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 may include a body portion having a top portion, a bottom portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a front portion, and a rear portion. The front portion may include an exterior surface and an interior surface. A wall structure may be located inside the body portion and may be spaced apart from the interior surface of the front portion to form a channel therebetween. A filler material may be disposed inside the channel and may compress against the wall structure when the face portion strikes a golf ball. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.
1. A golf club head comprising:
a body portion comprising a top portion, a bottom portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a front portion, and a rear portion, the front portion comprising an exterior surface and an interior surface;
a cutaway portion on the interior surface of the front portion, the cutaway portion extending laterally between the heel portion and the toe portion, the cutaway portion corresponding to a minimum thickness region of the front portion;
a wall structure located within a body cavity of the body portion and extending upward from a bottom interior surface of the body portion into the body cavity, the wall structure having a base portion and a tip portion opposite the base portion, the base portion located at or proximate to the bottom interior surface of the body portion, the wall structure extending laterally between the toe portion and the heel portion, a distance between the wall structure and the front portion being less than a distance between the wall structure and the rear portion, the wall structure located below a horizontal midplane of the golf club head;
a channel between the wall structure and the interior surface of the front portion, the channel having a lower channel region, a middle channel region, and an upper channel region, the lower channel region having a first maximum width, the middle channel region having a second maximum width, the upper channel region having a third maximum width, the second maximum width being greater than the first maximum width, and the second maximum width being greater than the third maximum width; and
a filler material in the channel and extending from the lower channel region to the upper channel region and filling the cutaway portion.
2. A golf club head as defined in claim 1 further comprising a pocket structure coupled to the interior surface of the front portion, the pocket structure comprising a perimeter side wall extending rearward from the interior surface of the front portion and a back wall joined to the perimeter side wall to form a pocket cavity between the back wall and the front portion, the pocket cavity comprising a second filler material.
3. A golf club head as defined in claim 1 , wherein the front portion comprises an outer face plate joined to an inner face plate, the inner face plate enclosing a central opening in the outer face plate.
4. A golf club head as defined in claim 1 , wherein the cutaway portion is a groove.
5. A golf club head as defined in claim 1 , wherein the filler material comprises an elastomer material.
6. A golf club head as defined in claim 1 , wherein a height of the wall structure is greater than or equal to 5.08 mm and less than or equal to 10.16 mm.
7. A golf club head as defined in claim 1 , wherein the wall structure is spaced rearward of the interior surface of the front portion by a distance of greater than or equal to 1.27 mm and less than or equal to 7.62 mm.
8. A golf club head comprising:
a body portion comprising a top portion, a bottom portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a front portion, and a rear portion, the front portion comprising an exterior surface and an interior surface;
a wall structure located within a body cavity of the body portion and extending upward from a bottom interior surface of the body portion into the body cavity, the wall structure having a base portion and a tip portion opposite the base portion, the base portion located at or proximate to the bottom interior surface of the body portion, the wall structure extending laterally between the toe portion and the heel portion, a distance between the wall structure and the front portion being less than a distance between the wall structure and the rear portion, the wall structure located below a horizontal midplane of the golf club head;
a channel between the wall structure and the interior surface of the front portion, the channel having a lower channel region, a middle channel region, and an upper channel region, the lower channel region having a first maximum width, the middle channel region having a second maximum width, the upper channel region having a third maximum width, the second maximum width being greater than the first maximum width, and the second maximum width being greater than the third maximum width; and
a filler material in the channel and extending from the lower channel region to the upper channel region and from the interior surface of the front portion to the wall structure.
9. A golf club head as defined in claim 8 further comprising a groove on the interior surface of the front portion, the groove located within the channel, the groove extending laterally between the heel portion and the toe portion, the groove corresponding to a minimum thickness region of the front portion, the filler material filling the groove.
10. A golf club head as defined in claim 8 further comprising a pocket structure coupled to the interior surface of the front portion, the pocket structure comprising a perimeter side wall extending rearward from the interior surface of the front portion and a back wall joined to the perimeter side wall to form a pocket cavity between the back wall and the front portion, the pocket cavity comprising a second filler material.
11. A golf club head as defined in claim 8 , wherein the front portion comprises an outer face plate joined to an inner face plate, the inner face plate enclosing a central opening in the outer face plate.
12. A golf club head as defined in claim 8 , wherein the filler material comprises an elastomer material.
13. A golf club head as defined in claim 8 , wherein a centerline of the wall structure is substantially parallel to a front plane that is tangential to the exterior surface of the front portion.
14. A golf club head as defined in claim 8 , wherein the wall structure is spaced rearward of the interior surface of the front portion by a distance of greater than or equal to 1.27 mm and less than or equal to 7.62 mm.
15. A golf club head comprising:
a body portion comprising a top portion, a bottom portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a front portion, and a rear portion, the front portion comprising an exterior surface and an interior surface;
a pocket structure coupled to the interior surface of the front portion, the pocket structure comprising a perimeter side wall extending rearward from the interior surface of the front portion and a back wall joined to the perimeter side wall to form a pocket cavity between the back wall and the front portion, the pocket cavity comprising a first filler material;
a wall structure located within a body cavity of the body portion and extending upward from a bottom interior surface of the body portion into the body cavity, the wall structure having a base portion and a tip portion opposite the base portion, the base portion located at or proximate to the bottom interior surface of the body portion, the wall structure extending laterally between the toe portion and the heel portion, a distance between the wall structure and the front portion being less than a distance between the wall structure and the rear portion, the wall structure located below a horizontal midplane of the golf club head;
a channel between the wall structure and the interior surface of the front portion, the channel having a lower channel region, a middle channel region, and an upper channel region, the lower channel region having a first maximum width, the middle channel region having a second maximum width, the upper channel region having a third maximum width, the second maximum width being greater than the first maximum width, and the second maximum width being greater than the third maximum width; and
a second filler material in the channel and extending from the lower channel region to the upper channel region and from the interior surface of the front portion to the wall structure.
16. A golf club head as defined in claim 15 , wherein the front portion comprises an outer face plate joined to an inner face plate, the inner face plate enclosing a central opening in the outer face plate.
17. A golf club head as defined in claim 15 , wherein the first filler material comprises an elastomer material.
18. A golf club head as defined in claim 15 , wherein the second filler material comprises an elastomer material.
19. A golf club head as defined in claim 15 further comprising a groove on the interior surface of the front portion, the groove located within the channel, the groove extending laterally between the heel portion and the toe portion, the groove corresponding to a minimum thickness region of the front portion, the second filler material filling the groove.
20. A golf club head as defined in claim 15 , wherein the front portion comprises a minimum thickness region below the horizontal midplane and proximate to the middle channel region.