A method of forming a sporting implement includes placing a plurality of fibers in a cavity formed in a first portion of a mold, the mold having an inlet and an outlet. A second portion of the mold is positioned in contact with the first portion such that the cavity cooperates with the second portion of the mold to define a chamber. A first material is mixed with a second material to form a thermoplastic resin. The thermoplastic resin is injected into the chamber through the inlet. The inlet and outlet are closed, and the thermoplastic resin completely polymerizes so as to form a fiber reinforced sporting element in the chamber, and the sporting element is removed from the chamber.

A golf club head includes a striking face, a crown and a sole. The crown and/or the sole includes an FRP member formed by a fiber reinforced plastic that contains a fiber and a matrix resin. The head has one or more characteristic mode shapes each having a natural frequency of 3000 Hz or greater and 5000 Hz or less. Of the one or more characteristic mode shapes, one characteristic mode shape that has a largest amplitude of a center of figure of the FRP member is defined as a specific characteristic mode shape, the specific characteristic mode shape has a frequency that is defined as a specific modal frequency, and the specific modal frequency has a modal damping ratio that is defined as a specific modal damping ratio. The specific modal damping ratio of the head is less than or equal to 0.6%.

A golf club includes a head; a shaft; a grip; and a weight member that is located in a butt end region. The grip and the weight member constitute a grip-weight portion. The shaft, the grip, and the weight member constitute a shaft-grip-weight portion. The head has a weight of greater than or equal to 195 g. The grip-weight portion has a weight of greater than or equal to 40 g. The shaft has a weight of less than or equal to 40 g. The golf club has a weight of greater than or equal to 275 g and less than or equal to 300 g. W1/W3 is greater than or equal to 0.40, where W1 represents a weight (g) of the butt end region, and W3 represents a weight (g) of the shaft-grip-weight portion.

A ball bat includes outer shell segments longitudinally spaced apart from each other to form a gap between them. A joint connects the segments. A first outer shell segment may include a barrel portion of the ball bat and at least part of a tapered portion of the ball bat. A second outer shell segment may include at least part of the tapered portion. The joint may include a tubular element having a first portion positioned within the first outer shell segment and at least partially overlapping an interior surface of the first outer shell segment, and a second portion positioned within the second outer shell segment and at least partially overlapping an interior surface of the second outer shell segment. The tubular element may include an elastomeric material. In some embodiments, the joint may be formed by an elastomeric material connecting the outer shell segments in the gap.

A golf club includes a head; a shaft; a grip; and a weight member that is located in a butt end region. The grip and the weight member constitute a grip-weight portion. The shaft, the grip, and the weight member constitute a shaft-grip-weight portion. The golf club has a length of greater than or equal to 45.0 inches. The golf club has a weight of less than 295 g. The head has a weight of greater than or equal to 195 g. The grip-weight portion has a weight of greater than or equal to 40 g. W1/W3 is greater than or equal to 0.40, where W1 represents a weight (g) of the butt end region, and W3 represents a weight (g) of the shaft-grip-weight portion.

A golf club includes a head; a shaft having a tip end and a butt end; a grip; and a weight member that is located in a butt end region having a distance from a butt end of the grip of 100 mm or less. The grip and the weight member constitute a grip-weight portion. The shaft, the grip, and the weight member constitute a shaft-grip-weight portion. The golf club has a weight of less than 295 g. The head has a weight of greater than or equal 195 g. The grip-weight portion has a weight of greater than or equal to 40 g. The head has a gravity center distance of greater than or equal to 44.5 mm. A ratio W1/W3 of a weight W1 (g) of the butt end region to a weight W3 (g) of the shaft-grip-weight portion is greater than or equal to 0.40.

A golf club includes a head; a shaft having a tip end and a butt end; and a grip. The golf club has a length of greater than or equal to 45.0 inches. The head has a weight of greater than or equal to 195 g. The golf club has a club moment about a rotation center of less than or equal to 22.74 (kg.Math.cm), the rotation center being a point 100 mm away from a butt end of the grip. The shaft may have a weight of less than or equal to 40 g. The golf club has a weight of greater than or equal to 280 g. A butt end region having a distance from the butt end of the grip of 100 mm or less may have a weight of greater than or equal to 27 g. This golf club can exhibit an on-plane effect.

A grip for a golf club includes a cylindrical portion into which a shaft is inserted; and an end cap portion. The cylindrical portion, on its outer surface, includes a minute projection region where a plurality of minute projections each of which has a maximum width of 0.2 mm or more and 1.2 mm or less are arranged at intervals of 0.05 mm or more and 0.7 mm or less. The minute projection region is disposed in a first region whose distance in an axial direction from a grip butt end is from 0 mm to 210 mm. Of the grip, a portion from the grip butt end up to 50 mm therefrom has a weight of 10 g or more, and the weight accounts for 39% or more of the whole weight of the grip.

A ball striking device, such as a golf club, includes a head that includes a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face. A face member formed primarily of a metallic material forms the face, and a body member is connected to the face member and extends rearward from the face member to form at least a portion of the body. The body member is formed at least partially of a polymer material, and has a doped portion containing a doping material dispersed within the polymer material. The doping material may have a different density than the polymer material, such that the doped portion has a different density than the portions of the body member not containing the doping material. A co-molding method may be used to form the ball striking device.

A shaft (10) comprises a plurality of layers A (11), and at least one layer B (12), wherein the layer A (11) comprises a cured product of a thermosetting resin, and the layer B (12) comprises a thermoplastic resin and a continuous fiber substrate, and the at least one layer B (12) is disposed between two layers A (11).