Golf club with adjustable lie and offset

Abstract

A golf club is provided in which a front heel face of the club defines a bore for receiving one end of a hosel, the hosel defining a substantially right angled bend. A free end of the hosel engages the putter shaft. The hosel provides a desired offset distance from the club strike face. Rotation of the hosel relative to the bore also provides an adjustment mechanism by which the lie angle and face balancing of the club may be achieved. Shaft inserts are also provided to adjust lie angles and offset distances.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of establishing at least one of a lie angle or an offset for a putter comprising: 
 providing a putter having a hosel, a first end of the hosel connected to the putter and a second end of the hosel connected to a shaft;    cutting the shaft into two pieces, thereby providing a first segment and a second segment of the putter shaft;    placing a first end of an angled insert within the first segment of the putter shaft;    placing a second end of an angled insert within the second segment of the putter shaft; and,    securing said first segment and said second segment of the putter shaft to the angled insert, wherein an angle defined by the insert thereby provides at least one of a lie angle and an offset of said putter.    
     
     
         2 . A putter head comprising: 
 a main body portion having a front, a back, a top, and a bottom; and,    a stem which projects above the top surface of the main body portion, the stem defining an aperture along a front edge of the stem, the aperture having an axis substantially perpendicular to a front surface of the stem.    
     
     
         3 . The putter according  claim 2  wherein said putter head further defines a right-angled hosel engaging said aperture.  
     
     
         4 . A golf club head for an iron-type golf club comprising: 
 a golf head portion having a front face, a sole, a toe, and a heel portion; and,    an aperture defined in a front face of a heel portion, the aperture having an axis substantially perpendicular to the heel face surface.    
     
     
         5 . A golf head according to  claim 4  wherein said club head further comprises a hosel having a first end and a second end, a first end of the hosel reversibly engaging said aperture in a second end of said hosel adapted for receiving a shaft.  
     
     
         6 . The golf club head according to  claim 4  wherein said front face defines a first planar surface and said heel portion defines a heel face having a substantially planar portion, said heel face and said front face establishing therebetween a lie angle.  
     
     
         7 . The golf club head according to  claim 4  wherein said heel face further defines a wedge-shaped member, said wedge-shaped member having a bore therethrough, said bore in alignment with said aperture, said bore and said aperture adapted for receiving a first end of a hosel.