Golf club

Abstract

A shim or badge is affixed to a golf cub body to produce a cap-back iron, giving the appearance of a hollow-body iron. In this way, the golf club can be manufactured with the performance benefits of a game improvement iron, while providing the appearance of a blade, player's iron, and/or a hollow-body iron. For example, by using a lightweight and rigid shim or badge to close a cavity opening and extend into the toe portion of the golf club body, the golf club head can provide increased stiffness in the topline, while lowering CG. Various shim or badge arrangements and materials can be used, and a filler material and/or damper can be included within the cavity to improve sound and feel, while minimizing loss in COR.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A clubhead for an iron-type golf club, the clubhead comprising:
 a unitary cast body having a heel portion, a toe portion, a top-line portion, a rear portion, a face portion, and a sole portion,
 wherein the sole portion extends rearwardly from a lower end of the face portion to a lower portion of the rear portion, 
 wherein the face portion comprises a striking face and has a variable face thickness profile along the striking face, such that within the variable face thickness profile, the face portion has a minimum face thickness no less than 1.0 millimeters (mm) and a maximum face thickness of no more than 3.5 mm, 
 wherein a sole bar of the unitary cast body defines a rearward portion of the sole portion, 
 wherein a cavity of the unitary cast body is defined by a region of the body rearward of the face portion, forward of the rear portion, above the sole portion, and below the top-line portion, 
 wherein a lower undercut region of the unitary cast body comprises a portion of the cavity rearward of the face portion, forward of the sole bar, and above the sole portion, 
 wherein a lower ledge of the unitary cast body extends from the sole bar, upwardly toward the top-line portion, and the lower undercut region further comprises a portion of the cavity forward of the lower ledge, 
 wherein an upper ledge of the unitary cast body extends from the top-line portion, downwardly toward the sole portion, 
 wherein an upper undercut region of the unitary cast body comprises a portion of the cavity rearward of the face portion, forward of the upper ledge, and below the topline portion, and 
 wherein the toe portion comprises an upright wall that is heelwardly offset from a toewardmost edge of the toe portion and defines a toeside ledge of the unitary cast body, the toeside ledge extending between the topline portion and the sole bar and connecting the upper ledge and the lower ledge; and 
   a badge received, at least in part, by the upper ledge, the lower ledge, and the toeward ledge, wherein the badge encloses the cavity and partially defines an enclosed cavity volume of the clubhead that is between 5 cubic-centimeters (cc) and 20 cc.