An iron-type golf club head includes a striking face comprising a face center and a variable face thickness such that the striking face has a perimeter region proximate an outer boundary of the striking face and a maximum thickness of the striking face located in the perimeter region. A shell of the golf club head includes a crown, a sole opposite the crown, a heel, a toe, and an internal weight pad located on a lower portion of the shell. A moment of inertia about a vertical axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head is at least 2900 g*cm.sup.2. In another aspect, the striking face includes a center region having a first thickness T1, an intermediate region surrounding the center region having a second thickness T2, and a perimeter region surrounding the intermediate region having a third thickness T3, and T2<T1<T3.

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 body portion being hollow to define an interior cavity, a filler material in the interior cavity, a face portion, and a back portion having a back wall portion. The back wall portion includes a first external ledge portion and a second external ledge portion, and a perimeter groove below the external ledge portion. The golf club head also includes a removable mass portion coupled to the back wall portion. The face portion includes a back surface with a perimeter portion, a face recess portion and a back groove portion in the face recess portion. The filler material is coupled to the face recess portion and the back groove portion. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

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 may include a body portion having a face portion including a front surface, a back surface, a plurality of front grooves on the front surface, a face perimeter, and a back groove portion on the back surface. The back groove portion may include a back groove portion length extending on the back surface of the face portion proximate to the face perimeter. The back groove portion length may be greater than or equal to 50% of the face perimeter. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

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 body portion, a face portion coupled to the body portion, a filler material in an interior cavity of the body portion, a mass portion, a first port connected to the interior cavity, a second port below a horizontal midplane of the body portion and connected to the interior cavity, and a cover portion coupled to the body portion to cover the first port. The second port is configured to receive the mass portion. A distance between the first port and the toe portion edge is less than a distance between the second port and the toe portion edge. The second port is substantially larger than the first port. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

A golf club head with improved striking face is disclosed. More specifically, the present invention relates to a golf club head wherein the striking face is further comprised out of a thickened central region, located near a geometric center of the striking face portion, a central transition region extending outward radially from the thickened central region, a thinned intermediate region, extending outward radially from the central transition region, a thickened stress reducing region, extending outward radially from the thinned intermediate region, and a thinned perimeter region, extending outward radially from the thickened stress reducing region, all of which combine to form the improved striking face.

An iron-type golf club head includes: a body having an outer surface and including a striking face; a channel extending into the body and having an opening in the outer surface of the body; and a weighted insert shaped and sized to be at least partially inserted into the channel and including a heavy end and a light end, wherein the channel is oriented such that, when the weighted insert is at least partially inserted into the channel, a longitudinal axis of the weighted insert is parallel to a striking face plane that is tangential to an outermost surface of the striking face.

A golf club head includes a center of gravity spaced less than 5 mm from a vertical center plane that is perpendicular to a striking face plane and extends through a striking face center. The golf club head also includes a first component having a first melting point and a first density and a second component having a second melting point higher than the first melting point and a second density less than the first density. And the second component (i) is at least partially encapsulated by the first component, (ii) extends into a hosel portion below a hosel bore, and (iii) has a mass less than about 5 g.

A golf club head comprising a face plate, a body, bonding material, and at least one retainer, wherein the bonding material and at least one retainer are the sole medium coupling the face plate and body.

A shim or badge is affixed to a golf cub body to produce a cap-back iron, giving the appearance of a hollow-body iron. In this way, the golf club can be manufactured with the performance benefits of a game improvement iron, while providing the appearance of a blade, player's iron, and/or a hollow-body iron. For example, by using a lightweight and rigid shim or badge to close a cavity opening and extend into the toe portion of the golf club body, the golf club head can provide increased stiffness in the topline, while lowering CG. Various shim or badge arrangements and materials can be used, and a filler material and/or damper can be included within the cavity to improve sound and feel, while minimizing loss in COR.

Described herein is a hollow body iron-type golf club head having a sole and ballast configured to relieve stress within a forward portion of the sole. In a first configuration, the golf club head comprises a ballast undercut for relieving stress. In other configurations, the ballast undercut is combined with additional stress relief features, such as a cascading sole near the face sole juncture, for further reductions to face thickness.