US 2025/0018257 A1Published application

Golf club head with sole rails

AssigneeSumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.

InventorChristopher Smith

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Abstract

A golf club head comprises a sole portion including a sole base surface, a leading edge having a virtual vertical leading edge plane, a trailing edge having a virtual vertical trailing edge plane, and a sole width defined by a distance between the virtual vertical leading edge plane and the virtual vertical trailing edge plane. The sole portion further includes a first sole rail projecting from the sole base surface, the first sole rail having a first length, a second sole rail projecting from the sole base surface and located toe-ward of the first sole rail, the second sole rail having a second length that is less than 60% of the sole width, and a third sole rail projecting from the sole base surface and located heel-ward of the first sole rail, the third sole rail having a third length that is less than 60% of the sole width.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position relative to a virtual ground plane, comprises:

a striking face having a face center;
a top portion;
and
a sole portion opposite the top portion, the sole portion comprising:
a sole base surface defining a general contour of the sole portion;
a leading edge having a forwardmost point;
a trailing edge having a rearwardmost point;
a sole width being a distance that the rearwardmost point of the trailing edge is spaced rearwardly from the leading edge forwardmost point;
a first sole rail projecting from the sole base surface and generally elongate in a front-to-rear direction, the first sole rail having a first length;
a second sole rail projecting from the sole base surface, located toe-ward of the first sole rail, and generally elongate in the front-to-rear direction, the second sole rail having a second length that is less than 60% of the sole width;
and
a third sole rail projecting from the sole base surface, located heel-ward of the first sole rail, and generally elongate in the front-to-rear direction, the third sole rail having a third length that is less than 60% of the sole width.

9 more elements

A set of golf club heads comprising:

a first golf club head comprising:
a first loft;
a first striking face having a first face center;
a first top portion;
a first sole portion opposite the first top portion, the first sole portion comprising:
a first sole base surface defining a general contour of the first sole portion;
a first sole rail projecting from the first sole base surface, aligned with the first face center in a heel-to-toe direction, and generally elongate in a front-to-rear direction, the first sole rail having a first length and a first maximum height;
a second golf club head comprising:
a second loft that is greater than the first loft;
a second striking face having a second face center;
a second top portion;
a second sole portion opposite the second top portion, the second sole portion comprising:
a second sole base surface defining a general contour of the second sole portion;
a second sole rail projecting from the second sole base surface, aligned with the second face center in a heel-to-toe direction, and generally elongate in a front-to-rear direction, the second sole rail having a second length that is less than the first length and a second maximum height that is less than the first maximum height.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.