US20250018255A1

US20250018255A1 - Golf club head with sole rails

Info

Publication number: US20250018255A1
Application number: US18/771,413
Authority: US
Inventors: Christopher Smith
Original assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd
Priority date: 2023-07-14
Filing date: 2024-07-12
Publication date: 2025-01-16

Abstract

A wood-type golf club head includes a depth in a front to rear direction no less than 80 mm, a striking face including a face center located in a virtual vertical center plane aligned with the face center and extending in the front to rear direction, a rear portion opposite the striking face, a heel portion, a toe portion opposite the heel portion, a crown, and a sole opposite the crown. The sole includes a first rail and a second rail projecting from the sole base surface and having a first length and a second length, respectively, in the front to rear direction that are less than 75% of the front to rear depth of the club head and the first rail and the second rail are entirely spaced in a heel to toe direction more than 15 mm from the virtual vertical center plane.

Description

This application is a non-provisional of Provisional Application No. 63/526,878, filed Jul. 14, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

This disclosure relates generally to the field of golf clubs. More particularly, it relates to a golf club head with at least one sole rail.
Many factors can influence the effectiveness of a golf shot. One of the most important of these factors is the speed at which the club head strikes the golf ball. This club head speed at impact not only substantially dictates how far the golf shot will travel, but its predictability and repeatability are of utmost importance for a golfer to hit a shot at a desired distance. Another factor influencing the effectiveness of the golf shot is the trajectory at which the golf ball leaves the club face following impact. This trajectory has a substantial impact on the ball's distance of travel, ability to clear hazards, and movement once having returned to the ground surface.

SUMMARY

One of the largest influences on the speed at which the club head strikes the golf ball is the effort exerted by the golfer, i.e., how hard the golfer swings. Large influences on the trajectory of the golf ball are the loft angle of the club head itself as well as the angle at which the club head attacks the ball during the swing. But interaction between the club head and the turf can also result in an unanticipated loss of club head speed prior to impact with the golf ball, and it can also result in de-lofting, i.e., flattening, of the club head prior to impact. This may lead to the aforementioned changes in and adverse declines in predictability of shot distance and golf ball trajectory following impact. This is especially true with respect to hybrid or utility-type golf club heads, which are often employed in adverse turf conditions such as the rough, which may offer more resistance to the club head and thereby substantially reduce speed retention, and which club types are generally relied on for longer golf shots than say irons and wedges.
A golf club head has thus been sought that improves club head speed retention throughout the swing and prevents loss of this speed due to turf interaction. This goal may be achieved by one or more aspects of the present disclosure, in which the sole contour of the club head, e.g., its width and leading edge shape, may be designed for this specific purpose by way of optimization through numerous iterations.
A golf club head according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure may thus, when oriented in a reference position, comprise: a striking face; a top portion; and a sole portion opposite the top portion. The sole portion may in turn comprise a leading edge, a trailing edge, at least one sole rail generally elongate in a front-to-rear direction, and a sole contact point located on the at least one sole rail. And in a virtual vertical plane extending in the front-to-rear direction and passing through the sole contact point, the sole portion may include a sole length Ls measured in the front-to-rear direction from the leading edge to the trailing edge, and the sole contact point may be spaced rearwardly from the leading edge by a distance DI no greater than 0.8*Ls.
A golf club head in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure may, when oriented in a reference position, also comprise: a striking face; a top portion; and a sole portion opposite the top portion. The sole portion may in turn comprise a leading edge, a trailing edge, a first sole rail generally elongate in a front-to-rear direction, a second sole rail generally elongate in the front-to-rear direction, and a recess formed between the first sole rail and the second sole rail. The recess may have a step-down portion defined in the front-to-rear direction.
And a golf club head in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure may, when oriented in a reference position, yet further comprise: a striking face; a top portion; and a sole portion opposite the top portion. The sole portion may comprise a leading edge, a trailing edge, at least one sole rail generally elongate in a front-to-rear direction, and a sole contact point located on the at least one sole rail. And in a virtual vertical plane extending in the front-to-rear direction and passing through the sole contact point, the leading edge may include a height H1 of no less than 5 mm; the sole may further comprise a first radius of curvature R1 at a first location spaced rearward from the leading edge by no less than 3 mm and a second radius of curvature R2 at a second location rearward of the first location; and R2 may be no less than 10*R1.
These and other features and advantages of the golf club head according to the various aspects of the present disclosure will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description, drawings, and appended claims. The description and drawings described below are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any manner. It is also to be understood that, for the purposes of this application, any disclosed range encompasses a disclosure of each and every sub-range thereof. For example, the range of 1-5 encompasses a disclosure of at least 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5, 3-4, 3-5, and 4-5. Further, the end points of any disclosed range encompass a disclosure of those exact end points as well as of values at approximately or at about those endpoints.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a top plan view of a golf club head in accordance with one or more exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 2 shows a front side view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 shows a bottom plan view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 4 shows a cross-section view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 5 shows a partial detail of the cross-section view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 6 shows another cross-section view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 7 shows a graph with club head speeds of a golf club head in accordance with one or more exemplary embodiments and a comparative club head.

FIGS. 8A and 8B show dynamic turf movement from interaction with the comparative and exemplary golf club heads, respectively.

FIG. 9 shows a front side view of a golf club head in accordance with one or more exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 10 shows a side view of the golf club head of FIG. 9 .

FIG. 11 shows a bottom plan view of the golf club head of FIG. 9 .

FIG. 12 shows a graph plotting angle of attack for various types of golf clubs.

FIG. 13 shows a cross-section view of the golf club head of FIG. 9 taken along the line XIII-XIII in FIG. 10 .

FIG. 14 shows another cross-section view of the golf club head of FIG. 9 taken along the line XIV-XIV in FIG. 11 .

FIG. 15 shows another bottom plan view of the golf club head of FIG. 9 .

FIG. 16 shows a front side view of a golf club head in accordance with one or more exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 17 shows a toe-side view of the golf club head of FIG. 16 .

FIG. 18 shows a bottom plan view of the golf club head of FIG. 16 .

FIG. 19 shows a front side view of a golf club head in accordance with one or more exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 20 shows a toe-side view of the golf club head of FIG. 19 .

FIG. 21 shows a bottom plan view of the golf club head of FIG. 19 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Shown in FIG. 1 is a golf club head 100 according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. The club head 100 may be a hollow-type club head. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , it may be a hybrid or utility-type club head. The club head 100 may generally be formed from metallic and/or nonmetallic materials, such as any one or a combination of aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, composites, polymeric materials, and any other suitable material.
The club head 100 may include a front portion 110, which has a striking wall including a striking face 112 for contacting a golf ball, and a rear portion 120. The striking face 112 may include a face center 114, which is the point on the striking face 112 that is equidistant from the striking face periphery in both the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction, as set out in the United States Golf Association's Procedure for Measuring the Flexibility of a Golf Club Head (Revision 2.0, Mar. 25, 2005), in which “face center” is described as identifiable using a designated template for such purpose. The club head 100 may further include a toe portion 130, a heel portion 140, a sole portion 150, and a top portion, or crown, 160. The heel portion 140 may include a hosel 142 configured to receive and secure a shaft (not shown) of the golf club. And the club head 100 may include a club head center of gravity at the location 170.
The top portion 160 of the club head 100 may include a raised peripheral portion 162, which may provide additional structural integrity to the club head. This portion 162 may also increase, especially relative to prior club heads, the club head 100's moment of inertia (“MOI”) about a vertical axis passing through the center of gravity 170, i.e., Izz. The top portion 160 may also include a step-down 164 that further lowers the center of gravity 170 and thus locates the sweet spot, which is a normal projection of the center of gravity 170 on the striking face 112, in a location more proximate the intended, e.g., average, impact point of the golf ball and the golf club head 100. A weight pad (not shown) may also be located on the interior of the sole portion 150 to yet further increase the MOI and reduce the height of the center of gravity for similar purposes. And being a utility-type club head, the loft angle, i.e., the angle formed between a virtual vertical hosel plane containing an axis of the hosel 142 and a striking face plane substantially parallel to the striking face 112, of the club head 100 may preferably be no greater than 26°. More preferably, this loft angle may be between 14° and 26°, and even more preferably between 18° and 24°. In embodiments where the striking face includes a bulge and/or roll, the virtual striking face plane may be considered to be a plane tangent to the face center of the striking face.
As perhaps best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the sole portion 150 of the club head 100 may include a plurality of rails 200 that are each preferably elongate in the front-to-rear direction. More specifically, the club head 100 may include a central sole rail 210 laterally centered in the heel-to-toe direction with the face center 114, a toe-side sole rail 220, and a heel-side sole rail 230. A recess 240 in the sole portion 150 may space the central 210 and toe-side sole portions 220 from each other, and a recess 250 in the sole portion 150 may space the central 210 and heel-side sole portions 230 from each other. Each recess 240, 250 may include a bottom surface at least partially circumscribed by a side surface. The recesses 240 and 250 between the guide rails 210, 220, and 230 may channel debris therethrough during a swing, thereby reducing interaction and friction between the club head 100 and the turf and leading to improved speed retention. They may also cause the golfer to perceive the volume of the rails 210, 220, and 230 to be greater, thereby potentially increasing the golfer's confidence in the club head 100 and the shots to be made by it.
FIG. 4 shows a cross-section of the golf club head 100 taken along a virtual vertical plane IV that intersects the face center 114 and thus the central sole rail 210. As shown in this Figure, the sole portion 150 may include a leading edge 152 and a trailing edge 154, which respectively represent the forward-most and rearward-most extents of the sole portion 150. FIG. 4 shows the golf club head 100 in the reference position, which as used herein, refers to an orientation of a club head, e.g., the club head 100, relative to a virtual ground plane 300, in which the club head 100 is permitted to rest on the ground plane such that the sole portion 150 of the club head 100 contacts the ground plane at a sole contact point 158 between the edges 152 and 154, and a hosel axis of the hosel 142 is oriented such that the club head 100 is at its designated loft angle relative to the virtual ground plane 300 and the hosel axis lies at the club head's designated lie angle.
The edges 152 and 154 may define therebetween a sole length 156, which may otherwise be indicated by “Ls.” The sole length 156 may preferably be no less than 35 mm, more preferably no less than 45 mm, and even more preferably, it may be between 45 mm and 65 mm. The setback length 180 of the sole contact point 158 from the leading edge 152 in the front-to-rear direction, otherwise referred to as “DI,” may also be defined. For example, the setback length 180 may preferably be no greater than 0.8*Ls, more preferably no greater than 0.5*Ls, and even more preferably no greater than 0.25*Ls. In terms of absolute value, the setback length 180 may be between 5 mm and 15 mm and even more preferably between 8 mm and 12 mm. And as also shown in FIG. 4 , the leading edge 152 may also define a height 182, or “H1,” and a bounce angle 184. The height 182, which is the distance between the leading edge 152 and the virtual ground plane 300, may preferably be no less than 5 mm, more preferably no less than 6 mm, and even more preferably no less than 7 mm. And the bounce angle, which is the angle between the ground plane 300 and a virtual line extending through the leading edge 152 and the sole contact point 158 may be between 2° and 18° degrees, preferably between 10° and 18°.
FIG. 5 shows yet further detail of the radius of curvature of the sole portion 150 along the virtual vertical plane IV. The radius of curvature of the sole portion 150 changes in the front-to-rear direction of the club head. The “blend” of the various radii of curvature has perhaps the largest impact on the sole's ability to minimize speed loss due to turf interaction. At a forward location no more than 3 mm from the leading edge 152, the radius of curvature 190 of the sole portion 150, or “R1,” may preferably be no greater than 30 mm, more preferably no greater than 20 mm, and even more preferably no greater than 16 mm. Most preferably, the radius of curvature 190 of the sole portion 150 may be between 10 mm and 16 mm. At a more rearward location that is spaced no less than 3 mm rearward of the leading edge, the radius of curvature 192 of the sole portion 150, or “R2,” may preferably be no less than 100 mm, more preferably no less than 200 mm, and even more preferably no less than 250 mm. Preferably, the radius of curvature 192 is greater than ten times the radius of curvature 190, more preferably is greater than 15 times the radius of curvature 190, and most preferably is between 18 and 25 times the radius of curvature 190. Preferably, the radius of curvature of the sole portion 150 may decrease rearward relative to the radius of curvature 192 toward an intermediate minimum radius of curvature 194, or “R3” or “Rmin,” at a point near the sole contact point 158 and closer to the leading edge 152 than the trailing edge 154. In some embodiments, R3 corresponds with the sole contact point of the sole portion. The radius of curvature of the sole portion 150 may then increase toward the trailing edge 154 to a maximum radius of curvature 196, or “R4,” and it may thereafter decrease to a radius of curvature 198, or “RS,” near the trailing edge 154. The radius of curvature of the sole portion 150 may thus vary in a central region of the sole portion 150 delimited by a forward end spaced 3 mm rearward of the leading edge 152 and a rearward end spaced 3 mm forward of the trailing edge 154 such that radius of curvature 194<radius of curvature 192<radius of curvature 196.
Returning to FIG. 3 , the widths 212, 222, and 232 of the central sole rail 212, toe-side sole rail 222, and heel-side sole rail 232 in the heel-to-toe direction may preferably vary in the front-to-rear direction. The width 212 of the central sole rail 210 in particular may preferably taper in the forward direction. It may preferably taper toward a minimum at a location 214 between the leading 152 and trailing 154 edges of the sole portion 150 so that its maximum width is at a location 216 at the rear of the sole portion. This location 214 of minimum width may preferably be located closer to the leading edge 152 of the sole portion 150 than to the trailing edge 154. More specifically, its distance 218 may preferably be between 5 mm and 15 mm from the leading edge 152 and more preferably between 6 mm and 12 mm from the leading edge. This location 214 may also be located less than 50% of the sole length 156 from the leading edge 152 of the sole portion 150, more preferably between 10% and 25% of the sole length 156 from the leading edge, and even more preferably between 15% and 22% of the sole length 156 from the leading edge. Moreover, the maximum value of the width 212 at the location 216 may preferably be greater than or equal to 7 mm, more preferably greater than or equal to 10 mm, even more preferably between 12 mm and 18 mm, and most preferably equal to or about 15 mm. The minimum value of the width 212 at the location 214 may in turn preferably be between 5 mm and 12 mm, more preferably between 7 mm and 10 mm, and most preferably equal to or about 9 mm.
FIG. 6 shows another cross-section of the golf club head 100 taken at the virtual vertical plane VI shown in FIG. 1 . As shown in this Figure, each of the sole rails 210, 220, and 230 may be elevated relative to the adjacent portions of the sole portion 150. For example, the portion of the central sole rail 210 closest to the virtual ground plane 300 when in the reference position may extend from the surfaces of the adjacent recesses 240 and 250 by an elevation 218. This elevation 218 may preferably be no less than 3 mm. It may more preferably be between 3 mm and 6 mm. And it may even more preferably be equal to or about 4 mm. This elevation 218 may be created by way of stepped-down portions 260 and 270 (FIG. 3 ) at the front of the sole portion 150. These stepped-down portions 260 and 270 lead to the recesses 240 and 250, respectively, and they are thus responsible for increasing the clearance and perceived depth of the sole rails 210, 220, and 230. The vertical depth of the stepped-down portions 260 and 270 relative to the front of the sole portion 150 is preferably greater than or equal to 2 mm and more preferably greater than or equal to 3 mm.
FIG. 7 shows a comparison of the club head speed at impact for an exemplary golf club head in accordance with the present disclosure, e.g., the golf club head 100, and a prior comparative club head, which lacks the sole rails 200. As can be seen, although the head speed is initially the same for the two club heads, interaction with the turf beginning at about 0.002 seconds reduces the speed of the comparative club head substantially more than that of the exemplary club head. FIGS. 8A and 8B in turn show the turf dispersion at impact with the golf ball between the comparative club head and the exemplary club head, respectively. The comparative club head disperses more turf and creates a larger wake along the areas near the toe and heel of the club head than the exemplary club head. The exemplary club head according to the present disclosure thus improves speed retention, leading to a more consistent and predictable distance and trajectory on struck shots.
Shown in FIGS. 9-15 is another golf club head 400. The club head 400 may be a hollow-type club head. For example, it may be a club head for a fairway wood. The club head 100 may generally be formed from metallic and/or nonmetallic materials, such as any one or a combination of aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, titanium alloys, composites, polymeric materials, and any other suitable material.
Like the golf club head 100, the club head 400 may include a front portion 410, which has a striking wall including a striking face 412 for contacting a golf ball, and a rear portion 420. The striking face 412 may include a face center 414, which like the face center 114 is the point on the striking face 412 that is equidistant from the striking face periphery in both the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction, as set out in the United States Golf Association's Procedure for Measuring the Flexibility of a Golf Club Head (Revision 2.0, Mar. 25, 2005), in which “face center” is described as identifiable using a designated template for such purpose. A virtual vertical center plane 416, which extends in the front-to-rear direction, may intersect the face center 414. The club head 400 may further include a toe portion 430, a heel portion 440, a sole portion 450, and a top portion, or crown, 460. The heel portion 440 may include a hosel 442 configured to receive and secure a shaft (not shown) of the golf club. And the club head 400 may include a club head center of gravity at the location 470.
As best shown in FIG. 10 , the top portion 460 of the club head 400 may also include a raised forward portion 462, which may provide a higher topline and larger surface area of the striking face 412. This portion 462 may also increase, especially relative to prior club heads, the club head 400's moment of inertia (“MOI”) about a vertical axis passing through the center of gravity 470, i.e., Izz, and the club head 400's MOI about a horizontal axis passing in a heel-to-toe direction through the center of gravity 470, i.e., Ixx. The top portion 460 may also include a step-down 464 that further lowers the center of gravity 470 and thus locates the sweet spot 472, which is a normal projection of the center of gravity 470 on the striking face 412, in a location more proximate the intended, e.g., average, impact point of the golf ball and the golf club head 400. The center of gravity depth, i.e., the distance between the sweet spot on the striking face 412 and the center of gravity 470 along that normal projection, may be a distance 474 of at least 25 mm, and more preferably at least 31 mm. And the loft angle, i.e., the angle formed between a virtual vertical hosel plane containing an axis of the hosel 442 and a striking face plane substantially parallel to the striking face 412, of the club head 400 may preferably be at least 13°. More preferably, this loft angle may be between 13° and 21°. In embodiments where the striking face includes a bulge and/or roll, the virtual striking face plane may be considered to be a plane tangent to the face center of the striking face.
As perhaps best shown in FIGS. 9 and 11 , the sole portion 450 of the club head 400, like that of the club head 100, may include a plurality of rails 500 that are each preferably elongate in the front-to-rear direction. More specifically, the club head 400 may include a toe-side sole rail 510 and a heel-side sole rail 520. As shown in FIG. 15 , surface portions of these rails 510 and 520 may constitute a plurality of, e.g., 2, ground contact regions 511 and 521. These ground contact regions 511 and 521 may be elongate in shape when the club head is allowed to naturally settle to a rest position, which is approximately the same head orientation as the reference position, and they may be spaced apart in the heel-to-toe direction by about 40 mm. By having separate ground contact regions, the club head 400 may be less prone to wobble at address and may have greater face angle stability, i.e., it may be less likely to flop open with changing lie angle than a golf club head with, e.g., just one ground contact region. turn be greater than 85 mm, and more preferably greater than 90 mm. The length 540 may also preferably be less than 115 mm. The length 540 may also differ from a depth or length 550 of the heel-side sole rail 520 in the front-to-rear direction.
As shown in FIG. 12 , golfers generally apply a very shallow angle of attack when swinging a fairway wood, as opposed to “swinging down” on the ball with a steep angle of attack when swinging shorter clubs such as irons. Rails that span a substantial length on longer fairway woods help to improve turf interaction by increasing the length of time the rails contact the ground and stabilize the club head through impact.
Returning to FIG. 9 , the club head 400 is shown in the reference position relative to a virtual ground plane 600. A height 560 of the rails 510, 520 from the adjoining sole portion 450 to the ground plane 600 may preferably be no more than 2.5 mm, and more preferably no more than 2.0 mm. Each of the rails may include a pair of side walls 513 or 523 that extend downward to a base surface 515 or 525. The lowermost, base surface of each of the rails may be angled relative to the ground plane 600 at an offset angle 502 of 7° to 10°. The rails, e.g., the rail 510, may be spaced entirely in the heel-to-toe direction from the virtual vertical center plane 416 by a distance 570 of at least 15 mm, and more preferably by a distance 570 of at least 20 mm. As used herein “spaced entirely” means that no portion of, e.g., the rail 510, is closer to the virtual vertical center plane 416 than the distance 570 allow for the appearance of a low profile at address. And at the reference position shown in FIG. 9 , and as discussed previously in connection with FIG. 15 , the club head may only contact the ground plane 600 at one or both of the rails 510, 520. Thus, the sole portion 450 may be spaced from the virtual ground plane 600 at the virtual vertical center plane 416.
The design of the rails 500 may allow for discretionary mass to be selectively located in beneficial regions of the sole portion. For example, as shown in FIG. 13 , and as with the club head 100, a weight pad 580, which may be a thickened part of the sole portion 450, may be located on the interior of the sole portion 450 to yet further increase MOI and reduce the height of the center of gravity. For example, a height of the center of gravity above the ground plane 600 may be no greater than 16 mm. Preferably, the sole rails and weight pad 580 may be integrally formed by casting to reduce manufacturing and material costs. The weight pad 580 may span the interior of the sole portion 450 from the heel portion 440 to the toe portion 430, and it may be situated forward of an internal rib 582, which may traverse the inner side of the sole rails 500 to improve acoustic properties of the club head. As perhaps best shown in FIG. 14 , which shows a cross-section through the center of the rail 520, a central region 522 of that rail may be filled as part of the weight pad 580. On the other hand, a region 524 of the rail 520 proximate to the striking face 412 may in turn be left hollow to increase the depth of the center of gravity. A rearward region 526 of the rail 520 may likewise be left hollow. Preferably, the toe-side sole rail 510 may be similarly formed, with a filled central region 512 and hollow regions 514 and 516.
The effectiveness of the golf club head 400, and particularly that of the rails 500, is made apparent by way of Table 1 below. “Oval Offline” and “Oval Area” are measures of shot consistency, in which standard deviation values for offline distance (left or right) and carry distance are calculated and used to create major and minor axes of an ellipse (axes are 2*std deviation in length). The player data shown in Table 1 below indicate both increased ball speed and distance and improved shot consistency with the exemplary club head, i.e., a golf club head such as the club head 400.

TABLE 1

Oval		Ball	Carry	Flight
Ot11ine	Oval Area	Speed	Distance	Distance
(yds)	(yds²)	(mph)	(yds)	(yds)

Exemplary Club	17.9	335	133.5	187.5	199.4
Head
Comparable Club	27.9	474	132.1	185.3	196.3
Head w/o Rails

FIGS. 16-18 depict another golf club head embodiment. Unless stated otherwise, the golf club head shown and described in FIGS. 16-18 may include substantially the same features and characteristics described above with respect to the embodiment of FIGS. 9-15 . For example, the club head 600 may be a hollow wood-type club head, such as a fairway wood, or other type of hollow wood-type club head (e.g., hybrid). In some examples, the golf club head 600 may include similar weight pad(s) and/or optimizations thereof as the club head shown and described in FIGS. 9-15 .
Referring to FIGS. 16 and 17 , the club head 600 includes a crown 602 and a sole 604 opposite the crown 602. The club head 600 includes a toe portion 606 and a heel portion 608 opposite the toe portion 606. The club head 600 includes a front portion 610 which has a striking wall including a striking face 612 for contacting a golf ball, and a rear portion 614. The striking face 612 may include a face center 616, which is the point on the striking face 612 that is equidistant from the striking face periphery in both the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. As used herein, a “face center” of a striking face is determined according to the procedure described in the United States Golf Association's (USGA's) “Procedure for Measuring the Flexibility of a Golf Clubhead” (Revision 2.0, Mar. 25, 2005). A virtual vertical plane 618 may intersect the face center 616 and extend in the front-to-rear direction. The heel portion 608 of the club head 600 includes a hosel 620 configured to receive and secure a shaft (not depicted) of the golf club.
As perhaps best shown in FIG. 17 , the crown 602 of the club head 600 may include a raised forward portion 622, which may provide a higher topline and facilitate a larger surface area of the striking face 612. This portion 622 may also increase the club head's 600 moment of inertia (“MOI”) about a vertical axis passing through the center of gravity 624 (i.e. the z-axis as used herein), i.e., Izz, and the club head's MOI about a horizontal axis passing in a heel-to-toe direction through the center of gravity 624 (i.e. the x-axis as used herein), i.e., Ixx. The crown 602 may also include a step-down portion 626 that further lowers the center of gravity 624. Lowering the center of gravity 624 may locate the sweet spot 628, which is a normal projection of the center of gravity 624 on the striking face 612, in a location more proximate the intended or average impact point of the golf ball and the golf club head 600. The club head 600 may include a center of gravity depth 630 defined as a distance between the sweet spot 628 on the striking face 612 and the center of gravity 624 measured normal to the striking face. The center of gravity depth 630 may be between 20 mm and 35 mm or between 25 mm and 30 mm.
The club head 600 includes a loft angle defined as an angle formed between a virtual vertical hosel plane containing an axis of the hosel 620 and a virtual striking face plane that is substantially parallel to the striking face 612. The loft angle of the club head 600 may be at least 13 degrees. More preferably, the loft angle may be between 13 degrees and 27 degrees. In embodiments where the striking face 612 includes bulge and/or roll, the virtual striking face plane is tangent to the face center 616 of the striking face 612. In some examples, the club head 600 may include a volume between 145 cubic centimeters (“cc”) and 215 cc, or between 150 cc and 200 cc.
Referring to FIG. 16 , the sole 604 of the club head 600 includes a sole base surface 632 defining a general contour of the sole 604. In some examples, the club head 600 may include a first rail 634 located toe-ward of the virtual vertical plane 618. The first rail 634 projects from the sole base surface 632 (e.g., toward a virtual ground plane 636 as shown in FIG. 16 ) and the first rail 634 is generally elongate in a front-to-rear direction (as more clearly shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 ). The club head 600 may also include a second rail 638 located heel-ward of the virtual vertical plane 618 and extending substantially parallel to the first rail 634. The second rail 638 projects from the sole base surface 632 toward the virtual ground plane 636 and is generally elongate in the front-to-rear direction. In some examples, the first rail 634 and the second rail 638 may be spaced entirely in the heel-to-toe direction from the virtual vertical plane 618 by a distance 640 of at least 15 mm. As used herein “spaced entirely” means that no portion of, e.g., the first rail 634, is closer to the virtual vertical plane 618 than the distance 640.
The first rail 634 and the second rail 638 may constitute multiple (e.g., two) contact points on which the club head 600 is allowed to naturally settle to in a rest position, which is approximately the same, by not necessarily the same, head orientation as the reference position, and the sole rails may be spaced apart from each other in the heel-toe-direction by at least 30 mm, or at least 35 mm. By having separate ground contact regions, the club head 600 may be less prone to shift position at address (e.g. when a golfer performs a static alignment prior to their swing) and may have greater face angle stability (i.e., the club head 600 may be less likely to open or close at address with a changing lie angle than a golf club head with a single contact region).
In some examples, a height 642 of the rails 634, 638 from the adjoining sole base surface 632 to the ground plane 636 may be no more than 2.5 mm, and more preferably no more than 2.0 mm. In some examples, the rails 634, 638 may include a maximum height location 643 (shown in FIG. 17 ) that is located rearward of the front portion 610 of the club head 600 and the height 642 of the rails 634, 638 decreases from the maximum height location 643 towards the front portion 610 and the rear portion 614 of the club head 600. In some examples, the maximum height location 643 is located between 5 mm and 10 mm rearward of a forwardmost point 652 (shown in FIG. 18 ) of the club head 600.
Referring now to FIG. 18 , the club head 600 may include a depth, i.e. a length 644 in the front-to-rear direction, that may be greater than 75 mm, or preferably greater than 80 mm. In some examples, the first rail 634 includes a first length 646 that is less than 75% of the depth 644 of the club head 600. In such an example, the first length 646 may between 50 mm and 70 mm, preferably between 55 mm and 65 mm. Similarly, the second rail 638 may include a second length 648 that is less than 75% of the depth 644 of the club head 600. In some examples, the second length 648 may be less than the first length 646 such that the second length 648 is less than 70%, or preferably less than 65% of the depth 644 of the club head 600. In such examples, the second length 648 may be between 40 mm and 65 mm, or between 45 mm and 60 mm. In some examples, the second length 648 may be shorter than the first length 646 by a difference between 5 mm and 15 mm, or approximately 10 mm. Such a configuration may locate additional weight toe-ward, which may, in turn, move the center of gravity 624 of the club head 600 towards a more frequently hit area of the striking face 612 by players. Furthermore, the rails 634, 638 may each include a width 650 that is between 5 mm and 10 mm, or more preferably greater than 7 mm. Such a width of the rails provides a preferable surface area that assists in retaining club head speed throughout a swing. In some examples, a narrower rail may fail to provide adequate turf interaction to be beneficial, while a wider rail may provide a large surface area that may inhibit golf club head speed.
The inclusion of rails 634, 638 on the golf club head 600 helps improve club head speed retention throughout the swing and prevents loss of club head speed due to turf interaction. For example, the sole rails project from the sole base surface, which helps reduce interaction and friction between the golf club head 600 and the turf leading to improved speed retention. Furthermore, such rails can help reduce a loss in club head speed when contacting turf and prevent “chunked” shots, especially in cases of a steeper angle of attack. Sole rails may also help maintain an orientation of the golf club head 600 at impact.
However, traditional rails (or sole rails that extend across most of the sole width) can cause deleterious effects if a golfer has a shallower angle of attack and/or if the golfer has a positive angle of attack (in contrast to a negative attack angle or “downward” hit). In such a case, the rails may actually inhibit the path of the golf club head. For example, if a golfer has a shallower angle of attack, traditional rails may contact the ground before contact with the ball which may reduce club head speed or may alter the orientation of the face of the golf club head, resulting in an errant shot. As such, the rails described with respect to FIGS. 16-18 taper in height rearwardly and terminate forward of the trailing edge. Such a configuration provides the benefits of incorporating sole rail(s) described previously for a wider variety of shot types (e.g., different attack angles/swing types). As such, the sole rails described with respect to FIGS. 16-18 may provide increased benefit to a wider range of golfers and/or to golfers that may have variation in their attack angle.
In some examples, the club head 600 further includes a third rail 654 disposed between the first rail 634 and the second rail 638. A height of the third rail 654 may not extend past the sole base surface 632. In some examples, the third rail is at least 95% of the front to rear depth 644 of the club head 600. A width 656 of the third rail 654 tapers in the front-to-rear direction over a majority of the length of the third rail 654, more preferably over at least 75% of the third rail 654, even more preferably over substantially the entirety of the third rail 654, such that the third rail 654 includes a greater width proximate the front portion 610 of the club head 600 and a narrower width proximate the rear portion 614 of the club head 600. In some examples, the width 656 of the third rail 654 is between 25 mm and 35 mm proximate the front portion 610 of the club head and between 10 mm and 20 mm proximate the rear portion 614 of the club head 600.
The club head 600 may include stepped down portions 658, 660 leading to respective recessed portion 662, 664 disposed between the third rail 654 and the first rail 634 and between the third rail 654 and the second rail 638. In some examples, the stepped-down portion 658, 660 are located between 35 mm and 45 mm rearward of the forwardmost point 652 of the club head. Furthermore, the stepped-down portions 658, 660 may include a height between 1 mm and 3 mm. The recesses 662, 664 may channel debris therethrough during a swing, thereby reducing friction between the club head 600 and the turf leading to improved speed retention.
FIGS. 19-21 depict another golf club head embodiment. Unless stated otherwise, the golf club head 700 shown and described in FIGS. 19-21 may include substantially the same features and characteristics described above with respect to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8 . For example, the club head 700 may be a hollow-type club head, such as a hybrid or utility-type club head, or other type of club head.
Referring to FIGS. 19 and 20 , the club head 700 includes a crown 702 and a sole 704 opposite the crown 702. The club head 700 includes a toe portion 706 and a heel portion 708 opposite the toe portion 706. The club head 700 includes a front portion 710 which has a striking wall including a striking face 712 for contacting a golf ball, and a rear portion 714. The striking face 712 may include a face center 716, which is the point on the striking face 712 that is equidistant from the striking face periphery in both the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. As used herein, a “face center” of a striking face is determined according to the procedure described in the United States Golf Association's (USGA's) “Procedure for Measuring the Flexibility of a Golf Clubhead” (Revision 2.0, Mar. 25, 2005). A virtual vertical plane 718 intersects the face center 716 and extend in the front-to-rear direction. The heel portion 708 of the club head 700 includes a hosel 720 configured to receive and secure a shaft (not depicted) of the golf club.
As perhaps best shown in FIG. 20 , the crown 702 may include a raised forward portion 722, which may provide a higher topline and larger surface of the striking face 712. This portion 722 may also increase the club head's 700 moment of inertia (“MOI”) about a vertical axis passing through the center of gravity 724, i.e., Izz, and the club head's MOI about a horizontal axis passing in a heel-to-toe direction through the center of gravity 724, i.e., Ixx. The crown 702 may also include a step-down portion 726 that further lowers the center of gravity 724. Lowering the center of gravity 724 may locate the sweet spot 728, which is a normal projection of the center of gravity 724 on the striking face 712, in a location more proximate the intended or average impact point of the golf ball and the golf club head 700. The club head 700 may include a center of gravity depth 730 defined as a distance between the sweet spot 728 on the striking face 712 and the center of gravity 724 along the normal projection. The center of gravity depth 730 may be between 15 mm and 25 mm or between 18 mm and 23 mm.
The club head 700 includes a loft angle defined as an angle formed between a virtual vertical hosel plane containing an axis of the hosel 720 and a virtual striking face plane that is substantially parallel to the striking face 712. The loft angle of the club head 700 may be at least 15 degrees. Preferably, the loft angle may be between 15 degrees and 32 degrees. In embodiments where the striking face 712 includes bulge and/or roll, the virtual striking face plane is to be considered tangent to the face center 716 of the striking face 712. In some examples, the club head 700 may include a volume between 85 cubic centimeters (“cc”) and 170 cc, or between 90 cc and 165 cc.
Referring to FIG. 19 , the sole 704 of the club head 700 includes a sole base surface a sole base surface 732 defining a general contour of the sole 704. In some examples, the club head 700 may include a first rail 734 projecting from the sole base surface 732 (e.g., toward a virtual ground plane 736 as shown in FIG. 19 ) and the first rail 734 is generally elongate in a front-to-rear direction (as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21 ). As shown in FIG. 19 , the first rail 734 may be asymmetric across the virtual vertical plane such that a majority of the first rail 734 is located toe-ward of the virtual vertical plane. The club head 700 may also include a second rail 738 located toe-ward of the first rail 734. The second rail 738 projects from the sole base surface 732 toward the virtual ground plane 736 and is generally elongate in the front-to-rear direction. In some examples, in a reference position (as shown in FIG. 19 ) the second rail 738 may be recessed from the ground plane 736 by a distance 740 that is between 1 mm and 5 mm, or preferably between 2.5 mm and 4 mm. Furthermore, the club head 700 includes a third rail 742 located heel-ward of the first rail 734. The third rail 742 projects from the sole base surface 732 toward the virtual ground plane 736 and is generally elongate in the front-to-rear direction. In some examples, in the reference position, the third rail 742 may be recessed from the ground plane 736 by a distance 740 that may be slightly less (between 0.25 mm and 0.5 mm) than the distance that the second rail 738 is recessed from the virtual ground plane 736. Such a distance 740 may be between approximately 1 mm and 4.5 mm, or between 2 mm and 3 mm. By recessing the second rail 738 and the third rail 742, the club head 700 may engage the ground primarily via the first rail 734, which may further assist in club head speed retention throughout the swing and prevents and/or inhibits loss of club head speed due to turf interaction.
Furthermore, the second rail 738 and the third rail 742 may only contact the ground in case of a “chunked shot” (e.g., when a golfer hits the ground behind the ball before contacting the ball), in longer turf, sand, or other “softer” conditions (e.g., such as wet ground, etc.), or when the golf swings with the toe portion 706 tilted upward or downward. In such cases, and others not mentioned, the second rail 738 and/or the third rail 742 may assist to maintain club head speed and/or may maintain orientation of the club head 700 throughout the swing.
In some examples, the second rail 738 and the third rail 742 may be spaced entirely in the heel-to-toe direction from the virtual vertical plane 718 by a distance 744 of at least 20 mm. In some examples, the distance 744 may be between 20 mm and 35 mm. Furthermore, the third rail 742 may be closer to the virtual vertical plane 718 than the second rail 738 by between 3 mm and 10 mm, or approximately 5 mm. By spacing the second rail 738 further from the virtual vertical plane 718, additional weight may be located toe-ward, which may, in turn, move the center of gravity 724 of the club head 700 towards a more frequently hit area of the striking face 712 by players. As used herein “spaced entirely” means that no portion of, e.g., the second rail 738 or third rail 742, is closer to the virtual vertical plane 718 than the distance 744.
In some examples, a height 746 (i.e., a distance between the base of the first rail 734 and the adjacent sole base surface 732) of the first rail 734 is no more than 3 mm, and preferably no more than 2.5 mm. The second rail 738 and the third rail 742 may include a height 746 that is less than 2 mm. The first rail 734 may include a maximum height location 748 (shown in FIG. 20 ) that is located rearward of the front portion 710 of the club head 700. It is to be noted that the maximum height is in reference to the height 746 of the first rail 734 and the adjacent sole base surface 732. The maximum height is not taken between the 746 and an adjacent recessed portion (which is shown and described with respect to FIG. 21 ). The maximum height location 748 of the first rail 734 may be located at least 5 mm rearward of a forwardmost point 750 (shown in FIG. 21 ) of the front portion 710 of the club head 700. In some examples, the height of the first rail 734 decreases from the maximum height location 748 towards the front portion 710 and the rear portion 714 of the club head 700. Furthermore, the first rail 734 may extend closer to the forwardmost point 754 than the second rail 734 and the third rail 738 by a distance of at least 5 mm.
Referring now to FIG. 21 , the club head 700 may include a depth or length 752 in the front-to-rear direction. The depth 752 may be a distance between the forwardmost point 750 of the front portion 710 and rearwardmost point 754 of the rear portion 714 of the club head 700. The depth 752 of the club head 700 may be between 45 mm and 75 mm, or preferably less than 75 mm. In some examples, the first rail 734 includes a first length 756 that is greater than 90% of the depth 752 of the club head 700, or preferably approximately 95% of the depth 752. Additionally, or alternatively, the first length 756 may be between 43 mm and 72 mm.
The second rail 738 may include a second length 758 that is less than 70%, or more preferably less than 65%, or most preferably less than 60% of the depth 752 of the club head 700. Additionally, or alternatively, the second length 758 may be between 25 mm and 45 mm, or preferably between 35 mm and 45 mm. The third rail 742 may likewise include a third length 760 that is less than 65%, more preferably less than 60%, or most preferably less than 55% of the depth 752 of the club head 700. Additionally, or alternatively, the third length 760 may be between 20 mm and 40 mm, or preferably between 25 mm and 40 mm. In some examples, the third length 760 may be less than the second length 758 by a difference between 5 mm and 10 mm. Such a configuration may locate additional weight toe-ward, which may, in turn, move the center of gravity 724 of the club head 700 towards a more frequently hit area of the striking face 712 by players. Furthermore, the rails 738, 742 may include a width 762 that is between 5 mm and 10 mm. Such a width of the rails provides a preferable surface area that assists in retaining club head speed throughout a swing. In some examples, a narrower rail may fail to provide adequate turf interaction to be beneficial, while a wider rail may provide a large surface area that may inhibit golf club head speed. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 21 , the second rail 738 and the third rail 742 may be substantially parallel to each other.
The inclusion of rails 738, 742 on the golf club head 700 helps improve club head speed retention throughout the swing and prevents loss of club head speed due to turf interaction. For example, the sole rails project from the sole base surface, which helps reduce interaction and friction between the golf club head 700 and the turf leading to improved speed retention. Furthermore, such rails can help reduce a loss in club head speed when contacting turf and prevent “chunked” shots, especially in cases of a steeper angle of attack. Sole rails may also help maintain an orientation of the golf club head 700 at impact.
However, traditional rails (or sole rails that extend across most of the sole width) can cause deleterious effects if a golfer has a shallower angle of attack and/or if the golfer has a positive angle of attack (in contrast to a negative attack angle or “downward” hit). In such a case, the rails may actually inhibit the path of the golf club head. For example, if a golfer has a shallower angle of attack, traditional rails may contact the ground before contact with the ball which may reduce club head speed or may alter the orientation of the face of the golf club head, resulting in an errant shot. As such, the rails described with respect to FIGS. 19-21 terminate forward of the trailing edge. Such a configuration provides the benefits of incorporating sole rail(s) described previously for a wider variety of shot types (e.g., different attack angles/swing types). As such, the sole rails described with respect to FIGS. 19-21 may provide increased benefit to a wider range of golfers and/or to golfers that may have variation in their attack angle
In some examples, the first rail 734 includes a width 764 that tapers in the front-to-rear direction such that the third rail 734 includes a greater width proximate the front portion 710 of the club head 700 and a narrower width proximate the rear portion 714 of the club head 700. In some examples, the width 764 of the first rail 734 is between 15 mm and 20 mm proximate the front portion 710 of the club head 700 and between 10 mm and 15 mm proximate the rear portion 714 of the club head 700. The width 764 of the first rail 734 proximate the rear portion 714 may be at least 5 mm less than the width 764 of the first rail 734 proximate the front portion 714.
The club head 700 may include stepped down portions 766, 768 leading to respective recessed portion 770, 772 disposed between the first rail 734 and the second rail 738 and between the first rail 734 and the second rail 742. In some examples, the stepped-down portion 766, 768 are located between at least 5 mm mm rearward of the forwardmost point 750 of the club head 700. Furthermore, the stepped-down portions 766, 768 may include a height between 2 mm and 5 mm. The recesses 770, 772 may channel debris therethrough during a swing, thereby reducing friction between the club head 700 and the turf leading to improved speed retention
In the foregoing discussion, the present invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary aspects thereof. However, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these exemplary aspects without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing discussion and the accompanying drawings are to be regarded as merely illustrative of the present invention rather than as limiting its scope in any manner.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A wood-type golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position relative to a virtual ground plane, comprises:

a loft greater than 13 degrees;

a depth in a front to rear direction no less than 80 mm;

a striking face including a face center located in a virtual vertical center plane aligned with the face center and extending in the front to rear direction;

a rear portion opposite the striking face;

a heel portion;

a toe portion opposite the heel portion;

a crown; and

a sole opposite the crown, the sole including:

a sole base surface defining a general contour of the sole;

a first rail projecting from the sole base surface and having a first length in the front to rear direction that is less than 75% of the depth of the club head and is entirely spaced in a heel to toe direction more than 15 mm from the virtual vertical center plane; and

a second rail projecting from the sole base surface and having a second length in the front to rear direction that is less than 75% of the depth of the club head and the second rail being entirely spaced in the heel to toe direction more than 15 mm from the virtual vertical center plane.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the second rail extends substantially parallel to the first rail.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the second length is less than the first length and the second length is less than 65% of the front to rear depth of the club head.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a third rail disposed between the first rail and the second rail, wherein a height of the third rail follows the general contour of the sole.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein a third length of the third rail is at least 95% of the front to rear depth of the golf club head.

6. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the third rail includes a first width proximate a front portion of the golf club head and a second width proximate a rear portion of the golf club head, wherein the second width is less than the first width such that a width of the third rail decreases in the front to rear direction.

7. The golf club head of claim 4, further comprising a first stepped-down portion leading to a first recess disposed between the first rail and the third rail, and a second-stepped down portion leading to a second recess disposed between the second rail and the third rail, the first stepped-down portion and the second stepped-down portion located between 35 mm and 45 mm rearward of a forwardmost point of the golf club head.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first rail includes a maximum height located rearward of a front portion of the golf club head and a height of the first rail decreases from the location of the maximum height towards the front portion and the rear portion of the golf club head.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the second rail includes a maximum height located rearward of a front portion of the golf club head and a height of the second rail decreases from the location of the maximum height towards the front portion and the rear portion of the golf club head.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the maximum height location is located between 5 mm and 10 mm rearward of a forwardmost point of the sole.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first rail and the second rail each include a substantially constant width between 5 mm and 10 mm.

12. A golf club head comprising:

a loft greater than 13 degrees;

a depth in a front to rear direction no less than 80 mm;

a striking face including a face center located in a virtual vertical center plane that extends in the front to rear direction;

a rear portion opposite the striking face;

a heel portion;

a toe portion opposite the heel portion;

a crown; and

a sole opposite the crown, the sole including:

a sole base surface defining a general contour of the sole;

a first rail projecting from the sole base surface and having a first length in the front to rear direction, the first length being between 45 mm and 70 mm, and the first rail being entirely spaced in a heel to toe direction more than 15 mm from the virtual vertical center plane; and

a second rail projecting from the sole base surface and having a second length in the front to rear direction, the second length being between 35 mm and 60 mm, and the second rail being entirely spaced in the heel to toe direction more than 15 mm from the virtual vertical center plane.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the second length is at least 8 mm less than the first length.

14. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the second rail is substantially parallel to the first rail.

15. The golf club head of claim 12, further comprising a third rail disposed between the first rail and the second rail, wherein a height of the third rail following the general contour of the sole.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, further comprising a first stepped-down portion leading to a first recess disposed between the first rail and the third rail, and a second-stepped down portion leading to a second recess disposed between the second rail and the third rail, the first stepped-down portion and the second stepped-down portion located between 35 mm and 45 mm rearward of a forwardmost point of the golf club head.

17. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the first rail and the second rail each include a substantially constant width between 5 mm and 10 mm.

18. The golf club head of claim 12, further comprising a volume no less than 145 cc.

19. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the first rail includes a maximum height located rearward of a leading edge of the golf club head and a height of the first rail decreases from the location of the maximum height towards the leading edge and a trailing edge of the golf club head.

20. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the second rail includes a maximum height located rearward of a leading edge of the golf club head and a height of the second rail decreases from the location of the maximum height towards the leading edge and a trailing edge of the golf club head.

21. A hollow-type golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position relative to a virtual ground plane, comprises:

a depth in a front to rear direction less than 75 mm;

a rear portion opposite the striking face;

a heel portion;

a toe portion opposite the heel portion;

a crown; and

a sole opposite the crown, the sole including:

a sole base surface defining a general contour of the sole;

a first rail projecting from the sole base surface and having a first length in the front to rear direction that is greater than 90% of the front to rear depth of the club head, the virtual vertical center plane passing through the first rail such that the first rail is asymmetric about the virtual vertical center plane;

a second rail located toe-ward of the first rail and projecting from the sole base surface, the second rail having a second length in the front to rear direction that is less than 65% of the depth of the club head; and

a third rail located heel-ward of the first rail and projecting from the sole base surface, the third rail having a third length in the front to rear direction that is less than 65% of the depth of the club head.

22. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein the second rail is entirely spaced in a heel to toe direction more than 25 mm from the virtual vertical center plane.

23. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein the third rail is entirely spaced in a heel to toe direction between 20 mm and 25 mm from the virtual vertical center plane.

24. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein the third rail is less than 55% of the front to rear depth of the golf club head.

25. The golf club head of claim 21, further comprising a forwardmost point, wherein the first rail extends closer to the forwardmost point than the second rail and the third rail by a distance of at least 5 mm.

26. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein:

the first length is between 60 mm and 75 mm,

the second length is between 30 mm and 45 mm, and

the third length is between 25 mm and 40 mm.

27. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein the first rail is positioned such that a majority of the first rail is disposed toe-ward of the virtual vertical center plane.

28. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein the first rail includes a first width proximate a front portion of the golf club head and a second width proximate a rear portion of the golf club head, wherein the second width is less than the first width such that a width of the first rail decreases in the front to rear direction.

29. The golf club head of claim 28, wherein the first width is at least 15 mm and the second width is at least 5 mm less than the first width.

30. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein the first rail includes a maximum height located at least 5 mm rearward of a front portion of the golf club head and a height of the first rail decreases from the location of the maximum height towards the front portion and the rear portion of the golf club head.

31. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein the first rail and the second rail each include a width of at least 6 mm.

32. The golf club head of claim 21, further comprising:

a first stepped-down portion leading to a first recess disposed between the first rail and the second rail, the first stepped-down portion having a height of at least 3 mm; and

a second stepped-down portion leading to a second recess disposed between the first rail and the third rail, the second stepped-down portion having a height of at least 3 mm.

33. The golf club head of claim 32, wherein the first stepped-down portion and the second stepped-down portion are each located at least 3 mm rearward of a forwardmost point of the golf club head.

34. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein the depth of the golf club head is between 45 mm and 75 mm.

35. The golf club head of claim 21, further comprising a loft between 15 degrees and 32 degrees.