Iron type golf club head

A clubhead for an iron-type golf club, comprising:

• an iron-type body having a heel portion, a toe portion, a top-line portion, a face portion having a variable face thickness varying from a minimum face thickness, of no more than 2.0 mm, to a maximum face thickness, and a sole portion extending rearwardly from a lower end of said face portion, wherein:
• the face portion includes an ideal striking location that defines the origin of a coordinate system in which an x-axis is tangential to the face portion at the ideal striking location and is parallel to a ground plane when the body is in a normal address position, a y-axis extends perpendicular to the x-axis and is also parallel to the ground plane, and a z-axis extends perpendicular to the ground plane, wherein a positive x-axis extends toward the heel portion from the origin, a positive y-axis extends rearwardly from the origin, and a positive z-axis extends upwardly from the origin;
• the face portion defines a striking face plane that intersects the ground plane along a face projection line;
• the body includes a central region which extends along the x-axis from a location greater than about −25 mm to a location less than about 25 mm;
• the sole portion contained within the central region includes a thinned forward sole region located adjacent to the face portion and within a distance of 17 mm measured horizontally in the direction of the y-axis from the face projection line, and a thickened rearward sole region located behind the thinned forward sole region, with the thinned forward sole region defining a wall having a minimum forward sole thickness TFS and the thickened rearward sole region having a maximum sole bar thickness TSB;
• at least one vertical section within the central region and parallel to the y-axis has (a) the minimum forward sole thickness TFS no more than 2.5 mm and less than the maximum face thickness, (b) the maximum sole bar thickness TSB at least 7.0 mm, and (c) a ratio of the minimum forward sole thickness TFS to the maximum sole bar thickness TSB is 0.04-0.35;
• the thickened rearward sole region has an overhang member projecting toward the face portion, without touching the face portion, and overhanging a portion of the thinned forward sole region, thereby creating a recess under the overhang member.

A clubhead for an iron-type golf club, comprising:

• an iron-type body having a heel portion, a toe portion, a top-line portion, a face portion having a variable face thickness varying from a minimum face thickness to a maximum face thickness, and a sole portion extending rearwardly from a lower end of said face portion, wherein:
• the face portion includes an ideal striking location that defines the origin of a coordinate system in which an x-axis is tangential to the face portion at the ideal striking location and is parallel to a ground plane when the body is in a normal address position, a y-axis extends perpendicular to the x-axis and is also parallel to the ground plane, and a z-axis extends perpendicular to the ground plane, wherein a positive x-axis extends toward the heel portion from the origin, a positive y-axis extends rearwardly from the origin, and a positive z-axis extends upwardly from the origin;
• the face portion defines a striking face plane that intersects the ground plane along a face projection line;
• the body includes a central region which extends along the x-axis from a location greater than about −25 mm to a location less than about 25 mm;
• the sole portion contained within the central region includes a thinned forward sole region located adjacent to the face portion and within a distance of 17 mm measured horizontally in the direction of the y-axis from the face projection line, and a thickened rearward sole region located behind the thinned forward sole region, with the thinned forward sole region defining a wall having a minimum forward sole thickness TFS and the thickened rearward sole region having a maximum sole bar thickness TSB;
• at least one vertical section within the central region and parallel to the y-axis has (a) the minimum forward sole thickness TFS no more than 3.0 mm and less than the maximum face thickness, (b) the maximum sole bar thickness TSB at least 7.0 mm, and (c) a ratio of the minimum forward sole thickness TFS to the maximum sole bar thickness TSB is 0.04-0.50;
• the thickened rearward sole region has an overhang member projecting toward the face portion, without touching the face portion, and overhanging a portion of the thinned forward sole region.