Golf Club Head or Other Ball Striking Device Having Reinforced Sole

Abstract

A head for a ball striking device includes a bracing member connected to an upper sole surface located on the sole of the body opposite the bottom sole surface. The bracing member includes a first end connected to a first point on the upper sole surface, a second end connected to a second point on the upper sole surface spaced from the first point, and a bridge portion extending between the first and second ends. The bridge portion extends upward from the upper sole surface and is spaced from the upper sole surface. The bridge portion may be formed by one or more trusses, and may define a generally triangular shape in one embodiment. The first and second ends may be connected to the upper sole surface using a variety of techniques, e.g., welding or other integral joining technique, integral forming, adhesive or other bonding material, or other technique. The location of the bracing member may be determined using a modal analysis to determine a maximum displacement region.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball and a rear surface opposite the outer surface;   a body joined to the face around peripheral edges of the face and extending rearwardly from the face, the body having a sole with a bottom sole surface configured to confront a playing surface; and   a bracing member connected to an inner body surface of the body, the bracing member comprising a first end connected to a first point on the inner body surface, a second end connected to a second point on the inner body surface spaced from the first point, and a bridge portion extending between the first end and the second end, the bridge portion extending away from the inner body surface and being spaced from the inner body surface and spaced away from a rear surface of the face,   wherein a location of the first point is within 5 mm of a geometric center of a maximum displacement region of a mode shape of the body identified prior to connecting the bracing member.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the first end of the bracing member is connected to an upper sole surface and the second end of the bracing member is connected to the upper sole surface. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the first end of the bracing member is connected to a lower crown surface and the second end of the bracing member is connected to the lower crown surface. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the bracing member comprises a first leg having the first end and a first distal end opposite the first end and a second leg having the second end and a second distal end opposite the second end, wherein the first leg and the second leg extend away from the inner body surface to form at least a portion of the bridge portion. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the bracing member comprises a plurality of legs, including a first leg having the first end and a first distal end opposite the first end, a second leg having the second end and a second distal end opposite the second end, a third leg having a third end connected to a third point on the inner body surface that is spaced from the first and second points and a third distal end opposite the third end, wherein the first, second, and third legs extend away from the inner body surface to form at least a portion of the bridge portion. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein the first leg is joined to the second leg at the first and second distal ends, and the first and second legs define a generally triangular shape, and wherein the first end, the second end, and the first and second distal ends combined form three corners of the generally triangular shape. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the bracing member has a portion formed from a polymer and connected to the golf club head using an adhesive. 
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 providing a golf club head comprising a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball and a rear surface opposite the outer surface, a body configured to be joined to the face around peripheral edges of the face and extend rearwardly from the face, the body having a sole with a bottom sole surface configured to confront a playing surface, and a crown with an upper crown configured to confront a playing surface;   determining natural frequencies and mode shapes of the golf club head from a modal analysis; and   identifying a first mode shape with a corresponding first natural frequency less than 2500 Hz;   connecting a first end of a bracing member to a first point on an inner body surface located within 5 mm of a geometric center of a maximum displacement region of a mode shape of the sole and   connecting a second end of the bracing member to a second point on the inner body surface spaced from the first point;   wherein the bracing member comprises a bridge portion extending between the first end and the second end, the bridge portion extending away from the inner body surface and being spaced from the inner body surface and spaced away from the rear surface.   
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein the first point is on an upper sole surface and the second point is located on the upper sole surface. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein the first point is located on a lower crown surface and the second point is located on the lower crown surface. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first point is located on an upper sole surface and the second point is located on a lower crown surface. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the modal analysis is performed using a finite element analysis of a CAD model of the golf club head. 
     
     
         13 . A golf club head comprising:
 a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball and a rear surface opposite the outer surface;   a body joined to the face around peripheral edges of the face and extending rearwardly from the face, the body having a sole with a bottom sole surface configured to confront a playing surface; and   a bracing member connected to an inner body surface, the bracing member comprising a spine member spaced from the inner body surface and a plurality of legs connected to the spine member and extending outwardly and away from the spine member, with each of the legs having a lower end connected to the inner body surface,   wherein the plurality of legs comprises a first leg and a second leg arranged as a pair and extending outwardly from opposite lateral sides of the spine member at a first location along a length of the spine member, and a third leg and a fourth leg arranged as a second pair and extending outwardly from the opposite lateral sides of the spine member at a second location along the length of the spine member, and   wherein the golf club head has a volume of at least 400 cc; and   wherein a portion of the spine member is positioned over a location within 5 mm of a geometric center of a maximum displacement region of a mode shape having a natural frequency less than 2500 Hz of the body identified prior to connecting the bracing member.   
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the lower end of each of the first leg, the second leg, the third leg, and the fourth leg connect to separate points on an upper sole surface that are spaced from each other. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the lower end of each of the first leg, the second leg, the third leg, and the fourth leg connect to separate points on a lower crown surface that are spaced from each other. 
     
     
         16 . A golf club head comprising:
 a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball and a rear surface opposite the outer surface;   a body joined to the face around peripheral edges of the face and extending rearwardly from the face, the body having a sole with a bottom sole surface configured to confront a playing surface; and   a bracing member connected to an inner body surface, the bracing member comprising a first end connected to a first point on the inner body surface, a second end connected to a second point on the inner body surface spaced from the first point, and a bridge portion extending between the first end and the second end, the bridge portion extending away from the inner body surface and being spaced from the inner body surface,   wherein the golf club head has a first natural frequency corresponding to a first mode shape that is at least 200 Hz lower when measured prior to connecting the bracing member to the inner body surface than a second natural frequency corresponding to a second mode shape after connecting the bracing member, wherein the first mode shape and the second mode shape correspond to a same mode shape measured before and after the bracing member is connected.   
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 16 , wherein the first point is located on an upper sole surface and the second point is located on the upper sole surface. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 16 , wherein the first point is located on a lower crown surface and the second point is located on the lower crown surface. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 16 , wherein the first point of the bracing member is located on an upper sole surface and the second point is located on a lower crown surface. 
     
     
         20 . A golf club head comprising:
 a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball and a rear surface opposite the outer surface;   a body joined to the face around peripheral edges of the face and extending rearwardly from the face, the body having a sole with a bottom sole surface configured to confront a playing surface; and   a bracing member connected to an inner body surface, the bracing member comprising a spine member spaced from the inner body surface and a plurality of legs connected to the spine member and extending outwardly and away from the spine member, with each of the legs having an end connected to the inner body surface,   wherein the plurality of legs comprises a first leg and a second leg arranged as a pair and extending outwardly from opposite lateral sides of the spine member at a first location along a length of the spine member, and a third leg and a fourth leg arranged as a second pair and extending outwardly from the opposite lateral sides of the spine member at a second location along the length of the spine member, and   wherein the golf club head has a volume of at least 400 cc;   wherein the golf club head has a first natural frequency corresponding to a first mode shape prior to connecting the bracing member to the inner body surface, wherein the golf club head has a second natural frequency corresponding to a second mode shape that is at least 200 Hz higher than the first natural frequency after connecting the bracing member, wherein the first mode shape and the second mode shape correspond to a same mode shape measured before and after the bracing member is connected.   
     
     
         21 . The golf club head of  claim 20 , wherein the first leg, the second leg, the third leg, and the fourth leg connect to an upper sole surface. 
     
     
         22 . The golf club head of  claim 20 , wherein the first leg, the second leg, the third leg, and the fourth leg connect to a lower crown surface.