Golf club heads with a multi-material striking surface

Abstract

Embodiments of putter-type golf club head comprising a striking surface capable of achieving consistent ball speeds across the striking surface to account for various ball impact locations are described herein. The striking surface has at least two materials that differs in concentration away from the geometric center of the striking surface to provide this consistency. Consistent (or uniform) ball speed is achieved throughout the striking surface as the portion of the golf ball that contacts the striking surface interacts with at least two materials having a differing material characteristic.

1 . A putter-type golf club head comprising:
 a body comprising:   a heel portion; a toe portion distal from the heel portion; a top rail; a sole portion distal from the top rail; and a striking surface forming a recess defined by the heel portion, the toe portion, the top rail, and the sole portion of the body;   a striking surface imaginary vertical axis that extends through a geometric center of the striking surface relative to die heel portion, the toe portion, the top rail, and die sole portion;   and an insert configured to be received within and complimentary with the recess defined by the striking surface;   wherein:   the insert comprises a front surface adapted to impact a golf ball and a rear surface opposite the front surface, and a thickness defined as the distance between the front surface and the rear surface;   the insert comprises a first material forming the rear surface and a second material forming a portion of the front surface;   the insert further defines a plurality of hexagonal-shaped voids that extends throughout the entirety of the second material putter insert thickness;   each hexagonal-shaped void of the plurality of hexagonal-shaped voids are colinear with one another in a top rail-to-sole portion direction and a heel portion-to-toe portion direction; and   the volume of the hexagonal-shaped recesses decreases from the striking surface imaginary vertical axis to one of the heel portion or the toe portion of the body.   
     
     
         2 . The putter-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the first material of the insert entirely covers the rear surface of the insert and fills each hexagonal-shaped void of the plurality of hexagonal-shaped voids. 
     
     
         3 . The putter-type golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein a maximum length measured in a heel-to-toe direction of each hexagonal-shaped void decreases from the striking surface imaginary axis to one of the heel portion or the toe portion of the body. 
     
     
         4 . The putter-type golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein an average ratio defined as the surface area percentage of a first material land area percentage to a surface area percentage of the second material decreases from the striking surface imaginary vertical axis to a second imaginary vertical axis offset from the striking surface imaginary vertical axis. 
     
     
         5 . The putter-type golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein at the front surface of the insert, the second material surrounds the first material. 
     
     
         6 . The putter-type golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein the first material has a hardness between Shore 30A and Shore 95A. 
     
     
         7 . The putter-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the first material fills a volume For each hexagonal-shaped void between 0.0013 cc (0.0000803 in′) and 0.066 cc (0.004 in3). 
     
     
         8 . The putter-type golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein the density of the first material and the second material are substantially the same. 
     
     
         9 . The putter-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a maximum length of each discrete pill shaped void measured in a heel-to-toe direction decreases from the striking surface imaginary vertical axis to at least one of the heel portion or the toe portion and wherein the length is between approximately 0.76 mm (0.03 inches) and approximately 10.2 mm (0.4 inches). 
     
     
         10 . A putter-type golf club head comprising: a body comprising: a heel portion; a toe portion distal from the heel portion; a top rail; a sole portion distal from the top rail; and a striking surface forming a recess defined by the heel portion, die toe portion, the top rail, and the sole portion of the body; a striking surface imaginary vertical axis that extends through a geometric center of the striking surface relative to the heel portion, the toe portion, the top rail, and the sole portion; and an insert configured to be received within and complimentary with the recess defined by the striking surface; wherein: the insert comprises a first material and a second material forming at least one of a front surface adapted for impact with a golf ball, a rear surface opposite the front portion, and a thickness defined as the distance between the front surface and the rear surface; the insert further defines a plurality of hexagonal-shaped voids that extends through a portion of the putter insert thickness; each hexagonal-shaped void of the plurality of hexagonal-shaped voids are colinear with one another in a top rail-to-sole portion direction and a heel portion-to-toe portion direction; and the volume of the hexagonal-shaped recesses decreases from the striking surface imaginary vertical axis towards the heel portion and the toe portion of the body. 
     
     
         11 . The putter-type golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the first material of the insert entirely covers the rear surface of the insert and fills each hexagonal-shaped void of the plurality of hexagonal-shaped voids. 
     
     
         12 . The putter-type golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein a maximum length measured in a heel-to-toe direction of each hexagonal-shaped void decreases away from the striking surface imaginary axis. 
     
     
         13 . The putter-type golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein all average ratio defined as die surface area percentage of the first material land area to die surface area percentage of the hard material land area decreases from the striking surface imaginary vertical axis to a second imaginary vertical axis offset from the striking surface imaginary vertical axis. 
     
     
         14 . The putter-type golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein at the front surface of the insert, the second material surrounds die first material, such that upon impact with a golf ball die first material and the second material are engaged to at least a portion of the golf ball. 
     
     
         15 . The putter putter-type golf club head of  claim 14  wherein the first material has a hardness between Shore 30 A and Shore 95 A. 
     
     
         16 . The putter-type golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the first material fills a volume for each hexagonal-shaped void between 0.0013 cc (0.0000803 1113) and 0.066 cc (0.004 ini). 
     
     
         17 . The putter-type golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein the density of the first material and the second material are substantially the same. 
     
     
         18 . The putter-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a maximum length of each discrete pill shaped void measured in a heel-to-toe direction decreases from the striking surface imaginary vertical axis to at least one of the heel portion or the toe portion and wherein the length is between 0.76 mm (0.03 inches) and 10.2 mm (0.4 inches). 
     
     
         19 . The putter-type golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the putter-type golf club head has a loft angle less than 5 degrees. 
     
     
         20 . The putter-type golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the putter insert thickness is substantially constant across die entire insert.