the body in locations causing the center of gravity to be displaced toward the heel and the back side of the club head. A graphite shaft of the driver has at least four sections of different stiffness, defining three bending points, to increase the flex action of the shaft and enable an oversized driver to return to an address position at the moment of impact.

1 . A golf driver head comprising a body having a crown portion formed by a separate crown plate bonded at the top of the body, wherein the body comprises an alpha-beta titanium alloy, and the crown plate comprises a beta-titanium alloy which is thinner than a surrounding portion of the body to which it is bonded.  
   
   
       2 . The golf driver head according to  claim 1 , wherein the crown plate is brazed to the body.  
   
   
       3 . The golf driver head according to  claim 1  further comprising a titanium alloy faceplate bonded to a front side of the body by plasma welding along an outer periphery of the faceplate.  
   
   
       4 . The golf driver head according to  claim 3  wherein a center region of the faceplate is thicker than an outer periphery thereof.  
   
   
       5 . The golf driver head according to  claim 1  further including at least one weight mounted in a sole of the body between a heel and a rear portion of the body.  
   
   
       6 . The golf driver head according to  claim 5 , further including a pair of weights mounted in a toe portion and a heel portion of the body, respectively.  
   
   
       7 . The golf driver head comprising a body and a titanium alloy faceplate bonded to a front side of the body by plasma welding along an outer periphery of the faceplate.  
   
   
       8 . A golf driver head comprising a body having a crown portion formed by a separate crown plate brazed to a top portion of the body, wherein the body comprises an alpha-beta titanium alloy, and the crown plate comprises a beta-titanium alloy which is thinner than a surrounding portion of the body, and a titanium alloy faceplate bonded to a front side of the body by plasma welding along an outer periphery of the faceplate.  
   
   
       9 . The golf driver head according to  claim 8  wherein a center region of the faceplate is thicker than an outer periphery thereof.  
   
   
       10 . The golf driver head according to  claim 8  further including at least one weight mounted in a sole of the body between a heel and a rear portion of the body.  
   
   
       11 . The golf driver head according to  claim 10 , further including a pair of weights mounted in a toe portion and a heel portion of the body, respectively.  
   
   
       12 . A golf driver comprising a head and a carbon shaft connected to the head, the shaft including four sections; a first of the sections attached to the head, a second section disposed adjacent to the first section, a third section disposed adjacent to the second section, and a fourth section disposed adjacent to the second section, and a fourth section disposed adjacent to the third section and defining a butt end of the shaft, the first section being more flexible than the fourth section; the third section being less flexible than the fourth section and more flexible than the second section.