Golf club head

A golf club head having a discretionary weight budget, comprising:

• a non-load bearing thin-walled skin defining a cavity and having a generally rounded top, a generally curved bottom, a curved toe end, a curved heel end, a tail end and a ball striking face extending between said generally rounded top and said generally curved bottom at an angle with respect to the vertical, wherein said ball striking face is generally flat;
• a load-bearing energy absorbing structure internal to said cavity and extending between said curved toe end, said curved heel end, said tail end, and said ball striking face, wherein said energy absorbing structure absorbs forces encountered by said ball striking face throughout said structure and allows for discretionary distribution of said discretionary weight budget of said golf club head;
• and
• a hosel having a longitudinal axis extending generally upwardly from said heel end of said skin to secure said golf club head to a golf club shaft wherein said energy absorbing structure includes:
• an outer ring having a generally elliptical peripheral shape flattened on one side, wherein said flattened side intersects said ball striking face and is integral thereto;
• at least one longitudinal frame element coupled to said ball striking face perimeter and extending from said ball striking face perimeter to a point on said outer ring which is opposite from said ball striking face;
• and
• at least one latitudinal frame element having a frame element perimeter and a generally elliptical peripheral shape, said generally elliptical peripheral shape defining at least two sides and two ends of said frame element perimeter, wherein each of said ends of said frame element perimeter is affixed to said outer ring at different locations, and wherein each of said sides attaches to at least one curved longitudinal frame element, and wherein said structure is an integral, unitary combination of said outer ring and said longitudinal and said latitudinal frame elements.

A golf club head having a discretionary weight budget, comprising:

• a load bearing energy absorbing means forming a cavity wherein said energy absorbing means comprises a frame element structure extending between a curved toe end, a curved heel end, a tail end, and a ball striking face, and wherein said energy absorbing means allows for discretionary distribution of said discretionary weight budget of said golf club head;
• and
• a thin-walled skin covering formed over the frame element structure, the thin-walled skin covering being substantially non-load bearing, the thin-walled skin covering defining a cavity and having a top, a bottom, a curved toe end, a curved heel end, a tail end and a ball striking face extending between said top and said bottom at an angle with respect to the vertical, and wherein said ball striking face is generally flat wherein said energy absorbing means includes:
• an outer ring having a generally elliptical peripheral shape flattened on one side, wherein said flattened side intersects said ball striking face and is integral thereto;
• at least one longitudinal frame element coupled to said ball striking face perimeter and extending from said ball striking face perimeter to a point on said outer ring which is opposite from said ball striking face;
• and
• at least one latitudinal frame element having a frame element perimeter and a generally elliptical peripheral shape, said generally elliptical peripheral shape defining at least two sides and two ends of said frame element perimeter, wherein each of said ends of said frame element perimeter is affixed to said outer ring at different locations, and wherein each of said sides attaches to at least one curved longitudinal frame element, and wherein said energy absorbing means is an integral, unitary combination of said outer ring and said longitudinal and said latitudinal frame elements.