Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, includes a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face. The body has an impact-influencing structure in the form of a channel positioned on at least one surface of the body. A majority of a force generated by impact with a ball is absorbed by the impact-influencing structure, and a majority of a response force generated by the head upon impact with the ball is generated by the impact-influencing structure. The face may have increased stiffness as compared to existing faces, and may include a stiffening structure to create the increased stiffness, such as a porous or cellular stiffening structure.

Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, includes a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face. The body has an impact-influencing structure in the form of a channel positioned on at least one surface of the body. A majority of a force generated by impact with a ball is absorbed by the impact-influencing structure, and a majority of a response force generated by the head upon impact with the ball is generated by the impact-influencing structure. The face may have increased stiffness as compared to existing faces, and may include a stiffening structure to create the increased stiffness, such as a porous or cellular stiffening structure.

Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball, a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face, the body having a crown, a sole, a heel, and a toe, a void defined on the sole of the body, and at least one external rib is positioned within the void. A ratio of cross-sectional area moment of inertia Ix-x with and without the at least one external rib is greater than a ratio of cross-sectional area moment of inertia Iz-z with and without the at least one external rib when measured at a location defined by a distance from a forward most edge of the golf club head measuring 60 percent of a breadth dimension.

Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball, a channel extending across a portion of the sole, wherein the channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and/or a void defined on the sole of the body. The channel has width defined in a front to rear direction and a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole at a vertical plane passing through the face center, wherein a ratio of the width to the depth is approximately 3.5:1 to 4.5:1.

Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball, and a channel extending across a portion of the sole. The channel extends across a portion of the sole in a heel to toe direction, wherein the channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and has a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole, wherein the channel comprises a center portion extending across a center of the sole, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe, wherein the width of the center portion of the channel is substantially constant, and the width of the channel at the heel and toe portions increases from the heel end of the center portion toward the heel and from the toe end of the center portion toward the toe.

Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball, a channel extending across a portion of the sole, wherein the channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole, and/or a void defined on the sole of the body, wherein the channel has width defined in a front to rear direction and a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole at a vertical plane passing through the face center, wherein a ratio of the width to the depth is about 0.8:1 to 1.2:1.

Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a channel extending across a portion of the sole. The channel may be recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and have a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole, wherein the channel comprises a center portion extending across a center of the sole, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe, wherein the width and the depth of the center portion of the channel are substantially constant, and wherein the depth of the channel is greater at the heel and toe portions than at the center portion.

Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a channel extending across a portion of the sole. The channel may be recessed from the sole and have a depth, wherein the channel comprises a center portion extending across a center of the sole, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe. The channel may have a width defined between a front edge and a rear edge, and a cross-sectional shape, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the center portion of the channel is substantially semi-circular, and wherein the cross-sectional shape of the channel is different at the heel and toe portions than at the center portion.

Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball, a channel extending across a portion of the sole, wherein the channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole, a void defined on the sole of the body, and/or at least one external rib connected to the cover and extending downward from the cover. The at least one external rib may include a first external rib and a second external rib wherein each external rib is connected to the cover and extends downward from the cover, such that the external ribs are positioned within the void.

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: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball; a channel extending across a portion of the sole, wherein the channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole; a void defined on the sole of the body and a cover defining a top of the void; and a first external rib and a second external rib wherein each external rib is connected to the cover and extends downward from the cover, such that the external ribs are positioned within the void. The channel has a width and a depth, wherein the channel comprises a center portion, a heel portion, and a toe portion, and wherein at least one or both of the width and the depth of the channel is greater at the heel portion and the toe portion than at the center portion.

Abstract: A ball striking device has a face with a striking surface and a body extending rearwardly from the outer periphery of the face. A channel extends across at least a portion of the sole, and includes a trough defined between front and rear edges and extending in a heel-toe direction. The body further includes a spacing portion that forms a generally flattened surface extending from the front edge to proximate the outer periphery of the face. The rear edge of the channel is spaced rearwardly a different distance from the outer periphery of the face at the center portion of the channel as compared to the heel portion and/or the toe portion. One or more stiffening ribs may also be provided rearwardly of the channel, to increase the stiffness of the sole.

Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club, includes a head with a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball, a body connected to the face, and a channel located in the body. The channel is configured to influence the characteristics of the impact of a ball on the face, such as by flexing or compressing in response to the force of the impact, exerting a response or reaction force on the face, changing the motion or behavior of the face, and other manners. The head may also include a pair of channels that have a gap between them.

Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club, includes a head with a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball, a body connected to the face, an elongated, inwardly recessed channel located on the body and extending across a portion of the body, and an insert mounted within the channel. The insert includes a resiliently deflectable base member that engages the channel to retain the insert within the channel and a rigid outer member connected to the base member and forming at least a portion of the outer surface of the insert, where the outer member is made from a different material than the base member. Additionally, the insert has an outer surface that is substantially flush with at least one immediately adjacent surface of 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: Golf club heads are releasably engaged with shafts so that the club heads and shafts can be readily interchanged and/or so that the shaft position with respect to the club head can be readily changed. Assemblies for connecting the club head and shaft may include: a shaft adapter, a collet, a ferrule, and a club head having an interior chamber. The club head and shaft may be changed by releasing the securing system and exchanging the original parts with different parts.

Abstract: A golf club includes a shaft and a club head for a metal wood type club. 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: Golf club heads are releasably engaged with shafts so that the club heads and shafts can be readily interchanged and/or so that the shaft position with respect to the club head can be readily changed. Assemblies for connecting the club head and shaft may include: a shaft adapter, a collet, a ferrule, and a club head having an interior chamber. The club head and shaft may be changed by releasing the securing system and exchanging the original parts with different parts.

Abstract: Golf club heads (e.g., drivers, fairway woods, wood-type hybrid clubs, or the like) according to at least some example aspects of this invention include a striking face and a rear portion opposite the striking face, the rear portion defining an opening to an interior cavity. A rear body member configured to be inserted into the opening is engaged with the rear portion of the club head. The rear body member may include multiple rear body parts that may be removable and/or interchangeable to permit flexibility in controlling the weight distribution of the golf club head.

Abstract: A ball striking device, such as an iron-type golf club head, includes a face having a ball striking surface and a rear surface, and a body connected to the face. The body has a sole member and a rear cavity defined at least partially by the sole member and the rear surface of the face. The body has an elongated, recessed channel extending within the cavity along a juncture line between the rear surface of the face and the sole member. Additionally, the head is formed in part by a face member having a first leg forming at least a major portion of the face and a second leg extending rearwardly from a bottom end of the first leg and forming at least a portion of the sole member. The head may further be formed by a body member connected to the face member.