Karsten Manufacturing Corporation

Nike, Inc.

Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.

Hiromitsu Akiyama

Joshua M Boggs

Eric A Larson

Michael T Prichard

Kevin R Harper

Yoshimasa Fujita

Robert M Boyd

John T Stites

Raymond J Sander

Andrew G V Oldknow

Hiroshi Takahashi

Shintaro Yoshida

A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball where the face has multiple thickness regions. The face has a center region, an upper region, a lower region, a toe region, and a heel region. The upper and lower regions have a ramped thickness extending from a center region to an upper and lower edge of the face. The heel and toe regions have a constant face thickness and have a thickness less than the other regions. Additionally, the club head body has a flange where the face is welded to the club head body. The flange has a thickness that is greater than the thickness of the heel and toe regions of the face.

Golf club head or other ball striking device having impact-influencing body features

A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face member with a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a flange that comprises a portion of the crown. The flange comprising a second member. The second member having a variable front to back width that is greater at the heel and toe than the center.

A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball; an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole, wherein the sole has an elongated channel recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole that has a plurality of troughs within the channel to help improve the efficiency of the impact with a golf ball.

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. The channel may have a cross-sectional profile that is asymmetric with a front wall and a rear wall where the front wall is longer than the rear wall. The channel may also have a center thickness that is different than a thickness at the heel and toe sides.

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. A pair of ribs are positioned within the channel. The ribs may diverge away from one another and may have a first rib located in a toe portion of the channel and a second rib located in the heel portion of the channel.

A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face member with a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a flange that comprises a portion of the crown. The flange being made of at least two members that are made of different materials, where a second material has a lower modulus of elasticity than the first material. The second member has a length, a width, a thickness and a location proximate to the ball striking surface to improve the impact efficiency of a collision with a golf ball.

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.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Hiromitsu Akiyama