Adjustable Golf Club and System and Associated Golf Club Heads and Shafts

Abstract

In general, aspects of this invention relate to golf clubs or golf club components incorporating adjustment members that permit ready adjustability of golf club parameters and/or interchangeability of golf club components to change a golf club configuration, and methods for providing golf clubs. According to aspects of this invention, an adjustment member may be utilized to allow the adjustability of a golf club parameter to change a golf club configuration, while ensuring there is substantially no change to other club or club head variables, parameters or characteristics. According to another aspect of this invention, an adjustment member may be utilized to allow the adjustability of two golf club parameters independently to change a golf club configuration, while ensuring there is substantially no change to other club or club head variables, parameters or characteristics.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a body defining a ball striking face;   a crown portion;   a sole portion opposite the crown portion;   a heel portion having an interior chamber, wherein the interior chamber of the heel is configured to receive a hosel insert;   a toe portion opposite the heel portion; and   a spherical releasable connection assembly including: a shaft adapter having a top end and a lower end, the hosel insert, and a shaft retainer;   wherein:   the spherical releasable connection assembly is engaged with a golf shaft and a golf club head with a ball-and-socket type connection fit;   the hosel insert is at least partially positioned within the interior chamber and comprises a hosel insert inner perimeter and a hosel insert outer perimeter;   the hosel insert outer perimeter is configured to engage the interior chamber of the golf club head;   the hosel insert inner perimeter further includes a rotation inhibiting structure;   the shaft adapter is releasably connected to the hosel insert and the lower end of the shaft adapter is defined by a spherical member, and wherein the spherical member is adapted to mate with the rotation inhibiting structure of the hosel insert to allow for independent adjustment of the loft angle and face angle;   the body and the spherical releasable connection assembly are structured such that the shaft adapter independently adjusts a specific combination of a loft angle and a face angle, such that in response to the independent adjustment of the loft angle and the face angle a parameter with the body remains substantially unchanged; and   the shaft retainer slidably engages the golf shaft and is secured to the hosel insert, such that the shaft adapter is secured against the hosel insert.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the parameter is a center of gravity location of the golf club head. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the parameter is a sole contact point. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the parameter is a bulge and roll curvature. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the loft angle is adjusted among a plurality of positions in 1-degree increments. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein the loft angle is adjustable from 8.5 degrees to 12.5 degrees. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the face angle is adjustable from a neutral position, an open position, and a closed position. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the golf shaft is selected from the group consisting of: senior flex, regular flex, stiff flex, or extra stiff flex. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the spherical releasable connection assembly includes a direction change region. 
     
     
         10 . A golf club head comprising:
 a body defining a ball striking face;   a crown portion;   a sole portion opposite the crown portion;   a heel portion having an interior chamber, wherein the interior chamber of the heel is configured to receive a hosel insert;   a toe opposite the heel portion; and   a spherical releasable connection assembly including: a shaft adapter having a top end and a lower end, the hosel insert, and a shaft retainer;   wherein:   the spherical releasable connection assembly is engaged with a golf shaft and a golf club head with a ball-and-socket type connection fit;   the hosel insert is at least partially positioned within the interior chamber and comprises a hosel insert outer perimeter and a hosel insert inner perimeter;   the hosel insert outer perimeter is configured to engage the interior chamber of the golf club head;   the hosel insert inner perimeter includes a rotation inhibiting structure;   the shaft adapter is releasably connected to the hosel insert and the lower end of the shaft adapter is defined by a spherical member, and wherein the spherical member is adapted to mate with the rotation inhibiting structure of the hosel insert to allow for independent adjustment of the loft angle and lie angle;   the body and the spherical releasable connection assembly are structured such that the shaft adapter independently adjusts a specific combination of a loft angle and a lie angle, such that in response to the independent adjustment of the loft angle and the lie angle, a parameter with the body remains substantially unchanged; and   the shaft retainer slidably engages a golf club shaft and is secured to the hosel insert, such that the shaft adapter is secured against the hosel insert.   
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the parameter is a center of gravity location of the golf club head. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the parameter is a sole contact point. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the parameter is a bulge and roll curvature. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the loft angle is adjusted among a plurality of positions in 1-degree increments. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein the loft angle is adjustable from 8.5 degrees to 12.5 degrees. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the lie angle is adjustable among a plurality of positions in 0.5-degree increments. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the lie angle is adjusted from 57-63 degrees. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the golf shaft is selected from the group consisting of: senior flex, regular flex, stiff flex, or extra stiff flex. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the spherical member includes a direction change region. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the spherical releasable connection assembly includes a hosel ring.