Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads
Embodiments of golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head includes an alignment aid coinciding with a center longitudinal plane. A center of gravity is located on a horizontal plane parallel to a ground plane. A hosel portion includes a bend portion. The hosel portion imparts forward shaft lean and orients a shaft axis to intersect the horizontal plane at an intersection point that is offset from the center of gravity. A visibility angle no greater than 20 degrees is formed between the center longitudinal plane and a visibility plane bordering the bend portion and intersecting the center longitudinal plane at the alignment aid. The visibility angle represents a range of sightlines that enable an individual to fully see the alignment aid at an address position. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.
1 . A golf club head comprising:
a body portion comprising a toe portion with a toe edge, a heel portion with a heel edge, a front portion, a rear portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a face portion at the front portion, and a leading edge between the sole portion and the face portion, the leading edge comprising a midpoint located halfway between the toe edge and the heel edge;
an alignment aid at the top portion, the alignment aid coinciding with a center longitudinal plane, the center longitudinal plane bisecting the body portion to define the toe portion and the heel portion;
a center of gravity located on a horizontal plane, the horizontal plane being parallel to a ground plane and intersecting the center longitudinal plane;
a coordinate system comprising:
an origin at the midpoint of the leading edge;
an x-axis through the origin and extending in a heel-to-toe direction;
a y-axis through the origin and extending in a sole-to-top direction; and
a z-axis through the origin and extending in a front-to-rear direction; and
a hosel portion at or proximate the heel portion, the hosel portion comprising:
a neck portion configured to lean in a toe-ward direction and a rearward direction;
a tip portion configured to attach to a shaft comprising a shaft axis, the tip portion located above the neck portion and configured to lean in a heel-ward direction and a frontward direction;
a bend portion between the neck portion and the tip portion;
a first angle formed between the neck portion and the tip portion in an x-y plane; and
a second angle formed between the neck portion and the tip portion in a y-z plane, the second angle being different from the first angle,
wherein the hosel portion is configured to impart forward lean to the shaft and orient the shaft such that the shaft axis intersects the horizontal plane at an intersection point that is offset from the center of gravity along the x-axis,
wherein a visibility angle is formed between the center longitudinal plane and a visibility plane, the visibility plane bordering a toe-most extent of the bend portion and intersecting the center longitudinal plane at the alignment aid,
wherein the visibility angle represents a range of sightlines that enable an individual to fully see the alignment aid at an address position, and
wherein the visibility angle is greater than or equal to 5 degrees and less than or equal to 20 degrees.
2 . A golf club head as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first angle is greater than or equal to 125 degrees and less than or equal to 140 degrees, and wherein the second angle greater than or equal to 163 degrees and less than or equal to 178 degrees.
3 . A golf club head as defined in claim 1 , wherein the center of gravity and the intersection point are separated by an offset distance along the x-axis, the offset distance being greater than or equal to 0.140 inches (3.556 mm) and less than or equal to 0.260 inches (6.604 mm).
4 . A golf club head as defined in claim 1 , wherein the center of gravity and the intersection point have zero offset along the y-axis and the z-axis.
5 . A golf club head as defined in claim 1 , wherein the intersection point is located toe-ward from the center of gravity.
6 . A golf club head as defined in claim 1 , wherein a lie angle between the shaft axis and the ground plane is greater than or equal to 60 degrees and less than or equal to 80 degrees.
7 . A golf club head as defined in claim 1 , wherein a ratio between a moment of inertia about a vertical axis of the center of gravity and a moment of inertia about the shaft axis is greater than or equal to 0.80 and less than or equal to 1.20.
8 . A golf club head comprising:
a body portion comprising a toe portion, a heel portion, a front portion, a rear portion, a top portion, a sole portion;
an alignment aid at the top portion, the alignment aid coinciding with a center longitudinal plane, the center longitudinal plane bisecting the body portion to define the toe portion and the heel portion;
a center of gravity located on a horizontal plane, the horizontal plane being parallel to a ground plane and intersecting the center longitudinal plane; and
a hosel portion coupled to the body portion, the hosel portion comprising:
a neck portion configured to lean in a toe-ward direction and a rearward direction;
a tip portion configured to attach to a shaft comprising a shaft axis, the tip portion located above the neck portion and configured to lean in a heel-ward direction and a frontward direction,
wherein the hosel portion is configured to impart forward lean to the shaft and orient the shaft such that the shaft axis intersects the horizontal plane at an intersection point that is offset from the center of gravity,
wherein a visibility angle is formed between the center longitudinal plane and a visibility plane, the visibility plane bordering a toe-most extent of the hosel portion and intersecting the center longitudinal plane at the alignment aid,
wherein the visibility angle represents a range of sightlines that enable an individual to fully see the alignment aid at an address position, and
wherein the visibility angle is greater than or equal to 5 degrees and less than or equal to 20 degrees.
9 . A golf club head as defined in claim 8 , wherein the center of gravity is located heel-ward of the center longitudinal plane and the intersection point is located toe-ward of the center longitudinal plane, and wherein the center of gravity and the intersection point are equidistant from the center longitudinal plane.
10 . A golf club head as defined in claim 8 , wherein the hosel portion is integral with the body portion.
11 . A golf club head as defined in claim 8 , wherein the alignment aid is configured as a line.
12 . A golf club head as defined in claim 8 , wherein the center of gravity and the intersection point have zero offset in a front-to-rear direction and a sole-to-top direction.
13 . A golf club head as defined in claim 8 , wherein a lie angle between the shaft axis and the ground plane is 70 degrees, and wherein the visibility angle is greater than or equal to 10 degrees and less than or equal to 16 degrees.
14 . A golf club head as defined in claim 8 , wherein a ratio between a moment of inertia about a vertical axis of the center of gravity and a moment of inertia about the shaft axis is 1 or approximately 1.
15 . A golf club head comprising:
a body portion comprising a toe portion, a heel portion, a front portion, a rear portion, a top portion, a sole portion;
an alignment aid at the top portion, the alignment aid coinciding with a center longitudinal plane, the center longitudinal plane bisecting the body portion to define the toe portion and the heel portion;
a center of gravity located on a horizontal plane, the horizontal plane being parallel to a ground plane and intersecting the center longitudinal plane; and
a hosel portion at the heel portion and configured to attach to a shaft comprising a shaft axis, the hosel portion comprising a bend portion defining a toe-most extent of the hosel portion,
wherein the hosel portion is configured to impart forward lean to the shaft and orient the shaft such that the shaft axis intersects the horizontal plane at an intersection point that is offset from the center of gravity,
wherein a visibility angle is formed between the center longitudinal plane and a visibility plane, the visibility plane bordering the bend portion and intersecting the center longitudinal plane at the alignment aid,
wherein the visibility angle represents a range of sightlines that enable an individual to fully see the alignment aid at an address position, and
wherein the visibility angle is less than or equal to 20 degrees.
16 . A golf club head as defined in claim 15 , wherein the intersection point mirrors or substantially mirrors the center of gravity about the center longitudinal plane.
17 . A golf club head as defined in claim 15 , wherein the intersection point is located toe-ward from the center of gravity, and wherein the center of gravity and the intersection point are separated by an offset distance greater than or equal to 0.180 inches (4.572 mm) and less than or equal to 0.220 inches (5.588 mm) in a heel-to-toe direction.
18 . A golf club head as defined in claim 15 , wherein the alignment aid is configured as a recessed line.
19 . A golf club head as defined in claim 15 , wherein a lie angle between the shaft axis and the ground plane is greater than or equal to 75 degrees and less than or equal to 80 degrees, and wherein the visibility angle is greater than or equal to 0.5 degrees and less than or equal to 2 degrees.
20 . A golf club head as defined in claim 15 , wherein a ratio between a moment of inertia about a vertical axis of the center of gravity and a moment of inertia about the shaft axis is greater than or equal to 0.80 and less than or equal to 1.20.