Golf club head or other ball striking device having stiffened face portion

A golf club head comprising:

• a face configured for striking a ball with an outer surface thereof, the face having a top edge, a bottom edge, a heel edge, and a toe edge, and further having an inner surface opposite the outer surface;
• a body connected to the face and having a heel connected to the heel edge of the face and a toe connected to the toe edge of the face, the head being adapted for connection of a shaft proximate the heel of the body;
• and
• a stiffening member extending rearward from the inner surface of the face and extending across the inner surface of the face such that a central longitudinal axis of the stiffening member extends between a first point and a second point, the first point positioned in an upper heel quadrant of the face, and the second point positioned toward a lower toe quadrant of the face with respect to the first point, the stiffening member providing locally increased stiffness to the face, the stiffening member being defined on opposite sides by first and second opposed, concave, curvilinear edges, wherein each of the first and second edges extends continuously between a first end proximate the first point and a second end proximate the second point, with the second end of each of the first and second edges being positioned toward the bottom edge and the toe edge of the face relative to the first end,
• wherein the first and second edges converge continuously from the respective first ends and second ends toward a narrowest point proximate a center of the stiffening member, where the first and second edges are most proximate to each other, such that the stiffening member has an overall width measured parallel to the face and between the first and second edges that is greater at the first point and the second point than an overall width at the narrowest point of the stiffening member,
• wherein the stiffening member has a variable thickness measured perpendicular to the face that is greatest at the center and smaller at the first and second points relative to the center, and
• wherein the inner surface of the face has a first concave portion adjacent the first edge of the stiffening member and a second concave portion adjacent the second edge of the stiffening member, wherein the first concave portion has a first variable thickness measured perpendicular to the face that is greater proximate the first end and the second end of the first edge than proximate the center of the stiffening member, and the second concave portion has a second variable thickness measured perpendicular to the face that is greater proximate the first end and the second end of the second edge than proximate the center of the stiffening member.

A golf club head comprising:

• a face configured for striking a ball with an outer surface thereof, the face having a top edge, a bottom edge, a heel edge, and a toe edge, and further having an inner surface opposite the outer surface;
• a body connected to the face and having a heel connected to the heel edge of the face and a toe connected to the toe edge of the face, the head being adapted for connection of a shaft proximate the heel of the body;
• and
• a stiffening member extending rearward from the inner surface of the face and extending across the inner surface of the face such that a central longitudinal axis of the stiffening member extends between a first point and a second point, the first point positioned in an upper heel quadrant of the face, and the second point positioned toward a lower toe quadrant of the face with respect to the first point, the stiffening member providing locally increased stiffness to the face, the stiffening member comprising two curvilinear ribs diverging proximate the first point and the second point and converging at a center of the stiffening member, wherein the curvilinear ribs are spaced from one another proximate the first point to create a first gap at the first point and are spaced from one another proximate the second point to create a second gap at the second point, and wherein the ribs converge to contact each other at the center,
• wherein a periphery of the first curvilinear rib is defined by a first concave, curvilinear edge and a periphery of the second curvilinear rib is defined by a second concave, curvilinear rib located opposite the first edge, wherein each of the first and second edges extends continuously between a first end proximate the first point and a second end proximate the second point, with the second end of each of the first and second edges being positioned toward the bottom edge and the toe edge of the face relative to the first end,
• wherein the first and second edges converge continuously from the respective first ends and second ends toward a narrowest point proximate the center of the stiffening member, where the first and second ribs converge to contact each other, such that the stiffening member has an overall width measured parallel to the face and between the first and second edges that is greater at the first point and the second point than an overall width at the narrowest point of the stiffening member.

A golf club head comprising:

• a face configured for striking a ball with an outer surface thereof;
• a body connected to the face, the body adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel of the body and having a toe opposite the heel;
• and
• a stiffening member extending rearward from an inner surface of the face and extending across the inner surface of the face such that a central longitudinal axis of the stiffening member extends between a first point and a second point, wherein the stiffening member extends across a center of the face between the first point and the second point, wherein the first point is positioned in an upper heel quadrant of the face and the second point is positioned in the lower toe quadrant of the face substantially opposite the first point, the stiffening member providing locally increased stiffness to the face,
• wherein the inner surface of the face has a first concave portion located on a first side of the stiffening member and a second concave portion located on a second side of the stiffening member, wherein the first and second concave portions each have a concave thickness profile, having a face thickness that is greatest proximate the first point and the second point and lowest proximate a midpoint between the first point and the second point.