Abstract: A sole board for an article of footwear includes a plate that has a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region. The sole board includes a channel disposed in a top surface of the plate in the forefoot region. The channel extends from a lateral edge of the plate to a medial edge of the plate. A characteristic of the channel at the lateral and medial edges of the plate is different than the characteristic of the channel at a middle of the channel.

Abstract: A sole board for an article of footwear includes a plate that has a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region. The sole board includes a channel disposed in a top surface of the plate in the forefoot region. The channel extends from a lateral edge of the plate to a medial edge of the plate. A characteristic of the channel at the lateral and medial edges of the plate is different than the characteristic of the channel at a middle of the channel.

Abstract: Described are methods of estimating a physical property associated with a region of a sports article. The method includes determining a plurality of structural features within the region, determining, for each structural feature, a feature value, mapping each feature value to a physical property, wherein the mapping is based on a machine learning algorithm from a limited plurality of samples, and wherein each sample associates a feature value with a value of the physical property, and using the mapping to estimate the physical property for the region.

Abstract: A sole board for an article of footwear includes a plate that has a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region. The sole board includes a channel disposed in a top surface of the plate in the forefoot region. The channel extends from a lateral edge of the plate to a medial edge of the plate. A characteristic of the channel at the lateral and medial edges of the plate is different than the characteristic of the channel at a middle of the channel.

Abstract: A sole board for an article of footwear includes a plate that has a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region. The sole board includes a channel disposed in a top surface of the plate in the forefoot region. The channel extends from a lateral edge of the plate to a medial edge of the plate. A characteristic of the channel at the lateral and medial edges of the plate is different than the characteristic of the channel at a middle of the channel.

Abstract: Described are methods of estimating a physical property associated with a region of a sports article. The method includes determining a plurality of structural features within the region, determining, for each structural feature, a feature value, mapping each feature value to a physical property, wherein the mapping is based on a machine learning algorithm from a limited plurality of samples, and wherein each sample associates a feature value with a value of the physical property, and using the mapping to estimate the physical property for the region.

Abstract: Described are methods of manufacturing at least part of a sports article. The method includes determining a set of physical parameters of the sports article, wherein the set including a first group and a second group. The method further includes determining a set of constraints for the first group of physical parameters, wherein the set of constraints is intended to achieve at least one objective function. Moreover, method further includes determining an optimum for the at least one objective function, which is determined by optimizing the second group of physical parameters and manufacturing the part of the sports article according to the set of constraints and the second group of optimal physical parameters.

Abstract: A sole board for an article of footwear includes a plate that has a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region. The sole board includes a channel disposed in a top surface of the plate in the forefoot region. The channel extends from a lateral edge of the plate to a medial edge of the plate. A characteristic of the channel at the lateral and medial edges of the plate is different than the characteristic of the channel at a middle of the channel.

Abstract: A sole board for an article of footwear includes a plate that has a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region. The sole board includes a channel disposed in a top surface of the plate in the forefoot region. The channel extends from a lateral edge of the plate to a medial edge of the plate. A characteristic of the channel at the lateral and medial edges of the plate is different than the characteristic of the channel at a middle of the channel.

Abstract: A sole board for an article of footwear includes a plate that has a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region. The sole board includes a channel disposed in a top surface of the plate in the forefoot region. The channel extends from a lateral edge of the plate to a medial edge of the plate. A characteristic of the channel at the lateral and medial edges of the plate is different than the characteristic of the channel at a middle of the channel.

Abstract: Described are embodiments of wedge-type golf clubs that include a counterbalance weight located at the butt end of the shaft. The shaft and/or grip of disclosed clubs can have reduced mass while the club head and the butt of the shaft can have increased mass compared to conventional clubs, which provides a similar overall total mass but with an increase in the moment of inertia (MOI). The increase in MOI compared to a conventional club of similar style and mass can provide increased swing stability during a stroke, decreasing unintentional waggling about the hand grip fulcrum. The added weight in the head and the added weight in the butt of the shaft can counterbalance each other so that the overall swingweight of the club can be about the same as for a conventional, non-counterbalanced club having the same total mass, thereby providing a familiar feel and easy playability.