Variable bounce club heads and related methods

Abstract

Some embodiments include a golf club head. The golf club head includes a top end and a bottom end opposite the top end, a front end and a rear end opposite the front end, and a toe end and a heel end opposite the toe end. Further, the golf club head includes a club head body having an aggregate sole surface. The aggregate sole surface has multiple constituent sole surfaces and at least one riser surface. The multiple constituent surfaces and the riser surface(s) extend between the toe end and the heel end. The multiple constituent sole surfaces have a first sole surface and a second sole surface, and the riser surface(s) have a first riser surface located between the first sole surface and the second sole surface. Other embodiments of related club heads and methods are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 ) A golf club head comprising:
 a top end and a bottom end opposite the top end;   a front end and a rear end opposite the front end;   a toe end and a heel end opposite the toe end; and   a club head body comprising an aggregate sole surface, the aggregate sole surface comprising multiple constituent sole surfaces and at least one riser surface;   wherein:
 the multiple constituent surfaces extend between the toe end and the heel end; 
 the at least one riser surface extends between the toe end and the heel end; 
 the multiple constituent sole surfaces comprise a first sole surface and a second sole surface; 
 the at least one riser surface comprises a first riser surface; 
 the first riser surface is located between the first sole surface and the second sole surface; 
 the first riser surface comprises a first riser surface heel end depth, a first riser surface midpoint depth, and a first riser surface toe end depth; 
 the first riser surface toe end depth is greater than the first riser surface midpoint depth and the first riser surface heel end depth; and 
 the first riser surface midpoint depth is greater than the first riser surface heel end depth. 
   
     
     
         2 ) The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein:
 the golf club head comprises an iron-type golf club head. 
 
     
     
         3 ) The golf club head of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a primary address configuration and a loft angle at the primary address configuration; 
 wherein:
 the loft angle is greater than or equal to approximately 45 degrees. 
 
 
     
     
         4 ) The golf club head of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a first address configuration and a first bounce angle at the first address configuration; and 
 a second address configuration and a second bounce angle at the second address configuration, which is different from the first address configuration; 
 wherein:
 the second bounce angle is different than the first bounce angle. 
 
 
     
     
         5 ) The golf club head of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a first address configuration and a first bounce angle and a first bounce height at the first address configuration; and 
 a second address configuration and a second bounce angle and a second bounce height at the second address configuration, which is different from the first address configuration; 
 wherein:
 the second bounce angle is different than the first bounce angle; and 
 the first bounce height is approximately equal to the second bounce height. 
 
 
     
     
         6 ) The golf club head of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a first address configuration and a first bounce angle and a first bounce height at the first address configuration; and 
 a second address configuration and a second bounce angle and a second bounce height at the second address configuration, which is different from the first address configuration; 
 wherein:
 the second bounce angle is different than the first bounce angle; and 
 the first bounce height varies from the second bounce height by less than or equal to approximately 5 percent. 
 
 
     
     
         7 ) The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein:
 the multiple constituent sole surfaces comprise a third sole surface; 
 the at least one riser surface comprises a second riser surface; 
 the second riser surface comprises a second riser surface heel end depth, a second riser surface midpoint depth, and a second riser surface toe end depth; 
 the second riser surface toe end depth is greater than the second riser surface midpoint depth and the second riser surface heel end depth; and 
 the second riser surface midpoint depth is greater than the second riser surface heel end depth. 
 
     
     
         8 ) The golf club head of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a first address configuration and a first bounce angle at the first address configuration; 
 a second address configuration and a second bounce angle at the second address configuration, which is different from the first address configuration; and 
 a third address configuration and a third bounce angle at the third address configuration, which is different from the first address configuration and the second address configuration; 
 wherein:
 the multiple constituent sole surfaces comprise a third sole surface; and 
 the at least one riser surface comprises a second riser surface. 
 
 
     
     
         9 ) The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein:
 the first riser surface heel end depth is located at a distance from a heel end of the first riser surface that is greater than or equal to approximately 5 percent and less than or equal to approximately 25 percent of a total length of the first riser surface between the toe end and heel end; and 
 the first riser surface toe end depth is located at a distance from a toe end of the first riser surface that is greater than or equal to approximately 5 percent and less than or equal to approximately 25 percent of the total length of the first riser surface between the toe end and heel end. 
 
     
     
         10 ) The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein:
 a change in a depth of the first riser surface between the first riser surface heel end depth and the first riser surface toe end depth is approximately linear. 
 
     
     
         11 ) The golf club head of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a step angle between the first riser surface and the second sole surface; 
 wherein:
 the step angle is greater than or equal to approximately 80 degrees and less than 180 degrees. 
 
 
     
     
         12 ) The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein:
 the first sole surface comprises a first trailing edge point; 
 the second sole surface comprises a second trailing edge point; and 
 the first trailing edge point is different than the second trailing edge point. 
 
     
     
         13 ) The golf club head of  claim 1  wherein:
 the first sole surface comprises a first keel point; 
 the second sole surface comprises a second keel point; and 
 the first keel point is different than the second keel point. 
 
     
     
         14 ) A set of golf club heads, the set comprising:
 a first golf club head comprising:
 a first top end and a first bottom end opposite the first top end; 
 a first front end and a first rear end opposite the first front end; 
 a first toe end and a first heel end opposite the first toe end; 
 a first club head body comprising a first club aggregate sole surface, the first club aggregate sole surface comprising multiple first club constituent sole surfaces and at least one first club riser surface; 
 a first primary address configuration and a first bounce angle, a first bounce height, and a first loft angle at the first primary address configuration; and 
 a first open address configuration and a second bounce angle and a second bounce height at the first open address configuration, the first open address configuration being different from the first primary address configuration; and 
   a second golf club head comprising:
 a second top end and a second bottom end opposite the second top end; 
 a second front end and a second rear end opposite the second front end; 
 a second toe end and a second heel end opposite the second toe end; 
 a second club head body; and 
 a second primary address configuration and a second loft angle at the second primary address configuration; 
   wherein:
 the multiple first club constituent surfaces extend between the first toe end and the first heel end; 
 the at least one first club riser surface extends between the first toe end and the first heel end; 
 the multiple first club constituent sole surfaces comprise a first sole surface and a second sole surface; 
 the at least one first club riser surface comprises a first riser surface; 
 the first riser surface is located between the first sole surface and the second sole surface; 
 the first loft angle is greater than or equal to approximately 45 degrees; 
 the second loft angle is less than the first loft angle; and 
 the second bounce angle is different than the first bounce angle. 
   
     
     
         15 ) The set of  claim 14  wherein:
 the second loft angle is less than 45 degrees. 
 
     
     
         16 ) The set of  claim 14  wherein:
 the second bounce height varies from the first bounce height by less than or equal to approximately 5 percent. 
 
     
     
         17 ) The set of  claim 14  wherein:
 the second club head body comprises a second club aggregate sole surface, the second club aggregate sole surface comprising multiple second club constituent sole surfaces and at least one second club riser surface; 
 the multiple second club constituent surfaces extend between the second toe end and the second heel end; 
 the at least one second club riser surface extends between the second toe end and the second heel end; 
 the multiple second club constituent sole surfaces comprise a third sole surface and a fourth sole surface; 
 the at least one second club riser surface comprises a second riser surface; 
 the second riser surface is located between the third sole surface and the fourth sole surface; 
 the second club head body further comprises a third bounce angle at the second primary address configuration; 
 the second club head body further comprises a second open address configuration and a fourth bounce angle at the second address configuration; and 
 the fourth bounce angle is different than the third bounce angle. 
 
     
     
         18 ) A method of manufacturing a golf club, the method comprising:
 providing a golf club head;   wherein:
 the golf club head comprises:
 a top end and a bottom end opposite the top end; 
 a front end and a rear end opposite the front end; and 
 a toe end and a heel end opposite the toe end; 
 
 providing the golf club head comprises providing a club head body; 
 providing the club head body comprises providing an aggregate sole surface of the club head body; 
 providing the aggregate sole surface comprises:
 providing multiple constituent sole surfaces of the aggregate sole surface; and 
 providing at least one riser surface of the aggregate sole surface; 
 
 the multiple constituent surfaces extend between the toe end and the heel end; 
 the at least one riser surface extends between the toe end and the heel end; 
 the multiple constituent sole surfaces comprise a first sole surface and a second sole surface; 
 the at least one riser surface comprises a first riser surface; 
 the first riser surface is located between the first sole surface and the second sole surface; 
 the first riser surface comprises a first riser surface heel end depth, a first riser surface midpoint depth, and a first riser surface toe end depth; 
 the first riser surface toe end depth is greater than the first riser surface midpoint depth and the first riser surface heel end depth; and 
 the first riser surface midpoint depth is greater than the first riser surface heel end depth. 
   
     
     
         19 ) The method of  claim 18  wherein:
 the golf club head comprises:
 a first address configuration and a first bounce angle at the first address configuration; 
 a second address configuration and a second bounce angle at the second address configuration, which is different from the first address configuration; and 
 the second bounce angle is different than the first bounce angle. 
 
 
     
     
         20 ) The method of  claim 18  wherein:
 the golf club head comprises:
 a first address configuration and a first bounce angle and a first bounce height at the first address configuration; 
 a second address configuration and a second bounce angle and a second bounce height at the second address configuration, which is different from the first address configuration; 
 the second bounce angle is different than the first bounce angle; and 
 the first bounce height is approximately equal to the second bounce height. 
 
 
     
     
         21 ) The method of  claim 18  wherein:
 the golf club head comprises:
 a first address configuration and a first bounce angle and a first bounce height at the first address configuration; 
 a second address configuration and a second bounce angle and a second bounce height at the second address configuration, which is different from the first address configuration; 
 the second bounce angle is different than the first bounce angle; and 
 the first bounce height varies from the second bounce height by less than or equal to approximately 5 percent.