Golf club

• US 8,025,587 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Zimmerman, Gery M., Beach, Todd P., Wright, Ian C., Sargent, Nathan T., Johnson, Matthew D., Greaney, Mark V., Willett, Kraig A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/346,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20090286619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473244-248, 473305-315, 473287-292
• US Class Current: 473/245
• 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 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/08 with special arrangements for obtaining a variable impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club comprises a shaft, a club head, and a connection assembly that allows the shaft to be easily disconnected from the club head. In particular embodiments, the connection assembly includes a removable hosel sleeve that allows a shaft to be supported a desired predetermined orientation relative to the club head. In this manner, the shaft loft and/or lie angle of the club can be adjusted without resorting to traditional bending of the shaft. In another embodiment, the club head has an adjustable sole that can be adjusted upwardly and downwardly relative to the strike face of the club head, which is effective to adjust the face angle of the club head.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a striking face defining a forward end of the club head, the body also having a rear end opposite the forward end, and a lower surface defining a recess and at least one threaded opening; and

an adjustable sole portion that is adjustable relative to the body to adjust a sole angle of the club head, the adjustable sole portion being configured to be received at least partially within the recess in the lower surface, the adjustable sole portion having at least one opening that is aligned with the threaded opening in the lower surface of the club head body when the adjustable sole portion is received in the recess; and

at least one threaded fastener configured to extend through the opening in the adjustable sole portion and into the threaded opening of the lower surface of the club head body so as to secure the adjustable sole portion to the club head body within the recess;

wherein an effective face angle of the club head is substantially constant upon changing the lie angle of the club head from an initial lie angle to another lie angle that is at least 2 degrees from the initial lie angle;

wherein the effective face angle is determined from the equation;

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the adjustable sole portion comprises an extensible and retractable extension portion that can extend and retract relative to a bottom surface of the body to adjust the sole angle.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the adjustable sole portion has a rear end and a forward end pivotably connected to the body at a pivot axis, the sole portion being pivotable about the pivot axis to adjust the position of the sole portion relative to the body.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, further comprising an adjustment mechanism configured to permit manual adjustment of the position of the sole portion relative to the body.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a set screw extending through the sole portion and into the body, the set screw being adjustable to move the rear end of the sole portion toward and away from the body.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the adjustable sole portion is removable from the body of the club head and replaceable with another adjustable sole portion that changes the sole angle of the club head.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body has a lower leading edge surface portion having a curvature extending in a direction from a heel to a toe of the body and the adjustable sole portion has a bottom surface, the bottom surface having a convex curvature that curves downwardly toward the ground when the club head is in an address position, wherein the convex curvature of the bottom surface matches the curvature of the leading edge surface portion in a direction extending from the heel to the toe of the body such that the effective face angle remains substantially constant upon changing the lie angle of the club head from an initial lie angle to another lie angle that is at least 2 degrees from the initial lie angle.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the effective face angle of the club head is substantially constant through a range of lie angles from a scoreline lie angle of the club head to about 20 degrees less than the scoreline lie angle.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the effective face angle varies less than +/−

0.2 degrees through the range of lie angles.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a hosel defining a hosel opening adapted to receive a removable golf club shaft and the club head further comprising a mechanical fastener configured to secure the shaft to the head without an adhesive.

11. The club head of claim 10, in combination with the removable golf club shaft and a shaft sleeve mounted on the lower end portion of the shaft, the shaft sleeve adapted to be received in the hosel opening and support the shaft relative to the club head at a plurality of orientations, wherein the sleeve is adapted to be received in the hosel opening at a plurality of discrete rotational positions with respect to a longitudinal axis of the sleeve, each rotational position of the sleeve corresponding to a different shaft orientation relative to the club head.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the effective face angle of the club head is substantially constant upon changing the lie angle of the club head from the initial lie angle to another lie angle that is at least 6 degrees from the initial lie angle.

13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the effective face angle of the club head is substantially constant upon changing the lie angle of the club head from the initial lie angle to another lie angle that is at least 10 degrees from the initial lie angle.

14. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the effective face angle of the club head is substantially constant upon changing the lie angle of the club head from the initial lie angle to another lie angle that is at least 14 degrees from the initial lie angle.

15. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the effective face angle of the club head is substantially constant upon changing the lie angle of the club head from the initial lie angle to another lie angle that is at least 18 degrees from the initial lie angle.

16. The club head of claim 1, wherein the effective face angle of the club head varies less than +/−

0.2 degrees upon changing the lie angle of the club head from the initial lie angle to another lie angle that is at least 2 degrees from the initial lie angle.

17. A golf club assembly comprising:

a golf club head comprising a body having a striking face defining a forward end of the club head, the body also having a rear end opposite the forward end, the head further comprising an adjustable sole portion that is adjustable relative to the body to adjust a sole angle of the club head, the body comprising a hosel having a hosel opening;

a removable shaft;

a removable sleeve adapted to be received in the hosel opening and having a respective opening adapted to receive a lower end portion of the shaft and support the shaft relative to the club head at a plurality of orientations, wherein the sleeve is adapted to be received in the hosel opening at a plurality of discrete rotational positions with respect to a longitudinal axis of the sleeve, each rotational position of the sleeve corresponding to a different shaft orientation relative to the club head; and

a mechanical fastener adapted to releasably secure the shaft and the sleeve to the club head;

wherein the position of the adjustable sole portion can be adjusted relative to the body from a first position to at least a second position, and the adjustable sole portion is configured such that at each of the first and second positions, the club head has an effective face angle that is substantially constant upon changing the lie angle of the club head from an initial lie angle to another lie angle that is at least 2 degrees from the initial lie angle;

wherein the effective face angle is determined from the equation;

18. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the adjustable sole portion is elongated in a direction from a heel to a toe of the club head, the adjustable sole portion having a length that is less than half the width of the club head along a line that extends through the adjustable sole portion.

19. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the body has a lower leading edge surface portion having a curvature extending in a direction from a heel to a toe of the body and the adjustable sole portion has a bottom surface, the bottom surface having a curvature that matches the curvature of the leading edge surface portion in a direction extending from the heel to the toe of the body.

20. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the effective face angle of the club head is substantially constant through a range of lie angles from the scoreline lie angle of the club head to about 20 degrees less than the scoreline lie angle.

21. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the body has a lower leading edge surface portion having a curvature extending in a direction from a heel to a toe of the body and the adjustable sole portion has a bottom surface, the bottom surface having a convex curvature that curves downwardly toward the ground when the club head is in an address position, wherein the convex curvature of the bottom surface matches the curvature of the leading edge surface portion in a direction extending from the heel to the toe of the body such that at each of the first and second positions, the club head has an effective face angle that varies less than +/−

0.2 degrees upon changing the lie angle of the club head from an initial lie angle to another lie angle that is at least 2 degrees from the initial lie angle.

22. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the effective face angle of the club head is substantially constant upon changing the lie angle of the club head from the initial lie angle to another lie angle that is at least 6 degrees from the initial lie angle.

23. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the effective face angle of the club head is substantially constant upon changing the lie angle of the club head from the initial lie angle to another lie angle that is at least 10 degrees from the initial lie angle.

24. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the effective face angle of the club head is substantially constant upon changing the lie angle of the club head from the initial lie angle to another lie angle that is at least 14 degrees from the initial lie angle.

25. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the effective face angle of the club head is substantially constant upon changing the lie angle of the club head from the initial lie angle to another lie angle that is at least 18 degrees from the initial lie angle.

26. A driver golf club head comprising:

a body having a striking face defining a forward end of the club head, the body also having a rear end opposite the forward end, and a lower surface defining a recess and at least one threaded opening; and

an adjustable sole portion that is adjustable relative to the body to adjust a sole angle of the club head, the adjustable sole portion being configured to be received at least partially within the recess in the lower surface, the adjustable sole portion having at least one opening that is aligned with the threaded opening in the lower surface of the club head body when the adjustable sole portion is received in the recess; and

at least one threaded fastener configured to extend through the opening in the adjustable sole portion and into the threaded opening of the lower surface of the club head body so as to secure the adjustable sole portion to the club head body within the recess;

wherein an effective face angle of the club head is substantially constant upon changing the lie angle of the club head from an initial lie angle to another lie angle that is at least 2 degrees from the initial lie angle;

wherein the effective face angle is determined from the equation;

27. The driver golf club head of claim 26, wherein the body has a lower leading edge surface portion having a curvature extending in a direction from a heel to a toe of the body and the adjustable sole portion has a bottom surface, the bottom surface having a convex curvature that curves downwardly toward the ground when the club head is in an address position, wherein the convex curvature of the bottom surface matches the curvature of the leading edge surface portion in a direction extending from the heel to the toe of the body such that at each of the first and second positions, the club head has an effective face angle that varies less than +/−

0.2 degrees upon changing the lie angle of the club head from an initial lie angle to another lie angle that is at least 2 degrees from the initial lie angle.

28. The driver golf club head of claim 26, wherein the effective face angle of the club head is substantially constant upon changing the lie angle of the club head from the initial lie angle to another lie angle that is at least 6 degrees from the initial lie angle.