Golf club

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.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A golf club assembly, comprising:
 a club head having a face with a face center, a crown, a hosel defining an upper opening, the hosel defining a hosel axis extending through the upper opening, the club head also having a sole defining a lower opening in communication with the upper opening, wherein (a) at least 50 percent of the crown has an areal weight less than about 0.41 g/cm 2 , (b) the club head has a volume of at least 390 cc, (c) a golf club head center of gravity has a head origin x-axis coordinate less than about 8 mm, a head origin y-axis coordinate less than about 50 mm, and a head origin z-axis coordinate less than about 0 mm, and (d) a golf club head moment of inertia about a head center of gravity x-axis is at least about 200 kg·mm 2  and a moment of inertia about a head center of gravity z-axis is at least about 350 kg·mm 2 ;   a club shaft having a lower end portion defining a club shaft axis;   an adjustable loft system configured to allow a maximum loft change of at least about 0.5 degrees, the adjustable loft system including a shaft sleeve, wherein the shaft sleeve is mounted on the lower end portion of the shaft and adapted to be received in the upper opening of the club head, the shaft sleeve having a lower end portion defining a threaded opening, wherein the shaft sleeve, when inserted into the upper opening, supports the shaft relative to the club head such that the club shaft axis is angularly offset from the hosel axis; and   a screw having a screw head and an externally threaded screw shaft extending from the screw head and defining a longitudinal central axis, wherein the shaft sleeve can be releasably secured to the club head by inserting the screw through the lower opening and tightening the screw into the threaded opening of the shaft sleeve.   
     
     
         23 . The golf club assembly of  claim 22 , wherein the head origin x-axis coordinate is greater than about −2 mm, the head origin y-axis coordinate is greater than about 15 mm, and the moment of inertia about the head center of gravity z-axis is no more than about 600 kg·mm 2 . 
     
     
         24 . The golf club assembly of  claim 23 , wherein the face has a thickness change of at least 25% over the face between a thickest portion of the face and a thinnest portion of the face. 
     
     
         25 . The golf club assembly of  claim 24 , wherein the adjustable loft system includes at least four discrete positions and selectively positioning the adjustable loft system also varies a lie angle of the golf club. 
     
     
         26 . The golf club assembly of  claim 25 , further comprising at least one weight port formed in the body, and at least one weight configured to be retained at least partially within the at least one weight port. 
     
     
         27 . The golf club assembly of  claim 26 , wherein the adjustable loft system and the at least one weight are configured to be adjustable by a single engagement end of a single tool. 
     
     
         28 . The golf club assembly of  claim 27 , wherein at least 50 percent of the crown has an areal weight less than about 0.36 g/cm 2  and the moment of inertia about a head center of gravity z-axis is at least about 400 kg·mm 2 . 
     
     
         29 . The golf club assembly of  claim 25 , wherein at least 50% of the crown has a thickness of about 0.8 mm or less. 
     
     
         30 . The golf club assembly of  claim 25 , wherein the sole includes at least one rib in contact with the at least one weight port. 
     
     
         31 . The golf club assembly of  claim 26 , wherein the at least one weight port includes a first weight port separated from a second weight port, and the at least one weight includes a first weight configured to be retained at least partially within either the first weight port or the second weight port, and a second weight configured to be retained at least partially within either the first weight port or the second weight port, wherein the adjustable loft system, the first weight, and the second weight are configured to be adjustable by a single engagement end of a single tool. 
     
     
         32 . The golf club assembly of  claim 31 , wherein the first weight and the second weight are formed of different materials, and a first mass of the first weight is at least twice a second mass of the second weight. 
     
     
         33 . The golf club assembly of  claim 32 , wherein (a) in a first configuration the first weight is retained at the first weight port and the second weight is retained at the second weight port thereby producing a first moment of inertia about the head center of gravity x-axis, a first moment of inertia about the head center of gravity z-axis, and a first center of gravity head origin y-axis coordinate, and (b in a second configuration the first weight is retained at the second weight port and the second weight is retained at the first weight port thereby producing a second moment of inertia about the head center of gravity x-axis, a second moment of inertia about the head center of gravity z-axis, and a second center of gravity head origin y-axis coordinate, wherein (c) the first moment of inertia about the head center of gravity z-axis and the second moment of inertia about the head center of gravity z-axis differ by at least 10 kg·mm 2 . 
     
     
         34 . The golf club assembly of  claim 33 , wherein the first center of gravity head origin y-axis coordinate and the second center of gravity head origin y-axis coordinate differ by at least 1 mm, and the first moment of inertia about the head center of gravity x-axis and the second moment of inertia about the head center of gravity x-axis differ by at least 10 kg·mm 2 . 
     
     
         35 . The golf club assembly of  claim 33 , wherein the first moment of inertia about the head center of gravity x-axis and the second moment of inertia about the head center of gravity x-axis differ by at least 20 kg·mm 2 . 
     
     
         36 . The golf club assembly of  claim 33 , wherein an imaginary vertical plane passing through the face center passes through at least one of weight ports. 
     
     
         37 . A golf club assembly comprising:
 a club head having a face with a face center, a crown, a hosel defining an upper opening, the hosel defining a hosel axis extending through the upper opening, the club head also having a sole defining a lower opening in communication with the upper opening, wherein at least 50 percent of the crown has an areal weight less than about 0.41 g/cm 2 , and the club head has a golf club head moment of inertia about a head center of gravity x-axis and a moment of inertia about a head center of gravity z-axis, the club head further including:
 a first weight port separated from a second weight port, a first weight configured to be retained at least partially within either the first weight port or the second weight port, and a second weight configured to be retained at least partially within either the first weight port or the second weight port, wherein (a) in a first configuration the first weight is retained at the first weight port and the second weight is retained at the second weight port thereby producing a first moment of inertia about the head center of gravity x-axis, a first moment of inertia about the head center of gravity z-axis, and a first center of gravity head origin y-axis coordinate, and (b in a second configuration the first weight is retained at the second weight port and the second weight is retained at the first weight port thereby producing a second moment of inertia about the head center of gravity x-axis, a second moment of inertia about the head center of gravity z-axis, and a second center of gravity head origin y-axis coordinate, wherein (c) the first moment of inertia about the head center of gravity z-axis and the second moment of inertia about the head center of gravity z-axis differ by at least 10 kg·mm 2 ; 
   a club shaft having a lower end portion defining a club shaft axis;   an adjustable loft system configured to allow a maximum loft change of at least about 0.5 degrees, the adjustable loft system including a shaft sleeve, wherein the shaft sleeve is mounted on the lower end portion of the shaft and adapted to be received in the upper opening of the club head, the shaft sleeve having a lower end portion defining a threaded opening, wherein the shaft sleeve, when inserted into the upper opening, supports the shaft relative to the club head such that the club shaft axis is angularly offset from the hosel axis; and   a screw having a screw head and an externally threaded screw shaft extending from the screw head and defining a longitudinal central axis, wherein the shaft sleeve can be releasably secured to the club head by inserting the screw through the lower opening and tightening the screw into the threaded opening of the shaft sleeve.   
     
     
         38 . The golf club assembly of  claim 37 , wherein the adjustable loft system, the first weight, and the second weight are configured to be adjustable by a single engagement end of a single tool, the first weight and the second weight are formed of different materials, and a first mass of the first weight is at least twice a second mass of the second weight. 
     
     
         39 . The golf club assembly of  claim 38 , wherein the first center of gravity head origin y-axis coordinate and the second center of gravity head origin y-axis coordinate differ by at least 1 mm, and the first moment of inertia about the head center of gravity x-axis and the second moment of inertia about the head center of gravity x-axis differ by at least 10 kg·mm 2 . 
     
     
         40 . The golf club assembly of  claim 38 , wherein the first moment of inertia about the head center of gravity z-axis and the second moment of inertia about the head center of gravity z-axis differ by at least 20 kg·mm 2 . 
     
     
         41 . The golf club assembly of  claim 38 , wherein an imaginary vertical plane passing through the face center passes through at least one of weight ports.