Games using tangible projectile – Golf – Club or club support
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-20
2003-04-29
Blau, Stephen (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Golf
Club or club support
C473S342000, C473S350000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06554719
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to golf. More particularly, the present invention relates to a set of iron-type golf clubs.
2. Description of the Related Art and Summary of the Invention
A typical set of golf clubs includes a set of wood-type clubs for hitting the ball off the tee and for long shots, a set of iron-type clubs for long, medium, and short shots, and a putter to roll the ball on the green. Of all the clubs in a set, the iron-type clubs, or “irons,” typically encounter the most variations in shot distances and the most variations in ground, obstacle and lie conditions.
The irons are numbered with designations from 1 through 9 and with individual wedge designations. For example, the iron which could essentially be designated number 10 is designated PW (pitching wedge). Additional wedges are often provided to provide even greater loft to the ball than a pitching wedge. Within a set, the higher the number designation, the greater the loft of the club. The lower numbered or long irons hit the ball the longest distance and are the most difficult to play, as it is relatively hard for the average golfer to get the ball airborne with the long irons. Golf club manufacturers thus try to design long irons that are easier to hit and more forgiving of off-centered shots. The medium numbered irons hit the ball a medium distance. The medium irons are typically designed to be both easy to hit and accurate. The shortest irons hit the ball the shortest distance and are used to land the ball closer to the target. As the location where the ball lands on the green is critical, more controllability and precision over the ball is required for the short irons. For the average golfer it is much easier to get the ball airborne with the short irons than with the long irons.
Unlike woods and putters, golfers typically purchase the irons as a correlated set which includes a large range of clubs. The clubs in such a set are designed to work together to reliably provide a golfer with predictable and progressive increments in shot distance from the lower numbered clubs to the higher numbered clubs. For example, a certain golfer may hit the ball 150 yards using the 7 iron, 160 yard using the 6 iron, 170 yards using the 5 iron, and so on. Thus, a golfer playing with a correlated set of irons may choose with confidence the iron that is most suited for the particular shot type and shot distance being encountered. This is not necessarily true with a random collection of irons where the incremental difference in shot distance between the clubs may not be coordinated.
Additionally, each of the clubs in a correlated set typically share a consistent look, such as consistent markings, color combinations, or the type of polishing or texture of the club head and shaft. Although the common features do not necessarily affect the playability of the clubs, golfers generally feel most comfortable when playing with a correlated set of irons, rather than with a group of irons that was randomly collected. A correlated set of irons thus contributes to the important mental aspects of a golfer's game by increasing the golfer's confidence when hitting the ball.
Golf club manufacturers progressively vary certain standard structural features of the irons in a correlated set to achieve the difference in ball distance from the lower numbered to the higher numbered clubs. For example, the loft angle of the clubs, which is the angle between a vertical plane passing through the shaft axis and a plane passing through the strike surface of the club head, progressively increases moving from the long irons to the short irons. The greater loft angle in the short irons gives these irons an increased tendency to lift the ball upon impact so that the ball travels a shorter distance. Another standard structural feature that is varied is the length of the club shaft, which decreases moving from the long clubs to the short clubs. The lie angles of the irons are also varied to accommodate the different lengths of shafts throughout the complete set of iron clubs.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,480,145, 5,665,009, and 5,388,826 to Sherwood disclose a correlated set of golf clubs having features that vary progressively from the lower numbered clubs to the higher numbered clubs. For example, the long irons have a larger planar strike area than the shorter irons to increase the size of the sweet spot for the long irons. These patents also disclose that the size of the rear cavity on the irons may decrease as the club shaft becomes shorter.
While manufacturers have varied the aforementioned features throughout the clubs in a single set of irons, there are also certain fundamental or basic design characteristics that have conventionally remained constant or homogeneous throughout all of the clubs in a coordinated, conventional set of irons. For example, one correlated set of irons may have a “cavity back” design wherein all of the clubs in the set have a cavity on the rear face of the club head. The cavity promotes a peripheral distribution of mass to increase the size of the sweet spot of the club and thereby makes the club easier to hit. Another correlated set of irons may have a “blade” design wherein all of the club heads generally are in the shape of a flattened blade. The blade design concentrates more mass directly behind the ball for a more solid and more controllable shot than the cavity-back irons. Specifically, a blade design provides the golfer with greater feedback to enable the golfer to more precisely alter a stroke to achieve the desired results. Thus, the cavity-back type of irons generally provide a more forgiving, although less controllable, shot than blade-type irons.
Yet another basic design characteristic that typically remains constant throughout all of the clubs in a coordinated, conventional set of irons is the material that is used to manufacture the club heads. For example, one correlated set of irons may comprise heads manufactured of titanium, which is a strong, lightweight material. Unfortunately, a set of titanium clubs is extremely expensive because of the high cost of titanium. Another correlated set of iron clubs may have heads that are manufactured of steel. A set of steel clubs is less expensive than titanium clubs.
Unfortunately, the performance of the specific clubs in a set may be adversely affected if all of the clubs include the same basic design characteristics. For example, the increased precision of the blade design may not be optimal for the long irons, where the emphasis should be toward enhancing the playability of the clubs by making it easier to get the ball airborne. Likewise, the cavity-back design is not necessarily suited for the shortest irons, which should emphasize feel and feedback and, therefore, controllability of the ball.
Additionally, the material used to manufacture the club head should not necessarily be consistent throughout all of the clubs in a correlated set. The use of light-weight titanium is highly suited for the longer irons, where the weight savings allows the club head to be made larger to increase the size of the sweet spot. However, using titanium may be inefficient and unnecessarily costly for the shorter irons, where controllability of the ball, rather than weight savings, is emphasized.
The design characteristics of the clubs should be specifically directed toward improving the specific playing needs of each of the clubs or groups of clubs in the set. For example, the properties of easy playability and forgiveness should be promoted for the long irons. The property of controllability of the shot should be promoted for the short irons. The middle irons should preferably be designed to compromise between playability and precision. These objectives are not necessarily accomplished if the clubs in a correlated set are united by a single, basic design characteristic.
There is therefore a need for a correlated set of golf clubs wherein each club or a group of clubs in the set utilizes technology that is specifically designed
Peters Michael R.
Rugge Richard L.
Wahl Bret
Blau Stephen
Knobbe Martens & Olson Bear LLP.
Taylor Made Golf Company Inc.
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