Golf club with multi-component neck

• US 8,771,096 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2012
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Cameron, Don T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US13/568,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20130005499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, 473251-256, 473305-315, 473/409, D21736-746
• US Class Current: 473/244
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/021 the shaft axis being forwardly offset relative to the striking face of the head
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/028 with a range of alternative attachment points for the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3685 Putters or attachments on putters, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence

Abstract

A golf putter with a multi-component neck providing a novel offset and shaft-attachment design is described and claimed. The club includes a head having a strike surface, a sole, and a top line. The multi-component neck includes a lower neck component and a coupling member. The coupling member is joined to a shaft. The coupling member connects the lower neck component and the shaft such that they are relatively offset. The length of the lower neck component and/or the design of the coupling member determine the distance from the club head center of gravity and the intersection of the projected longitudinal axis of the shaft with the head.

Claims

1. A golf club, comprising:

a head;

a lower neck component comprising a first neck end and a second neck end and having a mass from about 5 g to about 15 g, wherein the first neck end is coupled to the head, wherein the lower neck component has a first longitudinal axis and a first length, and wherein the lower neck component is formed from a first material having a first specific gravity;

a coupling member comprising a first member end and a second member end, wherein the first member end is coupled to the lower neck component, wherein the coupling member has a mass of about 5 g to about 15 g, and wherein the coupling member is formed from a second material having a second specific gravity less than the first specific gravity; and

a shaft coupled to the second member end, wherein the shaft has a second longitudinal axis substantially not parallel to the first longitudinal axis, wherein the shaft is offset from the head, and wherein the coupling member provides the offset.

2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the second material has a specific gravity of about 2 to about 3 g/cm³.

3. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the head is formed from a third material.

4. The golf club of claim 3, wherein the third material has a third specific gravity, and wherein the first specific gravity and third specific gravity vary by less than about 20 percent.

5. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the head has a center of gravity and wherein a projection of the second longitudinal axis intersects a strike face of the head at a distance A from the center of gravity.

6. The golf club of claim 5, wherein the distance A is dependent on the first length.

7. A golf club comprising:

a head having a strike face;

a multi-component neck; and

a shaft,

wherein the multi-component neck comprises a lower neck component and a coupling member, wherein the coupling member has a first end and a second end and wherein the first end is coupled to the lower neck component and the second end is coupled to the shaft,

wherein the coupling member is formed from a first material having a first specific gravity, the lower neck component and the shaft are formed from second material having a second specific gravity, and the head is formed from a third material having a third specific gravity, wherein the first specific gravity is at least 50 percent less than the second specific gravity, and wherein the second and third specific gravities vary from each other by less than about 20 percent, and

wherein the lower neck component has a first longitudinal axis and the shaft has a second longitudinal axis that differs from the first longitudinal axis.

8. The golf club of claim 7, wherein the lower neck component has a length L, and wherein the second longitudinal axis creates a lie angle that remains constant regardless of the length L.

9. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the head has a center of gravity CG, and wherein a projection of the second longitudinal axis intersects the strike face at distance A from the CG.

10. The golf club of claim 9, wherein the distance A is dependent on the length L.

11. The golf club of claim 7, wherein the second and third specific gravities are the same.

12. The golf club of claim 11, wherein the first specific gravity ranges from about 2 to about 3 g/cm³, and wherein the second and third specific gravities range from about 7 to about 8 g/cm³.

13. A method of forming a golf club comprising the steps of:

providing a golf club head having a center of gravity and formed at least in part from a material having a first specific gravity;

providing a shaft formed from a second material having a second specific gravity, wherein the second specific gravity differs from the first specific gravity by less than about 10 percent;

dividing the shaft into a lower neck component and an upper shaft, wherein the upper shaft has a lower end and an upper end, wherein the lower neck component has a first neck end and a second neck end and a first length, wherein the first neck end is coupled to the golf club head;

providing a coupling member comprising a first coupling member end and a second coupling member end, wherein the first coupling member end is coupled to the second neck end and the second coupling member end is coupled to the lower end of the upper shaft, wherein the lower neck component has a first longitudinal axis and the upper shaft has a second longitudinal axis that differs from the first longitudinal axis, and wherein the coupling member is formed of a third material having a third specific gravity less than the first and second specific gravities.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of dividing the shaft comprises determining the first length based on a predetermined distance from the center of gravity and the intersection of a projection of the second longitudinal axis with a strike face of the golf club head.