The present invention relates generally to golf club heads which include visual indicators or cues designed to promote desirable golf swing characteristics. More particularly, the present invention relates to a golf club head having visual cues which promote an outside-inside backswing and an inside-outside front swing.
As is well known, golf clubs are generally of two types: the "wood" or distance clubs, and the "irons." Both types of clubs basically include a shaft having a grip portion on one hand with a club head attached to the other end. A complete set of "iron" golf clubs typically includes nine clubs numbered 1-9. Additionally, the complete "iron" golf club set will include a sand wedge, a pitching wedge, and may include various other specialty clubs.
The head of conventional "iron" clubs is typically made from steel or steel alloys such as stainless steel which may or may not be chrome plated. The head may be cast, forged or machined, to provide a blade portion which is integral with a hosel or neck portion. A blade portion is used in striking the golf ball with the hosel portion being designed to connect the blade to the club shaft. As is well known, the numbered clubs, 1-9, have different shaft lengths and differing blade weights and blade loft angles to allow a golfer to hit a golf ball different distances using approximately the same golf swing.
The ultimate goal of the golf swing, regardless of the type of club being used, is to hit the golf ball in a desired, pre-selected direction or line of flight. In general the golfer positions himself so that his shoulders and feet are substantially parallel to the desired line of flight of the golf ball. A complete golf swing basically includes the backswing, the forward swing, and the follow through. An important feature of the golf swing is the angle at which the golf club head travels relative to the intended line of flight during both the backswing and frontswing. In general, it has been found that the club head, during the backswing, should be moved towards the golfer at an inward angle away from the intended line of flight of the golf ball. On the forward swing, the golf club head preferably moves forward along the same club head path defined during the backswing. The inward movement of the golf club during the backswing is commonly referred to as an outside-inside backswing, with the forward movement of the club head along the same path during the forward swing being commonly referred to as an inside-outside swing. This type of overall golf swing is commonly referred to simply as an inside-outside swing. Many golfers have found that the use of an inside-outside swing provides a desired impact configuration between the club head face and the golf ball which results in travel of the golf ball along the desired line of flight.
The inside-outside swing is to be contrasted with the outside-inside swing in which the club head is moved away from the golfer during the backswing at an outward angle relative to the intended line of flight and subsequently moved from an outside to an inside position during the forward swing. The outside-inside swing typically results in the face of the club head moving laterally relative to the intended line of flight during ball impact. Such lateral movement of the club head imparts a side spin to the ball resulting in an undesirable curved flight path for the ball which is commonly referred to as a "slice."
Many beginning golfers tend to swing their club heads in the undesirable outside-inside manner. The natural tendency for right handed golfers during the forward portion of the golf swing is to attempt to hit the golf ball to the left side of the intended line of flight by moving the golf club head from an outside position at the end of the backswing to an inside position relative the golfer and the intended line of flight at the point of ball impact. As mentioned above, this type of swing results in a curve or slice of the golf ball to the right side of the intended line of flight. For inexperienced golfers, there is a natural tendency to increase the outside-inside nature of their golf swing in order to correct the slice. This natural tendency to increase the outside-inside character of the golf swing results in the slice becoming increasingly worse.
In order to overcome the natural tendency of many golfers to utilize an improper outside-inside swing, it would be desirable to provide a golf club head which provides visual cues or indicators which promote or otherwise tend to make the golfer utilize an inside-outside golf swing.