U.S. patent application number 10/371032 was filed with the patent office on 2004-06-10 for method and apparatus for custom fitting a hockey stick and other sports equipment.
This patent application is currently assigned to Black Beauty Custom Sticks, LLC. Invention is credited to Flaum, Richard V., Klanow, Brian L..
Application Number | 20040110572 10/371032 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32511017 |
Filed Date | 2004-06-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040110572 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Flaum, Richard V. ; et
al. |
June 10, 2004 |
Method and apparatus for custom fitting a hockey stick and other
sports equipment
Abstract
The hockey stick and golf club of the present invention is
generally formed of a shaft and a blade. The shaft has a grip at
one end and a hosel at the opposite end. Similarly, the blade has a
heel at one end and a toe at the opposite end. An incrementally
locking indicia assembly rotatably attaches the heel end of the
blade to the hosel of the shaft. The indicia assembly includes a
scale for indicating the angle of the blade to the shaft. To adjust
and customize this angle, the blade may be incrementally rotated up
or down relevant to the shaft and locked into location for a trial
skate by a hockey player or swing by a golfer. The lie angle of the
blade may be adjusted after each trial skate to achieve maximum
blade contact with a hockey puck or golf ball and increase shooting
accuracy.
Inventors: |
Flaum, Richard V.;
(Birmingham, MI) ; Klanow, Brian L.; (Ortonville,
MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Theresa A. Orr
Dobrusin & Thennisch PC
Suite 311
401 South Old Woodward Avenue
Birmingham
MI
48009
US
|
Assignee: |
Black Beauty Custom Sticks,
LLC
|
Family ID: |
32511017 |
Appl. No.: |
10/371032 |
Filed: |
February 20, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10371032 |
Feb 20, 2003 |
|
|
|
10309839 |
Dec 4, 2002 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
473/249 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 53/025 20200801;
A63B 59/70 20151001; A63B 53/02 20130101; A63B 2102/24 20151001;
A63B 60/00 20151001 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/249 |
International
Class: |
A63B 069/36 |
Claims
1. A golf club comprising: a shaft comprising a grip at a first end
and a hosel at a second end opposite said first end, said shaft
having an imaginary Y-axis extending along the centerline of the
handle lengthwise between said first and second ends; and a club
head comprising a heel at a first end and a toe at a second end
opposite said first end, said club head having an imaginary X-axis
extending along the centerline of said club head lengthwise between
said first and second ends; said first end of said club head
rotatably attached to said second end of said shaft at an imaginary
point of intersection between said X and Y axes and including an
indicia assembly; said indicia assembly comprising an incrementally
locking assembly and a scale for visually indicating the angle
between the X and Y axes when said toe of said club head is
incrementally rotated about said hosel of said shaft.
2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said scale of said indicia
assembly further comprises graduations representing each degree of
movement or rotation of said club head about said shaft.
3. The golf club of claim 2, wherein said each of said graduations
represents 2 degrees of movement of said club head toward or away
from said shaft.
4. The golf club of claim 2, wherein said each of said graduations
represents 1 degree of movement of said club head toward or away
from said shaft.
5. The golf club of claim 2, wherein said graduations measure the
movement of said X-axis relative to said Y-axis and provide an
accurate reading of the preferred lie angle of said club head to
said shaft.
6. A golf club comprising: a shaft comprising a grip at a first end
and a hosel at a second end opposite said first end; and a club
head comprising a heel at a first end and a toe at a second end
opposite said first end; said first end of said club head rotatably
attached to said second end of said shaft and including an indicia
assembly; said indicia assembly comprising an incrementally locking
assembly and a scale for visually indicating the position of said
club head to said shaft when said toe of said club head is
incrementally rotated about said hosel of said shaft.
7. The golf club of claim 6, wherein said scale of said indicia
assembly further comprises graduations representing each degree of
movement or rotation of said club head about said shaft.
8. The golf club of claim 7, wherein said each of said graduations
represents 2 degrees of movement of said club head toward or away
from said shaft.
9. The golf club of claim 7, wherein said each of said graduations
represents 1 degree of movement of said club head toward or away
from said shaft.
10. A golf club head assembly comprising: a hosel having a first
end and a second end opposite said first end and having an
imaginary Y-axis extending along the centerline of said hosel
lengthwise between said first and second ends; a club head
including a planar surface forming the club face extending from
said second end of said hosel, said club face comprising a heel
extending from said second end of said hosel and a toe opposite
said heel, said club head having an imaginary X-axis extending
along the centerline of said club face lengthwise between said heel
and said toe; and an indicia assembly rotatably attaching said club
head to said hosel; said indicia assembly comprising an
incrementally locking assembly and a scale located on said club
face for visually indicating the position of said club face to said
hosel when said toe of said club head is incrementally rotated
about said hosel.
11. The golf club head assembly of claim 10, wherein said scale of
said indicia assembly further comprises graduations representing
each degree of movement or rotation of said club face about said
hosel.
12. The golf club head assembly of claim 11, wherein said each of
said graduations represents 2 degrees of movement of said club face
toward or away from said hosel.
13. The golf club head assembly of claim 11, wherein said each of
said graduations represents 1 degree of movement of said club face
toward or away from said shaft.
14. The golf club head assembly of claim 11, wherein said
graduations measure the movement of said X-axis relative to said
Y-axis and provide an accurate reading of the preferred lie angle
of said club face to said hosel.
15. A method for custom fitting the lie of a golf club head a to a
particular golfer, said method comprising the steps of: (a)
providing a golf club with adjustable club head to the golfer for
custom fitting, wherein said club head includes a hosel having a
first end and a second end opposite said first end and a planar
surface forming the club face extending from said second end of
said hosel, said club face comprising a heel extending from said
second end of said hosel and a toe opposite said heel of said club
face; (b) setting the adjustable club head to an initial lie
position and marking the lie angle on an indicia assembly, wherein
said indicia assembly rotatably attaches said club head to said
hosel and comprises an incrementally locking assembly and a scale
located on said club face for visually indicating the position of
said club face to said hosel when said toe of said club head is
incrementally rotated about said hosel; (c) adjusting the angle of
said club head relative to said hosel to fit the hitting stance of
the golfer being fitted after the golfer makes several practice
swings with the club head in the initial lie position; (d)
adjusting the angle of said club head relative to the playing
surface to fit the hitting stance of the golfer being fitted; (e)
readjusting the angle of said club head relative to the hosel and
the playing surface, if necessary; (f) measuring the angle between
the club face and the hosel to thereby achieve maximum club face
contact with a golf ball and increase distance and ball flight
accuracy; and (g) fitting the golfer with a golf club having a
fixed club head comprising the lie angle determined from steps (c)
through (f).
16. The method of claim 15, wherein said scale of said indicia
assembly further comprises graduations representing each degree of
movement or rotation of said club head about said hosel.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein said each of said graduations
represents 2 degrees of movement of said club head toward or away
from said hosel.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein said each of said graduations
represents 1 degree of movement of said club head toward or away
from said shaft.
Description
RELATED CASES
[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part of
co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/309,839, filed on
Dec. 4, 2002, and is incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to an adjustable lie hockey
blade and a method for custom fitting a hockey blade to a hockey
player. The present invention also provides a method and apparatus
for custom fitting other sports equipment such as a golf club to a
golfer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Commercial hockey sticks generally have a fixed straight
shaft and a blade having a fixed lie, loft and curvature. The
maximum length of the shaft and curvature of the blade is regulated
by any number of individual hockey league governing bodies.
Adjusting the hockey stick to fit the individual player is limited
to cutting the length of the shaft to a more appropriate length. To
adjust the loft and lie angle of the blade, the player is forced to
purchase a different hockey stick or blade altogether.
[0004] To overcome this disadvantage, commercial hockey sticks may
be purchased as a two-piece construction--a hockey blade with a
hosel and a shaft separate from the blade and having an opening at
one end for receiving the hosel of the blade. The blade hosel is
provided with a heat-activated glue that is preferably heated by a
hot air gun or a torch. Once the glue melts, the blade hosel is
placed within the shaft opening. Upon the glue drying, the blade is
permanently fixed to the shaft. To remove and replace the blade,
the shaft and hosel area is reheated until the glue melts and the
blade hosel may be slid from the shaft opening. Although this
"quick change" blade replacement system saves the hockey player
money, determining the proper lie of a hockey blade to a player is
still a hit or miss proposition. There exists no method or
apparatus for custom fitting a hockey blade for maximum blade
contact with the ice and a hockey puck thereby increasing the
accuracy of a hockey player's shot and greatly improving the
player's puck handling ability.
[0005] There does exist, however, a multitude of devices and
systems for custom fitting golf clubs to an individual golfer.
Generally, these systems include devices that externally adapt to a
prefabricated golf club to measure the existing lie and loft of the
golf club head. Examples of such apparatuses are found at U.S. Pat.
Nos. 4,858,332; 4,875,293; 5,105,550; 5,864,960; 5,884,409;
6,363,620; 6,430,829; 6,431,990; and 6,449,860.
[0006] Other devices for customizing the lie of the golf club head
relative to the shaft are specifically directed to customizing a
putter to an individual golfer. Examples of such apparatuses are
found at U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,441,274 and 5,782,005.
[0007] Still other devices are available to adjust or modify the
relationship of the golf club head to the shaft, however, these
devices are independent of the golf club and involve an inordinate
amount of measuring and bending to create the custom club desired.
Examples of such apparatuses are found at U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,245,391;
4,245,392; 4,468,034; 4,549,357; 4,640,017; 4,788,774; 4,885,847;
5,105,550; 5,421,098; 5,864,960; 5,884,409; 5,974,645; 6,102,811;
and 6,328,660.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention provides a method and apparatus for
custom fitting the lie of a hockey blade to a particular hockey
player. The present invention may also be applied to customizing
other sports related equipment, such as a golf club to a
golfer.
[0009] The hockey stick of the present invention is generally
formed of a shaft and a blade. In a preferred embodiment, the shaft
is hollow throughout and supports a handle plug at one end and a
blade at the opposite end. The shaft handle includes a grip at one
end and the blade includes a hosel at the opposite end. Similarly,
the blade has a heel at one end and a toe at the opposite end.
[0010] In a preferred embodiment, an incrementally locking indicia
assembly rotatably attaches the heel end of the blade to the hosel
of the shaft. The indicia assembly includes a scale for indicating
the angle of the blade to the shaft. To adjust and customize this
angle, the blade may be incrementally rotated up or down relevant
to the shaft and locked into location for a trial skate by a hockey
player. The lie angle of the blade may be adjusted after each trial
skate to achieve maximum blade contact with the ice thereby
increasing puck control and shooting of the individual player.
[0011] A second preferred embodiment of the present invention
includes a quick-change blade assembly and shaft for receiving the
removable and replaceable blade. In this embodiment, the blade
assembly has a hosel extending from the heel end of the blade for
fitting within a hollowed shaft. An incrementally locking indicia
assembly is located between the hosel and the heel of the blade and
includes a scale for indicating the angle of the blade to the
shaft. To adjust and customize this angle, the blade may be
incrementally rotated up or down relevant to the hosel and shaft
and locked into location for a trial skate by a hockey player. The
lie angle of the blade may be adjusted after each trial skate to
achieve maximum blade contact with the ice thereby increasing puck
control and shooting of the individual player.
[0012] In another preferred embodiment, the method for customizing
the lie angle of a blade to a shaft is used to create a custom golf
club for a golfer. In this embodiment and method, the shaft of the
invention relates to a golf club shaft and the blade of the
invention forms the club head of the golf club. The golf club head
and shaft may form one unit in which the head is rotatable relative
to the club head via an incrementally locking indicia assembly.
Alternatively, the club head may be a quick-change head that is
received within a hollowed shaft and rotates about the indicia
assembly to adjust the lie angle for custom fitting a golf
club.
[0013] These and other objects of the present invention will become
apparent upon reading the following detailed description in
combination with the accompanying drawings, which depict systems
and components that can be used alone or in combination with each
other in accordance with the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates a hockey stick of the present
invention.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a preferred embodiment of
a hockey stick blade of the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating a preferred embodiment of
a hockey stick shaft of the present invention.
[0017] FIGS. 4A and 4B are a bottom view illustrating a preferred
embodiment of an incrementally locking indicia assembly.
[0018] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view illustrating the incrementally
locking indicia assembly of FIG. 4.
[0019] FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating a second preferred
embodiment of the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 7 is a side view illustrating a preferred embodiment of
a golf club of the present invention.
[0021] FIGS. 8A, 8B and 8C illustrate a preferred embodiment of an
incrementally locking indicia assembly.
[0022] FIG. 9 is a side view illustrating a second preferred
embodiment of a golf club of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0023] With reference to FIGS. 1-5, a hockey stick 10 of the
present invention is there shown and includes a hockey blade 12 and
a shaft 14. The shaft 14 (FIG. 2) has a grip 16 at one end and a
hosel 18 opposite the grip 16 along the shaft 14. For purposes of
describing the method for customizing the lie of a hockey stick 10,
an imaginary Y-axis is shown extending along the centerline 20 of
the shaft 14.
[0024] The blade 12 (FIGS. 1 and 2) includes a heel 22 at one end
and a toe 24 opposite the heel 22 and a blade face 23 forming the
planar surface extending between them. For purposes of describing
the method for customizing the lie of a hockey stick 10, an
imaginary X-axis is shown extending along the centerline 26 of the
blade 12.
[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3-5, an incrementally locking
indicia assembly 28 rotatably attaches the heel end 22 of the blade
12 to the hosel end 18 of the shaft 14. The indicia assembly 28
forms an imaginary point of intersection 30 between the X and Y
axes (FIG. 1.) The indicia assembly 28 includes a scale 32 and an
indicator 34, such as the arrow shown in FIG. 5. A clip 36 is
preferably spring loaded and is embedded into the blade 12 at the
heel 22 along the X-axis. The clip 36 includes a male locking
mechanism 38 for engagement with a female seat 40. The male locking
mechanism 38 preferably has opposing flexible arms 42 that are
spaced apart from each other and able to deform upon forceful
seating within the female seat 40. A protruding ridge 44 surrounds
the male locking mechanism 38 and seats within a female guide 46
(FIG. 3) when the clip 36 is engaged. The clip 36 engages the shaft
14 at the hosel 18 along the Y-axis by pressure and clicks into
place forming the imaginary point of intersection 30. The spring
loaded clip 36 locks the blade 12 in an initial position to the
hosel 14, allowing a hockey player to skate with the hockey stick
10 on the ice and shoot a puck without possible rotation of the
blade 12 about the hosel 14. If the initial position is not the
proper lie angle, the blade 12 may be rotated about the hosel 14 by
simply placing pressure on the blade 12 to overcome the spring
action of the clip 36. The female guide 46 directs the rotation of
the male locking mechanism 38 and, thus, the blade 12.
[0026] The scale 32 of the indicia assembly 28 includes graduations
38 representing each degree of movement or rotation of the hockey
blade 12 about the shaft 14. Therefore, movement of the X-axis 26
relative to the Y-axis 20 results in an angle measurable by the
graduations 38 on the scale 32. This measurement provides an
accurate reading of the preferred lie angle of the blade 12 to the
shaft 14. In a preferred embodiment, each graduation 38 represents
2 degrees of movement of the blade 12 (X-axis 26) toward or away
from the shaft 14 (Y-axis 20.) Other scales and degrees of
graduation may be employed as a measuring tool where such indicia
are for visually indicating the position of the blade face 23 to
the hosel 18 when the toe 24 of the blade 12 is incrementally
rotated about the hosel 18. A range of graduations between 1 and 15
is preferred and a range of graduations incremental to each degree
is also envisioned, i.e. 1 degree. In a preferred embodiment, the
numerical graduation of 5 represents a 45 degree angle between the
hosel 18 and the shaft 14. Therefore, each change of lie angle
represented by a graduation on the scale equals a 2 degree change,
plus or minus, to the base angle of 45 degrees between the hosel
and shaft. In a more preferred embodiment, each graduation on the
scale represents a 1/2 increment of lie movement reflecting 1
degree of change, plus or minus, to the base lie angle of 45
degrees.
[0027] With reference to FIG. 6, a second preferred embodiment of
the present invention is there shown and illustrates a quick change
blade replacement assembly 100 having a hosel 118 extending upward
from the blade 112. The hosel 118 includes a shaft 114 that is
seated within the hollowed end of a hockey stick (shown in phantom
at 110, where the blade hosel is provided with a heat-activated
glue that is generally heated by a hot air gun or a torch and once
the glue melts, the blade hosel is placed with the shaft opening
and seals upon cooling.) As set forth above, the hosel 118 includes
an imaginary Y-axis shown extending along the centerline 120 of the
hosel 118.
[0028] The blade 112 includes a heel 122 at one end and a toe 124
opposite the heel 122 and a blade face 123 forming the planar
surface extending between them. For purposes of describing the
method for customizing the lie of a quick change blade replacement
assembly 100, an imaginary X-axis is shown extending along the
centerline 126 of the blade 112.
[0029] The quick change blade replacement assembly 100 also
includes an incrementally locking indicia assembly 128 that
rotatably attaches the heel 122 of the blade 112 to the hosel 118.
The indicia assembly 128 forms an imaginary point of intersection
130 between the X and Y axes. The indicia assembly 128 includes a
scale 132 and an indicator 134, such as the arrow shown in FIG. 5.
A clip 136 is preferably spring loaded and is embedded into the
blade 112 at the heel 122 along the X-axis. The clip 136 operates
identically to the clip 36 above for visually indicating the
position of the blade face 123 to the hosel 118 when the toe 124 of
the blade 112 is incrementally rotated about the hosel 118.
Therefore, the scale 132 of the indicia assembly 128 includes
graduations 138 representing each degree of movement or rotation of
the hockey blade 112 about the hosel 118. The movement of the
X-axis 126 relative to the Y-axis 120 results in an angle
measurable by the graduations 138 on the scale 132. This
measurement provides an accurate reading of the preferred lie angle
of the blade 112 to the hosel 118. In a preferred embodiment, each
graduation 138 represents 2 degrees of movement of the blade 112
(X-axis 126) toward or away from the hosel 118 (Y-axis 120.) A
range of graduations between 1 and 15 is preferred and a range of
graduations incremental to each degree is also envisioned, i.e. 1
degree. In a preferred embodiment, the numerical graduation of 5
represents a 45 degree angle between the hosel 118 and the shaft
114. Therefore, each change of lie angle represented by a
graduation on the scale equals a 2 degree change, plus or minus, to
the base angle of 45 degrees between the hosel and shaft. In a more
preferred embodiment, each graduation on the scale represents a 1/2
increment of lie movement reflecting 1 degree of change, plus or
minus, to the base lie angle of 45 degrees.
[0030] Once the hockey stick of the present invention is formed as
described above, the method for custom fitting the lie of a hockey
blade to a particular hockey player is accomplished by setting the
adjustable blade to an initial lie position and marking the lie
angle on the indicia assembly. The hockey player then skates on the
ice with the hockey stick and while controlling the puck, a stick
specialist can observe and fit the player by adjusting the lie to
the perfect angle for an individual player's needs. Once observed,
the blade may be adjusted relative to the ice surface, the hosel or
the shaft by rotating the blade up or down about the indicia
assembly. Continuous readjustment may be necessary until maximum
blade face contact with the ice and the bottom of the blade
resulting in increased shooting and puck handling accuracy is
achieved. When finally adjusted, the lie angle is measured via the
indicia assembly and the hockey player is fitted with a hockey
stick having a fixed blade with the customized lie angle.
[0031] Other modifications to the present invention include a
blade, hosel and shaft formed of any one or combination of several
types of materials such as aluminum, wood, a polymer, an alloyed
steel such as tungsten, any carbon materials such as graphite or
any other materials used in the industry that are capable of
withstanding the repeated stress of a high speed shot or pass. The
blade of may also be provided with a plurality of slots spaced
along the blade face to aid in the manufacturing process and lessen
manufacturing costs. However, it is also envisioned that the
present invention may be used successfully as a viable piece of
equipment itself in compliance with NHL regulations. The
incrementally locking assembly may be of any formation that
provides for the visual indication of the angle between the blade
and the hosel/shaft. Additionally, the locking assembly may be of
any shape or form allowing for the rotation of the blade relative
to the hosel/shaft.
[0032] With reference to FIGS. 7-9, another preferred embodiment of
the present invention is there shown for custom fitting a golf club
200. The golf club 200, like the hockey stick described above,
includes a club head 212 and a shaft 214. The shaft 214 (FIG. 7)
has a grip 216 at one end and a hosel 218 opposite the grip 216
along the shaft 214. For purposes of describing the method for
customizing the lie of a golf club 200, an imaginary Y-axis is
shown extending along the centerline 220 of the shaft 214.
[0033] The club head 212 includes a heel 222 at one end and a toe
224 opposite the heel 222 and a club head face 223 forming the
planar surface extending between them. For purposes of describing
the method for customizing the lie of a golf club 200, an imaginary
X-axis is shown extending along the centerline 226 of the club head
212.
[0034] As shown in FIGS. 8A-C, an incrementally locking indicia
assembly 228 rotatably attaches the heel end 222 of the club head
212 to the hosel end 218 of the shaft 214. The indicia assembly 228
forms an imaginary point of intersection 230 between the X and Y
axes. The indicia assembly 228 includes a scale 232 and an
indicator 234, such as the arrow shown in FIG. 5. A clip 236 is
preferably spring loaded and is embedded into the club head 212 at
the heel 222 along the X-axis. The clip 236 includes a male locking
mechanism 238 for engagement with a female seat 240. The male
locking mechanism 238 preferably has opposing flexible arms 242
that are spaced apart from each other and able to deform upon
forceful seating within the female seat 240. A protruding ridge 244
surrounds the male locking mechanism 238 and seats within a female
guide 246 when the clip 236 is engaged. The clip 236 engages the
shaft 214 at the hosel 218 along the Y-axis by pressure and clicks
into place forming the imaginary point of intersection 230. The
spring loaded clip 236 locks the club head 212 in an initial
position to the hosel 214, allowing a golfer to swing the club at a
practice range or on the golf course without possible rotation of
the club head 212 about the hosel 214. If the initial position is
not the proper lie angle, the club head 212 may be rotated about
the hosel 214 by simply placing pressure on the club head 212 to
overcome the spring action of the clip 236. The female guide 246
directs the rotation of the male locking mechanism 238 and, thus,
the club head 212.
[0035] The scale 232 of the indicia assembly 228 includes
graduations 238 representing each degree of movement or rotation of
the club head 212 about the shaft 214. Therefore, movement of the
X-axis 226 relative to the Y-axis 220 results in an angle
measurable by the graduations 238 on the scale 232. This
measurement provides an accurate reading of the preferred lie angle
of the blade 212 to the shaft 214. In a preferred embodiment, each
graduation 238 represents 2 degrees of movement of the club head
212 (X-axis 226) toward or away from the shaft 214 (Y-axis 220.)
Other scales and degrees of graduation may be employed as a
measuring tool where such indicia are for visually indicating the
position of the club face 223 to the hosel 218 when the toe 224 of
the club head 212 is incrementally rotated about the hosel 218. A
range of graduations between 1 degree and 15 is preferred and a
range of graduations incremental to each degree is also envisioned,
i.e. 1 degree.
[0036] With reference to FIG. 9, a second preferred embodiment of
the golf club of the present invention is there shown and
illustrates a quick change club head replacement assembly 300
having a hosel 318 extending upward from the club head 312. The
hosel 318 includes a shaft 314 that is seated within the hollowed
end of a golf club shaft (shown in phantom at 310, where the club
head hosel is provided with a set of spring loaded arms able to
retract into the hosel when the hosel is slid into the shaft. The
arms then release into the matching openings provided along the
perimeter of the shaft, locking the club head to the shaft. Other
mechanisms for providing a quick change replacement assembly are
envisioned such as a threaded end on the club head for screwing
into the shaft.) As set forth above, the hosel 318 includes an
imaginary Y-axis shown extending along the centerline 320 of the
hosel 318.
[0037] The club head 312 includes a heel 322 at one end and a toe
324 opposite the heel 322 and a blade face 323 forming the planar
surface extending between them. For purposes of describing the
method for customizing the lie of a quick change club head
replacement assembly 300, an imaginary X-axis is shown extending
along the centerline 326 of the club head 312.
[0038] The quick change club head replacement assembly 300 also
includes an incrementally locking indicia assembly 328 that
rotatably attaches the heel 322 of the club head 312 to the hosel
318. The indicia assembly 328 forms an imaginary point of
intersection 330 between the X and Y axes (FIGS. 8A-C.) The indicia
assembly 328 includes a scale 332 and an indicator 334, such as the
arrow shown in FIG. 5. A clip 336 is preferably spring loaded and
is embedded into the blade 312 at the heel 322 along the X-axis.
The clip 336 operates identically to the clip 36 above for visually
indicating the position of the club head face 323 to the hosel 318
when the toe 324 of the blade 312 is incrementally rotated about
the hosel 318. Therefore, the scale 332 of the indicia assembly 328
includes graduations 338 representing each degree of movement or
rotation of the club head 312 about the hosel 318. The movement of
the X-axis 326 relative to the Y-axis 320 results in an angle
measurable by the graduations 338 on the scale 332. This
measurement provides an accurate reading of the preferred lie angle
of the club head 312 to the hosel 318. In a preferred embodiment,
each graduation 338 represents 2 degrees of movement of the club
head 312 (X-axis 326) toward or away from the hosel 318 (Y-axis
320.) A range of graduations between 1 degree and 15 is preferred
and a range of graduations incremental to each degree is also
envisioned, i.e. 1 degree.
[0039] Once the golf club of the present invention is formed as
described above, the method for custom fitting the lie of a club
head to a particular golfer is accomplished by setting the
adjustable club head to an initial lie position and marking the lie
angle on the indicia assembly. The golfer then hits several golf
balls at a golf range to observe the flight and accuracy of the
golf ball off the club head face. Once observed, the club head may
be adjusted relative to the range surface (grass or mat,) the hosel
or the shaft by rotating the club head up or down about the indicia
assembly. Continuous readjustment may be necessary until maximum
club face contact with a golf ball and increased distance and ball
flight accuracy is achieved. When finally adjusted, the lie angle
is measured via the indicia assembly and the golfer is fitted with
a golf club having a fixed blade with the customized lie angle.
[0040] Other modifications to the present invention include a club
head, hosel and shaft formed of any one or combination of several
types of materials such as wood, a polymer, an alloyed steel such
as tungsten, any carbon materials such as graphite or any other
materials used in the industry that are capable of withstanding the
repeated stress of a golf ball contacting the club head at any
speed. The club head of may also be provided with a plurality of
slots spaced along the club head face to aid in the manufacturing
process and lessen manufacturing costs. However, it is also
envisioned that the present invention may be used successfully as a
viable piece of equipment itself in compliance with the
Professional Golf Association (PGA.) The incrementally locking
assembly may be of any formation that provides for the visual
indication of the angle between the club head and the hosel/shaft.
Additionally, the locking assembly may be of any shape or form
allowing for the rotation of the club head relative to the
hosel/shaft.
[0041] Although the invention has been described with particular
reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, variations and
modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the
following claims.
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