Golf club head with face channel

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to golf club heads with improved mass distribution provided by novel structural features. The golf club head can include a main club head body and a face member that presents a ball striking face. The face member of the club head has at least one channel located thereon.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a club-head body comprising a heel portion, a toe portion, a top portion, and a sole portion   a hosel extending upwards from the heel portion when the club head is at address;   a ball-striking face member at the front of the body; and   at least one channel on the ball-striking face member.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the channel includes a curve. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein any portion of the channel is non-linear. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the channel runs parallel to a perimeter of the face. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is located on an exterior surface of the face. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein the channel is located solely on the exterior surface of the face. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the face has an interior surface that is substantially smooth. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the face has an interior surface that is free of any channels located thereon. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein the channel has a corresponding protruding surface on an interior surface of the face. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is a discontinuous channel. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the discontinuous channel has at least two ends. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the body comprises a hosel and the ends of the channel terminate at the hosel. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the channel comprises an indentation along a surface. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is substantially enclosed. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is partially enclosed. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the channel comprises a plurality of indentations. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the channel and the hosel define a border surrounding a portion of the face. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , further comprising at least a second channel. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 18 , wherein the second channel extends around the channel. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the face further comprises a plurality of score lines located thereon. 
     
     
         21 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is positioned along a region of relatively low stress on the face. 
     
     
         22 . The golf club head of  claim 21 , wherein the region of relatively low stress comprises a relatively low tensile stress level on both an internal wall and external wall of the face. 
     
     
         23 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is located within a back cavity of the club head body. 
     
     
         24 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is continuous and has a shape that mimics a shape of a ball-striking face on the ball-striking face member.