Golf club head or other ball striking device having face insert

Abstract

A ball striking device, such as a golf club, includes a head with a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball, a body connected to the face, and an insert connected to the face and forming a portion of the outer surface. The density and/or friction properties of the insert may be different from those of adjacent portions of the face. Depending on the size, shape, and location of the insert, the moment of inertia of the head may change, the center of gravity of the face may shift, and/or the degree and direction of spin on the ball resulting from impacts may change.

1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball;   a body connected to the face; and   an insert connected to the face and forming a portion of the outer surface, at least a portion of the insert having a density that is lower than a density of a portion of the face bordering the insert.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the insert is positioned asymmetrically with respect to a geometric center of the face. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the face has a center of gravity that is positioned away from a geometric center of the face. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a center of gravity of the insert is located away from a geometric center of the face, and a center of gravity of the face is located away from the center of gravity of the insert. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein the center of gravity of the insert is located in one direction from the geometric center of the face, and the center of gravity of the face is located in an opposite direction from the geometric center of the face. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the face comprises four quadrants extending from a geometric center of the face, and at least one quadrant contains a greater proportion of the insert, compared to at least one other quadrant. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein each quadrant has a weight distribution that is inversely related to a proportion of the insert located in the respective quadrant. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the insert is received in a cavity extending inwardly from the outer surface of the face. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the insert is made from multiple materials, and wherein the insert further includes a second portion having a density that is different from the density of the portion of the insert. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the entire insert has a density that is lower than a density of the portion of the face bordering the insert. 
     
     
         11 . A golf club comprising the golf club head of  claim 1  and a shaft connected to the golf club head. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of an outer surface of the insert has a friction property that is lower than the friction property of a portion of the face bordering the insert. 
     
     
         13 . A golf club comprising the golf club head of  claim 12  and a shaft connected to the golf club head. 
     
     
         14 . A golf club head comprising:
 a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball;   a body connected to the face; and   an insert connected to the face and forming a portion of the outer surface, the insert having an outer surface, at least a portion of the outer surface of the insert having a lower friction property than a portion of the outer surface of the face bordering the insert.   
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein the insert is positioned asymmetrically with respect to a geometric center of the face. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein the insert occupies an area of the outer surface, and wherein the area of the outer surface occupied by the insert is configured to impart less spin to an impacting ball than other areas of the outer surface of the face. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 16 , wherein the area of the surface occupied by the insert is configured to impart less backspin to the impacting ball than other areas of the outer surface of the face. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein the face comprises four quadrants extending from a geometric center of the face, and at least one quadrant contains a greater proportion of the insert, compared to at least one other quadrant. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein the insert is received in a cavity extending inwardly from the outer surface of the face. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein the outer surface of the insert is made from multiple materials, at least one of the materials having a friction property that is different from a friction property of another one of the materials. 
     
     
         21 . A golf club comprising the golf club head of  claim 14  and a shaft connected to the golf club head. 
     
     
         22 . A golf club head comprising:
 a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball;   a body connected to the face; and   wherein the face comprises a first material having a first density and a first friction property and a second material having a second density and a second friction property, the second density being lower than the first density and the second friction property being lower than the first friction property, and   wherein each of the first material and the second material form a portion of the ball striking surface.   
     
     
         23 . The golf club head of  claim 22 , wherein the second material is positioned asymmetrically to a geometric center of the face. 
     
     
         24 . The golf club head of  claim 22 , wherein the second material forms an area of the ball striking surface, and the area of the ball striking surface formed by the second material is configured to impart less spin to an impacting ball then other areas of the ball striking surface. 
     
     
         25 . The golf club head of  claim 22 , wherein the face comprises four quadrants extending from a geometric center of the face, and at least one quadrant contains a greater proportion of the second material, compared to at least one other quadrant. 
     
     
         26 . The golf club head of  claim 25 , wherein each quadrant has a weight distribution that is inversely related to a proportion of the second material located in the respective quadrant. 
     
     
         27 . The golf club head of  claim 22 , wherein the second material forms an area of the face and a center of gravity of the area of the face is located away from a geometric center of the face, and wherein a center of gravity of the face is located away from the center of gravity of the area formed by the second material. 
     
     
         28 . A golf club comprising the golf club head of  claim 22  and a shaft connected to the golf club head. 
     
     
         29 . A golf club head comprising:
 a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball;   a body connected to the face; and   an insert connected to the face and forming a portion of the outer surface, the insert having a density and an outer surface with a friction property, wherein the density and the friction property of the insert are different from a density and a friction property of a portion of the face bordering the insert.   
     
     
         30 . The golf club head of  claim 29 , wherein at least one of the friction property and the density of the insert is lower than the density or friction property of the portion of the face bordering the insert. 
     
     
         31 . A golf club comprising the golf club head of  claim 29  and a shaft connected to the golf club head. 
     
     
         32 . A method of manufacturing a golf club, comprising:
 providing a golf club head comprising a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face; and   connecting a first insert to the face, the first insert having a density and a friction property, wherein at least one of the density and the friction property of the first insert is lower than a density or a friction property of a portion of the face bordering the first insert.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 removing the first insert from the face; and   connecting a second insert to the face, the second insert having a density and a friction property, wherein at least one of the density and the friction property of the second insert are different from a density or a friction property of the first insert.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 connecting a shaft to the golf club head to form the golf club.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the face has a cavity therein, and the first insert is connected to the face by connecting the insert within the cavity. 
     
     
         36 . A golf club kit comprising:
 a golf club head comprising a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face; and   an insert configured for connection to the face, the insert having a density and a friction property, wherein at least one of the density and the friction property of the insert is lower than a density or a friction property of a portion of the face configured to border the insert.   
     
     
         37 . The golf club kit of  claim 36 , wherein the face has a cavity configured to receive the insert. 
     
     
         38 . The golf club kit of  claim 36 , further comprising:
 a plurality of inserts, each configured for connection to the face, each insert having a density and a friction property, wherein at least one of the density and the friction property of each insert is lower than a density or a friction property of a portion of the face configured to border each insert.   
     
     
         39 . The golf club kit of  claim 38 , wherein the face has a cavity having a shape, each of the plurality of inserts having a shape that is the same as the shape of the cavity, such that the cavity is configured to receive each of the plurality of inserts. 
     
     
         40 . The golf club kit of  claim 36 , further comprising:
 a shaft configured for connection to the golf club head to form a golf club.