A golf club head comprises a face portion having a face’s front surface for hitting a ball, a face’s rear surface and a face’s center. The face’s back surface is provided with a central thin part, a sole side thin part extending in the toe-heel direction on the sole side than the central thin part, and a sole side rib extending in the toe-heel direction located between the central thin part and the sole side thin part. The width W1 of the sole side thin part is larger than the width W2 of the sole side rib, each measured in a vertical cross-sectional view of the head taken perpendicularly to both the face’s front surface and the horizontal surface, passing through the face’s center.

A head for a ball striking device includes a bracing member connected to an upper sole surface located on the sole of the body opposite the bottom sole surface. The bracing member includes a first end connected to a first point on the upper sole surface, a second end connected to a second point on the upper sole surface spaced from the first point, and a bridge portion extending between the first and second ends. The bridge portion extends upward from the upper sole surface and is spaced from the upper sole surface. The bridge portion may be formed by one or more trusses, and may define a generally triangular shape in one embodiment. The first and second ends may be connected to the upper sole surface using a variety of techniques, e.g., welding or other integral joining technique, integral forming, adhesive or other bonding material, or other technique.

Some embodiments include club heads having reinforced club head faces. In one example, the club head comprises a variable face thickness with thickened and thinned regions. The face includes a thinned perimeter region positioned near a perimeter of the face, and a thickened central region positioned over a geometric center of the face. The club head further comprises a 360 undercut that extends along the entire perimeter of the face. The combination of the thinned perimeter region, thickened central region, and 360 undercut reinforces the club head while permitting the face to bend. Other embodiments of related club heads and methods are also disclosed.

A golf club head including a striking face, a periphery portion surrounding and extending rearwards from the striking face, a damping element including a front surface and a rear surface, the rear surface of the damping element opposite the front surface of the damping element, wherein the striking face comprises a first portion having a substantially constant thickness, wherein the front surface of the damping element comprises a geometric center, wherein the golf club head includes additional damping structures and materials to achieve desired acoustic characteristics.

A golf club head with a hollow therein comprises a face portion and a main body portion including a crown portion and a sole portion extending rearward from the face portion. The main body portion is provided with at least one slit penetrating through the main body portion. The slit has a width in the toe-heel direction and a length in the front-rear direction which is larger than the width. The surrounding area of the slit is at least partially provided with a thick portion.

A golf club head has a main body and a front recess that includes a flange. A rear portion of the main body includes a perimeter-weighting element. A striking face insert is secured within the front recess. A face center is located on the front surface of the striking face insert. A rear cavity is at least partially delimited by the perimeter-weighting element and a rear surface of the striking face insert. A rear insert is secured to the rear surface of the striking face insert. In an imaginary horizontal plane passing through a portion of the rear insert, proximate a heel portion of the club head, a heelwardmost point of the rear insert is spaced further from a vertical center plane than a minimum distance between the flange and the center plane. The club head comprises an auxiliary recess that extends outward from the rear cavity.

A golf club head comprising a body and a plurality of metal tubes is disclosed herein. The body comprises a face section, a sole section, and a return section, and also defines a hollow interior. Each of the plurality of metal tubes extends from the return section to the sole section to reduce stresses placed on the face during impact with a golf ball. The body and the metal tubes preferably are composed of a titanium alloy or stainless steel. After the metal tubes are inserted into apertures in the return section and the sole section of the body, each metal tube is mechanically attached to the body using a tool that causes the ends of each metal tube to flare outwards.

Aspects of the invention are directed to golf club having a crown, a sole, a face, and a face alignment feature located on the face.

A golf club head including a striking face, a back portion, and a back cover attached to the back portion, wherein the golf club head includes damping structures and materials to achieve desired acoustic characteristics.

Methods of manufacturing a golf club head comprising one or more stiffening members proximate the face, and particularly solid rods or a plate with one or more cutouts, is disclosed herein. One method comprises the steps of preparing a wax mold of a golf club head including a plate stiffening member with excess material, casting the golf club head, and machining away the excess material. Another method comprises the steps of casting a golf club body, providing a plate stiffening member, providing a face component such as a face cup, tack welding the plate stiffening member and the face component to the golf club body, and welding these parts together.