# US 11,907,923 B2 · Golf club head and method of manufacture > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,907,923 B2 - Document ID: US11907923B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/516,083 - Filed: 2021-11-01 - Published: 2022-02-24 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2016-12-31 - Assignees: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc. - Applicants: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc. - Inventors: D. Clayton Long; Peter Barker - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11907923B2 ## CPC - G06Q 20/18: involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals - A63B 53/04: Heads - A63B 53/047: {iron-type} - A63B 53/0475: {with one or more enclosed cavities} - A63B 60/00: Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like - A63B 60/42: Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand - A63B 71/0619: {Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills} - G01B 5/0023: {Measuring of sport goods, e.g. bowling accessories, golfclubs, game balls} - G06Q 20/00: Payment architectures, schemes or protocols (apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12) - A63B 53/005: {Club sets} - A63B 53/0408: {characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness} - A63B 53/0433: {with special sole configurations} - A63B 53/0437: {with special crown configurations} - A63B 53/0445: {Details of grooves or the like on the impact surface} - A63B 2053/0491: {with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable} - A63B 2102/32: Golf - A63B 2225/20: with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H) - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS ## Abstract An iron-type golf club having selectively machined portions and attributes, including a machined sole portion and/or a machined leading edge portion. The machined portion(s) include continuous machining scallop lines having a scallop height and a step-over distance. The scallop height is 10-75% of a finished leading edge radius at a vertical midpoint demarcation plane, and the step-over distance is less than 150% of the finished leading edge radius at the vertical midpoint demarcation plane. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An iron-type golf club, comprising: a body including a hosel, a heel portion, a sole portion having a sole length, a toe portion, a top-line portion, a face portion having a loft angle of 17-60 degrees, and a leading edge joining the face portion and the sole portion and having a finished leading edge radius, wherein the sole portion extends rearwardly from the leading edge; the sole portion having a machined sole portion area of at least 900 mm2; the leading edge having a machined leading edge portion area of at least 50 mm2, wherein the machined leading edge portion area extends throughout at least 25% of the sole length and contacts a vertical midpoint demarcation plane; the face portion having a machined face portion area of at least 1800 mm2; wherein the machined leading edge portion area is adjacent the machined sole portion area and has a plurality of continuous machining scallop lines extending from the machined sole portion area to the machined leading edge portion area; wherein the plurality of continuous machining scallop lines have a scallop height and a step-over distance between adjacent continuous machining scallop lines; and wherein the scallop height is 10-75% of the finished leading edge radius at the vertical midpoint demarcation plane, and the step-over distance is less than 150% of the finished leading edge radius at the vertical midpoint demarcation plane. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The iron-type golf club of claim 1, wherein the plurality of continuous machining scallop lines have a machine tool path defining a vertical tool path plane within a path angle from a vertical front-to-rear plane that is perpendicular to a vertical shaft axis plane, and the path angle is no more than 35 degrees. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The iron-type golf club of claim 2, wherein the machined leading edge portion area extends throughout at least 50% of the sole length, the scallop height is less than 70% of the finished leading edge radius at the vertical midpoint demarcation plane, and the step-over distance is less than the finished leading edge radius at the vertical midpoint demarcation plane. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The iron-type golf club of claim 3, wherein the path angle is no more than 25 degrees. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The iron-type golf club of claim 3, wherein the machined leading edge portion area extends throughout at least 75% of the sole length, the scallop height is less than 50% of the finished leading edge radius at the vertical midpoint demarcation plane, and the step-over distance is less than 75% of the finished leading edge radius at the vertical midpoint demarcation plane. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The iron-type golf club of claim 5, wherein the finished leading edge radius at the vertical midpoint demarcation plane is different than a finished leading edge radius at another point within the machined leading edge portion area. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The iron-type golf club of claim 6, wherein the finished leading edge radius at the vertical midpoint demarcation plane is at least 10% greater than the finished leading edge radius at another point within the machined leading edge portion area. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The iron-type golf club of claim 5, wherein the path angle is no more than 15 degrees. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The iron-type golf club of claim 5, wherein the scallop height is less than 35% of the finished leading edge radius at the vertical midpoint demarcation plane, the finished leading edge radius at the vertical midpoint demarcation plane is 1.0-4.0 mm, and the machined leading edge portion area is at least 75 mm2. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The iron-type golf club of claim 2, wherein the scallop height is less than 0.50 mm and the step-over distance is no more than 1.5 mm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The iron-type golf club of claim 2, wherein the machine tool path varies along the machined leading edge portion area. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The iron-type golf club of claim 2, wherein the sole portion has a sole portion void having a void length that is at least 50% of the sole length. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The iron-type golf club of claim 12, wherein the sole portion void is at least partially filled with a void insert. ### Claim 14 An iron-type golf club, comprising: a body including a hosel, a heel portion, a sole portion having a sole length, a toe portion, a top-line portion, a face portion having a loft angle of 17-60 degrees, and a leading edge joining the face portion and the sole portion and having a finished leading edge radius, wherein the sole portion extends rearwardly from the leading edge; the sole portion having a machined sole portion area of at least 900 mm2; the face portion having a machined face portion area of at least 1800 mm2; wherein the machined sole portion area has a plurality of continuous machining scallop lines extending from a rear of the sole portion toward the face portion and having a scallop height and a step-over distance between adjacent continuous machining scallop lines; wherein the scallop height is 10-75% of the finished leading edge radius at the vertical midpoint demarcation plane, and the step-over distance is less than 150% of the finished leading edge radius at the vertical midpoint demarcation plane; wherein the plurality of continuous machining scallop lines have a machine tool path defining a vertical tool path plane within a path angle from a vertical front-to-rear plane that is perpendicular to a vertical shaft axis plane, and the path angle is no more than 35 degrees; and wherein the machined sole portion area extends throughout at least 50% of the sole length. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The iron-type golf club of claim 14, wherein, the scallop height is less than 70% of the finished leading edge radius at the vertical midpoint demarcation plane, and the step-over distance is less than the finished leading edge radius at the vertical midpoint demarcation plane. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The iron-type golf club of claim 15, wherein the path angle is no more than 25 degrees, the machined sole portion area extends throughout at least 75% of the sole length, the scallop height is less than 50% of the finished leading edge radius at the vertical midpoint demarcation plane, and the step-over distance is less than 75% of the finished leading edge radius at the vertical midpoint demarcation plane. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The iron-type golf club of claim 16, wherein the finished leading edge radius at the vertical midpoint demarcation plane is at least 10% greater than a finished leading edge radius at another point within the machined sole portion area. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The iron-type golf club of claim 16, wherein the scallop height is less than 35% of the finished leading edge radius at the vertical midpoint demarcation plane, the finished leading edge radius at the vertical midpoint demarcation plane is 1.0-4.0 mm, and a machined leading edge portion area is at least 75 mm2. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The iron-type golf club of claim 14, wherein the scallop height is less than 0.50 mm and the step-over distance is no more than 1.5 mm. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The iron-type golf club of claim 14, wherein the machine tool path varies along the machined sole portion area.