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

1 . A golf club head comprising:

a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball;

a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face,

the body having a crown, a sole, a heel, and a toe;

wherein the body and the face combine to define an internal cavity, and

wherein golf club head has a volume of at least 400 cubic centimeters;

an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole,

wherein the elongated channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole; and

at least one internal rib connecting to an internal portion of the sole and to an internal portion of the elongated channel,

wherein the channel has a variable maximum width and a variable maximum depth of recession along a length of the channel,

the variable maximum width defined in a front to rear direction and the variable maximum depth of recession defined from the adjacent surfaces of the sole at a vertical plane passing through the face center,

wherein a ratio of the length of the channel to the width is approximately 3:1 to 4:1,

wherein the channel comprises a center portion extending toward the heel and the toe from the vertical plane passing through the face center,

a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe,

wherein a wall thickness of the center portion is 1.25 to 2.25 times greater than a wall thickness of the toe portion or a wall thickness of the heel portion,

wherein the channel has a boundary that is defined by a front edge and a rear edge that extend between a heel end and a toe end of the channel, and

the front edge and the rear edge at the heel portion and the toe portion are angled away from each other such that the channel width at the heel portion and the toe portion gradually increases toward the heel and the toe respectively, and

further wherein the depth of the heel portion and the toe portion of the channel increases from the center portion toward the heel and the toe, respectively, and

wherein the depth of the channel from the adjacent surfaces of the sole at the vertical plane passing through the face center is between 2.0 mm to 3.0 mm.

2 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one internal rib comprises a pair of internal ribs.

3 . The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein the pair of internal ribs are substantially parallel to each other.

4 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one internal rib is connected to a rear wall of the elongated channel.

5 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one internal rib also connects to a portion of an interior surface of the crown of the golf club head.

6 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one internal rib extends from a rear of the golf club head along the sole to a rear wall of channel.

7 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one internal rib has a constant width.

8 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one internal rib has a variable height.

9 . The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the at least one internal rib has a concave upper surface.

10 . A golf club head comprising:

a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball;

a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face,

the body having a crown, a sole, a heel, and a toe,

wherein the body and the face combine to define an internal cavity, and

wherein golf club head has a volume of at least 400 cubic centimeters;

an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole in a heel to toe direction,

wherein the elongated channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and has a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole,

wherein the elongated channel comprises a center portion extending across a center of the sole, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe; and

wherein the channel has a variable maximum width and a variable maximum depth of recession along a length of the channel,

the variable maximum width defined in a front to rear direction and the variable maximum depth of recession defined from the adjacent surfaces of the sole at a vertical plane passing through a face center,

wherein a ratio of the length of the channel to a channel width is approximately 3:1 to 4:1,

wherein a wall thickness of the center portion is 1.25 to 2.25 times greater than a wall thickness of the toe portion or a wall thickness of the heel portion,

wherein the channel has a boundary that is defined by a front edge and a rear edge that extend between a heel end and a toe end of the channel, and

the front edge and the rear edge at the heel portion and the toe portion are angled away from each other such that the channel width at the heel portion and the toe portion gradually increases toward the heel and the toe respectively, and

further wherein the depth of the heel portion and the toe portion of the channel increases from the center portion toward the heel and the toe, respectively, and

wherein the depth of the channel from the adjacent surfaces of the sole at the vertical plane passing through the face center is between 2.0 mm to 3.0 mm, and

a plurality of internal ribs connecting to an internal portion of the sole and to an internal portion of the elongated channel.

11 . The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of internal ribs are substantially parallel to each other.

12 . The golf club head of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of internal ribs is connected to a rear wall of the elongated channel.

13 . The golf club head of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of internal ribs also connects to a portion of an interior surface of the crown of the golf club head.

14 . The golf club head of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of the internal ribs extends from internal surface of a rear of the golf club head along the sole to a rear wall of the elongated channel.

15 . The golf club head of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of the internal ribs has a constant width.

16 . The golf club head of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of the internal ribs has a variable height.

17 . The golf club head of claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of the internal ribs has a concave upper surface.

18 . A golf club head comprising:

a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball;

a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face,

the body having a crown, a sole, a heel, and a toe,

wherein the body and the face combine to define an internal cavity, and wherein golf club head has a volume of at least 400 cubic centimeters;

an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole in a heel to toe direction,

wherein the elongated channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and has a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole,

wherein the elongated channel comprises a center portion extending across a center of the sole, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe; and

wherein the channel has a variable maximum width and a variable maximum depth of recession along a length of the channel,

the variable maximum width defined in a front to rear direction and the variable maximum depth of recession defined from the adjacent surfaces of the sole at a vertical plane passing through a face center,

wherein a ratio of the length of the channel to a channel width is approximately 3:1 to 4:1,

wherein a wall thickness of the center portion is 1.25 to 2.25 times greater than a wall thickness of the toe portion or a wall thickness of the heel portion,

wherein the channel has a boundary that is defined by a front edge and a rear edge that extend between a heel end and a toe end of the channel, and

the front edge and the rear edge at the heel portion and the toe portion are angled away from each other such that the channel width at the heel portion and the toe portion gradually increases toward the heel and the toe respectively, and

further wherein the depth of heel portion and the toe portion of the channel increases from the center portion toward the heel and the toe, respectively, and

wherein the depth of the channel from the adjacent surfaces of the sole at the vertical plane passing through the face center is between 2.0 mm to 3.0 mm, and

a pair of internal ribs extending from an internal portion of a rear of the golf club head along the sole and connecting to an internal portion of a rear wall of the elongated channel; and

wherein the pair of internal ribs are substantially parallel to each other.

19 . The golf club head of claim 18 , wherein each of the pair of internal ribs has a variable height.

20 . The golf club head of claim 18 , wherein each of the pair of internal ribs has a concave upper surface.