Golf club having shock isolation between the head and the shaft

• US 5,797,806 A
• Filed: 03/10/1997
• Issued: 08/25/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ID Golf
• Original Assignee: ID Golf
• Inventors: Butler, Byron
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US08/815,268
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 473/309, 473/310, 473/311, 473/345
• US Class Current: 473/310
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

The head and shaft of golf clubs are mechanically isolated from one another by a dampening ferrule made of a rubber-like material and installed around the shaft where the shaft attaches to the head such as at the hosel. The ferrule in a disclosed embodiment is configured as a hollow cylinder having an internal passage for tight-fit engagement with the shaft and an external radial surface for tight-fit engagement with the golf club head. Preferred materials for the dampening ferrule include Neoprene, Delrin, Nylon, plastic polymers and other rubber-like substances.

Claims

1. A golf club comprising:

a metal wood head having an internal hosel and a top line passage, the hosel being spaced from the passage to form a gap therebetween, only the passage and the gap having a shock attenuating ferrule extending therethrough;

a shaft extending through the passage and the gap and extending into the hosel, the ferrule engaging the shaft for dampening vibration of the shaft upon impact of the head with a golf ball, the gap and ferrule permitting limited motion of the shaft relative to the head.