Golf Club Fitting Assembly

Abstract

This invention relates to golf club fitting devices and more particularly, to a novel golf club fitting assembly designed to interchangeably connect a shaft and club head.

1 . An interchangeable golf club assembly comprising
 a shaft,   a club head having a bore,   a golf club fitting assembly interchangeably fixing the shaft to the club head, wherein the golf club fitting assembly comprises an interior coupling body, a screw-on ferrule and a sleeve, wherein   the interior coupling body comprises an interior cavity that receives the shaft and is fixed to the shaft with an adhesive material,   the sleeve is fixed to the bore of the club head with an adhesive material and comprises a collar and an interior cavity that receives the interior coupling body, and   the screw-on ferrule fixes the interior coupling body to the sleeve, thus interchangeably fixing the shaft to the club head, wherein axial rotation of the interior coupling body about the sleeve is minimized by a gripping surface disposed on a bottom exterior peripheral surface of the interior coupling body, and   wherein the shaft is fully inserted into the bore of the club head.   
   
   
       2 . The interchangeable golf club fitting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein
 the shaft has a pre-mounting length,   the premounting length is decreased by less than about 1.5 inches (about 3.81 centimeters) when the shaft is affixed to the club head with the golf club fitting assembly.   
   
   
       3 . The interchangeable golf club assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the premounting length of the shaft is decreased by less than about 5 percent when the shaft is affixed to the club head with the golf club fitting assembly. 
   
   
       4 . The interchangeable golf club of  claim 2 , wherein the shaft further comprises a kickpoint, and the kickpoint is offset by less than about 1 inch (about 2.54 centimeters) when the shaft is affixed to the club head with the golf club fitting assembly. 
   
   
       5 . The interchangeable golf club assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the tip comprises a spine having a textured peripheral surface, and axial rotation of the shaft about the club head is minimized by the textured peripheral surface. 
   
   
       6 . The interchangeable golf club assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the tip further comprises a head having external threading, the sleeve further comprises an internal cavity having threading and is configured to receive the head of the tip. 
   
   
       7 . The interchangeable golf club assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the sleeve comprises an external diameter that is configured to be received by a bore having an internal diameter of from about 0.300 to about 0.500 inch (about 0.762 to about 1.27 centimeter). 
   
   
       8 . The interchangeable golf club fitting assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the tip comprises a mechanical locking device to prevent movement of the tip in the sleeve. 
   
   
       9 . The interchangeable golf club fitting assembly of  claim 18 , wherein
 the sleeve is fixed to a bore of a club head having a premounting weight, and   wherein the premounting weight of the club head is changed by less than about 1 percent when the bore is configured for the sleeve to be fixed to the bore.   
   
   
       10 . The interchangeable golf club fitting assembly of  claim 18 , wherein
 the bore has an inner diameter of from about 0.300 to about 0.500 inch (about 0.762 to about 1.27 centimeter), and   wherein the inner diameter is changed by less than about 5 percent when the bore is configured for the sleeve to be fixed to the bore.   
   
   
       11 . The interchangeable golf club fitting assembly of  claim 18 , wherein
 the screw-on ferrule comprises a compression fitting screw-on ferrule, and   wherein axial rotation of the shaft about the club head is minimized by the compression fitting screw-on ferrule.   
   
   
       12 . The interchangeable golf club fitting assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the compression fitting screw-on ferrule comprises an exterior surface having at least two flattened portions and wherein the at least two flattened portions are radially an equal distance from one another around the exterior surface. 
   
   
       13 . The interchangeable golf club fitting assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the compression fitting screw on ferrule further comprises a crown having an exterior surface and a bore having an upper opening, wherein the crown is chamfered along the exterior surface about the upper opening. 
   
   
       14 . The interchangeable golf club fitting assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the screw-on ferrule comprises a compression fitting screw-on ferrule further comprising a connecting portion having an internal threading, the internal threading having a length, and wherein the length of the internal threading is from about 0.125 inch (about 0.3175 centimeter) to about 0.5 inches (about 1.27 centimeters). 
   
   
       15 . The interchangeable golf club fitting assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the sleeve further comprises an external threading having a length, wherein the screw-on ferrule comprises a compression fitting screw-on ferrule that mates with the external threading of the sleeve, and wherein the length of the external threading is less than about ⅜ inch (20.32 centimeters). 
   
   
       16 . The interchangeable golf club fitting assembly of  claim 18 , wherein
 the sleeve further comprises a plurality of fingers, the screw-on ferrule comprises a,   compression fitting screw-on ferrule that compresses and constricts the plurality of fingers when affixed to the sleeve thereby causing the plurality of fingers to clamp around a circumference of the interior coupling body.   
   
   
       17 . The interchangeable golf club fitting assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of fingers cooperate to restrict axial rotation of the shaft about the sleeve. 
   
   
       18 . An interchangeable golf club fitting assembly comprising an interior coupling body, screw-on ferrule and a sleeve, wherein
 the interior coupling body comprises an interior cavity that receives a shaft and is fixed to the shaft with an adhesive material,   the sleeve is fixed to a bore of a club head with an adhesive material and comprises a collar and an interior cavity that receives the interior coupling body, and   the screw-on ferrule fixes the interior coupling body to the sleeve, thus interchangeably fixing the shaft to the club head, wherein axial rotation of the interior coupling body about the sleeve is minimized by a gripping surface disposed on a bottom exterior peripheral surface of the interior coupling body.   
   
   
       19 . The interchangeable golf club fitting assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the interior coupling body further comprises a stop ring that aligns with the collar of the sleeve to receive the screw-on ferrule. 
   
   
       20 . The interchangeable golf club fitting assembly of  claim 18 , wherein rotational movement of the club head about the shaft is minimized by a combination of the adhesive material, a mechanical connection of the screw-on ferrule to the interior coupling body and sleeve, and the gripping surface.