Golf club having interchangeable face plates

Claim 1

A wood type golf club comprising: an elongated shaft; and a metal club head secured to a lower end portion of said shaft, said club head comprising an integrally molded body having a hollow interior with an opening outwardly onto a substantially planar front face; a plurality of interchangeable, ball engaging, metal face plates, each of said plates including a substantially planar back face having a surface and a peripheral edge matching the surface and the peripheral edge around said planar front face of said body; and a plurality of fasteners for securing a selected one of said face plates with its back face held tightly against said front face of said body to close said hollow opening of said club head in readiness for use, each of said face plates having a ball engaging, outer face spaced apart from and opposite said back face, said outer face formed with a set of characteristics including a curved bulge from toe to heel, a curved roll from bottom to top and a degree of angular loft relative to a bottom edge, and at least one of said characteristics of one face plate being different than that of another face plate to impart a different path to a ball when struck thereby, said club head body having spaced apart top and bottom walls extending rearwardly of said front face and a curved back wall spaced rearwardly of said front face integrally joining rearward portions of said top and bottom walls, said body further including spaced apart toe and heel portions extending rearwardly of said front face and integrally joining opposite edge portions of said top and bottom wall and having rearward portions integrally joining upstanding opposite edge portions of said rear wall, said top and bottom walls having a minimum wall thickness adjacent said rearward portion gradually tapering toward a maximum wall thickness at said front face above and below said hollow opening, said toe and heel portions increasing substantially in thickness from said rearward portions joining said rear wall to a maximum wall thickness at said front face which is substantially thicker than said maximum wall thickness of said top and bottom wall measured at a level on said toe and heel portions that is intermediate said top and bottom walls joined therewith.