Smart Golf Club Shaft

Abstract

A unique and innovative shaft for a golf club significantly enhances stability and shock absorption during golf swings. Taking advantage of the excellent flexibility, surface strength and shock absorption of a bamboo pole, the shaft is designed following the physical structure of the bamboo pole, thus helping facilitate vibration damping and absorption, stability during golf swings, supersymmetry and balance. The shaft comprises a plurality of connectors, each of which is a solid material and connects a plurality of links into an elongated member of the present invention. The plurality of connectors may be attached to the inside wall of the elongated member when designed as a tube. By varying the positions of connectors across the elongated member, the bamboo-inspired shaft can be configured to feature desired levels of flexibility and corrective/reversible torsion at one or more points on the shaft, thus help any golf player achieve substantial performance improvements.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shaft for golf clubs to provide stability and shock absorption during golf swings comprising:
 an elongated member;   the elongated member comprising a plurality of links and a plurality of connectors;   each of the plurality of connectors comprising a solid material;   the solid material comprising varying density and stiffness from interior to the exterior; and   the plurality of links being interconnected by one of the plurality of connectors.   
     
     
         2 . The shaft for golf clubs to provide stability and shock absorption during golf swings as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the elongated member comprises an exterior taper. 
     
     
         3 . The shaft for golf clubs to provide stability and shock absorption during golf swings as claimed in  claim 2  comprising:
 the elongated member comprising a tip and a grip end; 
 the tip being terminally positioned on the elongated member; 
 the tip being connected to a golf clubhead through a hosel; 
 the grip end being terminally positioned on the elongated member opposite the tip; and 
 the exterior taper being formed through a gradual outside diameter (OD) decrease from the grip end to the tip. 
 
     
     
         4 . The shaft for golf clubs to provide stability and shock absorption during golf swings as claimed in  claim 1  comprising:
 the elongated member comprising a plurality of layers; and 
 the plurality of layers comprising a varying density and stiffness. 
 
     
     
         5 . The shaft for golf clubs to provide stability and shock absorption during golf swings as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein an inner layer of the plurality of layers of the elongated member comprises a density smaller than that of outer layer of the plurality of layers. 
     
     
         6 . The shaft for golf clubs to provide stability and shock absorption during golf swings as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the elongated member comprises a uniform three-dimensional mass distribution centered along the center of gravity (COG) thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The shaft for golf clubs to provide stability and shock absorption during golf swings as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of links comprises a hollow tube. 
     
     
         8 . The shaft for golf clubs to provide stability and shock absorption during golf swings as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of links comprises a constant outside diameter. 
     
     
         9 . The shaft for golf clubs to provide stability and shock absorption during golf swings as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of links comprises a constant length. 
     
     
         10 . The shaft for golf clubs to provide stability and shock absorption during golf swings as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of links comprises a varying length. 
     
     
         11 . The shaft for golf clubs to provide stability and shock absorption during golf swings as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of connectors comprises a cross-sectional area smaller than that of an adjacent link of the plurality of links. 
     
     
         12 . The shaft for golf clubs to provide stability and shock absorption during golf swings as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein both the plurality of links and plurality of connectors comprise a smart material. 
     
     
         13 . The shaft for golf clubs to provide stability and shock absorption during golf swings as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein both the plurality of links and plurality of connectors comprise a memory shape material. 
     
     
         14 . The shaft for golf clubs to provide stability and shock absorption during golf swings as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein both the plurality of links and plurality of connectors comprise a thermoplastic. 
     
     
         15 . A shaft for golf clubs to provide stability and shock absorption during golf swings comprising:
 an elongated member;   the elongated member being a tube;   the elongated member comprising a plurality of connectors;   each of the plurality of connectors comprising a solid material;   the solid material comprising varying density and stiffness from interior to the exterior;   the plurality of connectors being positioned inside the elongated member; and   each of the plurality of connectors being attached to the inner wall of the tube of the elongated member.   
     
     
         16 . The shaft for golf clubs to provide stability and shock absorption during golf swings as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the distance between an arbitrary connector of the plurality of connectors and an adjacent connector has a constant value. 
     
     
         17 . The shaft for golf clubs to provide stability and shock absorption during golf swings as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the distance between an arbitrary connector of the plurality of connectors and an adjacent connector has a varying value.