1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to Golf Clubs that offer improved performance due to their novel construction. In the golf club of this invention, the center axis of the main elongated shaft, when extended through the club head, will pass in close proximity to the center of percussion of the golf club head. The lower portion of the main shaft is offset at an angle from the center axis of the main elongated portion of the shaft. A bored hole is provided in the club head which extends into the heel portion thereof from the upper surface of the club head through a protruding tilted neck. The bored hole in the heel portion receives the angularly off-set lower portion of the shaft. As the center axis of the lower shaft portion makes a greater acute angle with the horizontal plane or ground level than the center axis of the main elongated shaft when the golf club is held in an address position by the golfer, the tilted neck encompassing the bored hole, in which the lower shaft portion is received, can be angled in a more upright position than protruding hosels of conventional golf clubs. This achieves a decreased frontal surface area for the golf club head which provides a lower drag coefficient and greater club head speed for longer ball distance.
Further, the golf head of this invention improves the golfer's performance due to the reduction in the twisting or torque reaction as the center axis of the main elongated shaft when extended downward into the club head passes in close proximity to the center of percussion or center of mass of the club head. This decreases the distance of the moment arm of the force applied to the shaft by the golf ball when struck by the golf club, thus minimizing the twisting of the golf club in the golfer's hands. The end result is greater control to hit the golf ball in the desired direction due to less slicing or hooking of the golf ball.
The inventor, in a co-pending patent application, Ser. No. 633,263 filed Dec. 24, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,733, discloses a golf club shaft that has its lower portion angularly offset from the main elongated shaft portion but the lower shaft portion is received in a hole that extends inwardly towards the center of percussion rather than away from the center towards the heel portion of the club head as in this invention. The angularly offset lower shaft portion, after it is received in the hole of the club head but before it is adhesively bonded to interconnect the shaft to the club head, will allow for the adjustment of the face angle of the striking face of the club head by slightly rotating the main shaft. This method of adjustment during assembly as described in the co-pending patent application, Ser. No. 633,263, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,733, by the same inventor is still available to be applied to the golf club of this invention even though the lower shaft portion is angled towards the heel rather than towards the center of the club head.
2. Description of Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,966,210 shows a golf club head which has a straight shaft with the center axis thereof extending through the center of the club head. This prior art patent, though, does not incorporate an angled lower shaft portion or a bored hole extending into the heel of the club head to receive a lower shaft portion that is displaced from the center axis of the elongated main shaft. U.S. Pat. No. 3,166,320 discloses a golf club that has a bent shaft at the lower end thereof that is received in a bored hole in the club head. In this patent, the bored hole is so located to position the lower bent shaft portion towards the back or rear of the club head behind the center of percussion while maintaining the center axis of the main elongated shaft forward of the striking face to achieve a "caster" effect between the shaft and golf club head.