An aerodynamic sporting item, such as a tennis racket, is provided. The item includes a plurality of ridges on a surface of the sporting item. The ridges are aligned with a direction of flow of air across the sporting item when used. The ridges define channels between adjacent pairs of ridges and a plurality of dimples are located in the channels defined by the ridges.

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.

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.

A golf club head includes a club body including a heel portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, a top-line portion, and a face portion. In some embodiments, the face portion has an ideal striking location and at least one channel defined in the face. In some embodiments, the golf club head has a striking face and at least one channel defined in the striking face. In some embodiments, the golf club head has an ideal striking location and at least one non-ideal striking location.

A golf club head includes a club body including a heel portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, a top-line portion, and a face portion. In some embodiments, the face portion has an ideal striking location and at least one channel defined in the face. In some embodiments, the golf club head has a striking face and at least one channel defined in the striking face. In some embodiments, the golf club head has an ideal striking location and at least one non-ideal striking location.

Provided is a golf club head in which the lateral moment of inertia can be increased through thickness adjustment of the sole portion. The golf club head according to the present invention includes a crown portion, a sole portion and a face portion. The sole portion includes a first thin-walled portion and a first thick-walled portion that extends from the toe side of the first thin-walled portion to the heel side of the first thin-walled portion via the back side, so as to surround the first thin-walled portion, and is thicker than the first thin-walled portion.

A golf club head having a hollow structure includes a face, an internal surface, and an external surface. The face defines a front portion of the golf club head and includes a face surface defining a ball-striking surface. The internal surface includes an internal depression that at least partly extends along the outline of the face surface. The external surface includes an external depression that at least partly extends along the outline of the face surface.

Some embodiments include club heads having reinforced club head faces. Other embodiments of related club heads and methods are also disclosed.

A golf club head comprises a sole, a recessed sole port in the sole; and a rotatably adjustable sole piece adapted to be at least partially received within the sole port and comprising a central body having a plurality of contact surfaces adapted to contact the sole port and being offset from each other along a central axis extending through the central body of the sole piece. The sole piece can be positioned at least partially within the sole port at five or more rotational and axial positions with respect to the central axis, wherein at each rotational position, at least one of said contact surfaces of the central body contacts the sole port to set the axial position of the sole piece. The sole port and/or the sole piece can be generally pentagonal in shape.

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.