Golf club head with power shaft and method of making

An enlarged golf club head constructed of lightweight material, comprising:

• a golf club head including a body having a ball striking face wall, a rearwardly extending top wall and a hosel in the body, said body having a volume of at least about 240 cc. constructed of lightweight material with a modulus of elasticity less than steel alloys, and means to increase the modulus of elasticity of the face wall during assembly to a fixed non-adjustable after assembly value at least approximating that of steel alloys without increasing club head weight, including a power shaft in the body integral with the face wall and having a sufficient preload on the face wall to achieve the above values, said body being formed by a forward portion including the face wall and a portion of the top wall, and a rear portion including a portion of the top wall, said forward portion and rear portion being joined together by welding, said power shaft being constructed of a piece separate from the forward portion and rear portion and clamshelled in between during assembly.

An enlarged golf club head constructed of lightweight material, comprising:

• a golf club head including a body having a ball striking wall, a rearwardly extending top wall and a hosel in the body, said body having a volume of at least about 240 cc. constructed of lightweight material with a modulus of elasticity less than steel alloys, and means to reduce the rebound time of the face wall to a value to begin rebound before the ball exits the club head face wall including a power shaft in the body integral with the face and having a sufficient preload on the face wall to reduce the rebound time of the face wall to said value, said face wall having a tapered socket integral therewith, said power shaft having a complementary taper engaging the tapered socket and pressed therein sufficiently to achieve the preload value.

An enlarged golf club head constructed of lightweight material, comprising:

• a golf club head including a body having a ball striking wall, a rearwardly extending top wall and a hosel in the body, said body having a volume of at least about 240 cc. constructed of lightweight material with a modulus of elasticity less than steel alloys, and means to reduce the rebound time of the face wall during assembly to a value to begin rebound before the ball exits the club head face wall including a power shaft in the body integral with the face and having a sufficient preload on the face wall to reduce the rebound time of the face wall to said value which is fixed and nonadjustable after assembly, said body being formed by a forward portion including the face wall and a portion of the top wall, and a rear portion including a portion of the top wall, said forward portion and rear portion being joined together by welding, said power tube being constructed of a piece separate from the forward portion and rear portion and clamshelled in between during assembly.

A single line of golf clubs including a plurality of clubs including at least one high swing speed club and at least one low swing speed club each with a club head of the same size and outer shape and a shaft with each club in the line specific to a golfer with a specific swing speed range, comprising:

• a plurality of club heads having the same size and outer shape having a shaft, each of the club heads including a body having a face wall and a rearwardly extending top wall and a hosel in the body, each of the club heads having one of a plurality of power shafts therein integral with the face wall, and means for changing the modulus of elasticity of the face wall from one club in the line to another club in the line including means to preload the power shaft against the face wall, and means to provide a high swing speed club in the line including one of the club heads having a predetermined fixed non-adjustable after assembly high preload with the same size and outer shape and means to provide a low swing speed club in the line including one of the club heads having a predetermined fixed non-adjustable after assembly lower preload with the same size and outer shape.

A single line of golf clubs including a plurality of clubs each with a club head of the same size and outer shape and a shaft with each club in the line specific to a golfer with a specific swing speed range, comprising:

• a plurality of club heads having the same size and outer shape having a shaft, each of the club heads including a body having a face wall and a rearwardly extending top wall and a hosel in the body, each of the club heads having one of a plurality of power shafts therein integral with the face wall, and means to increase the modulus of elasticity of the face wall including means to preload the power shaft against the face wall, and means to provide a high swing speed club in the line including one of the club heads having a predetermined fixed high preload with the same size and outer shape and means to provide a low swing speed club in the line including one of the club heads having a predetermined fixed lower preload with the same size and outer shape, said face wall having a tapered socket integral therewith, said power shaft having a complementary taper engaging the tapered socket and pressed therein sufficiently to achieve the preload value.

A golf club head, comprising:

• a body having a face wall and a top wall, a hosel in the body, a power shaft for rigidifying the face wall including a press-fit connection between the power shaft and the face wall to eliminate the need for welding the power shaft to the face wall, said body being formed in a forward portion and rear portion and the power shaft is clamshelled in between, said power shaft being formed separately from the forward and rear portions and thereafter assembled thereto, said press-fit connection including a tapered socket integral with the face wall and a tapered end on the power shaft engaging the tapered socket.

A golf club head with a rigidified forward face wall, comprising:

• a club head body having a forward portion and separately made mating rear portion, said forward portion including a face wall and a portion of a top wall extending rearwardly from the face wall, a power shaft in the body clamshelled between the forward portion and the rear portion and having a forward end engaging the face wall, and means to preload the power shaft in the body including means for attaching the forward portion to the rear portion to achieve the preload.

A golf club head with a rigidified forward face wall, comprising:

• a club head body having a forward portion and a separately made mating rear portion, said forward portion including a face wall and a portion of a top wall extending rearwardly from the face wall, a power shaft in the body clamshelled between the forward portion and the rear portion and having a forward end engaging the face wall, means to preload the power shaft in the body including means for attaching the forward portion to the rear portion to achieve the preload, and means to clamshell the power shaft in the body including the same means for attaching the forward portion to the rear portion.

A method of manufacturing a golf club head, including the steps of forming a club head forward portion including a face wall and a portion of a top wall, forming a club head rear portion with a portion of a top wall complementing the top wall portion on the forward portion, forming a power shaft, placing the power shaft between the forward portion and the rear portion, and attaching the forward portion to the rear portion and including the step of prior to attaching the forward portion to the rear portion, applying oppositely directed forces against the forward portion and rear portion to preload the power shaft, and thereafter while the preload remains in the power shaft, attaching the forward portion to the rear portion to maintain a substantial portion of the preload on the power shaft after said attachment.

A method of manufacturing a golf club head, including the steps of forming a club head forward portion including a face wall and a portion of a top wall, forming a club head rear portion with a portion of a top wall complementing the top wall portion on the forward portion, forming a power shaft, placing the power shaft between the forward portion and the rear portion, and attaching the forward portion to the rear portion, the step of forming the forward portion including forming a tapered socket on the rear of the face wall, said step of forming the power shaft includes forming the power shaft with a taper on the forward end thereof, said step of placing the power shaft between the forward portion and the rear portion includes inserting the tapered end of the power shaft tightly in the face wall socket.

A method of manufacturing a metal golf club head, including the steps of forming a golf club head forward portion constructed of a metallic alloy having a face wall and a portion of a top wall, forming a club head rear portion constructed of a metallic alloy including a portion of the top wall complementary to the top wall portion on the front portion, forming a power shaft, positioning the power shaft between the forward portion and the rear portion, clamping the forward portion to the rear portion, and welding the forward portion to the rear portion while clamped, including the step of prior to attaching the forward portion to the rear portion, applying oppositely directed forces against the forward portion and rear portion to preload the power shaft, and thereafter while the preload remains in the power shaft, attaching the forward portion to the rear portion to maintain a substantial portion of the preload on the power shaft after said attachment.

A method of manufacturing a metal golf club head, including the steps of forming a golf club head forward portion constructed of a metallic alloy having a face wall and a portion of a top wall, forming a club head rear portion constructed of a metallic alloy including a portion of the top wall complementary to the top wall portion on the front portion, forming a power shaft, positioning the power shaft between the forward portion and the rear portion, clamping the forward portion to the rear portion, and welding the forward portion to the rear portion while clamped, the step of forming the forward portion including forming a tapered socket on the rear of the face wall, said step of forming the power shaft includes forming the power shaft with a taper on the forward end thereof, said step of placing the power shaft between the forward portion and the rear portion includes inserting the tapered end of the power shaft tightly in the face wall socket.

A method of manufacturing a metallic golf club head, including the steps of:

• forming a club head forward portion constructed of a metal alloy and having a face wall, and a top wall portion, forming a club head rear portion of a similar metal alloy having a top wall portion complementary to the top wall portion on the forward portion, forming a power shaft either separately from or with one of the forward and rear portions, positioning the power shaft between the forward portion and rear portion, clamping the forward and rear portions toward one another, increasing the clamping force on the forward and rear portions to a predetermined value to preload the power shaft, welding the forward portion to the rear portion, and allowing the weld to cool sufficiently while maintaining the clamping force to maintain a substantial portion of the preload in the power shaft.

A club head with a preloaded power shaft, comprising:

• a club head body including a face wall, a toe wall, a heel wall and a top wall with a hosel extending in the body, said body having a forward portion and a rear portion defined by the walls and a hollow interior, a power shaft in the hollow interior between the forward portion and the rear portion, and means to resist the forces in the walls caused by the power shaft including a plurality of ribs on the face wall, and a plurality of ribs collectively on one or more of the toe wall, the heel wall, and top wall integral with the ribs on the face wall and extending rearwardly therefrom.

A golf club head, comprising:

• a club head body including a face wall, a top wall extending rearwardly from an upper portion of the face wall, a sole plate wall extending rearwardly from a lower portion of the face wall, and a hosel in the body, means to increase the rigidity and modulus of elasticity of the face wall including a power shaft extending generally along a target line from a forward portion of the body to a rear portion of the body, and means to enhance the columnar strength of the power shaft including means to integrally join one of the top wall and sole plate wall to the power shaft at points on the power shaft between the points when the power shaft is joined to the forward and rear portions of the club head body.