Nike, Inc.

Karsten Manufacturing Corporation

Head Sports, Inc.

Nike Usa, Inc.

Other

Tom Stites & Associates, Inc.

Ben Hogan Co.

Tbi Innovations, LLC

Nike International Ltd.

Thornhill Research, Inc.

Nike Innovate C.v.

John T Stites

Robert M Boyd

Andrew G V Oldknow

David N Franklin

Gary Gene Tavares

Sherry Lynn Jones

Carl L Madore

Raymond J Sander

Michael G Taylor

Eric A Larson

Jeremy N Snyder

James Huang Lua

James S Thomas

Michael Wallans

Philip J Hatton

Hiroshi Kawaguchi

Mario Angelbert Lafortune

Byron Cole Slaughter

Jeffrey Alan Hadden

Todd Anthony Waatti

Chia-Chyi Cheng

Kenneth W Brown

Douglas Anthony Thornton

Yoshimasa Fujita

Donald S Rahrig

Andrew Gv Oldknow

Bradley Charles Glenn

Gregory S Kramer

Daniel Alan Roberts

Daniel John Simpson

Chad Edward Bouton

Hiromitsu Akiyama

Jeffrey Richard Held

Rick S Wahlin

Clifford N Dodson

Patrick K Hoffman

William F Rauchholz

Garrick L Maenle

Daisuke Tsukada

Mike Kelly

James A Prescott

Vincent Contini

David S Lee

Brian J Kammerer

Mark J Perry

Robert Lukasiewicz, Jr

George W Moody, Jr

Brian Fortner

Robert Arluna

Chewei Tai

Joshua M Boggs

Alan W Reichow

Joseph A Fisher

Daniel Francis Wisniewski

David W Smith

Kevin John Vititoe

Timothy J Lastrapes

Eugene L Sheeley

Jamison Joseph Float

Chad Michael Leeder

J David Robbins

Adam D Liber

Michael L Kelly

Aaron Size

Jeffrey R Held

Robert Mora

Carl Madore

Jerome M Austry

Peter J Piotrowski

Richard M Lyons

Mario LaFortune

David Anthony Chargin

N Franklin David

Sean Miller

Garrick L Meanle

Yosimasa Fujita

Jeffrey A Hadden

Philip Hatton

Donald Rahrig

Aaron Barrett Size

Robert E Mora

Jeremy Snyder

A set of ball striking devices, such as a set golf clubs, having similar characteristics between clubs within the set of clubs such as length, weight, and lie angle. Characteristics can include lengths and lie angle.

Golf club set having similar properties

A golf club head has a body having a ball striking face, a rear opposite the ball striking face, a crown, a sole, a heel, and a toe, the body having a void defined by a peripheral edge on the sole. The body further defines a cover that extends over the void and forms at least a portion of the crown. At least a portion of the peripheral edge of the void includes a lip extending from the peripheral edge inwardly into the void. The golf club head may additionally or alternately include one or more weight receptacles connected to the sole and having an opening in the sole, such that each weight receptacle is configured to receive insertion of a weight through the opening.

Golf club and golf club head structures

Golf clubs and/or golf club heads include a club head body defining an interior chamber, structure for engaging a shaft with the body, and/or a shaft engaged with the body. The club head body may have an overall length of at least 4.6 inches, an overall breadth of at least 4.45 inches. In other examples, the club head body may have an overall length of at least 4.6 inches and a ratio of the overall breadth dimension to the overall length dimension of 1 or less. If desired, the ratio of the head breadth to head length dimensions may be in a range from at least 0.94 to 1 or less.

Golf clubs and golf club heads

Golf club heads (e.g. drivers, fairway woods, wood-type hybrid clubs, or the like) according to at least some example aspects of this invention include a striking face and a rear portion opposite the striking face, the rear portion defining an opening to an interior cavity. A rear body member configured to be inserted into the opening is engaged with the rear portion of the club head. The rear body member may include multiple rear body parts that may be removable and/or interchangeable to permit flexibility in controlling the weight distribution of the golf club head.

Golf clubs and golf club heads having interchangeable rear body members

A golf club head has a body defining a ball striking face. The body further has a rear portion comprising a plurality of side walls and a planar lower portion. The plurality of side walls extend downward from a top of the golf club head towards the planar lower portion. The body further comprises a cover extending over the rear. The body further defines a gap between the cover and the planar portion.

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 at least one channel in the ball-striking surface of the face. The region of highest COR response of the face is directionally enlarged toward the channel. Depending on the size, shape, and location of the channel, the face can be altered to provide greater COR response and increased energy transfer for impacts at specific locations on the face.

Golf club head or other ball striking device having one or more face channels

Golf clubs and/or golf club heads include a club head body defining an interior chamber, structure for engaging a shaft with the body, and/or a shaft engaged with the body. The club head body may have an overall length of at least 4.5 inches and an overall breadth of at least 4.2 inches. In other examples, the club head body may have an overall length of at least 4.6 inches and a ratio of the overall breadth dimension to the overall length dimension of 1 or less. If desired, the ratio of the head breadth to head length dimensions may be in a range from at least 0.94 to 1 or less.

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.

Golf club heads

Wood-type golf clubs and/or golf club heads include: (a) a golf club head base member including a face member having a ball striking face; and (b) a polymeric body member engaged with the golf club head base member, wherein the polymeric body member is formed via a rotational molding process (or other centrifugal force inducing molding process) and/or engaged with the golf club head base member via a rotational molding process (or other centrifugal force inducing molding process). The polymeric body member forms at least a portion of a crown member of the club head in some structures.

Rotational molded golf club head

Aspects of this disclosure relate to a golf club head which includes a wood type golf club head body including a ball striking face portion at a front side thereof, a rear side opposite the front side, a crown portion, and a sole portion. Further, the sole or crown or rear portion of the golf club head body may be configured so that the golf club head body includes a bump portion which protrudes from the sole or crown or rear portion and an indented portion which recedes into the sole or crown or rear portion and creates a recess in the sole or crown or rear portion of the golf club head body. Further, the bump portion and the indented portion may be configured so that a center of gravity of the club head body is nearer to one of the heel edge of the club head body and the toe edge of the club head body.

Golf clubs and golf club heads having a configured shape

A golf club head has a body defining a ball striking face. The body further has a first leg extending away from the ball striking face and a second leg extending away from the ball striking face wherein a void is defined between the first leg and the second leg. The body further defines a cover that extends over the void. The golf club head may further have support structures and adjustable weight members.

Growing community of inventors

Weatherford, TX, United States of America

John T Stites