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 has an elongated channel recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole that has a plurality of troughs within the channel to help improve the efficiency of the impact with a golf ball.

1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a toe, a heel, a front, a rear, a crown, a sole;   a club head body member made of a first material comprising the heel, the toe, a portion of the crown, and a portion of the sole;   a face member made of a second material comprising a portion of a 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 an elongated channel length is measured 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 elongated channel and portions of the sole adjacent to the elongated channel comprise a third material;   wherein the elongated channel consists of a forward trough and a rear trough;   wherein the forward trough comprises a forward trough length measured in a heel-to-toe direction;   wherein the rear trough comprises a rear trough length measured in a heel-to-toe direction;   wherein the forward trough and the rear trough are open to an exterior of the golf club head;   wherein a forward trough width is measured in a front-to-rear direction;   wherein a rear trough width is measured in a front-to-rear direction;   wherein the forward trough and a center portion of the rear trough have equal cross-sectional shapes, but heel and toe portions of the rear trough have a width larger than the forward trough widths at heel and toe portions of the forward trough;   wherein the forward trough comprises a forward trough wall thickness and the rear trough comprises a rear trough wall thickness;   wherein the forward trough wall thickness is less than the rear wall trough thickness;   wherein the forward trough has a forward trough front wall and a forward trough rear wall;   wherein the rear trough has a rear trough front wall and a rear trough rear wall;   wherein the forward trough rear wall and the rear trough front wall meet at an inflection point along the rear trough length;   wherein the forward trough rear wall and the rear trough front wall form an interior trough open to the interior of the golf club head such that the forward trough rear wall and the rear trough front wall slope in opposite directions away from each other in relationship to the inflection point;   wherein the depth of recession is in a range of 2 mm to 5 mm.   
     
     
         2 . The 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 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a depth of the forward trough is greater than a depth of the rear trough. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the first material has a modulus of elasticity that is greater than either of the second material or the third material. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the third material is gum metal. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the third material forming the elongated channel and portions of the sole adjacent the elongated channel has a forward edge located a distance measured from a sole-intersection point in a Y-Axis direction between 5 mm and 20 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the forward trough comprises a trough toe portion, a trough center portion, and a trough heel portion having a trough toe portion length, a trough center portion length, and a trough heel portion length. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein the rear trough is positioned adjacent to the trough center portion and wherein the rear trough length is the same as the trough center portion length such that the rear trough does not extend toeward of the trough center portion and does not extend heelward of the trough center portion. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein widths of the trough toe and heel portions increase at a linear rate relative to a rear side wall of the forward trough. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated channel has a forward edge located a distance measured from a sole-intersection point in a Y-axis direction between 5 mm and 20 mm.