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

A golf club head comprising:

• a toe, a heel, a front, a rear, a crown, a sole;
• a club head body member made of a first material comprising a heel, a toe, a portion of the crown, and a portion of the sole;
• a face member made of a second material comprising a portion of a striking face and a portion of the crown adjacent to the striking face;
• and
• an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole in a heel-to-toe direction wherein an elongated channel length is measured in a heel-to-toe direction;
• wherein the elongated channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and has a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole;
• wherein the sole comprises a plurality of materials such that the elongated channel and its adjacent surfaces are a third material;
• wherein the elongated channel consists of a forward trough and a rear trough;
• wherein the forward trough comprises a forward trough length measured in a heel-to-toe direction;
• wherein the rear trough comprises a rear trough length measured in a heel-to-toe direction;
• wherein the rear trough length is less than the forward trough length;
• wherein the forward trough and rear trough consist of a semicircular cross-sectional shape;
• wherein the forward trough and the rear trough are open to an exterior of the golf club head;
• wherein a forward trough width is measured in a front-to-rear direction;
• wherein a rear trough width is measured in a front-to-rear direction;
• wherein the forward trough width is between 1.5 and 2.5 times larger than the rear trough width;
• wherein the forward trough comprises a forward trough wall thickness and the rear trough comprises a rear trough wall thickness;
• wherein the forward trough wall thickness is less than the rear wall trough thickness;
• wherein the forward trough has a forward trough front wall and a forward trough rear wall;
• wherein the rear trough has a rear trough front wall and a rear trough rear wall;
• wherein the forward trough rear wall and the rear trough front wall meet at an inflection point along the rear trough length;
• wherein the forward trough rear wall and the rear trough front wall form an interior trough open to the interior of the golf club head such that the forward trough rear wall and the rear trough front wall slope in opposite directions away from each other in relationship to the inflection point;
• wherein the depth of recession is in a range of 2 mm to 5 mm.