# US 8,771,097 B2 · Golf club with trough in sole > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,771,097 B2 - Document ID: US8771097B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/709,604 - Filed: 2012-12-10 - Published: 2013-04-18 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2009-09-30 - Assignees: Cobra Golf Incorporated - Applicants: Cobra Golf Incorporated - Inventors: Thomas Orrin Bennett; Thomas C. Morris; Thomas W. Preece; Douglas E. Roberts - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8771097B2 ## CPC - A63B 53/02: Joint structures between the head and the shaft - A63B 53/06: adjustable - A63B 53/0466: {wood-type} - A63B 60/52: with slits - A63B 53/025: {lie angle only, i.e. relative angular adjustment between the shaft and the club head about an axis parallel to the intended line of play when the club is in its normal address position} - A63B 53/0408: {characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness} - A63B 53/0412: {Volume} - A63B 53/0433: {with special sole configurations} - A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H) ## Abstract A golf club with a plurality of protrusions separated by a trough and capable of improving turf interaction for various turf conditions with various turf undulations is disclosed herein. More specifically, the present invention discloses a metal wood type golf club having a plurality of protrusions separated by a trough on its sole that is capable of changing the lie angle of the metal wood type golf club head by varying the combination of protrusions that come into contact with the ground to provide improved turf interaction for various types of lies. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A golf club head comprising: an adjustable hosel; a striking face for striking a golf ball; a crown extending rearwardly from an upper portion of the striking face; and a sole extending rearwardly from a lower portion of the striking face, the sole comprising at least two protrusions running from a face side of the sole to a rear side of the sole and separated by a trough, wherein the trough is wider at the face side of the sole than at the rear side of the sole. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the protrusions comprise edges that run substantially straight from the face side of the sole to the rear side of the sole. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a face angle of the club head can be adjusted with the adjustable hosel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a lie angle of the club head can be adjusted with the adjustable hosel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the lower portion of the striking face comprises a bottom edge, and the bottom edge is above a flat surface when the golf club head is sitting in a neutral position on the flat surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head comprises a loft angle ranging from about 9 degrees to about 28 degrees. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a mass ranging from about 175 grams to about 260 grams. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the protrusions decrease the surface area of the sole that comes into contact with the ground when the golf ball is struck. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the volume of the head is less than 300 cc. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said sole comprises a plurality of protrusions separated by a plurality of troughs. ### Claim 11 A golf club head comprising: an adjustable hosel; a striking face for striking a golf ball; a crown extending rearwardly from an upper portion of the striking face; and a sole extending rearwardly from a lower portion of the striking face, the sole comprising at least two protrusions running from a face side of the sole to a rear side of the sole and separated by a trough, wherein a loft angle of the club head can be adjusted with the adjustable hosel. ### Claim 12 A golf club head comprising: an adjustable hosel; a striking face for striking a golf ball; a crown extending rearwardly from an upper portion of the striking face; and a sole extending rearwardly from a lower portion of the striking face, the sole comprising at least two protrusions running from a face side of the sole to a rear side of the sole and separated by a trough, wherein the golf club head comprises a face angle ranging from about 15 degrees to about 25 degrees open. ### Claim 13 A golf club head comprising: an adjustable hosel; a striking face for striking a golf ball; a crown extending rearwardly from an upper portion of the striking face; and a sole extending rearwardly from a lower portion of the striking face, the sole comprising at least two protrusions running from a face side of the sole to a rear side of the sole and separated by a trough, wherein the golf club head has a face angle to lie angle adjustment ratio of between about 0.5 to about 1.0, wherein the face angle to lie adjustment ratio is defined as a face angle change divided by a lie angle change.