Patent Application
20080178651
The present invention relates, in general, to golf equipment and, more particularly, to adjusting the loft angle, the lie angle, or both the loft and lie angles of a golf club.
Fitting golf clubs to an individual golfer includes the consideration of several factors such as grip size, shaft length, swing weight, and loft and lie angular relationships of the golf clubs.
The loft angle of a golf club measured at its proper address position is the angle between a vertical plane and a plane that includes the face of the club head. Golf clubs having small loft angles are typically used for low trajectory-long distance golf shots, whereas golf clubs with large loft angles are typically used for high trajectory-short distance golf shots. The particular loft angle for each club in a set of golf clubs is not regulated by any standards or non-variable factors. Instead, the loft angles are normally predetermined by the designer of the clubs to achieve the desired performance characteristics for each club. The loft angles of the clubs are checked and adjusted by bending the clubs as needed to bring them into conformity with the manufacturer's predetermined angular values or to satisfy special requests that a golfer may make.
The lie angle of a golf club measured at its proper address position is the angle between the shaft axis and a line tangent to the center point on the sole of the club head. If the lie angle is too small for a particular golfer, the club head will be angled upwardly as it impacts a golf ball and may “hook” the golf ball to the left. Similarly, if the lie angle is too large for a particular golfer, the club head will be angled downwardly as it impacts a golf ball and may “fade” the golf ball to the right. The correct lie angle for an individual golfer is ideally determined by a trained fitting specialist, such as a Professional Golfer's Association (“PGA”) professional, who watches the golfer's swing and can determine the correct lie angle by observing, among other things, the flight of the golf ball.
With properly fitted golf clubs, an individual golfer should be able to achieve optimum performance and shot reliability in accordance with his or her skill level. However, golf clubs can be knocked out of adjustment or the golfer's swing characteristics can change. When this occurs, the golfer's performance level will deteriorate and in many instances, the golfer will not realize that the golf clubs are at fault. Therefore the loft and lie angles of golf clubs should be periodically checked and adjustments made if needed.
When checking or making changes in the loft and lie angles of golf clubs either at the time of manufacture or during subsequent adjustments, the clubs are usually placed one at a time in a special holding fixture that is part of a bench mounted measurement and adjustment mechanism. Such mechanisms usually make accurate measurements and provide visual indications of the loft and lie angles of the club being held in the fixture. With the club still in the holding fixture, special tools are used to bend the club head into the desired angular relationships. However, such bench mounted measurement and adjustment mechanisms cannot be considered portable and only manufacturing or large well-equipped golf shops can justify the cost or dedicate the space required by these mechanisms.
In accordance with one embodiment, the present invention includes a tool for adjusting at least one of loft angle or lie angle of a golf club. The tool comprises a body having a first clamping portion, a second clamping portion, and a lever, wherein a first end of the lever is attached to the second clamping portion.
In accordance with another embodiment, the present invention provides a golf club adjustment tool, comprising an attachment structure having an adjustable receiving area and a surface. An opening extends from the surface to the adjustable receiving area. A release mechanism having an opening aligned with the opening in the first attachment structure is attached to the attachment structure. A first lever extends through the openings in the attachment structure and the release mechanism, wherein an end of the lever extends into the adjustable receiving area.
A release mechanism or releaser 38 having a cylindrically shaped body and end surfaces 40 and 42 is attached to body 12. Release mechanism 38 has a channel or opening 44 extending from end surface 40 through the cylindrically shaped body of release mechanism 38 to end surface 42. Channel 44 is within releaser 38 and, like opening 36, is indicated by broken lines. Preferably, channel 44 is a threaded channel. End surface 40 is placed in contact with end 24 of body 12, channel 44 is aligned with opening 36, and release mechanism 38 is attached to body 12. Suitable techniques for attaching release mechanism 38 to body 12 include welding, soldering, screwing, or the like. By way of example, release mechanism 38 is welded to body 12 with a weld 39. Alternatively, release mechanism 38 and body 12 can be formed as a unitary structure with a single channel or opening in place of channel 44 and opening 36.
Release mechanism 38 includes a button 46 for placing threaded regions within channel 44 into one of two states. When button 46 is not depressed, the threaded regions are positioned to cooperate with a threaded portion of a shaft or lever 48 so that the shaft can be screwed into channel 44. When button 46 is depressed, the threaded regions are positioned so that shaft 48 can be pushed into or pulled from channel 44, .i.e., the threaded regions are positioned so that they do not grip shaft 48. Because release mechanism 38 can be used to quickly release the threaded portion of lever 48, it is also referred to as a quick release. Briefly referring to
Referring again to
A T-shaped clamping portion 60 is mounted to notched tip 59 and fixed in place with a set screw 67 (shown in
A U-shaped clamping portion 70 is inserted into the portion of notch 26 bounded by wall 30 and edges 32 and 34. U-shaped clamping portion 70 has legs 72 and a cavity 74 having a beveled wall 76. Base 62 is capable of mating with cavity 74. Beveled wall 76 is also referred to as a beveled surface, U-shaped clamping portion 70 is also referred to as a U-shaped block or a clamping element, and cavity 74 is also referred to as a notch. The bevel angles of beveled surfaces 63 and 76 are preferably selected so that they are substantially parallel to each other when base 62 is positioned in or mated with cavity 74. Clamping portions 60 and 70 cooperate to form a clamp structure and are further described with reference to
A mating barrel or cylindrical extension 80 having a receptacle 82 is attached to body 12. Preferably, cylindrical extension 80 is attached to a corner adjacent to end 22 formed by the intersection of surface 14 and side 18. Cylindrical extension 80 is positioned to be perpendicular to shaft 48.
Golf club adjustment tool 10 further includes a lever 84 comprising a shaft having ends 86 and 88. End 86 may be inserted into receptacle 82 of barrel 80 for adjusting the lie angle of a golf club. Thus, lever 84 may be removably mated with body 12.
In operation, a golf club is mounted to a loft and lie measurement tool like the tool described in a U.S. provisional patent application having applicant Docket Number KMC 706P, titled LOFT AND LIE MEASUREMENT TOOL FOR GOLF CLUBS, invented by James Wells, et al, filed on the same date as this application, and incorporated herein by reference. Golf club adjustment tool 10 is positioned on the hosel (shown in the above-referenced patent application) and clamped in position using clamping portions 60 and 70. The loft angle of the golf club is adjusted by applying pressure to shaft 48 until the desired loft angle is achieved as indicated by a loft angle indicator assembly. The lie angle of the golf club is adjusted by inserting end 86 of lever 84 into cylindrical extension 80 and applying pressure to shaft 48 until the desired lie angle is achieved as indicated by a lie angle indicator assembly. Suitable loft and lie angle indicator assemblies have been described in the above-referenced patent application.
By now it should be appreciated that a golf club adjustment tool capable of adjusting the loft angle, the lie angle, or both the loft and lie angles has been provided. The golf club adjustment tool includes a lever for adjusting the loft angle of a golf club and a lever for adjusting the lie angle of the golf club. It is suitable for use in portable applications and can be configured for use with different golf clubs, i.e., left handed clubs, right handed clubs, center-shafted clubs, and different types of club heads such as, for example, putters and irons.
This is a nonprovisional application claiming the benefit of provisional application No. 60/886,751 filed Jan. 26, 2007.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60886751 | Jan 2007 | US |
