Golf club with interchangeable shaft

Abstract

A golf club with an interchangeable shaft that allows conventional shafts to be inserted into a golf club head. An adaptor is securely attached to the bottom end of the shaft. The adaptor is screwed into the hosel on the golf club head. A spacer element is positioned between the adaptor and the hosel to provide a surface against which the adaptor is tightened. A set screw passes through the hosel to securely hold the adaptor and shaft in place within the club head and keep the shaft from rotating with respect to the club head.

1 . A golf club comprising:
 a golf club head having a top portion, a heel end, a toe end, a face, a bottom and a hosel extending up from the top portion,   the hosel having an open top and an internally threaded bore, the bore extending longitudinally through the hosel for providing a passageway into the golf club head,   an adaptor having a top, a center portion and a bottom, a ledge disposed between the top and center portion, at least a portion of the adaptor having exterior threads for threadedly engaging the internally threaded bore for connecting the adaptor to the hosel,   the adaptor having a central passageway extending from the top to the bottom of the adaptor,   a golf club shaft having a distal end received in the central passageway,   mechanical locking means for retaining the adaptor in the threaded bore, and   spacer means disposed between the open top of the hosel and the ledge on the adaptor for providing an interface between the hosel and the ledge against which the adaptor is tightened when screwing the adaptor into the hosel.   
   
   
       2 . The golf club of  claim 1  wherein the golf club is a right handed golf club and the exterior threads on the adaptor are left handed threads causing the adaptor to tighten against the spacer means during swinging of the golf club. 
   
   
       3 . The golf club of  claim 1  wherein the adaptor and head are made of metals selected from the group of titanium, titanium alloys, steel and steel alloys and the spacer is made of softer metal. 
   
   
       4 . The golf club of  claim 1  wherein the mechanical locking means comprises a threaded passageway extending through a wall of the hosel and into the threaded bore, a screw having complimentary threads and received into the threaded passageway, the screw engaging in locking relationship the adaptor. 
   
   
       5 . The golf club of  claim 1  and further comprising an adhesive for securing the golf club shaft in the central passageway. 
   
   
       6 . The golf club of  claim 1  and further comprising a stop at the bottom of the adaptor for providing a stopping point which the shaft cannot extend beyond when the shaft is received in the central passageway. 
   
   
       7 . The golf club of  claim 1  wherein a portion of the central passageway in the adaptor extends from the top of the hosel into the golf club head whereby the golf club shaft extends into the golf club head when the adaptor is screwed into the hosel and engages the spacer means. 
   
   
       8 . The golf club of  claim 1  wherein the distal end of the shaft is a constant diameter and the central passageway is of constant diameter to receive the distal end. 
   
   
       9 . The golf club of  claim 1  wherein the golf club is a left handed golf club and the exterior threads on the adaptor are right handed threads causing the adaptor to tighten against the spacer means during swinging of the golf club. 
   
   
       10 . A golf club comprising:
 a golf club head having a body with a top portion, a heel end, a toe end, a face and a bottom, the body having a hosel with an open top end and a bore, at least a portion of the bore being threaded, the bore having a length extending from the open end to the body,   a golf club shaft having a proximal end and a distal end,   an adaptor having an open top, an outside wall and a central passageway for receiving the distal end of the golf club shaft, the adaptor further having exterior threads for threadedly engaging the threaded portion of the bore, the adaptor having a length longer than the hosel's length so that it extends into the body when fully inserted into the hosel,   mechanical locking means engaging the adaptor for retaining the adaptor in the bore,   means disposed between the adaptor and the hosel for providing an interface member against which the adaptor and hosel can be tightened to securely attach the adaptor to the body.   
   
   
       11 . The golf club of  claim 10  wherein the bottom of the golf club head rests on a flat horizontal surface and the golf club shaft when mounted in the hosel defines a lie angle with respect to the flat horizontal surface. 
   
   
       12 . The golf club of  claim 12  wherein the central passageway has a longitudinal axis that is offset by a predetermined angle with respect to the outside wall of the adaptor for adjusting the angle of the golf club shaft with respect to the hosel thereby changing the lie angle. 
   
   
       13 . The golf club of  claim 13  wherein the longitudinal axis is offset by an angle with respect to the outer wall of the adaptor by ½ degree to 2½ degrees. 
   
   
       14 . The golf club of  claim 10  and wherein the means disposed between the adaptor and the hosel for providing an interface comprises spacer means disposed the open top end of the hosel and the adaptor. 
   
   
       15 . The golf club of  claim 10  wherein the mechanical locking means comprises a threaded passageway extending through a wall of the hosel and into the threaded bore, a screw having complimentary threads and received into the threaded passageway, the screw engaging in locking relationship the adaptor. 
   
   
       16 . The golf club of  claim 15  wherein the adaptor and head are made of metals selected from the group of titanium, titanium alloys, steel and steel alloys and the spacer is made of softer metal. 
   
   
       17 . The golf club of  claim 15  wherein the golf club is a right handed golf club and the exterior threads on the adaptor are left handed threads causing the adaptor to tighten against the spacer means during swinging of the golf club. 
   
   
       18 . The golf club of  claim 10  and further comprising an adhesive for securing the distal end of the golf club shaft in the central passageway. 
   
   
       19 . The golf club of  claim 10  and further comprising a stop at the bottom of the adaptor for providing a stopping point which the shaft cannot extend beyond when the shaft is received in the central passageway. 
   
   
       20 . The golf club of  claim 15  wherein a portion of the central passageway in the adaptor extends from the top of the hosel into the golf club head whereby the golf club shaft extends into the golf club head when the adaptor is screwed into the hosel and engages the spacer. 
   
   
       21 . The golf club of  claim 15  wherein a portion of the central passageway in the adaptor extends from the top of the hosel into the golf club head whereby the golf club shaft extends into the golf club head when the adaptor is screwed into the hosel and engages the spacer.