Interchangeable shaft and club head connection system

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a golf club including a shaft, a club head and several devices for releasably connecting the shaft to the club head.

1 . A golf club comprising a shaft, a club head and a connection system, said connection system comprising a spring loaded bayonet mount, wherein the spring has a spring constant, k, from about 5 pounds-force/inch to about 100 pounds-force/inch and wherein the spring loaded bayonet mount is located above the club head. 
     
     
         2 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the spring constant is from about 20 pounds-force/inch to about 75 pounds-force/inch. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club of  claim 2 , wherein the spring constant is about 33 pounds-force/inch. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the bayonet mount comprises at least one post disposed on the shaft and at least one corresponding channel disposed on a hosel of the club head and the bayonet mount further comprises a spring disposed within the hosel. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club of  claim 4 , wherein said channel comprises a reduced diameter section sized and dimensioned to releasably retain said post. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club of  claim 5 , wherein said reduced diameter section comprises a triangular section. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club of  claim 5 , wherein said reduced diameter section comprises a waist section. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the shaft includes a distal engagement portion and a proximal portion, wherein the distal engagement portion engages the club head and the proximal portion extends from the distal engagement portion to a grip end of the shaft, and wherein the distal engagement portion defines a longitudinal axis that is angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the proximal portion. 
     
     
         9 . A golf club comprising,
 a shaft including an engagement portion;   a club head including a crown and a hosel extending away from the crown; and   a spring disposed in the hosel,   wherein the engagement portion is at least partially received in the hosel and releasably coupled thereto, wherein the spring is at least partially compressed when the engagement portion is coupled to the hosel, and wherein the engagement portion includes at least one post extending outward from an outer surface of the engagement portion and the hosel includes a plurality of channels configured to slidably receive the at least one post.   
     
     
         10 . The golf club of  claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of channels is J-shaped. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club of  claim 9 , wherein the post is movably coupled to the engagement portion. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the plurality of channels includes a receptacle that receives at least a portion of the screw, wherein the engagement of the receptacle and the screw prevents relative motion between the shaft and the club head. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club of  claim 11 , wherein the post is a screw including a countersunk head, and at least one of the plurality of channels includes a countersink that receives the countersunk head. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club of  claim 9 , wherein the spring has a spring constant having a value from about 5 pounds-force/inch to about 100 pounds-force/inch. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club of  claim 14 , wherein the spring constant is from about 20 pounds-force/inch to about 75 pounds-force/inch. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club of  claim 15 , wherein the spring constant is about 33 pounds-force/inch. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club of  claim 9 , wherein the engagement portion is a sleeve member that is attached to a proximal portion of the shaft. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of channels are equally spaced circumferentially about the hosel. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club of  claim 18 , wherein the number of posts equals the number of channels. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club of  claim 9 , wherein the shaft includes a proximal portion that extends from the engagement portion to a grip end of the shaft, and wherein the engagement portion defines a longitudinal axis that is angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the proximal portion.