Patent Abstract:
The present invention is directed to a shaft lengthening system for a golf club. The shaft lengthening system comprises three components: an upper shaft portion that is attached to a grip, a lower shaft portion or portions that are attached to a club head, and a collet clamp assembly that couples the upper and lower shaft components together. The shaft components slideably engage with each other. The collet clamp assembly may comprise a collet secured to one of the shaft components and a collet clamp that interacts with the collet. Preferably, the collet clamp is threaded over the collet to clamp a portion of the collet to the other of the shaft components thereby setting the position of the shaft components relative to each other, and thus setting the overall length of the golf club shaft.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a divisional patent application claiming priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 13/740,019, filed Jan. 11, 2013, which is a Non-Provisional application claiming priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/586,703, filed Jan. 13, 2012, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to a golf club shaft adapter for adjusting the length of a golf club. More particularly, the invention is related to a shaft lengthening system that comprises a collet clamp assembly that secures first and second shafts relative to each other to achieve a desired overall shaft length to the golf club. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The design of golf clubs and particularly that of putters is typically viewed as a pursuit of an aesthetically pleasing club that promotes a golfer&#39;s confidence in his or her stroke. As such, many putters have been designed irrespective of the mechanics inherent in the putting swing. Furthermore, many putters lack a design that accounts for an individual golfer&#39;s characteristics and characteristic playing style (i.e., stance, grip, etc.). 
         [0004]    The lack of attention to technical details in many putter designs results in clubs that are not aimed or balanced properly. Such technical considerations, for example, include heel and toe weight distribution, location of the putter head&#39;s center of gravity or “sweet spot,” putter length, shaft flexibility, grip, head weight and total club weight, loft, and lie. Because the USGA Rules of Golf permit significant latitude in the design of putters, i.e., the shaft, neck or socket of a putter may be fixed at any point in the head, many putter designs are possible. And, because significant deviation in the intended path of a putt can be experienced for even slightly off-center hits, careful attention to these design factors can result in a putter that is more likely to perform well in use. Moreover, an adjustable length putter design may permit the variation of one or more of the aforementioned design considerations to more closely suit the needs of a given user. 
         [0005]    What follows is an excerpt from a publication of the United States Golf Association entitled “A Guide to the Rules on Clubs and Balls”, and in particular an excerpt regarding the rules for the adjustability of clubs:
       “Adjustability Appendix II, 1b states that:
           Woods and irons shall not be designed to be adjustable except for weight. Putters may be designed to be adjustable for weight and some other forms of adjustability are also permitted. All methods of adjustment permitted by the Rules require that:   (i) the adjustment cannot be readily made;   (ii) all adjustable parts are firmly fixed and there is no reasonable likelihood of them working loose during a round; and   (iii) all configurations of adjustment conform with the Rules.   The disqualification penalty for purposely changing the playing characteristics of a club during a stipulated round (Rule 4-2a) applies to all clubs including a putter.   
           (i) General
           In order to preserve the integrity of Rule 4-2 (Playing Characteristics Changed), this rule clearly states that it must not be too easy for a player to make adjustments during the course of a stipulated round. This is interpreted to mean that adjustments must require the use of a special tool, such as an Allen key or a Phillips screwdriver. It must not be possible to make the adjustments during a round.   
           (ii) Adjustability for Weight
           All clubs may be designed to be adjustable for weight, provided the adjustment mechanism conforms to the conditions described previously and in Appendix II, 1b of the Rules. Examples of what would and would not be permitted are illustrated below. [see FIG. 1b]   As already noted in Design of Clubs, Section 1a, with respect to adjustments for weight, the only exception to the conditions described in (i) above is the addition or removal of lead tape. This is a practice which pre-dates the introduction of the adjustability rules and is permitted on ‘traditional’ grounds. Of course, the addition or removal of lead tape during a round is not permitted (see Rule 4-2a and Decision 4-2/0.5 in “Decisions on the Rules of Golf”).   
           (iii) Other Kinds of Adjustability
           Only putters may be designed to be adjustable in ways other than weight. For example, a putter may be designed to be adjustable for lie and length. Again, these adjustments must require the use of a special tool, not just the fingers or a coin, etc. If, as is often the case, a screw is used to fix the mechanism, the putter must, for all practicable purposes, be unusable without the screw being in place and tightly fixed.   When assessing the conformity of an adjustable putter, it is important to remember the third condition listed in Appendix II, 1b, and to ensure that the putter cannot be adjusted into a position which does not conform to the Rules. For example, a putter which is adjustable for lie must not be adjustable into a position where the shaft diverges from the vertical by less than ten degrees (see Appendix II, 1d and Design of Clubs, Section 1d), or any other position which would render the club non-conforming.”   
               
 
         [0020]    Various adjustable club constructions are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,305,270 to Nilson discloses a golf club with a hosel that has an extension on which the head is slideably and pivotally mounted. The extension is embedded in a shallow depression in the back of the head and runs substantially the entire length of the head. The head further includes lugs with inner serrated portions, and when a desired angle has been selected for the face, serrated portions on the extension are engaged with the lugs to lock the position. 
         [0021]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,780,120 to Murray teaches an extendable shaft of two pieces. The upper shaft has a captured screw member (a bolt) that is screwed into an operative receipt (a nut) in the lower shaft. This invention allows the shaft to be extended but not adjusted. 
         [0022]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,896,626 to Drossos also teaches an extendable shaft of two pieces. A male non-circular annular flange is mounted to one section of the shaft, a female non-circular annual flange relief is mounted to the other section of the shaft, and a locking means couple the two sections to form the shaft. This invention also allows the shaft to be extended but not adjusted. 
         [0023]    In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 7,018,302 to Jacoby teaches an extension shaft having a protruding threaded end which engages with a threaded aperture in a coupling device. 
         [0024]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,850,540 to Sander et al. teaches a golf club having a shaft, a collet, and a club head having an interior chamber configured to receive the collet. This invention does not teach an adjustable shaft or an extendible shaft. 
         [0025]    U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 2003/0050131 to Grace teaches an extendable shaft of two pieces. The shaft extensions are of predetermined length and are not adjustable. 
         [0026]    U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 2003/0148819 to Lindner teaches an elongated shaft having a housing into which is inserted a predetermined weight. This invention allows the shaft to be extended and weighted but not adjusted. 
         [0027]    U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 2005/0143186 to Blattner et al. teaches a shaft extension that is attached by means of a reverse-thread connection. This invention allows the shaft to be extended but not adjusted. 
         [0028]    Despite these developments, there exists a need for an improved golf club construction. In particular, there is a need for an improved golf club with adjustable shaft length. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0029]    The present invention is related to an adjustable length golf shaft for attachment to a club head. The adjustable length shaft comprises three components: a first shaft portion that is attached to the grip, a second shaft portion that is attached to a club head or to another shaft portion connected to the club head, and a collet clamp assembly that couples the two shaft components together. The adjustable shaft may be used on any golf club. The adjustable shaft is preferred for use on putters, and most preferred for use on putters with long shafts such as “belly” putters. 
         [0030]    A golf club having an adjustable shaft length according to the present invention is provided comprising a first shaft portion, a second shaft portion, the shaft portions slideably engageable with each other, and a collet clamp assembly provided on one of the first or second shaft portions to secure the first and second shaft portions relative to each other. The collet clamp assembly further comprises a collet having at least a first portion attached to one of the first or second shaft portions. A collet clamp is provided that mates with the collet to clamp a second portion of the collet to the other of the first or second shaft portions to set a relative position between the first and second shaft portions to achieve a desired overall shaft length. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0031]    Preferred features of the present invention are disclosed in the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, and wherein: 
           [0032]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a shaft lengthening system according to the present invention; 
           [0033]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the shaft lengthening system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0034]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the shaft lengthening system according to the present invention; 
           [0035]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of a collet clamp assembly of the shaft lengthening system of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0036]      FIG. 5  is a front view of a second slider shaft of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0037]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a collet of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0038]      FIG. 7  is a front view of the collet of  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0039]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the collet of  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0040]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the collet clamp of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0041]      FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view of the collet clamp of  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0042]      FIG. 11  is front view of the collet clamp of  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0043]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a key of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0044]      FIG. 13  is a front view of the key of  FIG. 12 ; 
           [0045]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of a wrench of  FIG. 4 ; and 
           [0046]      FIG. 15  is a front view of the wrench of  FIG. 20 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0047]    Referring generally to  FIGS. 1-2 , a shaft lengthening system  100  according to the present invention is shown. In  FIG. 2 , a first shaft portion  102  is adjustably connected to a second slider shaft portion  104  by means of a collet clamp assembly  106 . In one embodiment, the collet clamp assembly  106  includes a collet  108  and a collet clamp  110 . One of the first or second shaft portions  102 ,  104  includes a grip  112 . The collet  108  is attached to the first shaft portion  102  and the second shaft portion  104  is slideably engaged with the first shaft portion  102 . In another embodiment, the collet clamp assembly  106  is attached to the second shaft portion  104  and the first shaft portion  102  is slideably with the second shaft portion  104 . In yet another embodiment, two collet clamp assemblies  106  are attached to a third center shaft portion (not shown) and both first and second shaft portions  102 ,  104  are slideably engaged with the center shaft portion. The shaft portions  102 ,  104  may be metallic, non-metallic, composite or any other suitable material. The shaft portions  102 ,  104  are coaxial and slideable relative to each other so as to adjust the overall shaft length of the club. The present invention allows an adjustment in the length of the shaft that is greater than about 0.5 inch, preferably greater than about 1 inch, more preferably greater than about 3 inches, still more preferably greater than about 6 inches, and most preferably from about 1 inch to about 24 inches. It will be appreciated that the present invention allows for a continuous change in shaft length. Alternatively, the shaft may be adjusted in pre-determined increments. 
         [0048]    The ability to adjust the shaft length of a golf club improves the control of the club and allows for customization of the club for the golfer. Standard length putters are generally commercially available with shaft lengths in the range of 32 to 36 inches. Belly putters are generally commercially available in lengths of 36 to 44 inches. Long putters are generally available in shaft lengths of 44 to 53 inches. However, since height, stance, and swing are all important factors in selecting the most effective putter length, adjustability confers a significant advantage. It will be appreciated that the collet clamp assembly  106  may be used on any club to adjust shaft length including drivers, fairways, hybrids and irons, not just putters. 
         [0049]    Referring specifically to the first embodiment of  FIGS. 1-2 , the collet clamp assembly  106  includes the collet  108  and the collet clamp  110 . The collet  108  features a tapered portion  114  having slits  116 . The collet clamp  110  features an inner surface having a mating tapered surface  118 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the collet clamp assembly  106  includes the collet  108  having a portion  120  attached to the first shaft portion  102 , or upper shaft, such that tapered portion is engageable with the second shaft portion  102 . At least the portion  120  of the collet  108  may be attached to the shaft by an epoxy adhesive  122 . In another embodiment the portion  120  of the collet  108  may be attached by double sided adhesive tape. In still another embodiment the portion  120  of the collet  108  may be attached by any other type of adhesive such as cyanoacrylate or silicone. In yet another embodiment the portion  120  of the collet  108  may be attached mechanically by, for example, the compressive friction created by tightening the collet clamp  110 , or by mating threads cut in the inside surface of the collet  108  and the outside of the first shaft portion  102 . Any sufficient means for holding the collet clamp assembly  106  in place with sufficient strength may be used. It will be appreciated that the collet  108 , once attached, may be removable from the shaft. For example, if a player no longer wants to be able to adjust the length of the shaft of the club, the collet clamp assembly  106  may be removed. 
         [0050]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2  shows the collet clamp  110  has internal threads  124  to engage the corresponding external threads  126  on the collet  108 . Tightening the collet clamp  110  onto the collet  108  with the threaded engagement causes the tapered surface  118  of the collet clamp  110  to contact the tapered portion  114  of the collet  108 . The further the collet clamp  110  is tightened onto the collet  108  the more the slits  116  on the collet  108  are compressed by the increased contact between the tapered surface  118  with tapered portion  114 , thereby clamping the tapered portion  114  of the collet  108  to the second shaft portion  104 . Thus, the first, or upper, shaft portion  102  is secured to the second, or lower, shaft portion  104  at the desired location on the second shaft portion  104  to set the desired overall shaft length. 
         [0051]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the collet clamp assembly  106  including the collet clamp  110  having a plurality of flutes  130  on an outer surface  132  to allow additional surface area to grip for tightening the collet clamp  110  onto the collet  108  to secure the relative position of the second shaft  104  relative to the first shaft  102  before securing one or more set screws  128  to set the length of the club. The set screws  128  may then be engaged to fix the collet clamp assembly and thereby the relative positions of the first and second shafts  102 ,  104  at their desired relative position to give the putter the desired length for play. Thus, set screws  128  allow the collet clamp assembly  106  to be fixed in place for play. These set screws  128  may require a special tool (i.e. an allen key) to loosen the collet clamp  110  in order to make a length adjustment to the shaft. Thus, the present invention may conform to the USGA Rules of Golf. 
         [0052]      FIGS. 3 and 4  illustrate another preferred embodiment of the shaft lengthening system  100  of the present invention. As shown, the shaft lengthening system  100  features a first shaft portion  302 , a second shaft portion  304  and a collet clamp assembly  306 . The collet clamp assembly  306  includes a collet  308  and a collet clamp  310 . The first shaft portion  302  includes a grip  312  secured to a part  314  of the first shaft portion  302 , and a second part  316  of the first shaft portion  302  extends beyond the grip  312  to receive the collet  308 . The grip  312  may be secured in any suitable manner as is known to those of skill in the art of golf clubs. It will be appreciated that the first shaft portion  302  may feature multiple grips (not shown). For example a second grip (not shown) may be placed above the grip  312  on the first shaft portion  302 . 
         [0053]    Second shaft portion, or slider shaft,  304  slides axially within the first shaft portion  302  such that the position of the second shaft portion  304  relative to the first shaft portion  302  may be set to lengthen or shorten the overall shaft length of the club. It will be appreciated that the length adjustment as shown is continuous. In a preferred embodiment, the second shaft portion  304  may have markings  318  ( FIG. 5 ) on the exterior surface  320  of the second shaft portion  304  to indicate the overall length of the shaft based on how much of the second shaft portion  304  is slid within the first shaft portion  302 . These markings  318  may indicate any desired amount of length and may include any type of markings including dashes, dots, numbers, letters or any other suitable marks to indicate the length of the club. These markings  318  may be made in any suitable manner, including by engraving, etching and/or painting. 
         [0054]    As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the end of the second shaft portion  304  within the first shaft portion  302  may feature an o-ring  322  to dampen vibration between the first and second shaft portions  302 ,  304 . It will be appreciated that the o-ring  322  may be any suitable o-ring or other mechanism and have any desired cross-section, so long as it assists in damping the vibration between the first and second shaft portions  302 ,  304 . Preferably, the o-ring  322  is made of a non-metal material and has a durometer of about 40-60 Shore A, preferably about 50 Shore A. The second shaft portion  304  may feature a recess  324  to receive the o-ring  322 . 
         [0055]    As shown in  FIGS. 3-5 , second shaft portion  304  is secured to a third shaft portion  326  which in turn is secured to a club head (not shown). The second shaft portion  304  may be bonded to the third shaft portion  326 . As illustrated, the second shaft portion  304  may feature glue grooves  328  on an attachment portion  330  that receives the third shaft portion  326  to increase the surface area for bonding and thus improve the bond between them. Any suitable bonding agent may be used to secure the second and third shaft portions  304 ,  326 . It will be appreciated that the second shaft portion  304  and third shaft portion  326  may be secured to each other in any suitable manner known to those of skill in the art of golf clubs. It will also be appreciated that the second shaft portion  304  may be secured directly to a club head (not shown), thereby not requiring the third shaft portion  326  to complete construction of the golf club. 
         [0056]    Referring now to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the second shaft portion  304  may feature a groove  332  extending through a wall  334  of the second shaft portion  304 . The groove  332  may have any desired shape and length. This groove  332  extends along a section of the length of the second shaft portion  304  and will be described in further detail below. It will be appreciated that the groove  332  may or may not extend all the way through the wall  334  of the second shaft portion  304 . 
         [0057]    As described above, collet clamp assembly  306  features a collet  308  and a collet clamp  310 . Referring now to  FIGS. 6-8 , the collet  308  includes a first collet portion  336  and a second collet portion  338 . The collet  308  is hollow and is received over the first and second shaft portions  302 ,  304 . The first collet portion  336  is secured to a second part  316  of the first shaft portion  302  that extends beyond the grip  312 . As illustrated in  FIG. 8  an inner surface  340  of the first collet portion  336  may feature glue grooves  342  to increase the surface area and thus the bond between the first collet portion  336  and the second part  316  of the first shaft portion  302 . As described above, the first collet portion  336  may be secured to the second part  316  of the first shaft portion  302  in any suitable manner, including the use of epoxy or other any other adhesive or a mechanical lock, such as by the use of compression or a threaded engagement. Preferably, the second part  316  of the first shaft portion  302  does not extend beyond the first collet portion  336 . The first collet portion  336  also features collet threads  344  on an exterior surface  346 . These collet threads  344  may be any suitable type of threads. The collet threads  344  will be described in more detail below with regard to their interaction with the collet clamp  310 . 
         [0058]    The second collet portion  338  features a plurality of slits  348  that allow for the compression of the second collet portion  338  when engaged by the collet clamp  310 . The second collet portion  338  also features a tapered exterior surface  350 . Preferably the tapered exterior surface  350  has an angle A between about 5 and 15 degrees, more preferably angle A is about 10 degrees. Collet  308  may also feature a key opening  352  which extends through the wall of the second collet portion  338  and will be described in further detail below. 
         [0059]    Now referring to  FIGS. 9-11 , the collet clamp  310  is hollow and is adapted to be received over the first and second shaft portions  302 ,  304  and to be threadably engaged with the collet  308 . The collet clamp  310  features a first collet clamp portion  353  and a second collet clamp portion  354 . The first collet clamp portion  353  features clamp threads  356  on an interior surface  358  of the collet clamp  310 . The clamp threads  356  are sized to mate with the collet threads  344  on the collet  308 . The second collet clamp portion  354  features a tapered clamp surface  360  on an interior surface  362  of the collet clamp  310 . The tapered clamp surface  360  is designed to mate and interact with the tapered exterior surface  350  on the collet  308 . The collet clamp  310  has an exterior surface  364  with a plurality of notches  366 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the exterior surface  364  of the collet clamp  310  may also include flutes  368 . The flutes  368  increase the surface area on the exterior surface  364  of the collet clamp  310  that make it easier to grip and tighten the collet clamp  310  onto the collet  308 . Additionally, the exterior surface  364  may feature an indicator window  370  that will let the user know when the collet clamp  310  is locked in place. This feature will be discussed in more detail below. The exterior surface  364  of the collet clamp  310  may also include indicators  372  to let the user know in which direction to turn the collet clamp  310  in order to tighten the collet clamp  310  onto the collet  308  for securing the first and second shaft portions  302 ,  304  in position relative to each other. Such indicators  372  may include arrows and/or words such as “lock” or any other markings to instruct the user on using the collet clamp assembly  306 . 
         [0060]    A key  374  is shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13 . The key  374  as shown has an oblong shape and is sized and shaped to fit within the key opening  352  on the collet  308 . The key  374  has a lip  376  that engages with a ledge  378  on the key opening  352  to keep the key  374  from sliding through the key opening  352 . It will be appreciated that the depth d of the key  374  is greater than the thickness of the wall  380  of the collet  308 . Thus the key  374  will extend through the wall  380  of the collet  308 . The key  374  is sized to fit within the groove  332  of the second shaft portion  304  and by extending through the wall  380  of the collet  308  will also extend at least partially into the groove  332  of the second shaft portion  304 . Thus, the key  374  may keep the second shaft portion  304  from rotating relative to the collet  308  and may also keep the second shaft portion  304  from sliding out of the first shaft portion  302 . It will be appreciated that the key  374  may have any suitable shape to fit within the key opening  352  and groove  332 . Additionally, it will be appreciated that the depth of the groove is equal to or greater than the depth d of the key  374  in order to accommodate the key  374 . It will be appreciated that the length L of the groove  332 , determines the amount of length adjustment allowed by the shaft lengthening system  100  and it will be understood that the groove  332  may have any desired length L to allow for the desired shaft length adjustment. Preferably, length L is greater than about 3 inches, more preferably greater than about 6 inches, more preferably between about 6 and about 24 inches and most preferably between about 7 and about 20 inches in length. Preferably, the overall shaft length is adjustable by greater than about 0.5 inches, preferably greater than about 1 inch, preferably greater than about 3 inches, more preferably greater than about 6 inches and most preferably from about 1 to about 24 inches in length. 
         [0061]    Now referring again to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , after assembly the second shaft portion  304  slides within the first shaft portion  302  and the first collet portion  336  of the collet  308  is secured to the second part  316  of the first shaft portion  302  and the collet clamp  310  is provided over the first shaft portion  302  adjacent the grip  312  such that it may engage with the collet  308 . During assembly, the key  374  is provided in the key opening  352  on the collet  308  and is also engaged with the groove  332  of the second shaft portion  304 , such that the second shaft portion  304  will not rotate relative to the collet  308  or pull all the way out of the first shaft portion  302 . The user may then adjust the amount of the second shaft portion  304  within the first shaft portion  302  to fix the relative positions of the first and second shaft portions  302 ,  304  to each other to achieve the desired overall club length. Once the first and second shaft portions  302 ,  304  are at their desired positions relative to each other, the collet clamp  310  is threaded onto the collet  308  thereby causing the clamp tapered surface  360  to engage with the tapered exterior surface  350  of the collet  308  and compress the slits  348  to clamp the second collet portion  338  to the second shaft portion  304  thereby fixing the overall club length. 
         [0062]    It is foreseen that in one embodiment, this initial tightening may be done by hand and then locked using a special tool. However, it will be appreciated that a special tool may be used or needed to both tighten and lock and collet clamp  310  to the collet  308 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 14  and  15 , the special tool may be a wrench  382 . The wrench  382  features a handle portion  384  and a tool portion  386 . As illustrated, the tool portion  386  has a C shape that mates at least partially with the exterior surface  364  of the collet clamp  310 . The tool portion  386  features protrusions  388  that mate with the notches  366  on the collet clamp  310 . There may be any desired number of protrusions  388 . Preferably there are at least two protrusions, and most preferably there are four protrusions. The protrusions may have any desired width w that fits in the corresponding notches  366  on the collet clamp  310 . The wrench  382  may also feature indents  390  on the handle portion  384  to accommodate the user&#39;s fingers for grasping the handle portion  384 . Additionally, the handle portion  384  may feature one or more openings  392 . When the protrusions  388  are engaged in the notches  366 , the wrench  382  may be used to apply torque to the collet clamp  310  and tighten the collet clamp  310  to the collet  308 . In a preferred embodiment, the collet clamp  310  features the window  370  and when the collet clamp  310  has been tightened to its locked position a red, or any other color, mark provided on the exterior surface  350  of the collet  308  may show through the window  370  of the collet clamp  310  indicating to the user that the system has been properly locked. The shaft lengthening system  100  may also include a noise indicator, such as a clicking noise, to allow the user to hear when the system is properly locked. The wrench  382  may be used to apply torque in the opposite direction to unlock the collet clamp  310  from the collet  308  to allow further modification to the overall length of the shaft of the golf club. It will be appreciated that the system  100  may be constructed such that the putter is not usable until the system is properly locked, in that the first and second shaft portions  302 ,  304  may slide relative to each other until the system  100  is locked. 
         [0063]    In the preferred embodiment the golf club is a belly putter or a long putter. Although, as described above, it will be understood that the shaft lengthening system  100  may be used on any length putter to refine the shaft length to properly fit the golfer or to change the shaft length to alter the putter from a regular length putter to a long putter, vice versa, or any length in between, or between a belly and a long putter or vice versa. The present invention may also be useful in fitting women and junior golfers. The collet clamp assembly  106 ,  306  may be made of any suitable metal or non-metal material. Each part as described herein may be made of the same or a different material. Preferably the collet  108 ,  308  and collet clamp  110 ,  310  are made of aluminum. Although, it will be appreciated that they could be made of any suitable material including titanium, magnesium, stainless steel or any other suitable metal or non-metal material. The putter head (not shown) may comprise any type of suitable metal or non-metal material, including steel, stainless steel, brass, bronze, or composite. The putter may comprise blade or mallet type heads. Moreover, the putter head may comprise face inserts, offsets, perimeter weighting, or stabilizing members. 
         [0064]    The first shaft portion  102 ,  302  and second shaft portion  104 ,  304  may be straight, non-tapered, sections. In another embodiment, the shafts  102 ,  104 ,  302 ,  304  are tapered and the collet  108 ,  308  is similarly tapered to match the taper of the shaft sections. In yet another embodiment, the first shaft portion  102 ,  302  or the second shaft portion  104 ,  304  may be tapered except for a portion that is straight and non-tapered for means of length adjustment as taught in the present invention. The shaft portions  102 ,  104 ,  302 ,  304  may be metallic, non-metallic, composite or any other suitable material. 
         [0065]    The grip  112 ,  312  may comprise a standard hand grip, a grip with alignment indicia, a bulbous grip, a T-shaped grip, a curved T-shaped grip, or a grip having a circular or semicircular ring designed to rest on a forearm, bicep, or shoulder or any other suitable grip. The grip may be any means to hold, stabilize, or pivot the club during use. Typically, belly putters have a 21 inch grip. Long putters typically have two grip sections with at least one of the sections being 21 inches long. The present invention may include a single grip of about 22 to 27 inches for long putters. Preferably, the grip is about 23 and 26 inches long, most preferably the grip is about 25 inches long. It will be appreciated that this single grip could be used with the present invention to alter the shaft length between a belly and a long putter. It will be appreciated that multiple grip sections may also be used with this longer grip. 
         [0066]    The embodiments of the present invention are illustrated with putter-type clubs. However, it should be understood that any type of golf club, including drivers, woods, irons and wedges, can utilize the inventive adjustable length shaft collet clamp assembly. Additionally, the collet clamp assembly  106 ,  306  can be used with non-golf equipment, such as fishing poles, aiming sights for firearms, plumbing, etc. 
         [0067]    While various descriptions of the present invention are described above, it should be understood that the various features can be used singly or in any combination thereof. Therefore, this invention is not to be limited to only the specifically preferred embodiments depicted herein. 
         [0068]    Further, it should be understood that variations and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. Accordingly, all expedient modifications readily attainable by one versed in the art from the disclosure set forth herein that are within the scope and spirit of the present invention and are to be included as further embodiments of the present invention. Elements from one embodiment can be incorporated into other embodiments. Therefore, it will be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and embodiments, which would come within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0