Iron-type golf club with interchangeable head-shaft connection
An iron-type golf club ( 320 ) having an iron-type club head ( 322 ) with an interchangeable shaft ( 40 ) is disclosed herein. The golf club ( 320 ) includes a tube ( 344 ) mounted in the hosel ( 331 ) of the club head ( 322 ), and a sleeve ( 346 ) mounted on a tip end ( 50 ) of the shaft ( 40 ). The tube ( 344 ) includes a tapered portion ( 360 ) and a rotation prevention portion ( 362 ). The sleeve ( 346 ) has a frustoconical portion ( 372 ) and a keyed portion ( 374 ) that are respectively received in the tapered portion ( 360 ) and the rotation prevention portion ( 362 ) of the tube ( 344 ). The golf club ( 320 ) further includes a mechanical fastener ( 48 ) for removably securing the shaft ( 40 ) to the club head ( 322 ).
1. An iron-type golf club comprising:
an iron-type club head including a hosel;
a tube mounted in the hosel of the club head, the tube having an upper end with an inner diameter larger than an inner diameter at a lower end of the tube, the tube including a tapered portion and a rotation prevention portion, the rotation prevention portion defining a keyway having a non-circular configuration;
a shaft removably coupled to the club head;
a sleeve mounted on a tip end of the shaft and disposed between the shaft and the tube, a lower section of the sleeve including a frustoconical portion, a keyed portion and a lower end of the sleeve, the frustoconical portion extending along at least one eighth of the length of the lower section, the frustoconical portion being received in the tapered portion of the tube, the keyed portion being received in the rotation prevention portion of the tube, the keyed portion having an external configuration complementary to that of the keyway to prevent rotation of the shaft relative to the club head; and
a mechanical fastener removably securing the sleeve to the tube.
2. The golf club according to claim 1 , wherein the tube and the sleeve are both composed of aluminum alloy materials.
3. The golf club according to claim 1 , wherein the tube and the sleeve are both composed of titanium alloy materials.
4. The golf club according to claim 1 , wherein the tube and the sleeve are composed of dissimilar metallic materials, and one of the tube and the sleeve is coated to prevent galvanic corrosion.
5. The golf club according to claim 1 , wherein the sleeve has an opening formed in an upper end thereof for receiving the tip end of the shaft, the sleeve including a plurality of features extending into the opening to help center the shaft in the sleeve.
6. The golf club according to claim 1 , wherein the shaft includes at least one feature provided about the circumference of the shaft proximate the tip end, the at least one feature facilitating centering of the shaft in an opening formed in an upper end of the sleeve.
7. The golf club according to claim 1 , wherein the lower end of the tube is open and aligned with an opening in a sole portion of the club head, and wherein the mechanical fastener is a socket screw having external threads, and a lower portion of the sleeve has internal threads for engaging the external threads of the socket screw, the socket screw being inserted into the opening in the sole portion of the club head.
8. The golf club according to claim 1 , wherein the sleeve includes an upper section having a length of approximately 1.0 inch.
9. The golf club according to claim 1 , wherein the lower section of the sleeve has a length in the range of 0.483 inch to 0.670 inch.
10. The golf club according to claim 9 , wherein the frustoconical portion of the sleeve has a length in the range of 0.146 inch to 0.203 inch.
11. An iron-type golf club comprising:
an iron-type club head including a hosel;
a tube mounted in the hosel of the club head, the tube being composed of a metallic material and having an upper end with an inner diameter larger than an inner diameter at a lower end of the tube, the tube including a tapered portion and a rotation prevention portion, the rotation prevention portion being located below the tapered portion and defining a keyway having a non-circular configuration;
a shaft removably coupled to the club head;
a sleeve mounted on the tip end of the shaft and disposed between the shaft and the tube, the sleeve being composed of a metallic material, a lower section of the sleeve including a frustoconical portion, a keyed portion and a lower end of the sleeve, the frustoconical portion extending along at least one quarter of the length of the lower section, the frustoconical portion being received in the tapered portion of the tube, the keyed portion being received in the rotation prevention portion of the tube, the keyed portion having an external configuration complementary to that of the keyway to prevent rotation of the shaft relative to the club head; and
a mechanical fastener removably securing the sleeve to the tube.
12. The golf club according to claim 11 , wherein the tube and the sleeve are both composed of aluminum alloy materials.
13. The golf club according to claim 11 , wherein the tube and the sleeve are both composed of titanium alloy materials.
14. The golf club according to claim 11 , wherein the tube and the sleeve are composed of dissimilar metallic materials, and one of the tube and the sleeve is coated to prevent galvanic corrosion.
15. The golf club according to claim 11 , wherein the sleeve has an opening formed in an upper end thereof for receiving the tip end of the shaft, the sleeve including a plurality of features extending into the opening to help center the shaft in the sleeve.
16. The golf club according to claim 11 wherein the shaft includes at least one feature provided about the circumference of the shaft proximate the tip end, the at least one feature facilitating centering of the shaft in an opening formed in an upper end of the sleeve.
17. The golf club according to claim 11 , wherein the lower end of the tube is open and aligns with an opening in a sole portion of the club head, the mechanical fastener is a socket screw having external threads, and a lower portion of the sleeve has internal threads for engaging the external threads of the socket screw, the socket screw being inserted into the opening in the sole portion of the club head.
18. The golf club according to claim 11 , wherein the sleeve includes an upper section having a length of at least approximately 1.0 inch.
19. The golf club according to claim 18 , wherein the lower section of the sleeve has a length in the range of 0.483 inch to 0.670 inch.
20. The golf club according to claim 19 , wherein the frustoconical portion of the sleeve has a length in the range of 0.146 inch to 0.203 inch.