Setting indicator for golf club

Abstract

The invention generally relates to a setting indicator for a golf club having an adjustable attribute. The invention provides a component to serve as a setting indicator or setting display device for a golf club or a golf club having a setting indicator. The setting indicator includes a window and an adjustment mechanism configured to provide a golf club with a selected attribute while also displaying an indicia through the window to provide information about the selected attribute.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club component comprising a setting display device, the setting display device comprising:
 an aperture through a surface of the component;   an adjustment mechanism configured to provide a golf club with a selected attribute setting thereby displaying an indicia through the aperture to provide information about the selected attribute.   
     
     
         2 . The component of  claim 1  further wherein the component is a club head and the aperture is in a hosel area of the club head configured to receive a removable shaft comprising a grip at a distal portion and the indicia at a proximal portion. 
     
     
         3 . The component of  claim 2 , wherein the shaft can be coupled to the head in a plurality of positions. 
     
     
         4 . The component of  claim 3 , wherein the indicia comprises marking such that coupling the shaft to the head in one of the positions reveals a portion of the marking through the aperture, the revealed portion giving information about the selected attribute specific to that position. 
     
     
         5 . The component of  claim 1 , further wherein the aperture comprises a transparent material. 
     
     
         6 . The component of  claim 5  wherein the transparent material is one selected from the list consisting of glass, plastic, polymer and crystal. 
     
     
         7 . The component of  claim 5  wherein the transparent material is coupled to the component by one selected from the list consisting of cement, adhesive, laser welding, heat stake, snap-fit, press-fit, co-molding, a gasket, and threading. 
     
     
         8 . The component of  claim 1 , further comprising a rotatable member and further wherein adjustment of the attribute setting does not substantially change an external shape of the golf club. 
     
     
         9 . A setting display device for a golf club comprising a window member comprising a window and configured to be positioned relative to an indicator member thereby providing the golf club with a selected configuration and revealing indicia on the indicator member, wherein the revealed indicia provides information about the selected configuration. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9  wherein the window member is in a hosel. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10  wherein the hosel is further configured to couple to a golf club shaft, and wherein the indicator member comprises an end portion of the shaft configured to be received within the hosel. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the two or more selectable configurations provide a golf club having two or more different face angles, and the revealed indicia provides information about the face angle. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the two or more selectable configurations provide a golf club having two or more different loft settings, and the revealed indicia provides information about the loft setting. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 9 , further wherein the window member is configured to be repositionably mounted on a golf club head such that the club head has a first center of gravity with the window member mounted in a first position and a second center of gravity with the window member mounted in a second position. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the window member comprises a portion of a surface of a golf club head and further wherein the indicator member is configured to be repositionably mounted within the golf club head such that the club head has a first center of gravity with the indicator member mounted in a first position and a second center of gravity with the indicator member mounted in a second position. 
     
     
         16 . A golf club with a setting indicator, the golf club comprising a shaft and a head and further comprising:
 an opening through a portion of the head; and   an adjustment mechanism, wherein the adjustment mechanism provides a first configuration while revealing a first indicia through the opening and provides a second configuration while revealing a second indicia through the opening.   
     
     
         17 . The golf club of  claim 16 , wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a repositionable member capable of being repositioned from the first configuration to the second configuration. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club of  claim 17 , further wherein the repositionable member is rotatable about an axis, and the repositionable member has a member center of gravity spaced away from the axis such that the first configuration provides a first club head center of gravity and the second position provides a second club head center of gravity. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club of  claim 17 , wherein the repositionable member is positioned between a sole of a club head and a crown of a club head. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club of  claim 16  wherein the head comprises a repositionable element mounted on a shell surface of a shell member of a club head, and the repositionable element comprises the opening and the first and second indicia are on the shell surface. 
     
     
         21 . The golf club of  claim 16 , wherein the first configuration and the second configuration provide different values for a factor, and further wherein the factor is one selected from the list consisting of: loft; face angle; moment of inertia; center of gravity; bounce angle; club length; and weight. 
     
     
         22 . The golf club of  claim 16 , further wherein the adjustment mechanism:
 reveals only the first indicia while providing the first configuration;   reveals the first indicia only while providing the first configuration;   reveals only the second indicia while providing the second configuration; and   reveals the second indicia only while providing the second configuration.   
     
     
         23 . A golf club comprising a head and a shaft and further comprising an adjustable attribute, the head comprising a window member configured to reveal a first indicia of an adjustment mechanism when the mechanism is in a first position to establish a first value for the attribute and reveal a second indicia of the mechanism when the mechanism is in a second position to establish a second value for the attribute. 
     
     
         24 . The golf club of  claim 23 , wherein the window member is further configured to reveal a third indicia of the adjustment mechanism when the mechanism is in a third position to establish a third value for the attribute. 
     
     
         25 . The golf club of  claim 24 , wherein the attribute is face angle, the first value is open, the second value is neutral, and third value is closed. 
     
     
         26 . The golf club of  claim 23 , wherein the indicia comprise markings on a surface. 
     
     
         27 . The golf club of  claim 26 , wherein the window is in a hosel of the head and the adjustment mechanism comprises a portion of the shaft, and further wherein the hosel is configured to receive the portion of the shaft and further wherein the first and second indicia are on a surface of the portion of the shaft. 
     
     
         28 . The golf club of  claim 23  wherein the adjustable attribute comprises a center of gravity of a club head and the adjustment mechanism comprises a weight member repositionably coupled to the club head. 
     
     
         29 . The golf club of  claim 23 , wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a rotatable member. 
     
     
         30 . The golf club of  claim 24 , wherein the window member is further configured to reveal a fourth indicia of the adjustment mechanism when the mechanism is in a fourth position to establish a fourth value for the attribute. 
     
     
         31 . The golf club of  claim 31 , wherein the window member is further configured to reveal a fifth indicia of the adjustment mechanism when the mechanism is in a fifth position to establish a fifth value for the attribute.