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 on 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 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: 
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a sole;   a club head body made of a first material comprising a heel, a toe, a portion of a crown, and a first sole portion;   wherein the first sole portion comprises a majority of the sole;   a face member made of a second material comprising a portion of a ball striking face and a portion of the crown adjacent to the ball striking face; and   a second sole member made from a third material coupled to the club head body to form a second portion of the sole, the second sole member comprising:
 a forward most edge coupled to a forward portion of the first sole portion; 
 a rearward most edge coupled to a rearward portion of the first sole portion; 
 a first width defined by the forward most edge and the rearward most edge; 
 a front edge, rearward of the forward most edge; 
 a rear edge, forward of the rearward most edge; 
 a first adjacent sole surface located between the forward most edge and the front edge and forms a portion of an outer surface of the sole; 
 a second adjacent sole surface located between the rearward most edge and the rear edge and forms another portion of an outer surface of the sole; 
 a channel disposed between the forward most edge of and the rearward most edge and recessed from both the first adjacent sole surface and the second adjacent sole surface, 
 the channel formed by a front side wall, a rear side wall, and a connecting wall extending between the front side wall and the rear side wall; 
 the channel defined by a second width measured between the front edge and the rear edge;
 the front edge defined by a forward radii endpoint as the channel begins to be recessed from the first adjacent sole surface; and 
 the rear edge defined by a rearward radii endpoint as the channel begins to be recessed from the second adjacent sole surface. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the golf club head defines a coordinate system wherein an origin located at a ground plane origin point has an x-axis parallel to a ground plane and generally parallel to the ball striking face, a y-axis is perpendicular to the x-axis and parallel to the ground plane extending towards a rear of the golf club head, and a z-axis is perpendicular to the ground plane extending vertically; and wherein a first forward edge location is defined in the y-axis direction from a sole-ball striking face intersection to the forward most edge in a range of 3 mm to 25 mm. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a maximum first width of the second sole member is in a range between 8 mm and 35 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the channel comprises a toe portion, a center portion, and a heel portion. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein a wall thickness of the channel at the center portion is smaller than the wall thickness of the channel at the toe portion and at the heel portion. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the connecting wall forms a deepest portion of the channel. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a wall thickness of the channel may be in a range from 0.3 mm to 2.0 mm. 
     
     
         8 . 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. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the second material is a beta-titanium alloy. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the second and third materials have a modulus of elasticity that is lower than the first material. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the third material is gum metal. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the second width of the channel is substantially constant. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the first material is a titanium alloy. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the third material has a forward edge located a distance measured from a sole-intersection point between 5 mm and 20 mm in a front to rear direction.