Golf club head with interior weight adjustable in multiple directions

Abstract

A golf club head includes a striking face, and a body coupled to the striking face. The body includes a crown, a sole disposed in generally opposed relation to the crown, and a back extending away from the striking face. The striking face and body collectively define a hollow interior chamber. A weight is disposed entirely within the interior chamber. An adjustment mechanism is coupled to the body and the weight to enable external adjustment of the weight along three axes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a striking face;   a body coupled to the striking face and having:
 a crown; 
 a sole disposed in generally opposed relation to the crown; and 
 a back extending away from the striking face; 
 the striking face and body collectively defining a hollow interior chamber; and 
   a weight disposed entirely within the interior chamber; and   an adjustment mechanism coupled to the body and the weight to enable adjustment of the weight within the interior chamber along three axes.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , further comprising a window coupled to the body and configured to enable viewing of the adjustable weight within the interior chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , further comprising at least two indicia on the window, each of the at least two indicia representative of a location of a center of gravity of the golf club head. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a ball-in-socket joint connected to the weight. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , further comprising a sleeve connected to the ball-in-socket joint, and an arm axially received within the sleeve and connected to the weight. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein the sleeve comprises internal threads that engage external threads on the arm. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein the ball-in-socket joint comprises a ball having a channel therethrough in communication with a corresponding channel formed in the sleeve. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein the ball-in-socket joint comprises a ball and a socket, the ball and socket having a plurality of complimentary detents and protrusions adapted to engage with each other in a mating fashion. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein the socket is biased against the ball. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , further comprising a clamping mechanism adapted to enable the adjustment mechanism to assume a fixed position relative to the body. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , the weight further comprising a sensor configured to generate and emit an electronic signal associated with a position of the weight within the interior chamber. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the adjustment mechanism is externally accessible through an opening formed in the body. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the adjustment mechanism includes at least two adjustable struts extending between the body and the weight. 
     
     
         14 . A method of fabricating a golf club, the method comprising the steps of:
 receiving a request to fabricate a customized golf club head, the request comprising instructions to position a weight entirely within a hollow interior chamber of the customized golf club head in a predefined position, the predefined position comprising three coordinates including a face-to-back coordinate, a sole-to-crown coordinate, and a heel-to-toe coordinate, the three coordinates having been previously determined via a fitting operation during which an adjustable weight disposed entirely within a hollow interior chamber of a fitting club and adjustable in a sole-to-crown direction, a face-to-back direction, and a direction along a face of the fitting club was adjusted in order to determine a preferred position of the adjustable weight; and   fabricating the customized golf club head by positioning the weight in the predefined position.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the fabricating step comprises securing the weight within the interior chamber. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the step of securing the weight comprises permanently securing the weight to an interior wall of the golf club head. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the method comprises securing the weight via at least two struts. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the weight is of predetermined mass, the predetermined mass having been previously determined via the fitting operation. 
     
     
         19 . A golf club head comprising:
 a striking face adapted to strike a golf ball; and   a skirt coupled to the striking face;   the golf club head having a center of gravity, the golf club head being specifically adapted to enable adjustment of the center of gravity along three discrete axes.   
     
     
         20 . The golf club head recited in  claim 19 , wherein the striking face and the skirt collectively define an interior chamber, the club head further comprising a weight disposed entirely within the interior chamber and being adjustable along three axes.