Golf club head with textured striking face

Abstract

A correlated set of golf club heads comprises a first and second golf club head. Each club head has a striking face, a rear surface, a top portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, and a loft. The striking face has a first plurality of scorelines defining a scoreline heel-ward extent and a scoreline toe-ward extent. The plurality of scorelines comprises a scoreline length LS1 being the lateral distance between the heel-ward extent and the toe-ward extent. The loft of the second golf club head is greater than that of the first golf club head. The scoreline length LS2 of the second golf club head differs from that of the first scoreline length LS1.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing a golf club head, the method comprising:
 (a) providing an intermediate golf club head body that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises a heel portion, a toe portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a rear portion, and a striking face defining a virtual striking face plane;   (b) prescribing, for the intermediate golf club head body, a scoreline length value LS based on a spatial attribute of the intermediate golf club head body;   (c) texturing a first region of the striking face by surface milling the first region in a first pass using a first cutter, thereby forming a plurality of arcuate micro-grooves, the first cutter having a diameter at least 0.1 mm greater than LS;   (d) texturing a second region of the striking face, subsequent to step (c), by surface milling the second region in a second pass using a second cutter, to exhibit a second average surface roughness no greater than 180 μin; and   (e) forming a plurality of scorelines in the striking face, the plurality of scorelines defining a scoreline length substantially equal to the prescribed scoreline length value LS,   wherein the spatial attribute is selected from the group consisting of blade length, height of the striking face, striking face surface area, loft, effective or actual bounce, and lateral position of the location of peak height of the striking face.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the first cutter is at least 1.25 mm greater than LS. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the first cutter satisfies the following:
 LS+1.4 mm≤Diameter of First Cutter≤LS+1.6 mm.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the intermediate golf club head body further comprises a striking face vertical peak; and   in step (c), the arcuate micro-grooves comprise vertical groove peaks that substantially align laterally with the striking face vertical peak.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first region of the striking face extends peripherally of the second region. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first region of the striking face extends toe-ward of the second region. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step (e) of forming a plurality of scorelines occurs subsequent to both step (c) and step (d). 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the spatial attribute comprises striking face surface area. 
     
     
         9 . The method  claim 1 , wherein:
 the intermediate golf club head body further comprises a striking face vertical peak;   the plurality of scorelines comprise a heel-most extent and a toe-most extent; and   the toe-most extent of the plurality of scorelines is laterally spaced no greater than 5 mm from the striking face vertical peak.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprises laser-etching the striking face. 
     
     
         11 . A method of manufacturing a golf club head, the method comprising:
 (a) providing an intermediate golf club head body that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises a heel portion, a toe portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a rear portion, and a striking face defining a virtual striking face plane;   (b) prescribing, for the intermediate golf club head body, a scoreline length value LS;   (c) texturing a first region of the striking face by surface milling the first region in a first pass using a first cutter, thereby forming a plurality of arcuate micro-grooves, the first cutter having a diameter that satisfies the following:   
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   LS 
                   + 
                   
                     1.4 
                         
                     mm 
                   
                 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   Diameter 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   of 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   First 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   Cutter 
                 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   LS 
                   + 
                   
                     1.6 
                         
                     mm 
                   
                 
               
               ; 
             
           
         
         (d) texturing a second region of the striking face, subsequent to step (c), by surface milling the second region in a second pass using a second cutter; and 
         (e) forming a plurality of scorelines in the striking face, the plurality of scorelines defining a scoreline length substantially equal to the prescribed scoreline length value LS. 
       
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein, in step (d), the intermediate club head body is textured to exhibit an average surface roughness no greater than 180 μin; and 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein, in step (b), the scoreline length value LS is determined based on a spatial attribute selected from the group consisting of blade, height of the striking face, striking face surface area, loft, effective or actual bounce, and lateral position of the location of peak height of the striking face. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the intermediate golf club head body further comprises a striking face vertical peak; and   in step (c), the arcuate micro-grooves comprise vertical groove peaks that substantially align laterally with the striking face vertical peak.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first region of the striking face extends peripherally of the second region. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first region of the striking face extends toe-ward of the second region. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step (e) of forming a plurality of scorelines occurs subsequent to both step (c) and step (d). 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the spatial attribute comprises striking face surface area. 
     
     
         19 . The method  claim 11 , wherein:
 the intermediate golf club head body further comprises a striking face vertical peak;   the plurality of scorelines comprise a heel-most extent and a toe-most extent; and   the toe-most extent of the plurality of scorelines is laterally spaced no greater than 5 mm from the striking face vertical peak.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprises laser-etching the striking face.