Golf club with a striking face having improved characteristic time values

A ball striking face characterized for use with a driver type metal wood golf head having a ball striking face, an upper crown, heel, toe, and a bottom sole;

• said striking face having a central impact area with an average thickness between approximately 2.8 mm and approximately 3.4 mm;
• said striking face being further defined by an additional area located adjacent to the toe side of said impact area and an additional area located adjacent to the heel side of said central impact area;
• said additional adjacent areas on either side of said central impact area having an average thickness between approximately 2.2 mm and approximately 2.6 mm;
• said striking face having remaining areas outside said central impact area and outside said additional areas adjacent to and on either side of said central impact area;
• and, said striking face being further defined by said central impact area having a characteristic time, CT, value no greater than 257 u sec. and by one or more of the areas outside said central impact area having CT values greater than 257 u sec. but not greater than 275 u sec.

A ball striking face characterized for use with a fairway type metal wood golf head having a ball striking face, an upper crown, heel, toe, and a bottom sole;

• said striking face having a central impact area with an average thickness between approximately 2.1 mm and approximately 2.5 mm,
• said striking face being further defined by an additional area located adjacent to the toe side of said impact area and an additional area located adjacent to the heel side of said central impact area;
• said additional adjacent areas on either side of said central impact area having an average thickness between approximately 1.3 mm and approximately 1.9 mm;
• said striking face having remaining areas outside said central impact area and outside said additional areas adjacent to and on either side of said central impact area;
• and, said striking face being further defined by said central impact area having a characteristic time, CT, value no greater than 257 u sec. and by one or more of the areas outside said central impact area having CT values greater than 257 u sec. but not greater than 275 u sec.

A ball striking face characterized for use with a hybrid type metal wood golf head having a ball striking face, an upper crown, heel, toe, and a bottom sole;

• said striking face having a central impact area with an average thickness between approximately 2.2 mm and approximately 2.6 mm;
• said striking face being further defined by an additional area located adjacent to the toe side of said impact area and an additional area located adjacent to the heel side of said central impact area;
• said additional adjacent areas on either side of said central impact area having an average thickness between approximately 1.6 mm and approximately 2.0 mm;
• said striking face having remaining areas outside said central impact area and said additional areas adjacent to and on either side of said central impact area;
• and, said striking face being further defined by said central impact area having a characteristic time, CT, value no greater than 257 u sec. and by one or more of the areas outside said central impact area having CT values greater than 257 u sec. but not greater than 275 u sec.