# US 10,500,459 B2 · Club head with sole mass element and related method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,500,459 B2 - Document ID: US10500459B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/792,598 - Filed: 2017-10-24 - Published: 2018-02-15 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-03-04 - Assignees: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation - Applicants: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation - Inventors: Ryan M. Stokke - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10500459B2 ## CPC - A63B 60/00: Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like - A63B 60/02: Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass (A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence) - A63B 53/0466: {wood-type} - A63B 53/06: adjustable - A63B 53/0408: {characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness} - A63B 53/0412: {Volume} - A63B 53/0433: {with special sole configurations} - A63B 2053/0491: {with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable} - Y10T 29/49826: Assembling or joining - A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Some embodiments include a club head with sole mass element. Other embodiments of related club heads and methods are also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A golf club head comprising: a club head body comprising a sole surface; and a sole mass element configured to be coupled to the club head body; wherein: the golf club head comprises a club head center of gravity (CG); the golf club head comprises at least one keel point; the sole mass element is configured as a plate; the club head CG comprises a club head CG height, the club head CG height being a distance that is parallel to a top-bottom axis of the golf club head between the club head CG and the at least one keel point; the golf club head comprises a leading edge, wherein the leading edge comprises at least one leading edge point; the club head CG comprises a club head CG depth, the club head CG depth being a distance that is parallel to a face-rear axis of the golf club head between the club head CG and each of the at least one leading edge point; the club head CG depth is greater than or equal to approximately 3.431 centimeters; when the sole mass element is coupled to the club head body, the sole mass element comprises an exposed surface; the exposed surface of the sole mass element comprises a surface area; the sole surface comprises a sole mass element cavity configured to receive the sole mass element; the sole mass element is configured to be coupled to the club head body at the sole mass element cavity; the sole mass element cavity comprises a thickness greater than or equal to approximately 0.076 centimeters; the sole mass element comprises at least one highest element point; and the club head body comprises a face surface, and the face surface comprises a face surface area less than or equal to approximately 30 square centimeters; or the golf club head comprises a volume less than or equal to approximately 300 cubic centimeters. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The golf club head of claim 1 wherein: the club head CG depth is greater than or equal to approximately 4.064 centimeters. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The golf club head of claim 1 wherein: the club head CG depth is greater than or equal to approximately 3.431 centimeters, and less than or equal to approximately 4.064 centimeters. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The golf club head of claim 1 wherein: the club head body comprises a sole surface; and at least one of: (a) the sole surface comprises a sole mass element cavity configured to receive the sole mass element, and the sole mass element is configured to be coupled to the club head body at the sole mass element cavity; or (b) when the sole mass element is coupled to the club head body, the sole surface comprises the sole mass element. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The golf club head of claim 1 wherein at least one of: the sole mass element is configured to be removably coupled to the club head body; or the sole mass element is configured to be mechanically coupled to the club head body. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The golf club head of claim 1 wherein: the sole mass element comprises a sole mass element material; and at least one of: the sole mass element material comprises a specific gravity greater than or equal to approximately 16; or the sole mass element material comprises a metal injection molded material. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The golf club head of claim 1 wherein: the sole mass element comprises at least one sole mass element thickness; the at least one sole mass element thickness comprises a maximum thickness; and at least one of: the maximum thickness is less than or equal to approximately 0.4 centimeters; or the at least one sole mass element thickness is one substantially constant thickness, the one substantially constant thickness being the maximum thickness. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The golf club head of claim 1 wherein: the sole mass element comprises a sole mass element mass; the golf club head comprises a golf club head mass, the golf club head mass comprising the sole mass element mass; and the sole mass element accounts for greater than or equal to approximately 20% of the golf club head mass. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The golf club head of claim 7 wherein: the sole mass element accounts for greater than or equal to approximately 20% of the golf club head mass and less than or equal to approximately 35% of the golf club head mass. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The golf club head of claim 1 wherein: the surface area of the exposed surface of the sole mass element is greater than or equal to approximately 15 square centimeters. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The golf club head of claim 1 wherein: the sole mass element comprises at least one foremost element point; the golf club head comprises a sole mass element depth when the sole mass element is coupled to the club head body, the sole mass element depth being a second distance that is parallel to a face-rear axis of the golf club head between the at least one leading edge point and the at least one lead element point; and the sole mass element depth is greater than or equal to approximately 0.947 centimeters, and less than or equal to approximately 1.306 centimeters. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The golf club head of claim 1 wherein: the golf club head comprises a sole mass element height when the sole mass element is coupled to the club head body, the sole mass element height being a second distance that is parallel to the top-bottom axis of the golf club head between the at least one highest element point and the at least one keel point; and the sole mass element height is less than or equal to approximately 1.651 centimeters. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The golf club head of claim 1 wherein: the club head body comprises a face surface; the face surface comprises a face height; and a ratio of the club head CG height to the face height is less than or equal to approximately 0.36. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The golf club head of claim 1 wherein: the golf club head comprises a wood-type golf club head. ### Claim 15 A golf club head comprising: a club head body comprising a sole surface; and a sole mass element configured to be coupled to the club head body; wherein: the golf club head comprises a club head center of gravity (CG); the golf club head comprises at least one keel point; the sole mass element is configured as a plate; the club head CG comprises a club head CG height, the club head CG height being a distance that is parallel to a top-bottom axis of the golf club head between the club head CG and the at least one keel point; the golf club head comprises a leading edge, wherein the leading edge comprises at least one leading edge point; the club head CG comprises a club head CG depth, the club head CG depth being a distance that is parallel to a face-rear axis of the golf club head between the club head CG and each of the at least one leading edge point; the club head CG depth is greater than or equal to approximately 3.431 centimeters; when the sole mass element is coupled to the club head body, the sole mass element comprises an exposed surface; the exposed surface of the sole mass element comprises a surface area; the sole surface comprises a sole mass element cavity configured to receive the sole mass element; the sole mass element is configured to be coupled to the club head body at the sole mass element cavity; the sole mass element is configured to be removably coupled to the club head body; the sole mass element is configured to be mechanically coupled to the club head body; the sole mass element comprises a sole mass element material; at least one of: the sole mass element material comprises a specific gravity greater than or equal to approximately 16; or the sole mass element material comprises a metal injection molded material; the sole mass element comprises at least one highest element point; the sole mass element cavity comprises a thickness greater than or equal to approximately 0.076 centimeters; and the club head body comprises a face surface; the face surface comprises a face height and a ratio of the club head CG height to the face height is less than or equal to approximately 0.36. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The golf club head of claim 15 wherein: the sole mass element comprises at least one sole mass element thickness; the at least one sole mass element thickness comprises a maximum thickness; and at least one of: the maximum thickness is less than or equal to approximately 0.4 centimeters; or the at least one sole mass element thickness is one substantially constant thickness, the one substantially constant thickness being the maximum thickness. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The golf club head of claim 15 wherein: the surface area of the exposed surface of the sole mass element is greater than or equal to approximately 15 square centimeters.