Golf club with optimum moments of inertia in the vertical and hosel axes

Abstract

A golf club is provided having a hollow body golf club head comprising discrete concentrations of weight or mass located away from the center of gravity or the geometric center of the club head to optimize the moment of inertia of the club head about both the vertical axis running through the center of gravity or geometric center of the club head, hereinafter referred to as the “y-axis,” and the axis running through the center of the shaft of the golf club, hereinafter referred to as the “hosel axis.” The ratio of moment of inertia of the club head about the y-axis to moment of inertia of the club head about the hosel axis is preferably 0.55. More preferably, this ratio is 0.75.

1 . A golf club comprising a shaft and a club head,
 wherein the club head comprises a y-axis running the in the vertical direction through the geometric center of the golf club head and a hosel axis running parallel to the center of the shaft and through a hosel base,   wherein the club head has a center of gravity located from ⅔ inch to about 1 inch orthogonally from a hitting face of the club head, and   wherein the MOI(y-axis) ranges between 450 kg·mm 2  and about 650 kg·mm 2 .   
   
   
       2 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein MOI(y-axis) ranges between 500 kg·mm 2  and 600 kg mm 2 . 
   
   
       3 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the golf club is constructed from multiple materials. 
   
   
       4 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein ratio of the MOI(y-axis) to the volume of the club head is greater than about 0.90 kg·mm 2 /cm 3 . 
   
   
       5 . The golf club of  claim 4 , wherein ratio of the MOI(y-axis) to the volume of the club head is greater than about 1.0 kg·mm 2 /cm 3 . 
   
   
       6 . The golf club of  claim 5 , wherein ratio of the MOI(y-axis) to the volume of the club head is greater than about 1.10 kg·mm 2 /cm 3 . 
   
   
       7 . A driver type golf club head comprising:
 a first portion including a hitting surface and made from a first material;   a second portion connected to the first portion and including a frame structure, wherein the second portion is made from a second material having a density that is about the same or less than the density of the first material; and   a third portion connected to the first and/or the second portion and made from a third material having a density that is about the same or less than the density of the second material,   wherein the MOI (y-axis) of the golf club head is greater than about 450 kg·mm 2  and the MOI (shaft-axis) is greater than about 600 kg·mm 2 .   
   
   
       8 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the volume of the club head is between about 390 cc and about 420 cc. 
   
   
       9 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the MOI(y-axis) to the MOI(hosel axis) is greater than about 1.0. 
   
   
       10 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the MOI(y-axis) is between about 470 kg·mm 2  and about 600 kg·mm 2  and wherein the MOI(hosel axis) is between about 600 kg·mm 2  and about 725 kg·mm 2 . 
   
   
       11 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the MOI(y-axis) is between about 545 kg·mm 2  and about 600 kg·mm 2  and wherein the MOI(hosel axis) is between about 600 kg·mm 2  and about 725 kg·mm 2 . 
   
   
       12 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein ratio of the MOI(y-axis) to the volume of the club head is greater than about 0.90 kg·mm 2 /cm 3 . 
   
   
       13 . The golf club of  claim 12 , wherein ratio of the MOI(y-axis) to the volume of the club head is greater than about 1.0 kg·mm 2 /cm 3 . 
   
   
       14 . The golf club of  claim 13 , wherein ratio of the MOI(y-axis) to the volume of the club head is greater than about 1.10 kg·mm 2 /cm 3 . 
   
   
       15 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the golf club is constructed from multiple materials. 
   
   
       16 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the MOI(y-axis) to the MOI(hosel axis) is greater than about 0.75. 
   
   
       17 . The golf club of  claim 16 , wherein the ratio of the MOI(y-axis) to the MOI(hosel axis) is greater than about 1.0.