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 with 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, a void defined on the sole of the body, and at least one external rib is positioned within the void. A ratio of cross-sectional area moment of inertia Ix-x with and without the at least one external rib is greater than a ratio of cross-sectional area moment of inertia Iz-z with and without the at least one external rib when measured at a location defined by a distance from a forward most edge of the golf club head measuring 60 percent of a breadth dimension.
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;
a channel is recessed from the adjacent surfaces of the sole; and
at least one external rib positioned within the void,
wherein the body and the face combine to define an internal cavity, and
wherein a ratio of cross-sectional area moment of inertia Ix-x with and without the at least one external rib is greater than a ratio of cross-sectional area moment of inertia Iz-z with and without the at least one external rib when measured at a location defined by a distance from a forward most edge of the golf club head measuring 60 percent of a breadth dimension.
2 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the golf club head has a volume between 400 and 470 cc.
3 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the cross-sectional moment of inertia Ix-x with and without the at least one external rib is between 1.2 and 1.5.
4 . The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein the ratio of the cross-sectional moment of inertia Iz-z with and without the at least one external rib is between 1.0 to 1.3.
5 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one external rib comprises a pair of external ribs.
6 . The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein the body is made substantially from a titanium alloy.
7 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the golf club head has a volume between 120 cc and 250 cc.
8 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the cross-sectional moment of inertia Ix-x with and without the at least one external rib is between 1.05 and 1.35.
9 . The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein the ratio of the cross-sectional moment of inertia Iz-z with and without the at least one external rib is between 1.0 to 1.3.
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; and
a channel recessed from the adjacent surfaces of the sole, and at least one external rib positioned within the void,
wherein the body and the face combine to define an internal cavity,
wherein the at least one internal rib is connected to an internal portion of the body and extending into the internal cavity, and
wherein a ratio of cross-sectional area moment of inertia Ix-x with and without both the at least one internal rib and the at least one external rib is greater than a ratio of cross-sectional area moment of inertia Iz-z with and without both the at least one internal rib and the at least one external rib when measured at a location defined by a distance from a forward most edge of the golf club head measuring 80 percent of a breadth dimension.
11 . The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the golf club head has a volume between 400 cc and 470 cc.
12 . The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the ratio of the cross-sectional moment of inertia Ix-x with and without both the at least one internal rib and the at least one external rib is between 1.3 and 1.7.
13 . The golf club head of claim 12 , wherein the ratio of the cross-sectional moment of inertia Iz-z with and without both the at least one internal rib and the at least one external rib is between 1.1 to 1.4.
14 . The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the at least one external rib comprises a pair of external ribs.
15 . The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the at least one internal rib comprises at least three internal ribs.
16 . The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the body is made substantially from a titanium alloy.
17 . 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; and
a channel recessed from the adjacent surfaces of the sole and at least one external rib positioned within the void,
wherein the body and the face combine to define an internal cavity, and
wherein a ratio of cross-sectional area moment of inertia Ix-x with and without the at least one external rib is greater than a ratio of cross-sectional area moment of inertia Iz-z with and without the at least one external rib when measured at a location defined by a distance from a forward most edge of the golf club head measuring 80 percent of a breadth dimension.
18 . The golf club head of claim 17 , wherein the golf club head has a volume between 120 cc and 250 cc.
19 . The golf club head of claim 17 , wherein the ratio of the cross-sectional moment of inertia Ix-x with and without the at least one external rib is between 1.05 and 1.35.
20 . The golf club head of claim 19 , wherein the ratio of the cross-sectional moment of inertia Iz-z with and without the at least one external rib is between 1.0 to 1.3.