Golf club head or other ball striking device having impact-influencing body features

A golf club head comprising:

• a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball;
• a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face, wherein the body has a crown, a sole, a heel, a toe, and a rear opposite the face;
• a channel located on the body and extending across a portion of the sole, the channel having a front edge and a rear edge located at an exterior surface of the sole, the channel further having front and rear side walls extending inwardly from the front and rear edges, wherein the channel has a width defined in a front-to-rear direction, wherein the channel has a maximum width defined between the front and rear edges, and the width of the channel decreases inwardly from the front and rear edges;
• and
• an insert mounted within the channel and engaging the channel, the insert having an outer surface with a front edge and a rear edge, wherein the insert has a width defined in the front-to-rear direction, and wherein a maximum width of the insert is defined between the front edge and the rear edge at the outer surface of the insert, and the width decreases inwardly from the outer surface of the insert,
• wherein the body and the face combine to define an internal cavity, and wherein the front and rear side walls extend into the internal cavity, such that the channel creates a raised portion on an interior surface of the body, and
• wherein the channel includes a slot extending into the internal cavity, and wherein the insert covers the slot within the channel.

A golf club head comprising:

• a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball;
• a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face, wherein the body has a crown, a sole, a heel, a toe, and a rear opposite the face, wherein the body and the face combine to define an internal cavity;
• an elongated channel located on the body and extending across a portion of the sole, the channel having a front edge and a rear edge located at an exterior surface of the body and extending in a heel-to-toe direction, the channel further having front and rear side walls extending inwardly from the front and rear edges, wherein the front and rear side walls extend into the internal cavity, such that the channel creates a raised portion on an interior surface of the body, wherein the channel has a width defined in a front-to-rear direction and a length defined in the heel-to-toe direction, and wherein the channel has a maximum width defined between the front and rear edges, and the width of the channel decreases inwardly from the exterior surface;
• and
• an insert formed at least partially of a flexible polymer material, the insert mounted within the channel and engaging the channel, the insert having an outer surface with a front edge and a rear edge, wherein the insert has a width defined in the front-to-rear direction, wherein a maximum width of the insert is defined between the front edge and the rear edge at the outer surface of the insert, and the width of the insert decreases inwardly from the outer surface to a minimum width at an inner surface of the insert,
• wherein channel includes a slot extending into the internal cavity, wherein the width of the slot is smaller than the maximum width of the channel and the length of the slot is smaller than the length of the channel, and wherein a portion of the insert is received within the slot and is exposed to the internal cavity.

A golf club head comprising:

• a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball;
• a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face, wherein the body has a crown, a sole, a heel, a toe, and a rear opposite the face;
• a channel located on the body and extending across a portion of the sole, the channel being inwardly recessed from an exterior surface of the sole, wherein the channel has a width defined in a front-to-rear direction, and wherein the width of the channel is greatest proximate the exterior surface of the sole;
• and
• an insert mounted within the channel and engaging the channel, wherein the insert has a width defined in the front-to-rear direction, and wherein the width of the insert is greatest at an outer surface of the insert and decreases inwardly from the outer surface of the insert,
• wherein the body and the face combine to define an internal cavity, and wherein the channel creates a raised portion on an interior surface of the body, and
• wherein the channel includes a slot extending into the internal cavity, wherein the slot has a width that is smaller than the width of the channel proximate the exterior surface of the sole, and wherein a portion of the insert is received within the slot.