1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a golf club head, and more particularly, to a golf club head designed to strike a golf ball so that it flies straight in a desired direction.
2. Description of the Art
A typical set of golf clubs includes a putter and several clubs that are generally referred to as "woods" and "irons." A golfer selects a particular club for a given shot according to the distance to the hole and the "lie" of the golf ball. Each club in the set is designed for hitting the ball a particular distance and from a particular lie. However, in striking the golf ball, many golfers have difficulty consistently hitting the ball straight in a desired direction, and this difficulty may be a function of the particular structure of the conventional golf club head.
A conventional golf club head 50 is shown in FIG. 5. The conventional golf club head 50 includes a striking surface 51, having a leading edge 52. A toe member 53 and a heel member 54 are integrally connected to opposite ends of the striking surface 51, and a hosel member 55 is integrally connected to the heel member 54. The golf club head 50 is said to have a face 56, which comprises the visible portions of the striking surface 51, the toe member 53, and the heel member 54, as shown in FIG. 5. The hosel member 55, which provides a socket into which a shaft member 59 is inserted, extends from the heel member 54 at an oblique angle relative to the leading edge 52.
The configuration of the conventional golf club head makes it difficult to effectively transfer force through the club to the golf ball. In particular, the force transmitted from the golfer's swing tends to distribute unevenly across the face 56 of the club, with greater force in the heel member 54 and less force in the toe member 53. The uneven distribution of force and resulting moment forces make it difficult to control the orientation of the club head 50, and as a result, the ball tends to deviate from the desired direction upon impact and/or during flight, causing shots that may be termed "push", "pull", "slice", and "hook".
Attempts have been made to compensate for the uneven distribution of moment forces, but without success. Such attempts have included adding weight to the toe member 53, changing the configuration of the club head, increasing the weight and rotational moment of the club shaft, and/or adjusting the grip on the club.