Golf club head of the iron type having a concave sole

Claim 1

A golf club iron comprising a shaft with a metal head secured thereto at one end thereof, a substantially planar ball striking face inclined upwardly and rearwardly from a front ground penetrating edge portion to an uppermost rear portion, the major portion of the ball striking face being rearward of a reference plane containing the axis of the shaft and extending generally parallel to the front edge portion of the ball striking face, a downwardly facing sole rearward of the front edge portion of the ball striking face, a back face extending between the sole and the uppermost rear portion of the ball striking face, and shallow concavity in the major portion of the sole gradually curving in a direction generally transverse to the reference plane, the concavity having a leading boundary portion spaced from the front edge portion and forming a first sole portion, the leading boundary portion forming a first sole portion edge, the first sole portion edge being the lowermost elevation of the first sole portion, the concavity having a trailing boundary portion spaced from the back face and forming a second sole portion, the trailing boundary portion terminating at a second sole portion edge, the second sole portion edge being the lowermost elevation of the second sole portion, and the second sole portion edge being the lowermost elevation of the sole when the reference plane is vertical.