Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads

Abstract

Embodiments of golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club includes a shaft with forward shaft lean coupled to a golf club head. The golf club head includes a heel portion having a first shaft marker and a second shaft marker. The first shaft marker and the second shaft marker are spaced apart from one another such that when the golf club head is at an address position to strike a golf ball, the shaft appears to be located between the first shaft marker and the second shaft marker from a vantage point of an individual positioned over the golf club head at address. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club comprising:
 a shaft; and   a golf club head coupled to the shaft, the golf club head comprising:
 a body portion comprising a toe portion, a heel portion, a front portion, a rear portion, a top portion, and a sole portion, the front portion comprising a face portion defining a loft angle of the golf club head; 
 a hosel bore at the top portion, the hosel bore slanted in a forward direction toward the front portion and in a heel-ward direction; 
 a hosel portion coupled to the hosel bore and attached to the shaft, the hosel portion imparting a forward shaft lean angle to the shaft; 
 a first shaft marker at the heel portion and lying in a first vertical plane that is non-perpendicular to a center longitudinal plane of the body portion, the center longitudinal plane bisecting the body portion to define the toe portion and the heel portion; and 
 a second shaft marker at the heel portion and spaced apart from the first shaft marker by a distance greater than or equal to a diameter of the shaft, the second shaft marker lying in a second vertical plane that is non-perpendicular to the center longitudinal plane, 
   wherein the shaft appears to be located between the first shaft marker and the second shaft marker from a vantage point of an individual positioned over the golf club head at an address position to strike a golf ball, the address position being a position where the shaft forms a lie angle relative to a ground plane of the body portion while the face portion is maintained at the loft angle and the shaft is maintained at the forward shaft lean angle, the ground plane being perpendicular to the center longitudinal plane.   
     
     
         2 . A golf club as defined in  claim 1 , the shaft comprising a shaft axis, and wherein the hosel portion is configured to direct the shaft axis toe-ward relative to a center of gravity of the golf club head. 
     
     
         3 . A golf club as defined in  claim 1 , the shaft comprising a shaft axis that is collinear with a bore axis of the hosel bore and a center longitudinal axis of the hosel portion. 
     
     
         4 . A golf club as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the lie angle is greater than or equal to sixty (60) degrees and less than or equal to eighty (80) degrees, the loft angle is greater than or equal to three (3) degrees and less than or equal to seven (7) degrees, and the forward shaft lean angle is greater than zero (0) degrees and less than or equal to five (5) degrees. 
     
     
         5 . A golf club as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the face portion comprises a first face thickness greater than or equal to 0.035 inch (0.889 mm) and less than or equal to 0.055 inch (1.397 mm) and a second face thickness greater than or equal to 0.035 inch (0.889 mm) and less than or equal to 0.045 inch (1.143 mm). 
     
     
         6 . A golf club as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a third shaft marker and a fourth shaft marker, wherein the third shaft marker lies in the first vertical plane and is coaligned with the first shaft marker, and wherein the fourth shaft marker lies in the second vertical plane and is coaligned with the second shaft marker. 
     
     
         7 . A golf club as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a third shaft marker and a fourth shaft marker located at the toe portion, wherein the third shaft marker diametrically opposes the first shaft marker and the fourth shaft marker diametrically opposes the second shaft marker. 
     
     
         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, and a sole portion;   a face portion at the front portion, the face portion defining a loft angle of the golf club head;   a hosel portion configured to impart a forward shaft lean angle to a shaft;
 an alignment aid at a top surface of the heel portion and extending linearly up to an outer top edge of the top surface, the alignment aid being non-parallel with the face portion, 
   wherein the alignment aid indicates if an address position for striking a golf ball is established based on a visual relationship between the alignment aid and the shaft, the address position being a position where the loft angle and the forward shaft lean angle are maintained at predetermined angular values to preserve an effective loft angle of the golf club head, the effective loft angle corresponding to an angular difference between the loft angle and the forward shaft lean angle.   
     
     
         9 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the shaft forms a lie angle relative to a ground plane, and wherein the lie angle of the shaft is maintained at a predetermined angular value at the address position. 
     
     
         10 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the loft angle is greater than or equal to three (3) degrees and less than or equal to seven (7) degrees, wherein the forward shaft lean angle is greater than zero (0) degrees and less than or equal to five (5) degrees, and wherein the effective loft angle is greater than or equal to one (1) degree and less than or equal to five (5) degrees. 
     
     
         11 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the alignment aid extends to an inner top edge of the top surface of the heel portion. 
     
     
         12 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 8  further comprising an additional alignment aid, wherein the additional alignment aid is coaligned with the alignment aid. 
     
     
         13 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 8  further comprising an additional alignment aid at the toe portion, wherein the additional alignment aid diametrically opposes the alignment aid. 
     
     
         14 . A golf club head comprising:
 a front portion having a face portion;   a hosel portion configured to couple to a shaft to form a shaft lean angle relative to the front portion; and   a heel portion having a shaft alignment aid for the shaft to indicate an address position for the face portion to strike a golf ball based on the shaft lean angle.   
     
     
         15 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the shaft alignment aid comprises a first shaft marker and a second shaft marker configured to provide positive visual feedback such that the address position is established by adjusting the position of the golf club head until the shaft appears to be located between at least a portion of the first shaft marker and at least a portion of the second shaft marker from a vantage point of an individual positioned over the golf club head at the address position. 
     
     
         16 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the shaft alignment aid comprises at least one shaft marker configured to provide negative visual feedback such that the address position is achieved by adjusting the position of the golf club head until at least a portion of the at least one shaft marker is visually obstructed by the shaft from a vantage point of an individual positioned over the golf club head at the address position. 
     
     
         17 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the shaft alignment aid comprises a single shaft marker configured to provide positive visual feedback such that the address position is achieved by adjusting the position of the golf club head until the single shaft marker is visible on both sides of the shaft from a vantage point of an individual positioned over the golf club head at the address position. 
     
     
         18 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the shaft alignment aid extends diagonally across the heel portion from an inner top edge to an outer top edge of the heel portion. 
     
     
         19 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the shaft alignment aid is configured as at least one straight line that is non-parallel a face portion of the golf club head. 
     
     
         20 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 14  further comprising a face portion having a first face thickness greater than or equal to 0.035 inch (0.889 mm) and less than or equal to 0.055 inch (1.397 mm) and a second face thickness greater than or equal to 0.035 inch (0.889 mm) and less than or equal to 0.045 inch (1.143 mm).