ADJUSTABLE GOLF CLUB

• US 20140256461A1
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Beach, Todd P., Wahl, Bret H., Taylor, Scott, Larsen, Peter L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,132,323 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/248
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0694 Visual indication, e.g. Indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/023 adjustable angular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/025 lie angle only, i.e. relative angular adjustment between the shaft and the club head about an axis parallel to the intended line of play when the club is in its normal address position
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/026 loft angle only, i.e. relative angular adjustment between the shaft and the club head about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the intended line of play when the club is in its normal address position
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

Disclosed herein are embodiments of adjustable golf clubs comprising features which allow for the adjustment of a lie angle, a loft angle, or both a lie angle and a loft angle of the golf club. In some embodiments, a golf club head includes a body and a hosel, the hosel including an adjustment screw which can be tightened or loosened to adjust the lie and/or loft angles of a golf club head. In some embodiments, certain angles of a golf club head'"'"'s geometry can be continuously adjustable through a predetermined range of angles.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a hosel having a notch formed therein; and

a screw extending into the hosel and through the notch such that adjustment of the screw causes the hosel to bend at the notch.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the hosel comprises:

a shaft bore configured to receive a golf club shaft; and

an adjustment bore, wherein the screw extends from the adjustment bore, through the notch, and at least proximate to the shaft bore.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein:

the shaft bore has a central longitudinal axis;

the adjustment bore has a central longitudinal axis; and

adjustment of the screw causes the central longitudinal axis of the shaft bore to rotate with respect to the central longitudinal axis of the adjustment bore.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, further comprising a body portion coupled to and extending away from the hosel, wherein adjustment of the screw causes the hosel to rotate with respect to the body portion, thereby changing a lie angle of the club head.

5. The golf club head of claim 3, further comprising a body portion coupled to and extending away from the hosel, wherein adjustment of the screw causes the hosel to rotate with respect to the body portion, thereby changing a loft angle of the club head.

6. The golf club head of claim 2, further comprising a solid piece of material situated within the shaft bore which separates a portion of the shaft bore which can receive the screw and a portion of the shaft bore which can receive a golf club shaft.

7. The golf club head of claim 2, further comprising a threaded boss element coupled to the hosel at a distal end portion of the shaft bore.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a range limiter coupled to the hosel mechanically limits tightening of the screw.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising indicators which indicate a level to which the screw is tightened.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the notch extends past a centerline of the hosel.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the hosel comprises an adjustment bore within which a head of the screw is positioned and an opening connecting the adjustment bore to the notch; and

the screw extends from the adjustment bore, through the opening, through the notch, and threads into an upper portion of the hosel.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, further comprising a bearing pad situated between the head of the screw and the opening.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the bearing pad comprises a spherical surface which can mate with the head of the screw.

14. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the bearing pad comprises a cylindrical surface which can mate with the head of the screw.

15. The golf club head of claim 12, further comprising a retaining ring situated within the adjustment bore.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the retaining ring comprises a spherical surface which can mate with the head of the screw.

17. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the retaining ring comprises a cylindrical surface which can mate with the head of the screw.

18. An adjustable golf club head comprising:

a main body;

a screw having threads; and

a hosel having a shaft bore for receiving a golf club shaft, an adjustment bore for receiving the screw, a notch, an unthreaded opening connecting the notch to the adjustment bore, and a threaded opening connecting the notch to the shaft bore, wherein;

the threaded opening has threads complementing the threads of the screw; and

the screw extends from the adjustment bore, through the first opening, through the notch, through the second opening, and into the shaft bore.

19. A method of adjusting the lie angle of a player'"'"'s golf club comprising:

determining that a player'"'"'s swing may benefit from an adjustment of the lie angle of one or more clubs in a set of golf clubs, each club having a club face and a shaft-receiving hosel;

determining the amount of adjustment of the lie angle for the golf club;

adjusting the golf club by turning a screw to cause the hosel to move toward or away from the club face; and

ending the adjustment once the desired lie angle is obtained.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the adjustment is ended once a visual indicator reveals that the desired lie angle has been achieved.

21. A golf club head comprising:

a hosel having a living hinge formed therein to facilitate bending of the hosel so as to adjust a lie angle of the club head; and

a secondary member which increases a rigidity of the golf club head in the region of the living hinge.

22. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein the secondary member is an actuator which can cause adjustment of the golf club head at the living hinge.

23. The golf club head of claim 22, wherein the secondary member is a screw.