Golf Club Head

Abstract

A golf club head designed to act under impact load as a bridge comprising a face; an inertial support system; a rear structure; and a force transfer system, under impact load the force transfer system, in cooperation with the inertial support system, elongating the rear structure and controlling the bending of the face, the pattern of bending of the face being a substantially bridge-like pattern of bending or a substantially modified bridge-like pattern of bending.

1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a face, the face comprising a front side, a back side, a top edge, and a bottom edge;   a force transfer system, the force transfer system connected to the back side of the face at at least two points;   a torsion control system, the torsion control system connected to the back side of the face at least one point; and   during impact with a golf ball, a predominant mechanism for producing the deformation of the face, the predominant mechanism varying in relationship to the point of impact of the golf ball and comprising at least bending of the top or bottom edge of the face, the deformation of the face resulting in a club head with approximately the same compliance occurring over a portion of the face.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head according to  claim 1  in which a second predominant mechanism for producing the deformation of the face comprises diaphragm stretching of the face. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head according to  claim 1  in which a third predominant mechanism for producing the deformation of the face comprises rotation of the force transfer system. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head according to  claim 1  in which the portion of the face comprises at least approximately 25% of the face. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head according to  claim 1  in which a portion of the force transfer system is separated into a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion of the portion of the force transfer system connected to the face at least two points and the bottom portion of the portion of the force transfer system connected to the face at least two points. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 a rear structure, the proximal side of the rear structure connected to the distal side of the force transfer system at least one point. 
 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head according to  claim 1  in which the golf club head further comprises an inertial support system, the inertial support system connected to the face-supporting structure or connected to the edges of the face, the mass of the inertial support system being at least approximately equal to the combined mass of the face and the face-supporting structure. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head according to  claim 1  in which the torsion control system comprises a cross-brace, an insert, a combination of a cross-brace and an insert, or a combination of a cross-brace and a portion of an insert. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head according to  claim 7  in which the insert comprises a constant wall thickness, a multiple wall thickness, a varying wall thickness, or a profiled wall thickness. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head according to  claim 1  in which the torsion control system is re-configurable or replaceable. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head according to  claim 1  in which the golf club head further comprises a crown. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head according to  claim 1  in which the golf club head further comprises a sole.