Golf club head

Abstract

An iron-type golf club head that comprises a heel portion, a toe portion, a sole portion, a top portion, a front portion comprising a strike face and a front interior surface opposite the strike face, and a rear portion. The golf club head also comprises a discrete deflection impeding surface spaced apart from the front interior surface such that a gap, perpendicular to the strike face, is defined between the front interior surface and the discrete deflection impeding surface. The gap is between, and inclusive of, 75% and 125% of a minimum face thickness of the front portion.

1 . An iron-type golf club head, comprising:
 a heel portion;   a toe portion;   a sole portion;   a top portion;   a front portion comprising a strike face and a front interior surface opposite the strike face;   a rear portion; and   a discrete deflection impeding surface formed in or attached to the rear portion and spaced apart from the front interior surface such that a gap, perpendicular to the strike face, is defined between the front interior surface and the discrete deflection impeding surface,   wherein the gap is between, and inclusive of, 75% and 125% of a minimum face thickness of the front portion.   
     
     
         2 - 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein a total area of the discrete deflection impeding surface is between, and inclusive of, 1% and 25% of a total area of the front interior surface. 
     
     
         9 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 8 , wherein the total area of the discrete deflection impeding surface is between, and inclusive of, 1% and 5% of the total area of the front interior surface. 
     
     
         10 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 8 , wherein the total area of the discrete deflection impeding surface is between, and inclusive of, 6% and 10% of the total area of the front interior surface. 
     
     
         11 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 the front interior surface of the front portion further comprises a discrete protrusion protruding rearwardly from an immediately adjacent portion of the front interior surface;   the discrete protrusion protrudes from the immediately adjacent portion a distance that is between, and inclusive of, 5% and 30% of the minimum face thickness.   
     
     
         15 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 8 , wherein a ratio of a size of the gap to a maximum height of the strike face is at most 0.05 and at least 0.02. 
     
     
         22 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 21 , wherein:
 the rear portion further comprises a rear opening and a badge at least partially covering the rear opening.   
     
     
         28 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 21 , wherein the rear portion comprises a rear wall and the discrete deflection impeding surface forms a one-piece monolithic seamless construction with the rear wall. 
     
     
         32 - 44 . (canceled) 
     
     
         45 . An iron-type golf club head, comprising:
 a heel portion;   a toe portion;   a sole portion;   a top portion;   a front portion comprising a strike face, made of a first material having a first modulus of elasticity, and a front interior surface opposite the strike face;   a rear portion comprising a rear wall that defines a rear interior surface; and   a damper assembly comprising:
 an internal damper made of a second material having a second modulus of elasticity that is less than the first modulus of elasticity; and 
 a backstop at least partially embedded in the second material of the internal damper made of a third material having a third modulus of elasticity less than the first modulus of elasticity, wherein the backstop comprises a discrete deflection impeding surface and a rear engagement surface; 
   wherein:
 the damper assembly is located between the rear interior surface of the rear wall and the front interior surface of the front portion such that the internal damper is wedged between the rear interior surface and the front interior surface, the rear engagement surface engages the rear interior surface, and the discrete deflection impeding surface is spaced apart from the front interior surface such that a gap, perpendicular to the strike face, is defined between the front interior surface and the discrete deflection impeding surface; and 
 the gap is between, and inclusive of, 75% and 125% of a minimum face thickness of the front portion. 
   
     
     
         46 - 48 . (canceled) 
     
     
         49 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 45 , wherein a ratio of a size of the gap to a maximum height of the strike face is at most 0.05 and at least 0.02. 
     
     
         50 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 45 , wherein a ratio of the first modulus of elasticity to the third modulus of elasticity is between, and inclusive of, 0.004 and 6.2. 
     
     
         51 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 50 , wherein a ratio of the second modulus of elasticity to the third modulus of elasticity is between, and inclusive of, 0.000000625 and 0.070. 
     
     
         52 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 45 , wherein:
 the backstop further comprises a base plate, a first protrusion protruding from the base plate in a first direction, and a second protrusion protruding from the base plate in a second direction, opposite the first direction; and   the discrete deflection impeding surface is defined by a distal end of the first protrusion; and   the rear engagement surface is defined by a distal end of the second protrusion.   
     
     
         53 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 52 , wherein:
 the base plate comprises an upper section extending upwardly toward the top portion away from the first protrusion and the second protrusion;   the base plate comprises a lower section, extending downwardly toward the sole portion away from the first protrusion and the second protrusion; and   at least a portion of the upper section and the lower section of the base plate is embedded in the second material of the internal damper.   
     
     
         54 - 56 . (canceled) 
     
     
         57 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 45 , wherein:
 the discrete deflection impeding surface and the rear engagement surface are not embedded in the second material; and   the rear engagement surface abuts the rear interior surface.   
     
     
         58 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 45 , wherein:
 the discrete deflection impeding surface and the rear engagement surface are both embedded in the second material; and   the rear engagement surface is spaced apart from the rear interior surface such that a thickness, perpendicular to the rear interior surface, of the second material is between the rear interior surface and the rear engagement surface.   
     
     
         59 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 58 , wherein the gap is greater than the thickness of the second material. 
     
     
         60 . (canceled) 
     
     
         61 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 59 , wherein a ratio of a summation of the gap and the thickness of the second material to the minimum face thickness is between, and inclusive of, 0.49 and 1.48. 
     
     
         62 - 67 . (canceled) 
     
     
         68 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 45 , wherein:
 a hardness of the third material is greater than hardness of the second material; and   the hardness of the third material is less than the hardness of the first material.   
     
     
         69 . The iron-type golf club head according to  claim 68 , wherein:
 the hardness of the second material is less than 5 Shore D; and   the hardness of the third material is greater than 40 Shore D.   
     
     
         70 - 72 . (canceled)