Golf club heads

Abstract

Disclosed golf club heads include a body defining an interior cavity, a striking surface, a sole, a crown, and a hosel, which is configured to provide improved aerodynamic and inertia generating properties of the golf club head. Certain embodiments include an inertia generator positioned in the sole between an area proximate the club head's center of gravity and a position toeward of the center of gravity at the rear of the golf club head. Some embodiments include fixed or removable mass elements, weights or weight assemblies positioned in the sole, including, in some instances, within or adjacent to the inertia generator. In particular embodiments, one or more weight assemblies are movably retained within a weight channel defining a path along the sole.

1 .- 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A golf club head comprising:
 a club head body having a bottom portion, a top portion, a front portion, a rear portion, a heel portion, and a toe portion, wherein the body has a volume of at least 420 cubic centimeters (cc) and no more than 470 cc, wherein the volume is equal to a volumetric displacement of the club head body;   a sole located on the bottom portion of the golf club head and comprising a sole recess defined by a recessed sole ledge disposed along a perimeter of a sole opening;   a sole insert disposed in the sole recess and joined to the golf club head to cover the sole opening, the sole insert comprising a non-metal material;   a crown located at the top portion of the golf club head and comprising a crown recess defined by a recessed crown ledge disposed along a perimeter of a crown opening;   a crown insert disposed in the crown recess and joined to the golf club head to cover the crown opening, the crown insert comprising a non-metal material;   a striking surface positioned at the front portion of the body and configured to receive an impact, the striking surface having a striking surface area measured in square millimeters (mm 2 );
 wherein the golf club head has a head origin defined as a position on a face plane at a geometric center of the striking surface, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the striking surface and generally parallel to a ground plane when the head is in a normal address position where a positive x-axis extends towards the heel portion, a y-axis extending perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground plane when the head is in the normal address position where a positive y-axis extends from the striking surface and through the rear portion of the body, and a z-axis extending perpendicular to the ground plane, to the x-axis and to the y-axis when the head is in the normal address position, where a positive z-axis extends from the head origin and generally upward, and 
 wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity; and 
   a center sole portion comprising:
 a bottom center sole portion surface extending rearwardly along the bottom portion of the sole having a first end and a second end; 
 a toeward sole surface that slopes upwardly from the bottom center sole portion surface to a first bottom portion of the sole that is toeward of the bottom center sole portion surface, wherein at the second end the bottom center sole portion surface is raised relative to the first bottom portion of the sole, and the bottom center sole portion surface is positioned closer to a ground plane than the first bottom portion of the sole when viewed in the normal address position; 
 a first edge extending from the first end to the second end on a toe side of the bottom center sole portion surface and defining a transition between the bottom center sole portion surface and the toeward sole surface; 
 a heelward sole surface that slopes upwardly from the bottom center sole portion surface to a second bottom portion of the sole that is heelward of the bottom center sole portion surface, wherein at the second end the bottom center sole portion surface is raised relative to the second bottom portion of the sole, and the bottom center sole portion surface is positioned closer to a ground plane than the second bottom portion of the sole when viewed in the normal address position; and 
 a second edge extending from a forward end proximate to the first end to a rearward end proximate to the second end on a heel side of the bottom center sole portion surface and defining a transition between the bottom center sole portion surface and the heelward sole surface, wherein the rearward end is located toeward of the forward end such that the second edge extends rearwardly and is angled toewardly from the forward end to the rearward end;
 wherein:
 a striking surface area to volume ratio calculated by converting the striking surface area into square centimeters (cm 2 ) and dividing by the body volume is no less than 0.06 and no greater than 0.086; and 
 the golf club head has a Zup of no more than 28 mm. 
 
 
   
     
     
         36 . The golf club head of  claim 35 , further comprising a weight port located on the center sole portion near the rear portion of the golf club head, and wherein:
 the golf club head has a moment of inertia about the center of gravity z-axis, I ZZ , between about 450 kg*mm 2  and about 650 kg*mm 2 ; and   the golf club head has a front to back club head depth of at least 110 mm.   
     
     
         37 . The golf club head of  claim 36 , wherein at least one of the crown insert and the sole insert has an outer surface area of at least 9000 mm 2 . 
     
     
         38 . The golf club head of  claim 37 , wherein a rearwardmost point of the golf club head is located below the center of gravity of the golf club head. 
     
     
         39 . The golf club head of  claim 38 , wherein the golf club head has a volume below 30 mm above ground plane of at least 190 cc. 
     
     
         40 . The golf club head of  claim 37 , wherein the golf club head has a rear volume of at least 160 cc. 
     
     
         41 . The golf club head of  claim 37 , wherein the golf club head has a toe volume that is at least 56 percent of the body volume. 
     
     
         42 . The golf club head of  claim 38 , wherein the center of gravity of the golf club head is positioned toeward of the head origin. 
     
     
         43 . The golf club head of  claim 36 , further comprising a weight channel formed in the sole and defining a path along the sole; and a weight assembly positioned in the weight channel, the weight assembly configured to be adjusted along the path to any of a range of selectable positions in the weight channel to adjust mass properties of the golf club head. 
     
     
         44 . The golf club head of  claim 36 , wherein the golf club head has:
 a volume below 30 mm above ground plane that is at least 45 percent of the body volume,   a rear volume that is at least 33 percent of the body volume, a toe volume that is at least 60 percent of the body volume, and   a Zup that is no more than 26 mm.   
     
     
         45 . The golf club head of  claim 36 , wherein the first end of the bottom center sole portion surface is forward of a rearwardmost edge of the sole insert. 
     
     
         46 . The golf club head of  claim 45 , further comprising a front weight member removably affixed to the golf club head at a forward portion of the golf club head. 
     
     
         47 . The golf club head of  claim 35 , further comprising a weight port located on the center sole portion near the rear portion of the golf club head, and wherein:
 the golf club head has a moment of inertia about the center of gravity z-axis, I ZZ , between about 450 kg*mm 2  and about 650 kg*mm 2 ; and   a ratio of a front to back club head depth to a club head length is no more than 0.94.   
     
     
         48 . A golf club head comprising:
 a club head body having a bottom portion, a top portion, a front portion, a rear portion, a heel portion, and a toe portion, wherein the body has a volume of at least 420 cubic centimeters (cc) and no more than 500 cc, wherein the volume is equal to a volumetric displacement of the club head body;   a sole located on the bottom portion of the golf club head and a crown located at the top portion of the golf club head;   a striking surface positioned at the front portion of the body and configured to receive an impact, the striking surface having a striking surface area measured in square millimeters (mm 2 );
 wherein the golf club head has a head origin defined as a position on a face plane at a geometric center of the striking surface, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the striking surface and generally parallel to a ground plane when the head is in a normal address position where a positive x-axis extends towards the heel portion, a y-axis extending perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground plane when the head is in the normal address position where a positive y-axis extends from the striking surface and through the rear portion of the body, and a z-axis extending perpendicular to the ground plane, to the x-axis and to the y-axis when the head is in the normal address position where a positive z-axis extends from the head origin and generally upward, wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity; 
   a center sole portion comprising:
 a bottom center sole portion surface extending rearwardly along the bottom portion of the sole having a first end and a second end; 
 a toeward sole surface that slopes upwardly from the bottom center sole portion surface to a first bottom portion of the sole that is toeward of the bottom center sole portion surface, wherein at the second end the bottom center sole portion surface is raised relative to the first bottom portion of the sole, and the bottom center sole portion surface is positioned closer to a ground plane than the first bottom portion of the sole when viewed in the normal address position; 
 a first edge extending from the first end to the second end on a toe side of the bottom center sole portion surface and defining a transition between the bottom center sole portion surface and the toeward sole surface; 
 a heelward sole surface that slopes upwardly from the bottom center sole portion surface to a second bottom portion of the sole that is heelward of the bottom center sole portion surface, wherein at the second end the bottom center sole portion surface is raised relative to the second bottom portion of the sole, and the bottom center sole portion surface is positioned closer to a ground plane than the second bottom portion of the sole when viewed in the normal address position; and 
 a second edge extending from a forward end proximate to the first end to a rearward end proximate to the second end on a heel side of the bottom center sole portion surface and defining a transition between the bottom center sole portion surface and the heelward sole surface, wherein the rearward end is located toeward of the forward end such that the second edge extends rearwardly and is angled toewardly from the forward end to the rearward end; and 
   a weight port located near the rear portion of the golf club head and connected to the center sole portion; and
 wherein:
 a striking surface area to volume ratio calculated by converting the striking surface area into square centimeters (cm 2 ) and dividing by the body volume is no less than 0.06 and no greater than 0.085; 
 the golf club head has a Zup of no more than 28 mm; 
 the golf club head has a moment of inertia about the center of gravity z-axis, I ZZ , between about 450 kg*mm 2  and about 650 kg*mm 2 ; and 
 the golf club head has a front to back club head depth of at least 110 mm and the golf club head has a total mass between 145 g and about 260 g. 
 
   
     
     
         49 . The golf club head of  claim 48 , further comprising:
 a crown recess defined by a recessed crown ledge disposed along a perimeter of a crown opening; and   a crown insert disposed in the crown recess and joined to the golf club head to cover the crown opening, the crown insert comprising a non-metal material; and
 wherein the crown insert has an outer surface area of at least 9000 mm 2 . 
   
     
     
         50 . The golf club head of  claim 48 , wherein a rearwardmost point of the golf club head is located below the center of gravity of the golf club head, and the golf club head has a volume below 30 mm above ground plane of at least 190 cc. 
     
     
         51 . The golf club head of  claim 50 , wherein the golf club head has a rear volume of at least 160 cc. 
     
     
         52 . The golf club head of  claim 50 , wherein the golf club head has a toe volume that is at least 56 percent of the body volume. 
     
     
         53 . The golf club head of  claim 50 , wherein a ratio of a front to back club head depth to a club head length is no more than 0.94. 
     
     
         54 . The golf club head of  claim 48 , wherein the golf club head has:
 a volume below 30 mm above ground plane that is at least 45 percent of the body volume,   a rear volume that is at least 33 percent of the body volume, and   a toe volume that is at least 60 percent of the body volume.   
     
     
         55 . The golf club head of  claim 48 , further comprising:
 a sole recess defined by a recessed sole ledge disposed along a perimeter of a sole opening; and   a sole insert disposed in the sole recess and joined to the golf club head to cover the sole opening, the sole insert comprising a non-metal material.   
     
     
         56 . The golf club head of  claim 55 , wherein the first end of the bottom center sole portion surface is forward of a rearwardmost edge of the sole insert. 
     
     
         57 . The golf club head of  claim 56 , further comprising a front weight member removably affixed to the golf club head at a forward portion of the golf club head. 
     
     
         58 . The golf club head of  claim 48 , further comprising a front weight member removably affixed to the golf club head at a forward portion of the golf club head. 
     
     
         59 . The golf club head of  claim 48 , further comprising:
 a weight channel formed in the sole and defining a path along the sole; and   a weight assembly positioned in the weight channel, the weight assembly configured to be adjusted along the path to any of a range of selectable positions in the weight channel to adjust mass properties of the golf club head.