Iron-Type Golf Club Head Or Other Ball Striking Device

Abstract

A ball striking device, such as an iron-type golf club head, includes a face having a ball striking surface defined thereon and a body connected to the face. The body has a sole member extending rearward from a bottom edge of the face, and the sole member has a sole surface configured to confront the playing surface. The head has an elongated channel located in the sole member, and the channel is recessed from the sole surface, extends along at least a portion of the bottom edge of the face and is spaced from the bottom edge.

1 . A head for a ball striking device, comprising:
 a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball;   a body connected to the face, the body having a sole member extending rearward from a bottom edge of the face, the sole member having a sole surface configured to confront a playing surface; and   an elongated channel located in the sole member, the channel being recessed from the sole surface and extending along at least a portion of the bottom edge of the face and being spaced from the bottom edge,   wherein the channel has a depth of recession from the sole surface, and wherein the depth of the channel is tapered, such that the depth of the channel is greater at a center of the channel than at opposed ends of the channel.   
     
     
         2 . The head of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is generally parallel to the bottom edge of the face. 
     
     
         3 . The head of  claim 1 , wherein the depth of the channel decreases smoothly from the center of the channel toward the ends of the channel. 
     
     
         4 . The head of  claim 1 , wherein the channel has an elongated length defined between a first end and a second end, and wherein the first end and the second end of the channel are located on the sole surface. 
     
     
         5 . The head of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is elongated between a first and a second end, and the channel is defined by two edges extending between the first and second ends, wherein the edges are linear and parallel to each other. 
     
     
         6 . The head of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is elongated between a first and a second end, and the channel is defined by two edges extending between the first and second ends, wherein the edges are curvilinear. 
     
     
         7 . The head of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is elongated between a first and a second end, and the channel is defined by two edges extending between the first and second ends, wherein at least one of the edges is generally parallel to the bottom edge of the face. 
     
     
         8 . The head of  claim 1 , wherein the channel comprises a trough and opposed side walls extending from the trough to edges of the channel, and wherein at least one of the side walls is parallel to the face when viewed in cross-section. 
     
     
         9 . The head of  claim 1 , wherein the channel comprises a trough and opposed side walls extending from the trough to edges of the channel, and wherein the trough has a rounded shape when viewed in cross-section. 
     
     
         10 . A golf club comprising the head of  claim 1  and a shaft connected to the head. 
     
     
         11 . A head for an iron-type golf club, comprising:
 a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball and a rear surface opposite the inner surface;   an iron-type body connected to the face, the body comprising a plurality of peripheral walls extending rearward from outer edges of the face, the peripheral walls including a sole member extending rearward from a bottom edge of the face, the sole member having a sole surface configured to confront a playing surface; and   an elongated channel located in a first of the peripheral walls of the body adjacent to a first of the outer edges of the face that adjoins the first peripheral wall, the channel being defined by a first end, a second end, and two edges extending between the first and second ends, and the channel comprising a rounded trough having a smoothly curvilinear cross-sectional profile, the trough being recessed from the first peripheral wall, and two opposed side walls extending from the trough to the edges of the channel, wherein the channel is spaced rearwardly from the first outer edge of the face and the edges of the channel are generally parallel to the first outer edge of the face.   
     
     
         12 . The head of  claim 11 , wherein the first peripheral wall is the sole member, such that the channel is located on the sole surface and is spaced rearwardly from a bottom edge of the face, such that the edges of the channel are generally parallel to the bottom edge of the face. 
     
     
         13 . The head of  claim 11 , wherein the channel has a depth of recession from the first peripheral wall, and wherein the depth of the channel is tapered, such that the depth of the channel is greater at a center of the channel than at opposed ends of the channel. 
     
     
         14 . The head of  claim 11 , wherein the channel has a depth of recession from the first peripheral wall, and wherein the depth of the channel is constant over a majority of a length of the channel. 
     
     
         15 . The head of  claim 11 , wherein the edges of the channel are linear and parallel to each other. 
     
     
         16 . The head of  claim 11 , wherein the edges of the channel are curvilinear. 
     
     
         17 . The head of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the side walls of the channel is parallel to the face when viewed in cross-section. 
     
     
         18 . An iron-type golf club comprising the head of  claim 11  and a shaft connected to the head. 
     
     
         19 . A head for an iron-type golf club, comprising:
 a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball;   an iron-type body connected to the face, the body comprising a plurality of peripheral walls extending rearward from outer edges of the face, the peripheral walls including a sole member extending rearward from a bottom edge of the face, the sole member having a sole surface configured to confront a playing surface;   an elongated channel located in the sole member, the channel being defined by a first end located on the sole surface, a second end located on the sole surface, and two edges extending across the sole surface between the first and second ends, the channel having a length defined between the first and second ends, and the channel comprising a trough that is recessed from the sole surface and two opposed side walls extending from the trough to the edges of the channel, wherein the channel is spaced rearwardly from the bottom edge of the face and the edges of the channel are generally parallel to the bottom edge; and   a flexible insert connected to the body and mounted within the channel, wherein the insert has a length that is shorter than the length of the channel, such that opposed ends of the insert are spaced from the first and second ends of the channel.   
     
     
         20 . The head of  claim 19 , wherein the channel has a depth of recession from the sole surface, and wherein the depth of the channel is tapered, such that the depth of the channel is greater at a center of the channel than at opposed ends of the channel. 
     
     
         21 . The head of  claim 19 , wherein the channel has a depth of recession from the sole surface, and wherein the depth of the channel is constant over a majority of a length of the channel. 
     
     
         22 . The head of  claim 19 , wherein the edges of the channel are linear and parallel to each other. 
     
     
         23 . The head of  claim 19 , wherein the edges of the channel are curvilinear. 
     
     
         24 . The head of  claim 19 , wherein at least one of the side walls of the channel is parallel to the face when viewed in cross-section. 
     
     
         25 . An iron-type golf club comprising the head of  claim 19  and a shaft connected to the head. 
     
     
         26 . A head for a ball striking device, comprising:
 a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball;   a body connected to the face, the body having a sole member extending rearward from a bottom edge of the face, the sole member having a sole surface configured to confront a playing surface;   a first elongated channel located in the sole member, the first channel being recessed from the sole surface and extending between a first end and a second end along at least a portion of the bottom edge of the face and being spaced from the bottom edge; and   a second elongated channel located in the sole member, the second channel being recessed from the sole surface and extending between a first end and a second end along at least a portion of the bottom edge of the face and being spaced from the bottom edge, the first and second channels extending toward each other along a common axis of elongation and being spaced approximately equal distances from the bottom edge of the face,   wherein the second end of the first channel is spaced from the first end of the second channel, such that a gap is defined between the first and second channels, the gap being positioned approximately at a center of the sole surface.   
     
     
         27 . The head of  claim 26 , wherein the first and second channels are generally parallel to the bottom edge of the face. 
     
     
         28 . The head of  claim 26 , wherein the first and second ends of the first channel and the first and second ends of the second channel are located on the sole surface. 
     
     
         29 . The head of  claim 26 , wherein each of the first and second channels is defined by two edges extending between the first and second ends, wherein the edges are linear and parallel to each other. 
     
     
         30 . The head of  claim 26 , wherein the first and second channels each comprise a trough and opposed side walls extending from the trough to edges of the respective channel, and wherein at least one of the side walls of each of the first and second channels is parallel to the face when viewed in cross-section. 
     
     
         31 . The head of  claim 26 , wherein the first and second channels each comprise a trough and opposed side walls extending from the trough to edges of the respective channel, and wherein the troughs of each of the first and second channels has a rounded shape when viewed in cross-section. 
     
     
         32 . A golf club comprising the head of  claim 26  and a shaft connected to the head. 
     
     
         33 . A head for a ball striking device, comprising:
 a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball;   a body connected to the face, the body having a sole member extending rearward from a bottom edge of the face, the sole member having a sole surface configured to confront a playing surface;   a first elongated channel located in the sole member, the first channel being recessed from the sole surface and extending between a first end and a second end along at least a portion of the bottom edge of the face and being spaced rearwardly from the bottom edge; and   a second elongated channel located in the sole member, the second channel being recessed from the sole surface and extending between a first end and a second end along at least a portion of the bottom edge of the face,   wherein the second channel is spaced rearwardly from the first channel to define a spacing portion between the first and second channels, such that the first and second channels have directions of elongation that are generally parallel to each other and to the bottom edge of the face.   
     
     
         34 . The head of  claim 33 , wherein each of the first and second channels is defined by two edges extending between the first and second ends, wherein the edges of each of the first and second channels are linear and parallel to each other. 
     
     
         35 . The head of  claim 33 , wherein the first and second channels each comprise a trough and opposed side walls extending from the trough to edges of the respective channel, and wherein at least one of the side walls of each of the first and second channels is parallel to the face when viewed in cross-section. 
     
     
         36 . The head of  claim 33 , wherein the first and second channels each comprise a trough and opposed side walls extending from the trough to edges of the respective channel, and wherein the troughs of each of the first and second channels has a rounded shape when viewed in cross-section. 
     
     
         37 . A golf club comprising the head of  claim 33  and a shaft connected to the head.