Abstract: An iron-type golf club head includes a ball striking face and a rear weight member that are engaged through one or more resilient members with a connection structure that creates a mass-damping effect at impact with a golf ball.

Abstract: A golf club head includes a face, a club head body, and a hosel. The hosel has a tubular hosel body extending along a longitudinal axis and defining a bore. The bore is configured to receive a golf club shaft or a shaft adapter. The tubular hosel body is molded from a polymeric material that includes a resin and a plurality of fibers, each fiber has a length of from about 0.01 mm to about 12 mm.

Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a head that includes a face configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face, the body being adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel thereof. The face has a thickened portion including an annular tapered area that tapers in thickness between an upper boundary and a lower boundary and encloses an elevated area bounded by the upper boundary. The upper and/or lower boundary defines a shape having two lobes, each with an outer edge with a convex profile, and a connecting portion extending between the lobes, such that the connecting portion is defined by two outer edges extending between the outer edges of the lobes, wherein at least one of the outer edges of the connecting portion has a concave outer profile.

Abstract: Golf club heads which may include an iron-type golf club head body and an adjustable member configured to be engaged with iron-type golf club head body. The adjustable member may include a first surface and a second surface. The first surface of the adjustable member may form at least a portion of the sole of the iron-type golf club head and at least a portion of the rear of iron-type golf club head when the adjustable member is engaged with the iron-type golf club head body in a first orientation. Additionally, the second surface of the adjustable member may form at least a portion of the sole of the iron-type golf club head and at least a portion of the rear of iron-type golf club head when the adjustable member is engaged with the iron-type golf club head body in a second orientation, which is different from the first orientation.

Abstract: A golf club head includes a metallic section, a polymeric section, and an adhesive material. The metallic section defines an opening and the polymeric section extends over the opening. The adhesive material is disposed between the metallic section and the polymeric section to form an adhesive joint therebetween. The adhesive joint has an adhesive retaining strength configured to inhibit the polymeric section from being detached from the metallic section when the adhesive material is at least partially cured. The metallic section and the polymeric section are also mechanically engaged with one another to form a mechanical joint therebetween having a mechanical retaining strength configured to inhibit the polymeric section from being detached from the metallic section. The adhesive retaining strength of the adhesive joint, alone, is greater than the mechanical retaining strength of the mechanical joint, alone, only when the adhesive material is at least partially cured.

Abstract: Golf club heads include at least one part having a side wall extending completely around the golf club head, wherein the side wall ends at an edge (a free end) that defines an open side of the part. An interior surface of this side wall has a draft angle of ?1° or more as it extends to its edge. In some club heads, the interior surface of at least one club head part will be shaped so that the interior surface does not converge as the side wall of that part extends to its edge. For some club head parts, the planar cross sectional area defined inside the interior surface of the part will either stay the same or get larger as one moves to the part edge. By avoiding or limiting features of negative draft angles, converging interior surfaces, and/or smaller cross sectional areas on interior surfaces of a part, manufacturing and tooling may be simplified.

Abstract: A golf club includes a shaft and a club head for a metal wood type club head. The club head includes a ball striking face, a heel, a toe, a rear, a crown, and a sole. The sole includes a forward sole surface and a rearward sole surface. The substantially horizontally-oriented forward sole surface extends rearwardly from the ball striking face to a rearward edge. The substantially horizontally-oriented rearward sole surface extends forwardly from the rear of the club head. The rearward sole surface extends over and is offset in a height direction from the rearward edge. A cavity may be located above the forward sole surface, the cavity having a rearward facing opening located below the rearward sole surface. A projection may extend rearwardly from the rearward edge beneath the rearward sole surface, the projection having sides that extend in a generally breadthwise direction.

Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club, includes a head that includes a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face. A face member formed primarily of a metallic material forms the face, and a body member is connected to the face member and extends rearward from the face member to form at least a portion of the body. The body member is formed at least partially of a polymer material, and has a doped portion containing a doping material dispersed within the polymer material. The doping material may have a different density than the polymer material, such that the doped portion has a different density than the portions of the body member not containing the doping material. A co-molding method may be used to form the ball striking device.

Abstract: Golf club heads include at least one part having a side wall extending completely around the golf club head, wherein the side wall ends at an edge (a free end) that defines an open side of the part. An interior surface of this side wall has a draft angle of ?1° or more as it extends to its edge. In some club heads, the interior surface of at least one club head part will be shaped so that the interior surface does not converge as the side wall of that part extends to its edge. For some club head parts, the planar cross sectional area defined inside the interior surface of the part will either stay the same or get larger as one moves to the part edge. By avoiding or limiting features of negative draft angles, converging interior surfaces, and/or smaller cross sectional areas on interior surfaces of a part, manufacturing and tooling may be simplified.

Abstract: A golf club includes a shaft and a club head for a metal wood type club head. The club head includes a ball striking face, a heel, a toe, a rear, a crown, and a sole. The sole includes a forward sole surface and a rearward sole surface. The substantially horizontally-oriented forward sole surface extends rearwardly from the ball striking face to a rearward edge. The substantially horizontally-oriented rearward sole surface extends forwardly from the rear of the club head. The rearward sole surface extends over and is offset in a height direction from the rearward edge. A cavity may be located above the forward sole surface, the cavity having a rearward facing opening located below the rearward sole surface. A projection may extend rearwardly from the rearward edge beneath the rearward sole surface, the projection having sides that extend in a generally breadthwise direction.

Abstract: A golf club head includes a body and a face plate insert. The body includes an annular face support having a recessed shelf configured to receive the face plate insert, and partially defining a cavity. The face plate insert includes a hitting surface and a rear surface that is opposite the hitting surface. The face plate insert is disposed within the annular face such that the rear surface of the face plate insert abuts the recessed shelf. The face plate insert includes a polymeric material that is disposed across the cavity and can be at least partially exposed through a rear opening of the cavity.

Abstract: A golf club head includes a face, a club head body, and a hosel. The hosel has a tubular hosel body extending along a longitudinal axis and defining a bore. The bore is configured to receive a golf club shaft or a shaft adapter. The tubular hosel body is molded from a polymeric material that includes a resin and a plurality of fibers, each fiber has a length of from about 0.01 mm to about 12 mm.

Abstract: A golf club head includes a club face and a body. The club face is formed from a metallic material and includes a first, hitting surface, a second, rear surface that is opposite the first surface, and a flange that is separated from the second surface by a transverse distance. The body is formed from a polymeric material and includes a crown, a sole, a hosel, and a face support. The club face and the body cooperate to define a closed volume, and the face support extends to opposing sides of the flange and is operative to couple the club face to the body.

Abstract: Golf club heads which may include an iron-type golf club head body and an adjustable member configured to be engaged with iron-type golf club head body. The adjustable member may include a first surface and a second surface. The first surface of the adjustable member may form at least a portion of the sole of the iron-type golf club head and at least a portion of the rear of iron-type golf club head when the adjustable member is engaged with the iron-type golf club head body in a first orientation. Additionally, the second surface of the adjustable member may form at least a portion of the sole of the iron-type golf club head and at least a portion of the rear of iron-type golf club head when the adjustable member is engaged with the iron-type golf club head body in a second orientation, which is different from the first orientation.

Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a head that includes a face configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face, the body being adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel thereof. The face has a thickened portion including an annular tapered area that tapers in thickness between an upper boundary and a lower boundary and encloses an elevated area bounded by the upper boundary. The upper and/or lower boundary defines a shape having two lobes, each with an outer edge with a convex profile, and a connecting portion extending between the lobes, such that the connecting portion is defined by two outer edges extending between the outer edges of the lobes, wherein at least one of the outer edges of the connecting portion has a concave outer profile.

Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club, includes a head that includes a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face. A face member formed primarily of a metallic material forms the face, and a body member is connected to the face member and extends rearward from the face member to form at least a portion of the body. The body member is formed at least partially of a polymer material, and has a doped portion containing a doping material dispersed within the polymer material. The doping material may have a different density than the polymer material, such that the doped portion has a different density than the portions of the body member not containing the doping material. A co-molding method may be used to form the ball striking device.

Abstract: Golf club heads include a golf club head body, a ball striking face, and a shaft engaging member configured to engage a golf club shaft with the golf club head body. Additionally, the shaft engaging member may be configured to engage the golf club head body and the shaft below a center of gravity of the golf club head, and/or the shaft engaging member may have rotational locking structure that can be locked in a plurality of positions. Further, the golf club head may include a face member and a rear member, where the rear member is configured to transfer energy and/or momentum to the face member, particularly on off-center hits.

Abstract: A golf club head includes a face, a club head body, and a hosel. The hosel has a tubular hosel body extending along a longitudinal axis and defining a bore. The bore is configured to receive a golf club shaft or a shaft adapter. The tubular hosel body is molded from a polymeric material that includes a resin and a plurality of fibers, each fiber has a length of from about 0.01 mm to about 12 mm.

Abstract: A golf club head includes a body and a face plate insert. The body includes an annular face support having a recessed shelf configured to receive the face plate insert, and partially defining a central cavity. The face plate insert includes a hitting surface and a rear surface that is opposite the hitting surface. The face plate insert is disposed within the annular face such that the rear surface of the face plate insert abuts the recessed shelf. The face plate insert includes a polymeric material that is disposed across the cavity and that has a tensile strength of at least about 220 MPa.

Abstract: In general, aspects of this invention relate to golf clubs or golf club components incorporating adjustment members that permit ready adjustability of golf club parameters and/or interchangeability of golf club components to change a golf club configuration, and methods for providing golf clubs. According to aspects of this invention, an adjustment member may be utilized to allow the adjustability of a golf club parameter to change a golf club configuration, while ensuring there is substantially no change to other club or club head variables, parameters or characteristics. According to another aspect of this invention, an adjustment member may be utilized to allow the adjustability of two golf club parameters independently to change a golf club configuration, while ensuring there is substantially no change to other club or club head variables, parameters or characteristics.