Golf Club Head or Other Ball Striking Device Having Impact-Influencing Body Features

Abstract

A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball; an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole, wherein the sole is made of a plurality of materials where one material has a lower modulus of elasticity than the remainder of the sole. The sole has an elongated channel recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and may be made entirely or partially from a material with a lower modulus of material than the remainder of the sole. The flexibility of the elongated channel and lower modulus material helps to improve the efficiency of the impact with a golf ball.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a club head body member made of a first material comprising a heel, a toe, a portion of a crown, and a portion of a sole;   a face member made of a second material comprising a portion of the striking face and a portion of the crown adjacent to the striking face; and   an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole in a heel-to-toe direction, wherein the elongated channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and has a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole,   wherein the sole comprises a plurality of materials such that the elongated channel is made of a third material.   
     
     
         2 . A golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the third material has a modulus of elasticity that is lower than a modulus of elasticity of the first material. 
     
     
         3 . A golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated channel has a front edge, a rear edge, and a width defined between the front edge and the rear edge, wherein the width of the elongated channel is substantially constant. 
     
     
         4 . A golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the second material is a beta-titanium alloy. 
     
     
         5 . A golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the second and third materials have a modulus of elasticity that is lower than a modulus of elasticity of the first material. 
     
     
         6 . A golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein the modulus of elasticity of the third material is lower than the modulus of elasticity of the second material. 
     
     
         7 . A golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the third material is gum metal. 
     
     
         8 . A golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the first material is a titanium alloy. 
     
     
         9 . A golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the third material has a forward edge located a distance measured from the sole-intersection point between in the Y-Axis direction between 5 mm and 20 mm. 
     
     
         10 . A golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the third material has a center width measured in the Y-Axis direction between 10 mm and 28 mm. 
     
     
         11 . A golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the third material has a ratio of center width compared to club head breadth when measured in the Y-Axis direction of ratio of 1:3.5 to 1:13. 
     
     
         12 . A golf club head comprising:
 a club head body member made of a first material comprising a heel, a toe, a portion of a crown, a portion of a sole, and a portion of a striking face extending from the heel and the toe;   a face member made of a second material comprising a portion of the striking face and a portion of the crown adjacent to the striking face; and   an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole in a heel-to-toe direction having a front side wall, a rear side wall and a connecting wall between the front side wall and the rear side wall, wherein the elongated channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and has a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole,   wherein the elongated channel comprises a plurality of materials such that a portion of the front side wall, a portion of the rear side wall, and the connecting wall are a third material.   
     
     
         13 . A golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the third material has a modulus of elasticity that is lower than a modulus of elasticity of the first material. 
     
     
         14 . A golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the third material is gum metal. 
     
     
         15 . A golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the front side wall is longer in length than the rear side wall. 
     
     
         16 . A golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the connecting wall has a thickness less than or equal to the thickness of the front side wall and the rear side wall. 
     
     
         17 . A golf club head comprising:
 a club head body member made of a first material comprising a heel, a toe, a portion of a crown, a portion of a sole;   a face member made of a second material comprising a portion of the striking face; and   an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole in a heel-to-toe direction, wherein the elongated channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and has a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole,   wherein the sole comprises a plurality of materials such that the elongated channel is made of a third material and at least a portion of two of the adjacent surfaces to the elongated channel are made of the third material.   
     
     
         18 . A golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein the third material has a modulus of elasticity that is lower than a modulus of elasticity of the first material. 
     
     
         19 . A golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein the elongated channel has a front edge, a rear edge, and a width defined between the front and rear edges, wherein the width of the elongated channel is substantially constant. 
     
     
         20 . A golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein the second material is a beta-titanium alloy. 
     
     
         21 . A golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein the second and third materials have a modulus of elasticity that is lower than a modulus of elasticity of the first material. 
     
     
         22 . A golf club head of  claim 21 , wherein the third material has a modulus of elasticity that is lower than a modulus of elasticity of the second material. 
     
     
         23 . A golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein the third material is gum metal. 
     
     
         24 . A golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein the first material and the second material are the same material. 
     
     
         25 . A golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein the third material has a forward edge located a distance measured from the sole-intersection point between in the Y-Axis direction between 5 mm and 20 mm. 
     
     
         26 . A golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein the third material has a center width measured in the Y-Axis direction between 10 mm and 28 mm. 
     
     
         27 . A method of forming a golf club head, comprising:
 forming a golf club head body of a first material comprising a heel, a toe, a portion of a crown, and a portion of a sole;   forming a face member of a second material comprising a ball striking surface; and   forming an elongated channel in a sole member of a third material where the third material includes a portion of the adjacent surfaces to the elongated channel,   wherein the golf club head body, the face member, and the sole member are integrally joined together.   
     
     
         28 . A method of  claim 27 , wherein the third material has a modulus of elasticity that is lower than a modulus of elasticity of the first material. 
     
     
         29 . A method of  claim 27 , wherein the first material is a titanium alloy. 
     
     
         30 . A method of  claim 27 , wherein the third material is a beta-titanium alloy. 
     
     
         31 . A method of  claim 27 , wherein the third material is gum metal. 
     
     
         32 . A method of  claim 27 , wherein the face member comprises a portion of the ball striking surface and a portion of the crown. 
     
     
         33 . A method of  claim 27 , wherein the golf club head body, the face member, and the sole member are welded together. 
     
     
         34 . A method of  claim 27 , wherein the golf club head body and the sole member are brazed together. 
     
     
         35 . A method of  claim 27 , wherein the golf club head body and the sole member are adhesively joined together. 
     
     
         36 . A golf club head comprising:
 a club head body member made of a first material comprising a heel, a toe, a portion of a crown, and a portion of a sole;   a face member made of a second material comprising a portion of the striking face and a portion of the crown adjacent to the striking face;   an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole in a heel-to-toe direction, wherein the elongated channel has is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and has a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole,   wherein the sole comprises a plurality of materials such that the elongated channel and a portion of the adjacent surfaces of the sole are made of a third material,   wherein the third material has a ratio of center width compared to club head breadth when measured in the Y-Axis direction of ratio of 1:3.5 to 1:13,   wherein the third material has a modulus of elasticity that is lower than a modulus of elasticity of the first material.