Golf club head or other ball striking device with thermoreactive face

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. The face has an area of highest response located proximate a center of the ball striking surface. The face is formed of a first material and a second material that forms at least a portion of the area of highest response. The second material has a thermal modulus response that is different from a thermal modulus response of the first material.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A golf club head comprising:
 a face having a ball striking surface and an inner surface opposite the ball striking surface;   a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face, the body and the face defining a cavity behind the face;   a thermally-active device contacting the inner surface of the face and positioned in the cavity, wherein the thermally-active device is configured to change a temperature of a portion of the face to change a modulus of the portion of the face; and   a power source positioned within the cavity and in communication with the thermally-active device, wherein the power source is configured to supply power to the thermally-active device to change the temperature of the portion of the face.   
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the portion of the face is formed of a material that has a thermally variable modulus, such that a temperature change generated by the thermally-active device is sufficient to change to a modulus of the material. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the head is a wood-type ball striking head, and the cavity is an enclosed internal cavity. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the head is an iron-type ball striking head, and the cavity is a rear cavity having an opening to an exterior of the head. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the power source is connected to an inner surface of the body. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the body has a sole configured to confront a playing surface, and wherein the power source is connected to an upper surface of the sole. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , further comprising an accelerometer connected to the thermally-active device, wherein the thermally-active device is configured to determine when a swing of the head has occurred based on input from the accelerometer and to change the temperature of the portion of the face based on a determination that the swing has begun. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the thermally-active device is configured to change the temperature of the entire face. 
     
     
         10 . A golf club head comprising:
 a face having a ball striking surface and an inner surface opposite the ball striking surface;   a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face; and   a thermally-active device connected to the face, wherein the thermally-active device is configured to change a temperature of a portion of the face to change a modulus of the portion of the face.   
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the portion of the face is formed of a material that is formed in a first molecular phase at ambient conditions, and a temperature change generated by the thermally-active device is sufficient to cause the material to change to a second molecular phase, the second molecular phase having a different modulus than the first molecular phase. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the thermally-active device is a heating device configured to heat the portion of the face. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the thermally-active device is a cooling device configured to cool the portion of the face. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the thermally-active device is a thermoelectric device. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the thermally-active device changes temperature based on a chemical reaction. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the face has an area of highest response located proximate a center of the ball striking surface, and the thermally-active device is configured to change the temperature of at least a portion of the area of highest response. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the thermally-active device is configured to change the temperature of an area of the face local to the thermally-active device, relative to another area of the face spaced from the thermally-active device. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the thermally-active device is configured to change the temperature of the entire face. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , further comprising a power source in communication with the thermally-active device, wherein the power source is configured to supply power to the thermally-active device to change the temperature of the portion of the face. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , further comprising an actuator in communication with the thermally-active device, the actuator configured to activate the thermally-active device to change the temperature of the portion of the face. 
     
     
         21 . A golf club head comprising:
 a face having a ball striking surface and an inner surface opposite the ball striking surface;   a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face, the body and the face defining a cavity behind the face;   a thermally-active device contacting the inner surface of the face and positioned in the cavity, wherein the thermally-active device is configured to change a temperature of a portion of the face to change a modulus of the portion of the face; and   an actuator in communication with the thermally-active device, the actuator configured to be controllable by a user to activate the thermally-active device to change the temperature of the portion of the face.   
     
     
         22 . The golf club head of  claim 21 , wherein the portion of the face is formed of a material that is formed in a first molecular phase at ambient conditions, and a temperature change generated by the thermally-active device is sufficient to cause the material to change to a second molecular phase, the second molecular phase having a different modulus than the first molecular phase. 
     
     
         23 . The golf club head of  claim 21 , wherein the actuator is in wireless communication with the thermally-active device. 
     
     
         24 . The golf club head of  claim 21 , wherein the thermally-active device is configured to change the temperature of the entire face. 
     
     
         25 . A golf club comprising the golf club head of  claim 21  and a shaft connected to the head. 
     
     
         26 . The golf club of  claim 25 , wherein the actuator is located on the shaft. 
     
     
         27 . The golf club of  claim 25 , wherein the shaft further comprises a grip element configured for grasping by a user, and wherein the actuator is located within the grip element. 
     
     
         28 . A wood-type golf club head comprising:
 a face having a ball striking surface and an inner surface opposite the ball striking surface, the face having an area of highest response, wherein at least a portion of the face located around the area of highest response is formed of a material that has a first molecular phase at ambient conditions and a second molecular phase at a different temperature, wherein the material has a different modulus in the second molecular phase compared to the first molecular phase;   a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face, the body having a crown, a sole, a heel, and a toe, wherein the body and the face define an enclosed internal cavity behind the face;   a thermally-active device positioned within the cavity and connected to the inner surface of the face proximate the area of highest response, wherein the thermally-active device is configured to change a temperature of the portion of the face located around the area of highest response, and wherein the thermally active device is configured to generate a temperature change sufficient to cause the material to change to the second molecular phase; and   a power source positioned within the cavity and connected to an upper surface of the sole, wherein the power source is in communication with the thermally-active device and is configured to supply power to the thermally-active device to change the temperature of the portion of the face.