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 the sole has an elongated channel recessed from adjacent surfaces. The elongated channel is made of a plurality of materials such that the materials making up the elongated channel have a lower modulus of elasticity than the modulus of elasticity of the material remainder of the sole. The lower modulus materials help to control the flexibility of the elongated channel, which can 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, a portion of a sole;   a face member made of a second material comprising a central 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 plurality of side walls and a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole,   wherein the sole comprises a plurality of materials with the elongated channel and the adjacent surfaces comprising a third material and a fourth material and the remainder of the sole comprising the first material,   wherein the adjacent surfaces of the elongated channel and a portion of the side walls of the elongated channel are made of the third material and the remainder of the elongated channel is made of the fourth 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 2 , wherein the fourth material has a modulus of elasticity that is lower than a modulus of elasticity of the third material. 
     
     
         4 . 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 and rear edges, wherein the width of the elongated channel is substantially constant. 
     
     
         5 . A golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the third material is a beta-titanium alloy. 
     
     
         6 . A golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the second material has a modulus of elasticity that is lower than a modulus of elasticity of the first material. 
     
     
         7 . A golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the fourth material is gum metal. 
     
     
         8 . 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 central 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 plurality of side walls and a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole,   wherein the sole comprises a plurality of materials with the elongated channel and the adjacent surfaces comprising a third material and a fourth material and the remainder of the sole comprising the first material,   wherein the adjacent surfaces of the elongated channel and a portion of the side walls of the elongated channel are made of the third material and the remainder of the elongated channel is made of the fourth material.   
     
     
         9 . A golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein the third material has a modulus of elasticity that is lower than a modulus of elasticity of the first material. 
     
     
         10 . A golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein the fourth material has a modulus of elasticity that is lower than a modulus of elasticity of the third material. 
     
     
         11 . A golf club head of  claim 8 , 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. 
     
     
         12 . A golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein the third material is a beta-titanium alloy. 
     
     
         13 . A golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein the fourth material is gum metal. 
     
     
         14 . 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 central 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 plurality of side walls and a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole,   wherein the sole comprises a plurality of materials where the elongated channel and the adjacent surfaces comprises a second material and a third material and the remainder of the sole comprising the first material,   wherein the adjacent surfaces of the elongated channel and a portion of the side walls of the elongated channel are made of the third material and a connecting member attached to the side walls is made of the fourth material,   wherein the fourth material has a modulus of elasticity lower than the third material and the third material has a modulus of elasticity lower than the first material.   
     
     
         15 . A golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein the third material is gum metal. 
     
     
         16 . A golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein the third material is non-metallic. 
     
     
         17 . A golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein the connecting member has an asymmetrical cross-sectional profile. 
     
     
         18 . A golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein the connecting member covers an opening to an interior cavity of the golf club head body. 
     
     
         19 . A golf club head of  claim 14 , 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 14 , wherein the connecting member has a cross-sectional shape that is substantially U-shaped. 
     
     
         21 . 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;   forming a first sole member of a third material comprising a portion of the sole; and   forming a second sole member of a fourth material comprising a portion of the sole,   wherein the golf club head body, the face member, and the first sole member and the second sole member are integrally joined together,   wherein the first sole member and second sole member are joined to form an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole in a heel-to-toe direction.   
     
     
         22 . A method of  claim 21 , wherein the fourth material has a modulus of elasticity lower than a modulus of elasticity of the first material. 
     
     
         23 . A method of  claim 21 , wherein the fourth material has a modulus of elasticity lower than a modulus of elasticity of the third material. 
     
     
         24 . A method of  claim 21 , wherein the first material is a titanium alloy. 
     
     
         25 . A method of  claim 21 , wherein the third material is a beta-titanium alloy. 
     
     
         26 . A method of  claim 21 , wherein the third material is gum metal. 
     
     
         27 . A method of  claim 21 , wherein the face member comprises a portion of the ball striking surface and a portion of the crown. 
     
     
         28 . A method of  claim 21 , wherein the golf club head body, the face member, and the sole member are welded together. 
     
     
         29 . A method of  claim 21 , wherein the golf club head body and the sole member are brazed together. 
     
     
         30 . A method of  claim 21 , wherein the golf club head body and the sole member are adhesively joined together. 
     
     
         31 . 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 plurality of side walls and a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole,   wherein the sole comprises a plurality of materials with the elongated channel and the adjacent surfaces comprising a third material and a fourth material and the remainder of the sole comprising the first material,   wherein the adjacent surfaces of the elongated channel and a portion of the side walls of the elongated channel are made of the third material and the remainder of the elongated channel is made of the fourth material,   wherein the third material has a modulus of elasticity that is lower than a modulus of elasticity of the first material,   wherein the fourth material has a modulus of elasticity that is lower than a modulus of elasticity of the 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 between 1:3.5 and 1:13.