A knob sleeve assembly for a ball bat extending along a longitudinal axis and having a tubular handle portion and a knob attached the handle portion. The knob sleeve assembly includes a plurality of annular bodies formed of a resilient material. Each of the bodies defines a central opening for receiving the handle portion of the bat. Each of the bodies has an annular body height within the range of 0.25 to 1.0 inch, and a maximum annular body outer diameter within the range of 1 to 3 inches. The plurality of annular bodies varies from one another according to at least one annular body characteristic. The knob sleeve characteristic is selected from the group consisting of annular body height, maximum annular body outer diameter, weight, color, material durometer value, annular body draft angle and combinations thereof.

Embodiments of golf club heads, golf clubs, and methods to manufacture golf club heads and golf clubs are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head includes a body portion having an interior cavity, a ledge portion extending outward from a back wall of the body portion, a filler material comprising a rubber compound in the interior cavity, a first set of mass portions that is closer to a toe portion edge of the body portion than to a heel portion edge of the body portion, and a second set of mass portions that is closer to the heel portion edge than to the toe portion edge. A face portion is coupled to the body portion to enclose the interior cavity and includes at least one back groove located proximate to a perimeter edge of the face portion. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

A bat having a handle inner shaft and a grip sleeve surrounding and radially spaced from the handle inner shaft.

A bat having a handle inner shaft and a grip sleeve surrounding and radially spaced from the handle inner shaft.

Embodiments of golf club heads, golf clubs, and methods to manufacture golf club heads and golf clubs are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head includes a body portion having a face portion with a face perimeter edge defined by a face toe edge, a face heel edge, a face top edge, and a face sole edge. The face portion includes a first groove portion, a second groove portion, a third groove portion on the back surface of the face portion, and a face perimeter portion between the first groove portion and the face toe edge, between the second groove portion and the face top edge, and between the third groove portion and the face heel edge. The first groove portion is connected to the second groove portion, which is connected to the third groove portion. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

A head includes a face portion, a sole portion, and an internal weight portion provided on an inner surface of the sole portion and located apart from the face portion. The internal weight portion includes a base portion, and a protruding portion protruding from the base portion toward a face side and located apart from the inner surface of the sole portion. The protruding portion is positioned on the face side with respect to the head center of gravity. A thickness of a toe-side part of the protruding portion and/or a thickness of a heel-side part of the protruding portion is greater than a thickness of a middle part of the protruding portion. Alternatively, a middle part of the protruding portion in a toe-heel direction is absent. The internal weight portion may be formed integrally with the sole portion, or may be a different member from the sole portion.

An iron-type golf club head where a ratio of a maximum toe height of the iron-type golf club head to a blade length of the iron-type golf club head is greater than zero and at most 0.62. A maximum thickness of the front portion, along the strike face, corresponds with a location toeward of a geometric center of the strike face. The thickness of the front portion, at the geometric center of the strike face, is less than the maximum thickness of the front portion. A coefficient of restitution (COR) of the iron-type golf club head is at least 0.818 and at most 0.830. An entirety of the sole is rounded along a plane parallel to the strike face, and a radius of curvature of the sole, along the plane parallel to the strike face, is no more than between, and inclusive of, 100 mm and 275 mm.

An iron-type golf club head where a ratio of a maximum toe height of the iron-type golf club head to a blade length of the iron-type golf club head is greater than zero and at most 0.62. A maximum thickness of the front portion, along the strike face, corresponds with a location toeward of a geometric center of the strike face. The thickness of the front portion, at the geometric center of the strike face, is less than the maximum thickness of the front portion. A coefficient of restitution (COR) of the iron-type golf club head is at least 0.818 and at most 0.830. An entirety of the sole is rounded along a plane parallel to the strike face, and a radius of curvature of the sole, along the plane parallel to the strike face, is no more than between, and inclusive of, 100 mm and 275 mm.

A golf club head with improved striking face is disclosed. More specifically, the present invention relates to a golf club head wherein the striking face is further comprised out of a thickened central region, located near a geometric center of the striking face portion, a central transition region extending outward radially from the thickened central region, a thinned intermediate region, extending outward radially from the central transition region, a thickened stress reducing region, extending outward radially from the thinned intermediate region, and a thinned perimeter region, extending outward radially from the thickened stress reducing region, all of which combine to form the improved striking face.

Some embodiments include hollow body club heads having reinforced club head faces. In one example, the club face comprises a reinforcement element such as a looped rib positioned on a rear surface of the club face to provide reinforcement. The club head defines a closed interior cavity, where the reinforcement is located within the closed interior cavity. The hollow body club head further comprises a rear including a plurality of walls to allow the club head to easily bend during a golf ball impact. The combination of the hollow body design and the reinforcement element reinforces the club head while permitting the club face to bend. Other embodiments of related club heads and methods are also disclosed.