Golf club fitting systems

Abstract

Golf club fitting systems can include a golf club head along with multiple alternative adjustment sleeves that each mate with the club head to modify loft and lie angles. Each adjustment sleeve can include a first portion having a respective longitudinal axis and configured to mate and coaxially align with a hosel of the golf club head, and a second portion having a respective longitudinal axis angularly offset from the longitudinal axis of the first portion and configured to mate and coaxially align with a golf club shaft. Each different adjustment sleeve can be configured to alter a position of the golf club head relative to a golf club shaft by a different adjustment value relative to each other. Fitting systems can also include a shaft sleeve that can join any of various different shafts with any of the adjustment sleeves. Fitting systems can also include additional club heads.

1 . A golf club fitting system comprising:
 a golf club head comprising a hosel;   a first adjustment sleeve for adjusting the fit of a golf club to a golfer comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having a first longitudinal axis and configured to mate and coaxially align with the hosel of the golf club head and the second portion having a second longitudinal axis angularly offset from the first longitudinal axis of the first portion and configured to mate and coaxially align with a golf club shaft; and   a second adjustment sleeve for adjusting the fit of a golf club to a golfer comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having a third longitudinal axis and configured to mate and coaxially align with the hosel of the golf club head and the second portion having a fourth longitudinal axis angularly offset from the third longitudinal axis of the first portion and configured to mate and coaxially align with a golf club shaft;   wherein an angle between the first and second longitudinal axes of the first adjustment sleeve differs from an angle between the third and fourth longitudinal axes of the second adjustment sleeve;   wherein the first and second adjustment sleeves are alternatives such that a club fitter can select either one of the first and second adjustment sleeves to mate with the hosel of the golf club head and a golf club shaft, the first adjustment sleeve configured to alter a position of the golf club head relative to a golf club shaft by a first adjustment value and the second adjustment sleeve configured to alter a position of the golf club head relative to a golf club shaft by a second adjustment value different from the first adjustment value; and   wherein for each adjustment sleeve, no portion of a golf club shaft enters the hosel of the golf club head when the second portion is mated with the golf club shaft and the first portion is mated with the golf club head.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club fitting system of  claim 1 , wherein the angle between the first and second longitudinal axes of the first adjustment sleeve corresponds to the first adjustment value and the angle between the third and fourth longitudinal axes of the second adjustment sleeve corresponds to the second adjustment value. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club fitting system of  claim 1 , wherein the hosel comprises outwardly extending tabs and each adjustment sleeve comprises an external ridge configured to receive the tabs of the hosel. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club fitting system of  claim 1 , further comprising three or more adjustment sleeves, each adjustment sleeve comprising a first portion and a second portion having respective longitudinal axes. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club fitting system of  claim 1 , wherein the first adjustment sleeve is formed of a first material having a first mass and the second adjustment sleeve is formed of a second material having a second mass, wherein the second mass is less than the first mass. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club fitting system of  claim 1 , wherein the golf club head is a first golf club head and the golf club fitting system further comprises a second golf club head formed of a material having a mass that is less than a mass of a material forming the first golf club head. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club fitting system of  claim 1 , wherein when the first adjustment sleeve mates with the hosel of the golf club head and a golf club shaft, the golf club head forms a first angle relative to the golf club shaft, and wherein when the second adjustment sleeve mates with the hosel of the golf club head and receives a golf club shaft, the golf club head forms a second angle relative to the golf club shaft. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club fitting system of  claim 3 , wherein for each adjustment sleeve, no portion of a golf club shaft lies within or extends beyond a plane intersecting the external ridge of the adjustment sleeve when the second portion mates with the golf club shaft. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club fitting system of  claim 3 , wherein for each adjustment sleeve, no portion of a golf club shaft lies within or extends beyond a plane intersecting the tabs of the hosel when the second portion of the adjustment sleeve mates with the golf club shaft and the first portion mates with the golf club head. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 positioning a first adjustment sleeve of a golf club fitting system between a club shaft and a club head of a golf club to adjust the position of the club head relative to the club shaft by a first adjustment value while fitting the golf club to a golfer;   disassembling the first adjustment sleeve, the club shaft, and the club head when the first adjustment sleeve is positioned between the club shaft and club head to remove the first adjustment sleeve;   positioning a second adjustment sleeve of the golf club fitting system between the club shaft and the club head of the golf club when the first adjustment sleeve is removed, to adjust the position of the club head relative to the club shaft by a second adjustment value while fitting the golf club to the golfer; and   comparing one or more properties of the golf club having the first adjustment sleeve positioned between the club shaft and club head to one or more properties of the golf club having the second adjustment sleeve positioned between the club shaft and club head.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein positioning a respective adjustment sleeve comprises:
 positioning the adjustment sleeve between the club shaft and club head in a first position to adjust the position of the club head relative to the club shaft by a first angle; and   positioning the adjustment sleeve between the club shaft and club head in a second position to adjust the position of the club head relative to the club shaft by a second angle.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a magnitude of the first and second angles are equal to a respective adjustment value. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a magnitude of the first and second angles are equal. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein positioning a respective adjustment sleeve comprises:
 disassembling the adjustment sleeve and the club head while the adjustment sleeve is in a first position;   rotating the adjustment sleeve relative to the club head from the first position to a second position; and   assembling the adjustment sleeve and the club head while the adjustment sleeve is in the second position.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein positioning a respective adjustment sleeve comprises mating at least one tab outwardly extending from a hosel of the club head with at least one recess on an outer surface of the adjustment sleeve. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein positioning a respective adjustment sleeve comprises mating a splined outer surface of the club shaft with a splined inner surface of the adjustment sleeve. 
     
     
         17 . A golf club fitting system comprising:
 a golf club shaft sleeve;   a golf club head comprising a hosel; and   a first adjustment sleeve and a second adjustment sleeve separate from the first adjustment sleeve, each adjustment sleeve comprising an outer surface, an inner surface, and configured to couple to the golf club shaft sleeve and golf club head in a first position and in a second position,   wherein when fitting a golf club to a golfer, the first adjustment sleeve is configured adjust an angle of the golf club head relative to the golf club shaft sleeve by a first angle while in the first position and a second angle while in the second position, and the second adjustment sleeve is configured to adjust an angle of the golf club head relative to the golf club shaft sleeve by a third angle while in the first position and a fourth angle while in the second position, and   wherein the first and second adjustment sleeves couple to the hosel of the golf club head and a golf club shaft sleeve separately from one another such that a club fitter can interchange the first and second adjustment sleeves.   
     
     
         18 . The golf club fitting system of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second angles are equal in magnitude and the third and fourth angles are equal in magnitude, wherein the magnitude of the first and second angles and the magnitude of the third and fourth angles are unequal. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club fitting system of  claim 17 , wherein for each adjustment sleeve, the outer surface has a first longitudinal axis and the inner surface has a second longitudinal axis angled relative to the first longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club fitting system of  claim 19 , wherein the outer surface comprises a first outer surface having the first longitudinal axis and a second outer surface having the second longitudinal axis and coaxially aligned with the inner surface such that the second outer surface is angularly offset from the first outer surface.