Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads
Embodiments of golf club heads, golf clubs, and methods to manufacture golf club heads and golf clubs are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head includes a hollow body portion having an interior, an upper back wall portion, a lower back wall portion, a ledge portion between the upper back wall portion and the lower back wall portion, at least one port on the lower back wall portion connected to the interior, a back wall portion opening on the upper back wall portion connected to the interior, and at least one reinforcement portion extending between opposite sides of the back wall portion opening. A first cover portion covers the back wall portion opening, and a second cover portion covers the at least one port. The first cover portion comprises a different material than the hollow body portion. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.
1 . A golf club head comprising:
a hollow body portion having a volume of less than or equal to 100 cubic centimeters and comprising a first material having a first tensile strength and a first density, the hollow body portion comprising an interior portion, a front portion, a toe portion with a toe portion edge, a heel portion with a heel portion edge, a top portion with a top portion edge, a sole portion with a sole portion edge, a back portion having a back wall portion, and a mass portion located in the interior portion at or proximate to the toe portion edge, the back wall portion comprising:
an upper back wall portion;
a lower back wall portion;
a ledge portion extending between the upper back wall portion and the lower back wall portion;
a depression formed in the lower back wall portion at or proximate to the heel portion edge and the sole portion edge;
a back wall portion opening on the upper back wall portion connected to the interior portion of the hollow body portion, the back wall portion opening extending from a location proximate to the ledge portion to a location proximate to the top portion edge and extending from a location proximate to the toe portion edge toward the heel portion edge;
a plurality of reinforcement portions extending between opposite sides of the back wall portion opening;
a first port connected to the interior portion, the first port comprising a first port first opening on the back wall portion and a first port second opening on the mass portion;
a second port connected to the interior portion, the second port comprising a second port first opening on the back wall portion and a second port second opening inside a pocket portion located in the interior portion between the depression and the mass portion;
a face portion coupled to the front portion;
a filler material in the interior portion of the hollow body portion; and
a cover portion coupled to the back wall portion over the back wall portion opening to close the back wall portion opening, the cover portion comprising a second material having a second tensile strength and a second density,
wherein the second tensile strength is greater than the first tensile strength, and
wherein the second density is less than the first density.
2 . A golf club head as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises steel and wherein the second material comprises a composite-type material.
3 . A golf club head as defined in claim 1 , wherein the mass portion extends from the back wall portion toward the face portion, and wherein the mass portion comprises a surface that is stepped in a toe-to-heel direction.
4 . A golf club head as defined in claim 1 , wherein the filler material is injected into the interior portion from at least one of the first port and the second port.
5 . A golf club head as defined in claim 1 , wherein a distance between the first port first opening and the first port second opening is greater than a distance between the second port first opening and the second port second opening.
6 . A golf club head as defined in claim 1 , further comprising an additional cover portion coupled to the back wall portion to close the first port and the second port, wherein the additional cover portion comprises visual information associated with the golf club head.
7 . An iron-type golf club comprising:
a shaft having a first end portion and a second end portion;
a grip coupled to the first end portion; and
a golf club head coupled to the second end portion, the golf club head comprising:
a hollow body portion comprising a first material having a first density, the hollow body portion comprising a front portion, and a back portion having a back wall portion comprising:
an upper back wall portion;
a lower back wall portion;
a ledge portion extending between the upper back wall portion and the lower back wall portion;
a first port on the lower back wall portion connected to an interior of the hollow body portion via a mass portion in the interior of the hollow body portion, the mass portion extending in a rear-to-front direction of the golf club head;
a second port on the lower back wall portion connected to the interior of the hollow body portion via a pocket portion located in the interior of the hollow body portion adjacent the mass portion;
a back wall portion opening on the upper back wall portion connected to the interior of the hollow body portion; and
at least one reinforcement portion extending between opposite sides of the back wall portion opening;
a filler material in the interior of the hollow body portion;
a first cover portion coupled to the upper back wall portion to cover the back wall portion opening; and
a second cover portion coupled to the lower back wall portion to cover at least one of the first port and the second port,
wherein the first cover portion comprises a second material having a second density less than the first density,
wherein a tensile strength of the second material is greater than a tensile strength of the first material.
8 . An iron-type golf club as defined in claim 7 , wherein the back wall portion opening comprises a recessed perimeter ledge portion configured to receive and couple to the first cover portion.
9 . An iron-type golf club as defined in claim 7 , wherein the first port comprises a conduit having a first port opening in a recessed portion on the lower back wall portion, wherein the second port comprises a bore or a hole having a second port opening in the recessed portion on the lower back wall portion, and wherein the recessed portion is configured to receive the second cover portion.
10 . An iron-type golf club as defined in claim 7 , wherein the mass portion includes a surface that is stepped downward toward the pocket portion.
11 . An iron-type golf club as defined in claim 7 , wherein the back wall portion opening comprises a plurality of reinforcement portions extending between opposite sides of the back wall portion opening.
12 . An iron-type golf club as defined in claim 7 , wherein the first cover portion comprises a composite-type material.
13 . An iron-type golf club as defined in claim 7 , wherein the first cover portion comprises a titanium-based material.