Releasable and interchangeable connections for golf club heads and shafts

Abstract

Golf club heads are releasably engaged with shafts so they may be readily interchanged and/or so that the shaft orientation with respect to the club head can be readily changed. Assemblies for connecting the club head and shaft may include a shaft adapter and a head adapter. The shaft adapter may have an exterior surface extending along a first axis and a bore having a cross-sectional shape along a second axis configured to attach to a shaft member. The second end of the shaft adapter has a cross-sectional shape of a regular polygon. The head adapter has a first end and a second end along a first axis and a bore having a shape of a regular polygon along a second axis that is shaped to receive the second end of the shaft adapter in a plurality of orientations.

1 . A golf club comprising:
 a shaft adapter having a first end and a second end along a first axis, the shaft adapter further comprising a bore having a cross-sectional shape along a second axis configured to attach to a shaft member on the second axis, and wherein the second end of the shaft adapter is configured to engage a head adapter, and wherein an exterior surface of the second end of the shaft adapter has a cross-sectional shape of a regular polygon; and   a head adapter having a first end and a second end along a first axis, the head adapter further comprising a bore having a shape of a regular polygon along a second axis that is shaped to receive the second end of the shaft adapter in a plurality of different orientations, and wherein the second end of the head adapter is configured to engage a hosel area of a club head or is integrally formed as part of the hosel area of the club head.   
   
   
       2 . The golf club of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a club head having a hosel area, and wherein the second end of the head adapter may be received within the hosel area of the club head in a plurality of configurations.   
   
   
       3 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the head adapter is integrally formed as part of the hosel area of the club head. 
   
   
       4 . The golf club of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a shaft member, wherein the shaft adapter is integrally formed as part of the shaft member or is engaged with the shaft member.   
   
   
       5 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the second axis of the shaft adapter is off-set from the first axis of the shaft adapter at about 1 degree. 
   
   
       6 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the second axis of the head adapter is off-set from the first axis of the shaft adapter at about 2 degrees. 
   
   
       7 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional shape of the exterior surface of the second end of the shaft adapter has a quantity of sides selected from the group consisting of 4, 8, 10, 12, and 16, and wherein the bore of the head adapter has a quantity of sides selected from the group consisting of 4, 8, 10, 12, and 16. 
   
   
       8 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the shaft adapter is configured to securely and releasably engage the head adapter in a plurality of orientations selected from the group consisting of 4, 8, 10, 12, and 16. 
   
   
       9 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the bore along the second axis of the head adapter or an outer surface of the shaft adapter between the first end and the second end is tapered. 
   
   
       10 . A method for assembling a golf club comprising:
 attaching a shaft member to a shaft adapter having a first end and a second end along a first axis, wherein the shaft member is inserted within a bore defined in the shaft adapter along a second axis, wherein an exterior surface of the shaft adapter has a shape of a regular polygon; and   inserting the second end of the shaft adapter within a bore of a head adapter, wherein the head adapter comprises a first end and a second end along a first axis and wherein the bore has a cross-sectional shape of a regular polygon along a second axis that is shaped to receive the second end of the shaft adapter in a plurality of different orientations   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 inserting the head adapter into a hosel area of a club head.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the head adapter is integrally formed as part of a hosel area of a club head. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 removing the shaft adapter from the head adapter and reinserting the second end of the shaft adapter into the bore of the head adapter in a different orientation.   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 removing the head adapter from the hosel area of the club head and reinserting the head adapter into the hosel area of the club head in a different orientation.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the second axis of the shaft adapter is off-set from the first axis of the shaft adapter at about 1 degree. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the second axis of the head adapter is off-set from the first axis of the shaft adapter at about 2 degrees. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the cross-sectional shape of the second end of the shaft adapter has a quantity of sides selected from the group consisting of 4, 8, 10, 12, and 16, and wherein the bore of the head adapter has a quantity of sides selected from the group consisting of 4, 8, 10, 12, and 16. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the shaft adapter is configured to engage the head adapter in a plurality of configurations selected from the group consisting of 4, 8, 10, 12, and 16. 
   
   
       19 . A golf club head and shaft connecting system, comprising:
 a shaft adapter having a first end and a second end along a first axis, the shaft adapter further comprising a bore having a cross-sectional shape along a second axis configured to attach to a shaft member on the second axis, wherein the second end of the shaft adapter is configured to engage a head adapter, and wherein an exterior surface of the second end of the shaft adapter has a cross-sectional shape of a regular polygon; and   a head adapter having a first end and a second end along a first axis, the head adapter further comprising a bore having a shape of a regular polygon along a second axis that is shaped to receive the second end of the shaft adapter in a plurality of orientations, and wherein the second end of the head adapter is configured to engage a hosel area of a club head.   
   
   
       20 . A golf club head and shaft connecting system of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 instructions for instructing a person to perform a method of:
 inserting a shaft member into the bore at the first end of the shaft adapter; and 
 inserting the second end of the shaft adapter into the bore of the head adapter in one of a plurality of different orientations. 
   
   
   
       21 . The golf club head and shaft connecting system of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 a club head having a hosel area with a cross-sectional area of a regular polygon, and wherein the instructions further instruct a person to perform the method of:   inserting the head adapter into the hosel area of the club head at one of a plurality of different orientations.   
   
   
       22 . The golf club head and shaft connecting system of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 information relating to a face angle, a lie angle, and a loft angle of the club head in relation to at least one of different orientations of the shaft adapter and the head adapter with respect to one another or different orientations of the shaft adapter and the head adapter with respect to the hosel area of the club head.