Releasable and interchangeable connections for golf club heads and shafts

摘要

Golf club heads are releasably engaged with shafts so that the club heads and shafts can be readily interchanged and/or so that the shaft position with respect to the club head can be readily changed. Assemblies for connecting the club head and shaft may include: a shaft adapter, a collet, a ferrule, and a club head having an interior chamber. The club head and shaft may be changed by releasing the securing system and exchanging the original parts with different parts.

主权项

1. A golf club, comprising:
a golf club head having a hosel area that provides access to a club head chamber defined in the club head, wherein the club head chamber extends completely through the club head and includes a first opening for receiving a securing member; a shaft adapter being generally cylindrical in shape having a first end and an opposite second end, wherein the first end includes a second opening providing access to a cylindrical interior chamber, wherein an exterior surface of the shaft adapter includes a first rotation-inhibiting structure, wherein the first rotation-inhibiting structure is not uniform around the circumference of the exterior surface of the shaft adapter, and wherein the second end includes a securing structure; a hosel adapter being generally cylindrical in shape, wherein an internal bore on a first end of the hosel adapter includes a second rotation-inhibiting structure that engages the first rotation-inhibiting structure and a second end of the hosel adapter includes a first opening for receiving a securing member, wherein the second rotation-inhibiting structure is not uniform around the circumference of the internal bore on the first end of the hose adapter, and further wherein an exterior surface of the hosel adapter includes a third rotation-inhibiting structure, and wherein the third rotation-inhibiting structure is not uniform around the circumference of the exterior surface of the hosel adapter; a hosel ring being generally cylindrical in shape and located within the club head chamber, wherein an internal bore of the hosel ring includes a fourth rotation-inhibiting structure that engages the third rotation-inhibiting structure, and wherein the fourth rotation-inhibiting structure is not uniform around the circumference of the internal bore of the hosel ring; a shaft engaged in the cylindrical interior chamber of the shaft adapter; and a securing system for releasably engaging the securing structure, wherein the adjustment of one of a face angle or a loft angle of the club head is based on a first indicator on the hosel adapter and the adjustment of the other of the face angle or the loft angle is set by aligning a second indicator on the shaft adapter to the first indicator, and adjusting the face angle is effectively independent of the adjustment of the loft angle, and adjusting the face angle is effectively independent of the adjustment of the face angle.