Golf shaft system and golf shaft

Abstract

A multi-component golf club shaft possessing unique characteristics including flexural and torsional rigidity profiles.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A golf club shaft, comprising:
 a shaft having a shaft distal end, a shaft proximal end, a shaft outer diameter, a shaft length, a shaft mass, wherein the shaft has a maximum shaft flexural rigidity and a maximum shaft torsional rigidity, and each point along the shaft length has a shaft flexural rigidity, and a shaft torsional rigidity;   the shaft having a butt portion joined by a coupler to a tip portion, wherein the coupler has a coupler mass that is no more than 15% of the shaft mass;   the butt portion having a butt portion distal end, a butt portion proximal end, a butt portion length of 20-40″, and a butt portion mass;   the tip portion having a tip portion distal end, a tip portion proximal end, a tip portion length, and a tip portion mass of no more than 30 grams;   the butt portion formed of a non-metallic butt portion material having a butt material density, an average butt portion flexural rigidity, a maximum butt portion flexural rigidity, a minimum butt portion flexural rigidity, an average butt portion torsional rigidity, a maximum butt portion torsional rigidity, a minimum butt portion torsional rigidity, and each point along the butt portion length having a butt portion flexural rigidity, and a butt portion torsional rigidity;   the tip portion formed of a tip portion material having a tip material density, an average tip portion flexural rigidity, a maximum tip portion flexural rigidity, a minimum tip portion flexural rigidity, an average tip portion torsional rigidity, a maximum tip portion torsional rigidity, and a minimum tip portion torsional rigidity, and each point along the tip portion length having a tip portion flexural rigidity, and a tip portion torsional rigidity;   the average butt portion flexural rigidity is no more than four times the average butt portion torsional rigidity;   the average tip portion flexural rigidity is 10-50 N*m 2  and the average tip portion torsional rigidity is 5-40 N*m 2 ; and   the shaft flexural rigidity of a portion of the shaft located 5-36″ from the shaft proximal end is at least 100% greater than the minimum tip portion flexural rigidity.   
     
     
         22 . The golf club shaft of  claim 21 , wherein the average tip portion flexural rigidity is 10-40 N*m 2  and the average tip portion torsional rigidity is 5-35 N*m 2 , the tip portion mass is less than 70% of the butt portion mass, and the coupler mass is no more than 60% of the tip portion mass. 
     
     
         23 . The golf club shaft of  claim 22 , wherein the average tip portion flexural rigidity is 12.5-37.5 N*m 2  and the average tip portion torsional rigidity is 7.5-30 N*m 2 , the tip portion mass is less than 60% of the butt portion mass, and the tip portion mass is no more than 25 grams. 
     
     
         24 . The golf club shaft of  claim 23 , wherein the maximum shaft flexural rigidity is no more than 300 N*m 2 , the maximum shaft torsional rigidity is no more than 250 N*m 2 , and the flexural rigidity of a portion of the shaft located 5-36″ from the shaft proximal end is at least 200% greater than the minimum tip portion flexural rigidity. 
     
     
         25 . The golf club shaft of  claim 24 , wherein the maximum shaft flexural rigidity is no more than 250 N*m 2 , and the maximum shaft torsional rigidity is no more than 200 N*m 2 , and the average tip portion flexural rigidity is at least 50% of the average butt portion flexural rigidity. 
     
     
         26 . The golf club shaft of  claim 25 , wherein the tip portion mass is 20-30 grams, the butt portion mass is no more than 85 grams, and the average tip portion torsional rigidity is at least 20% of the average butt portion torsional rigidity. 
     
     
         27 . The golf club shaft of  claim 25 , wherein the butt portion mass is at least 40 grams, and the average tip portion torsional rigidity is at least 20% of the average butt portion torsional rigidity. 
     
     
         28 . The golf club shaft of  claim 27 , wherein the coupler mass is at least 25% of the tip portion mass. 
     
     
         29 . The golf club shaft of  claim 27 , wherein the flexural rigidity of a portion of the shaft located 5-36″ from the shaft proximal end is at least 50% greater than the minimum butt portion flexural rigidity. 
     
     
         30 . The golf club shaft of  claim 29 , wherein the butt portion length is 26-36″, and the butt portion mass is at least 50 grams. 
     
     
         31 . The golf club shaft of  claim 30 , wherein the butt portion mass is no more than 85 grams. 
     
     
         32 . The golf club shaft of  claim 30 , wherein the average tip portion torsional rigidity is no more than 35% of the average butt portion torsional rigidity. 
     
     
         33 . The golf club shaft of  claim 32 , wherein the average tip portion flexural rigidity is no more than 60% of the average butt portion flexural rigidity. 
     
     
         34 . The golf club shaft of  claim 33 , wherein the average butt portion flexural rigidity is 3-6 times the average tip portion flexural rigidity. 
     
     
         35 . The golf club shaft of  claim 25 , wherein the coupler comprises an aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         36 . The golf club shaft of  claim 25 , wherein the shaft flexural rigidity is constant throughout at least 10% of the shaft length. 
     
     
         37 . The golf club shaft of  claim 25 , wherein the butt portion has a butt portion inner diameter that varies. 
     
     
         38 . The golf club shaft of  claim 25 , wherein the shaft length is no more than 38″, the shaft mass is at least 100 grams, the tip portion mass is no more than 20 grams, and the tip portion material is a metallic alloy. 
     
     
         39 . A golf club shaft, comprising:
 a shaft having a shaft distal end, a shaft proximal end, a shaft outer diameter, a shaft length, a shaft mass, wherein the shaft has a maximum shaft flexural rigidity and a maximum shaft torsional rigidity, and each point along the shaft length has a shaft flexural rigidity, and a shaft torsional rigidity;   the shaft having a butt portion joined by a coupler to a tip portion, wherein the coupler has a coupler mass that is no more than 15% of the shaft mass;   the butt portion having a butt portion distal end, a butt portion proximal end, a butt portion length of 20-40″, and a butt portion mass;   the tip portion having a tip portion distal end, a tip portion proximal end, a tip portion length, and a tip portion mass of no more than 30 grams;   the butt portion formed of a non-metallic butt portion material having a butt material density, an average butt portion flexural rigidity, a maximum butt portion flexural rigidity, a minimum butt portion flexural rigidity, an average butt portion torsional rigidity, a maximum butt portion torsional rigidity, a minimum butt portion torsional rigidity, and each point along the butt portion length having a butt portion flexural rigidity, and a butt portion torsional rigidity;   the tip portion formed of a tip portion material having a tip material density, an average tip portion flexural rigidity, a maximum tip portion flexural rigidity, a minimum tip portion flexural rigidity, an average tip portion torsional rigidity, a maximum tip portion torsional rigidity, and a minimum tip portion torsional rigidity, and each point along the tip portion length having a tip portion flexural rigidity, and a tip portion torsional rigidity;   the tip portion mass is less than 60% of the butt portion mass, the coupler mass is no more than 60% of the tip portion mass, and the tip portion mass is no more than 25 grams;   the average tip portion flexural rigidity is 10-50 N*m 2  and the average tip portion torsional rigidity is 5-40 N*m 2 ; and   the maximum shaft flexural rigidity is no more than 300 N*m 2 , the maximum shaft torsional rigidity is no more than 250 N*m 2 , and the flexural rigidity of a portion of the shaft located 5-36″ from the shaft proximal end is at least 200% greater than the minimum tip portion flexural rigidity.   
     
     
         40 . A golf club shaft, comprising:
 a shaft having a shaft distal end, a shaft proximal end, a shaft outer diameter, a shaft length, a shaft mass, wherein the shaft has a maximum shaft flexural rigidity and a maximum shaft torsional rigidity, and each point along the shaft length has a shaft flexural rigidity, and a shaft torsional rigidity;   the shaft having a butt portion joined by a coupler to a tip portion, wherein the coupler has a coupler mass that is no more than 15% of the shaft mass;   the butt portion having a butt portion distal end, a butt portion proximal end, a butt portion length of 20-40″, and a butt portion mass;   the tip portion having a tip portion distal end, a tip portion proximal end, a tip portion length, and a tip portion mass of no more than 30 grams;   the butt portion formed of a non-metallic butt portion material having a butt material density, an average butt portion flexural rigidity, a maximum butt portion flexural rigidity, a minimum butt portion flexural rigidity, an average butt portion torsional rigidity, a maximum butt portion torsional rigidity, a minimum butt portion torsional rigidity, and each point along the butt portion length having a butt portion flexural rigidity, and a butt portion torsional rigidity;   the tip portion formed of a tip portion material having a tip material density, an average tip portion flexural rigidity, a maximum tip portion flexural rigidity, a minimum tip portion flexural rigidity, an average tip portion torsional rigidity, a maximum tip portion torsional rigidity, and a minimum tip portion torsional rigidity, and each point along the tip portion length having a tip portion flexural rigidity, and a tip portion torsional rigidity;   the tip portion mass is less than 60% of the butt portion mass, and the coupler mass is no more than 60% of the tip portion mass, and the tip portion mass is no more than 30 grams; and   the maximum shaft flexural rigidity is no more than 250 N*m 2 , and the maximum shaft torsional rigidity is no more than 200 N*m 2 , and the average tip portion flexural rigidity is at least 50% of the average butt portion flexural rigidity.