Metal wood club

Abstract

A golf club head is provided having a body and a face, with a slot in a perimeter region of the body of the club head adjacent the face. The slot increases the flex of the hitting surface on impact with a golf ball, thereby increasing the speed with which the ball rebounds off the hitting face and increases the overall distance the ball is hit. The slot preferably moves the sweet spot of the hitting face a distance X from the face center of the hitting face. The slot may be partially or wholly filled with an insert.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A golf club head, the club head comprising:
 a face having a geometric face center and an area of maximum coefficient of restitution, wherein the maximum coefficient of restitution is greater than about 0.8, wherein the face has at least two portions having different thicknesses;   a hollow body having a toe portion, a heel portion, a sole portion, a hosel, a crown portion and a heel portion, the hollow body defining a perimeter region and an inner cavity, wherein a slot is formed in the sole portion and at least a portion of the slot forms an opening into the inner cavity of the hollow body; and   an elastomeric material disposed in the slot, and at least partially filling the slot, wherein the elastomeric material extends into the inner cavity, and   wherein the elastomeric material is held within the slot by at least one of an interference fit and an adhesive.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the area of maximum coefficient of restitution is disposed within a zone on the face and the area of maximum coefficient of restitution is disposed less than 20 mm from the geometric face center, and wherein the maximum coefficient of restitution is at least about 0.81. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the maximum coefficient of restitution is at least about 0.82. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the body forming a side of the slot extends further into the inner cavity than a second portion of the body forming a side of the slot opposite the first portion to form a pathway to the inner cavity of the hollow body. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein the elastomeric material fills at least a portion of the pathway, wherein a first thickness of a first portion of the elastomeric material within the pathway is different than a second thickness of a second portion of the elastomeric material that is disposed in the inner cavity of the hollow body. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric material is an elastomeric insert that has a protrusion, wherein the protrusion engages a wall of the slot so that the insert is kept within the slot through normal use of the golf club head. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein the wall of the slot includes a groove and the protrusion extends into the groove. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the area of maximum coefficient of restitution is disposed less than 10 mm from the geometric face center. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein the area of maximum coefficient of restitution is disposed within 2 mm of the geometric face center. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the slot comprises multiple openings into the inner cavity of the hollow body. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the slot has a width of greater than 1 mm. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the slot has a length of greater than 15 mm. 
     
     
         13 . A golf club head, the club head comprising:
 a face having a geometric face center and an area of maximum coefficient of restitution, wherein the maximum coefficient of restitution is greater than about 0.8, wherein the face has at least two portions having different thicknesses;   a hollow body having a toe portion, a heel portion, a sole portion, a hosel, a crown portion and a heel portion, the hollow body defining a perimeter region and an inner cavity, wherein a slot is formed in the sole portion and at least a portion of the slot forms an opening into the inner cavity of the hollow body, wherein a first portion of the body forms a side of the slot closer to the face than a second portion of the body forming a side of the slot opposite the first portion, wherein the first portion extends further into the inner cavity than the second portion to form a pathway to the inner cavity of the hollow body; and   an elastomeric material disposed in the slot, and at least partially filling the slot, wherein the elastomeric material extends into the inner cavity, and   wherein the elastomeric material is held within the slot by at least one of an interference fit and an adhesive.   
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the elastomeric material fills at least a portion of the pathway, wherein a first thickness of a first portion of the elastomeric material within the pathway is different than a second thickness of a second portion of the elastomeric material that is disposed in the inner cavity of the hollow body. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the area of maximum coefficient of restitution is disposed less than 10 mm from the geometric face center. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the slot is substantially filled with an elastomeric material that is exposed to the inner cavity of the hollow body. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the elastomeric material wholly fills the slot. 
     
     
         18 . A golf club head, the club head comprising:
 a face having a geometric face center and an area of maximum coefficient of restitution, wherein the face has at least two portions having different thicknesses;   a hollow body having a toe portion, a heel portion, a sole portion, a hosel, a crown portion and a heel portion, the hollow body defining a perimeter region and an inner cavity, wherein a slot is formed in the sole portion and at least a portion of the slot forms an opening into the inner cavity of the hollow body; and   an elastomeric insert disposed in the slot, and at least partially filling the slot, wherein the elastomeric insert has a protrusion, wherein the protrusion engages a wall of the slot so that the insert is kept within the slot through normal use of the golf club head,   wherein the elastomeric insert is held within the slot by at least one of an interference fit and an adhesive,   wherein the area of maximum coefficient of restitution is disposed within a zone on the face and the area of maximum coefficient of restitution is disposed less than 20 mm from the geometric face center, and wherein the maximum coefficient of restitution is at least about 0.81.   
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 18 , wherein the wall of the slot includes a groove and the protrusion extends into the groove. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 18 , wherein the maximum coefficient of restitution is at least about 0.82.