Golf club head with textured striking face

Abstract

A golf club head includes a striking face with a plurality of scorelines. A first virtual vertical plane is perpendicular to the striking face and passes through a toe-wardmost extent of the scorelines, and a second virtual vertical plane is parallel to the first virtual vertical plane and passes through a heel-wardmost extent of the scorelines. A central region bounded by the first virtual vertical plane, the second virtual vertical plane, and a striking face periphery has a first average surface roughness Ra 1 of between about 40 μin and about 180 μin. And a majority of a toe region bounded by the first vertical plane and the striking face periphery is textured to have a second average surface roughness Ra 2 no less than 1.5 times Ra 1.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:
 a loft greater than 40 degrees;   a heel portion;   a toe portion opposite the heel portion;   a sole portion;   a top portion opposite the sole portion; and   a striking face comprising:
 a striking face periphery; 
 a plurality of scorelines having a toe-wardmost extent and a heel-wardmost extent, wherein a first virtual vertical plane is perpendicular to the striking face and passes through the toe-wardmost extent and a second virtual vertical plane is parallel to the first virtual vertical plane and passes through the heel-wardmost extent; 
 a central region bounded by the first virtual vertical plane, the second virtual vertical plane, and the striking face periphery; 
 a first plurality of microgrooves located within the central region; 
 a toe region, toe-ward of the central region, bounded by the first virtual vertical plane and the striking face periphery; and 
 a second plurality of microgrooves located within the toe region, the second plurality of microgrooves (i) being distinct from the first plurality of microgrooves, (ii) including an average depth no less than 1000 μin, and (iii) including an average pitch no less than 0.03 in. 
   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of microgrooves or the second plurality of microgrooves comprise milled grooves. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the central region comprises a first average surface roughness, Ra 1 , between 40 μin and 180 μin. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein the toe region comprises a second average surface roughness, Ra 2 , no less than 1.5 times Ra 1 . 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein Ra 2  is no less than 2 times Ra 1 . 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the toe region comprises an average surface roughness, Ra 2 , no less than 270 μin. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein the toe region comprises an average surface roughness, Ra 2 , no less than 300 μin. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of microgrooves follows an arcuate path. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of microgrooves comprises a maximum profile height, Rt 2 , greater than or equal to 1000 μin. 
     
     
         10 . A golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:
 a heel portion;   a toe portion opposite the heel portion;   a sole portion;   a top portion opposite the sole portion; and   a striking face comprising:
 a striking face periphery; 
 a plurality of scorelines having a toe-wardmost extent and a heel-wardmost extent, wherein a first virtual vertical plane is perpendicular to the striking face and passes through the toe-wardmost extent and a second virtual vertical plane is parallel to the first virtual vertical plane and passes through the heel-wardmost extent; 
 a central region bounded by the first virtual vertical plane, the second virtual vertical plane, and the striking face periphery; 
 a first plurality of microgrooves disposed within the central region; 
 a toe region, toe-ward of the central region, bounded by the first virtual vertical plane and the striking face periphery; and 
 a second plurality of microgrooves located within the toe region, the second plurality of microgrooves (i) being distinct from the first plurality of microgrooves, (ii) including an average depth no less than 1000 μin, and (iii) including an average pitch no less than 0.03 in. 
   
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the first plurality of microgrooves or the second plurality of microgrooves comprise milled grooves. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the central region comprises a first average surface roughness, Ra 1 , no greater than 180 μin. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the toe region comprises a second average surface roughness, Ra 2 , no less than 1.5 times Ra 1 . 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein Ra 2  is no less than 2 times Ra 1 . 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the toe region comprises an average surface roughness, Ra 2 , no less than 270 μin. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein the toe region comprises an average surface roughness, Ra 2 , no less than 300 μin. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the second plurality of microgrooves follows an arcuate path. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the second plurality of microgrooves comprises a maximum profile height, Rt 2 , greater than or equal to 1000 μin. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the average pitch is between 0.03 in and 0.06 in. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the golf club head is an iron-type or wedge-type golf club head.