Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, includes a face having a ball striking surface, an inner surface opposite the ball striking surface, and a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face. The head has a deformation limiting member located behind the face and having an end spaced a distance from the inner surface of the face. The face and the deformation limiting member are adapted such that an impact of the ball on the ball striking surface causes deformation of the face toward the deformation limiting member. When the deformation of the face is sufficient to cause the inner surface of the face to engage the deformation limiting member, the deformation limiting member exerts a force on the face to resist further deformation of the face.

Abstract: A golf putter having a shaft and a putting head connected to the shaft, where the putting head is configured with one or more flat faces to emit different sounds depending on whether the golfer has hit the sweet spot of the putter. In addition, the putter may have concave faces as an alternative means for training the golfer to hit the sweet spot of the putter.

Abstract: A hollow golf club head incorporating a stress reducing feature including a crown located stress reducing feature. The location and size of the crown stress reducing feature, and their relationship to one another and other club head engineering variables, play a significant role in selectively increasing deflection of the face.

Abstract: A golf club head is described, in one embodiment, including a body with an exterior surface defining a first body volume of at least about 400 cm3. The body has a bottom portion, a top portion, a front portion, and a back portion. A face positioned at the front portion of the body and is configured to receive an impact. A top portion silhouette profile located along a perimeter of the top portion is further described. The top portion silhouette profile defines the outer bounds of the top portion in an X-direction and Y-direction. At least one indentation is located on the bottom portion below the crown silhouette profile. The removal of the at least one indentation from the bottom portion creates a second body volume that is at least 12 cm3 larger than the first body volume.

Abstract: Golf clubs and golf club heads, such as putter heads, may include a putter body and an insert forming a ball striking face and engaged with the putter body. Portions of the insert may be formed of a metal material, while portions of the insert may be formed of a polymer material. The insert may include a base portion having grooves formed therein. This base may be joined with another material to form the insert. In some arrangements, the insert may be a two-sided, reversible construction and may have different performance characteristics associated with each side of the insert. Methods for making such putter devices are also described.

Abstract: A unique quiet reliable golf club having a Clean Burning Vortex Generator capable of varying the degree of kinetic energy applied to driving a golf ball in a linear fashion, without swinging the club. The striker piston and cylinder are disposed within the golf club head casting that contains a silencing chamber to lower the db output level. The striker piston is propelled outward by a firing mechanism releasing kinetic energy to fire a cartridge. The cartridge injects burning gas pressure into a vortex generator, located at the breech end of the cylinder. The vortex generator eliminates unburned gas and disperses the gas according to a desired distance setting of a ball travel distance scale. The one piece striker piston is sealed with a piston ring and is movable on a hard-coat cylinder-bearing surface that eliminates lubrication for the purpose of driving a golf ball in a new sport played by non-golfers.

Abstract: A golf club head comprises has an inner surface including a back surface of the face portion that is provided with a crown-side thick-walled rib and a sole-side thick-walled rib. The crown-side thick-walled rib includes an upper face rib disposed in the face portion and extending from the central thick-walled part to a peripheral edge of the back surface of the face portion on a crown portion side, and a crown rib disposed in the crown portion and extending backwardly of the head from the upper face rib. The sole-side thick-walled rib includes a lower face rib disposed in the face portion and extending from the central thick-walled part to a peripheral edge of the back surface of the face portion on a sole portion side, and a sole rib disposed in the sole portion and extending backwardly of the head from the lower face rib.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to golf clubs or golf club heads, having an adjustable ball striking face. The golf club head includes a club head body, a ball striking face, and a brace extending from a sole of the club head body to an inner surface of the ball striking face. The brace may further include an end portion engaged with the inner surface of the ball striking face, a fixed rod located between the end portion and an inner surface of the club head at the sole, a biasing member attached to the fixed rod. The biasing member may provide a biasing force to the ball striking face such that the ball striking face is adjustable between a first direction thereby adjusting a face angle of the club head and a second direction thereby adjusting a loft angle of the club head.

Abstract: A golf club head according to one or more aspects of the present invention may include a body comprising a front surface, having an opening therein for receiving a primary insert. One or more secondary inserts may be disposed in the primary insert and may include a leading surface and a trailing surface. The trailing surface may be physically exposed to the elements and the leading surface may be physically exposed and/or visually exposed.

Abstract: Wood-type golf club heads include: (a) a club head body including heel, toe, crown, sole, and weighted rear portions; and (b) a variable thickness ball striking face. The club head body parts and weighted portion(s) may be arranged such that the club head has a moment of inertia about a vertical axis passing through the club head center of gravity of at least 5000 g-cm2. Such club heads may include: (a) a cup face member including a ball striking face portion and a return portion; (b) sole and crown portions engaged with the return portion; (c) a rear body member engaged with the crown and/or sole portions; (d) a weight member at the club head rear; and/or (e) a hosel member engaged with the cup face member, the crown portion, and/or the sole portion. Methods of making such club heads also are described.

Abstract: Putters include a putter body having a ball striking face member made of a material having a first hardness characteristic. A cavity is defined in the putter body behind the ball striking face member, and plural openings are defined in the ball striking face member extending rearward with respect to the ball striking face member and into the cavity. A polymeric material at least partially fills the openings and the cavity, wherein the polymeric material has a second hardness characteristic that is softer than the first hardness characteristic. The ball striking face member and the polymeric material exposed in at least some of the openings provide a ball striking surface of the putter. The ball striking surface may include grooves or scorelines to affect the launch angle, spin, and/or roll of the ball during a putt. Methods for making such putter devices also are described.

Abstract: A golf club providing improved golf ball launch conditions is disclosed herein. The golf club includes a face component and a sole comprising an elongated recess disposed proximate the face component. The elongated recess preferably is tube shaped, and preferably has an opening with a smaller width than an innermost surface of the elongated recess.

Abstract: A golf putter head includes a metal back body adapted to be secured to a golf club shaft and a metal face body including a golf ball contact surface. The metal back body and the metal face body have non-planar, inter-fitting surfaces facing one another without contact across a gap defined by the inter-fitting surfaces. The golf putter head further includes a vibration dampening intermediate body filling the gap to isolate the metal face body from the metal back body. Other embodiments of golf putters and golf putter heads are further disclosed.

Abstract: Some embodiments include a reinforced face of a club head. Other embodiments for related reinforced faces of club heads and related methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A hollow golf club head incorporating a stress reducing feature including a sole located stress reducing feature. The location and size of the sole stress reducing feature, and their relationship to one another and other club head engineering variables, play a significant role in selectively increasing deflection of the face.

Abstract: A golf club head having indentions provided in a transition zone of the club head. The transition zone of the club head is provided between a first portion of the club head having a first thickness and a second portion of the club head having a second thickness. The indentations are provided at non-structural areas to reduce the weight of the transition zone. The mass can then be moved to a more desirable location in the club head, thereby improving the playability characteristics of the club head, including center of gravity and moment of inertia. The transition zone may be provided at different areas of the club head including the hosel, between the face and the body of the club head and between the crown and sole of the club head. The indentations are provided with the desired height, length and width to achieve weight reduction without effecting the structural integrity of the club head.

Abstract: A golf club with a multi-material face is disclosed herein. More specifically, the golf club head in accordance with the present invention has a striking face that forms a pocket, wherein the pocket is filled with a secondary material having a lower density to improve the performance of the golf club head. The multi-material face disclosed in accordance with the present invention may generally have a characteristic time slope of greater than about 5 and less than about 50, wherein the characteristic time slope is determined based on the various data points collected according to the United States Golf Association's (USGA's) Characteristic Time (CT) test.

Abstract: A golf clubhead heater, including, a support for enclosing a golf clubhead, and a heater which is supported by the support and operable to transfer heat to a gas inside the clubhead, such as to raise the pressure of the gas and thereby to reduce the amount of deformation of a face of the clubhead on impact with a golf ball at a given speed.

Abstract: A golf club head with an improved sweet spot, defined as a portion of the striking face that has at least 99.7% of the maximum ballspeed is disclosed herein. More specifically, the present invention discloses a golf club head with a significantly circular sweet spot that encompasses at least about 1.5% of the total striking face. A golf club head in accordance with the present invention may generally have a improved face geometry with an elliptical factor of greater than about 0.5, a beveled transition portion around the striking face of the golf club head, a variable face thickness region with decreases thickness, or even a tilted bulge and roll radius all helping improve the performance of the golf club head.

Abstract: A golf club with a multi-material face is disclosed herein. More specifically, the golf club head in accordance with the present invention has a striking face that forms a pocket, wherein the pocket is filled with a secondary material having a lower density to improve the performance of the golf club head. The multi-material face disclosed in accordance with the present invention may generally have a characteristic time slope of greater than about 5 and less than about 50, wherein the characteristic time slope is determined based on the various data points collected according to the United States Golf Association's (USGA's) Characteristic Time (CT) test.

Abstract: A golf club head with a face insert that is only partially connected to the body of the golf club head is disclosed herein. More specifically, the present invention discloses a golf club head with a face insert wherein the face insert is only connected to the body of the golf club head at specific engagement portions around the perimeter of the face insert while keeping the remainder of the perimeter unengaged. The golf club head disclosed in accordance with the present invention will allow for removal of excessive weight traditionally needed to connect the face insert to the body of the golf club head, therefore improving the performance of the golf club head.

Abstract: A golf club head having multiple components is provided. The golf club head includes a plurality of components wherein at least one component exhibits a different modulus of elasticity than the other components. In some structures, one or more of the plurality of components that comprise the golf club head is titanium or titanium alloy component provided in the heel and/or toe areas of the club head structure immediately adjacent the ball striking face, wherein that titanium or titanium alloy component has a lower modulus of elasticity than the material making up the club face and/or other club head body components.

Abstract: A golf club head according to one or more aspects of the present invention may include a body comprising a front surface, having an opening therein for receiving a primary insert. One or more secondary inserts may be disposed in the primary insert and may include a leading surface and a trailing surface. The trailing surface may be physically exposed to the elements and the leading surface may be physically exposed and/or visually exposed.

Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club, includes a head with a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball, a body connected to the face, and a filling material, which may be in the form of an insert, connected to a rear surface of the face. The filling material may fill in a thinned portion of the face, which may form a recess on the rear surface of the face that receives the filling material. The filling material has a density that is lower than the density of the face material. Depending on the size, shape, and location of the filling material, the weight distribution, the moment of inertia, and/or the center of gravity of the face may change.

Abstract: An iron type golf club head with improved performance is disclosed herein. More specifically, the present invention discloses an iron type golf club head having a frontal face portion made out of a lightweight material that is separate and distinct from the material used to form the remaining body portion of the iron type golf club head. The thinner material allows the frontal face portion of the iron type golf club head to be made thinner, yielding improved performance characteristics such as a higher Coefficient of Restitution (COR) of greater than about 0.770, a lower Center of Gravity (CG) location of less than about 5.0 mm from a ground, and a lower primary resonant frequency of less than about 5,000 Hertz.

Abstract: Wood-type golf clubs as described herein may include: (a) a hosel to receive a golf club shaft; (b) a club head; and (c) a ball striking face. The club head include may include: a plurality of weights, a plurality of tubes, and an exterior cover structure (e.g., an exterior skin) that covers at least a portion of the plurality of weights and at least a portion of the plurality of tubes, and wherein the exterior cover structure defines the shape of the club head. Additionally, the ball striking face may be engaged with at least two of the plurality of weights and/or at least two of the tubes. The plurality of weights may include a first weight, a second weight, a third weight, and a fourth weight that are all engaged with the striking face.

Abstract: A golf club providing improved golf ball launch conditions is disclosed herein. The golf club includes a face component and a sole comprising an elongated recess disposed proximate the face component. The elongated recess preferably is tube shaped, and preferably has an opening with a smaller width than an innermost surface of the elongated recess.

Abstract: A golf club providing improved golf ball launch conditions is disclosed herein. The golf club includes a face component and a sole comprising an elongated recess disposed proximate the face component. The elongated recess preferably is tube shaped, and preferably has an opening with a smaller width than an innermost surface of the elongated recess. Some embodiments of the golf club also comprise a cover affixed to the sole and at least partially covering the opening of the elongated recess.

Abstract: A golf club providing improved golf ball launch conditions is disclosed herein. The golf club includes a face component and a sole comprising an elongated recess disposed proximate the face component. The elongated recess preferably is tube shaped, and preferably has an opening with a smaller width than an innermost surface of the elongated recess. The elongated recess may be a separate piece that is permanently affixed within an opening in the sole. Some embodiments of the golf club also comprise a cover affixed to the sole and at least partially covering the opening of the elongated recess, while other embodiments comprise a filler material disposed within the elongated recess or between the elongated recess and an internal surface of the face.

Abstract: A hollow golf club head includes a sole, a crown, a skirt, and a striking face. The golf club includes a junction interconnecting the sole, crown, and skirt to the striking face, the junction including at least one stiffening member.

Abstract: A face portion of a golf club head includes first to fourth main ribs on an inner surface of the head. The first main rib extends from a center portion of the face portion toward a crown, and the second main rib extends from the center portion toward a sole. The face portion is formed to have such a thickness that the center portion, the first main rib, and the second main rib become thinner in this order. The third and fourth main ribs extend from the center portion in outward directions of the face portion.

Abstract: A golf club head having a striking wall having a front surface, and a rear surface, a top surface, and a sole portion extending rearwardly from the rear surface, the sole portion having a forward end, a rearward end, an upper surface and a lower surface. The intersection of the upper surface and the rear surface defines an interior sole line. The intersection of the upper surface and the rearward end defines a trailing edge. A region on the upper surface includes variation of the height of the trailing edge or exterior sole line relative to the height of the interior sole line.

Abstract: A golf club head according to one or more aspects of the present invention may include a strike face, a rear wall behind the strike face, and a perimeter-weighting element at least partially surrounding the rear wall. The club head may further include a preload spacer associated with the rear wall and a resilient component associated with the perimeter-weighting element. The preload spacer engages the resilient component to provide positive reinforcement of the coupling between the resilient component and the perimeter-weighting element.

Abstract: A hitting face of a golf club head having improved flexural stiffness properties. In one embodiment, the hitting face is made from multiple materials. The main portion of the hitting face is a plate-like face made from a first material having a first density. A dense insert made from a second material having a second density that is greater than the first density is attached directly or indirectly to the plate-like face at or near the geometric center thereof. The dense insert increases the flexural stiffness of in a central zone of the hitting face so that a golf club head that has a larger zone of substantially uniform high initial ball speed. In another embodiment, the hitting face includes an insert that includes main plate and at least one wing extending therefrom. The insert is welded to the golf club head so that the main plate does not deflect separately from the remainder of the hitting face. The geometry of the insert controls the stiffness in the axial directions.

Abstract: A golf club head is provided having a club body and a contact plate secured to the club body. The contact plate defines at least a portion of a striking surface having a plurality of striking surface grooves. A plurality of soft portions is provided that are coupled to a rear surface of the contact plate. The plurality of soft portions also corresponds to the plurality of striking surface grooves.

Abstract: A golf club head with a club head body having an external surface with a heel portion, a toe portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a front opening is described. A face insert support structure is located at the front opening. The support structure includes a peripheral member and a rear support member. The rear support member has a front surface and a rear surface. A face insert is attached at the front opening and closes the front opening of the body. An undercut fill structure is attached to a portion of the rear surface of the rear support member.

Abstract: A hitting face of a golf club head having a location of longest characteristic time shifted away from the geometric center of the hitting face. The hitting face of the club head has varying thickness, with a thickest portion being at or near the geometric center of the plate-like hitting face. A second thickened portion of the hitting face substantially surrounds the thickest portion. The portions of varying thickness taper therebetween for relatively smooth cross-sectional profiles. The hitting face may further comprise a plurality of indentations at least partially located within the outer intermediate zone of the hitting face, having a thickness that is less than the thickness of the hitting face at the geometric center and tapered portion.

Abstract: A golf club head (20) having optimized ball speed robustness is disclosed. The golf club head (20) preferably has one or more channels (100, 110, 120) disposed proximate to a striking face (40), and in some embodiments the one or more channels (100, 110, 120) substantially encircle the striking face (40).

Abstract: Golf clubs and golf club heads, such as putter heads, may include a putter body and an insert forming a ball striking face and engaged with the putter body. Portions of the insert may be formed of a metal material, while portions of the insert may be formed of a polymer material. The insert may include a base portion having grooves formed therein. This base may be joined with another material to form the insert. In some arrangements, the insert may be a two-sided, reversible construction and may have different performance characteristics associated with each side of the insert. Methods for making such putter devices are also described.

Abstract: A golf club head includes a body defining an interior cavity. The body includes a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown. The body has a forward portion and a rearward portion. The club head includes a face positioned at the forward portion of the body. The face defines a striking surface having an ideal impact location at a golf club head origin. Embodiments include club heads for a fairway wood that at least one of a high moment of inertia, a low center-of-gravity, a thin crown and a high coefficient of restitution.

Abstract: A golf club head is provided having a body and a face insert, with a slot in a perimeter region of the body of the club head adjacent the face insert. The slot increases the flex of the hitting surface on impact with a golf ball, thereby increasing the speed with which the ball rebounds off the hitting face and increases the overall distance the ball is hit. The slot preferably moves the sweet spot of the hitting face a distance X from the face center of the hitting face. The slot may be filled with an elastomeric material.

Abstract: Golf clubs and golf club heads, such as putter heads, may include a putter body and an insert forming a ball striking face and engaged with the putter body. Portions of the insert may be formed of a metal material, while portions of the insert may be formed of a polymer material. The insert may include a base portion having grooves or openings formed therein. This base may be joined with another material (such as a polymer backing material) to form the insert, wherein the backing material at least partially fills the grooves or openings. In some arrangements, the backing material of the insert may be visible at the top and/or bottom surfaces of the putter structures. Methods for making such putter devices are also described.

Abstract: A golf club head having a center of gravity located at a point close to the face and the sole is disclosed herein. In particular, the golf club head comprises a hollow body including a weight lip and face component, and the weight lip extends from the sole inside the body into the face component. The golf club head is preferably a wood-type or hybrid-type golf club head.

Abstract: A muscle-back iron golf club head includes a blade-like upper mass, a muscle-like lower mass, a planar front surface, a top surface, a sole surface, a heel surface, a toe surface, and a rear surface having a first contour. A recess is in the rear surface, the recess having a first portion in the blade-like upper mass and a second portion in the muscle-like lower mass. An insert may be provided in the recess, and such insert may substantially fill the recess and may include a back surface having a second contour which is different from the first contour of the club head rear surface.

Abstract: A golf club head with an improved sweet spot, defined as a portion of the striking face that has at least 99.7% of the maximum ballspeed is disclosed herein. More specifically, the present invention discloses a golf club head with a significantly circular sweet spot that encompasses at least about 1.5% of the total striking face. A golf club head in accordance with the present invention may generally have a improved face geometry with an elliptical factor of greater than about 0.5, a beveled transition portion around the striking face of the golf club head, a variable face thickness region with decreases thickness, or even a tilted bulge and roll radius all helping improve the performance of the golf club head.

Abstract: A golf club head having a center of gravity located at a point close to the face and the sole is disclosed herein. In particular, the golf club head comprises a hollow body including a weight lip and face component, and the weight lip extends from the sole inside the body into the face component. The golf club head is preferably a wood-type or hybrid-type golf club head.

Abstract: An improved design for a golf putter has a putter head with a back surface formed in an elliptical shape elongated along a transverse axis normal to a swing plane for the putter, enclosing a hollow interior and having a circumferential rim forming an elliptical frame for the putter head. A head striking surface is formed with a sheet of taut, resilient material secured to the elliptical frame providing a trampoline-like drumhead effect when it makes contact with a golf ball that tends to return the ball's rolling trajectory to the target line of the swing axis even if contact is made off-center. The putter body is an elongated tubular body oriented in the direction of the swing axis, so that the peripheral weight of the putter is aligned along the swing axis and creates a pendulum plumb-bob effect of weight moving under gravity aligned in the swing direction.

Abstract: A golf club providing improved golf ball launch conditions is disclosed herein. The golf club includes a face component and a sole comprising an elongated recess disposed proximate the face component. The elongated recess preferably is tube shaped, and preferably has an opening with a smaller width than an innermost surface of the elongated recess.

Abstract: A golf club head having a recess located in a top portion thereof between the heel and the toe and extending toward the sole. The recess may be only in the top line of the club head or extend from the heel around the toe. An insert may be placed within the recess. The insert may have a density that is less than the density of the club head body to lower the center of gravity and moment of inertia or greater than the density of the club head body to raise the center of gravity and moment of inertia.

Abstract: Embodiments of golf clubs with grooves and methods of manufacturing thereof are described herein. In some embodiments, a golf club head includes: a body having a strike face with one or more channels; and at least one insert located within at least one of the one or more channels. The at least one of the one or more channels includes a single groove. The at least one insert forms at least a portion of the single groove. A radius of an exterior edge of the single groove is partially formed by the at least one insert and is also partially formed by the strike face. A first part of the at least one insert is formed by a first material, and a second part of the at least one insert is formed by a second material different from the first material. Other embodiments and related methods are disclosed herein.