Abstract:
A combination chipper and putter golf club has a club head with a ball putting side surface and an opposing ball chipping side surface. The club head has a bore formed perpendicularly therethrough which receives a tube extension fixed to a hosel short depending shaft. Hosel orientation detents are provided by an opposing pair of detent notches formed into the tube extension lower end which fit onto a raised portion of a plug closing the bottom of the bore. A tension spring installed through the hosel tube extension is rotatably connected between the hosel pivot shaft and the bore bottom plug to hold the hosel tightly to the club head while permitting the hosel to be lifted sufficiently to retract the tube extension detent notches from the plug raised portion so that the hosel can be reoriented 180 degrees relative to the club head according to which chipping or putting surface is to be used. Alternatively hosel detents are formed at the top of the club head for use with the tension spring. In variations, a compression spring and a magnet are used in place of the tension spring.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates generally to the field of sporting equipment, more particularly to the field of golf equipment, and still more particularly to the field of golf clubs. 
   2. Background Discussion 
   The game or sport of golf is extremely popular in many parts of the world. To many players, golf is not so much a sport as an obsession and a significant personal challenge. Many players choose to live on or near a golf course and plan their vacations around golf. 
   The popularity of golf is further evidenced by the great variety of golf clubs and related golf equipment, such as golf shoes and other articles of golf clothes, sold in golf course pro shops and golf equipment stores. Golf clubs are of course the most important of all the golf equipment and are very susceptible to individual taste, which accounts for the great variety of clubs available and the constant introduction of “new and improved” golf clubs. 
   As is generally known, a full set of golf clubs constitute about three “woods” having relatively massive club heads (which may now be constructed from a metal, such as titanium) with different face angles, and which ate usually used for teeing off. In addition to the several “woods”, a golf club set includes a number, typically at least about six, “irons” having different face angles and used for fairway shots and to get out of sand traps. At least in the past, “irons” were given quaint names, associated with different face angles and club numbers. For example, a relatively small angle 3 “iron” has been named a “mashie iron,” a slightly more angled 4 “iron” has been named a “jigger,” a more angled 6 “iron” has been named a “mashie niblick” and a still more angled 7 “iron” has been named a “niblick.” The last member of a golf club set is the “putter” is used on the greens to “putt” the ball into the cup. 
   In any event, a full set of golf clubs is not only expensive, and very often quite expensive, but is heavy, thus often requiring a ridable, electric powered golf cart or at least a hand pushed or pulled golf cart. For travelers or vacationers, the lugging about of a golf bag holding a full set of golf clubs, especially through crowded airline terminals with their security check points, is an unpleasant and tiring chore. 
   In an apparent attempt to solve such problems, multi-purpose golf club “irons” have been developed and marketed. These multi-purpose “irons,” (exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 6,348,009, issued Feb. 19, 2002 to Louis Dischler; U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,788, issued Mar. 27, 2001 to Leo M. Krenzler; U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,245, issued Jul. 23, 1996 to Donald D. Moore; U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,533, issued Jul. 28, 1992 to Steven M. Divnick; U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,399, issued Aug. 24, 1971 to Martyn L. Ageos et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,866, issued Nov. 7, 1989 to Rukoro Hosoda; U.S. Pat. No. 2,882,053, issued Apr. 14, 1959 to M. Lorthiois; U.S. Pat. No. 2,777,694, issued Jan. 15, 1957 to C. V. Winter; U.S. Pat. No. 2,571,970, issued Oct. 16, 1951 to J. Verderber; U.S. Pat. No. 2,305,270, issued Dec. 15, 1942 to J. L. Nilson; U.S. Pat. No. 1,219,417, issued Mar. 13, 1917 to L. H. Voties; U.S. Pat. No. 670,522, issued Mar. 26, 2001 to E. F. Thompson) disclose a multi-purpose club head that is pivotally attached to a club hosel for incremental pivoting through angular positions corresponding to loft angles of individual golf clubs in a conventional set of “irons.” Selected club head angles are set by gear or other detent mechanisms and are typically locked in selected loft angle positions by manually operated screws. These loft angle setting and locking mechanisms can be expected to become difficult to operate as the multi-purpose club head becomes dirty and possibly rusty in ordinary use on golf courses. 
   Although the above-cited patents of Krenzler, Agens, Winter, Lorthiois and Moore provide club number markings at loft angle settings corresponding to the marked club numbers others do not and proper loft angle settings must be guessed at. 
   Although such multi-purpose clubs appear to offer some advantages over sets of “irons” in terms of cost and convenience, there are disadvantages to having a single multi-purpose club head settable at different loft angles. For example, golf ball striking surfaces of sets of “irons” vary from club to club, with higher numbered clubs with greater loft angles typically have larger-area club faces. In addition, shaft lengths of different numbered “irons” typically have different lengths, with higher numbered “irons” usually having shafts of decreasing length since the clubs are used for different purposes and are held differently by golfers. Thus, the single shaft length provided by the disclosed multi-purpose clubs is a distinct disadvantage. Still further, different club heads in a set of “irons” may vary slightly in weight, as opposed to the single club head in a multi-purpose “iron.” 
   The end result is that each club in a set of “irons” will typically have at least a slightly different “feel” to which a golfer becomes used and is comfortable with. Consequently, multi-purpose golf clubs of the disclosed type have not gained wide acceptance by golfers, many of whom also prefer the status of having complete sets of expensive “irons.” 
   In a less ambitious manner the U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,708, issued Feb. 24, 2004 to Dale P. Fisher and Publication No. U.S. 2002/0198060, (also Dale P. Fisher) published Dec. 26, 2002 disclose a triple-purpose golf club having a triangular club head with three different ball striking surfaces and a single, vertically mounted shaft. The present inventor considers such three-faced golf clubs to be very awkward to use and very impractical. 
   On the other hand, Publication No. U.S. 2003/0060301, (Yung-Ho Hsu) published Mar. 27, 2003 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,769, issued Dec. 17, 1996 to Donald C. Sundin; U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,335, issued Oct. 17, 1995 to Noriyasu Hattori; and Des. 346,191, issued Apr. 19, 1994 to Edward M. Bryant disclose a double sided golf club head with a putting face and a chipping face. Such disclosed golf clubs are intended to augment conventional sets of “irons” and are useful when the golf ball lies relatively close to a green-the chipping side of the club head first being used to chip the ball onto the green and the putting side then being used to putt the ball to and into the cup. In this regard a golfer typically otherwise carries both a chipping iron and a putter in closely approaching a green. After the ball is chipped onto the green, the chipping iron is typically dropped and the hole finished with the putter. This frequently results in the chipping iron being forgotten and sometimes lost. 
   Except for the above-cited published application to Hsu, the above-cited publication and patents disclose a club shaft that is rigidly mounted to a double-faced club head, the Sundin and Hattori patents disclosing a vertically mounted shaft which is disadvantageous for chipping use of the club and the Bryant design patent disclosing a fixed angle shaft which would be disadvantageous for use of the club for both chipping and putting. 
   The Hsu patent discloses a club shaft that is pivotally attached to the double-faced club head so that the shaft angle can be selectively adjusted as to angle by the golfer according to which club head face is to be used. However, no mechanism is provided for assuring that the same shaft angle is set each time a particular club head face is selected for use, and the set shaft angle is maintained only by friction between the shaft and club head. Thus, in time, it is likely that the frictional attachment between the shaft and club head will become worn to an extent that a set shaft angle cannot be maintained and ball chipping and putting will become erratic. 
   For these and other reasons, a principle objective of the present invention is to provide a dual-purpose golf club with a club head having opposing chipping and putting faces and having a fixed angle shaft that is reversible relative to the club head. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A combination chipper and putter golf club comprises a club head having a generally flat upper surface and having a vertical ball putting side surface and an opposing, angled ball chipping side surface, the club head having a bore formed therethrough perpendicular to its upper surface. Included is a hostel having an elongate, generally flat club head attachment region and an upwardly angled club shaft region, the club head attachment region having a depending shaft region sized for being received into the club head bore. Detent means are configured for releasably retaining the hosel in either of two, 180 degree apart positions relative to the club head, according to the ball striking side surface selected for use. Means are disposed in the bore for urging the hostel club head attachment region against the club head upper surface with the hosel received in a selected one of the detent positions, while enabling the hosel to be lifted from the club head a distance sufficient to thereby enable the hosel to be pivoted 180 degrees to the other one of the detent positions. 
   The means for urging the hosel club head attachment region against the club head upper surface preferably includes a tension spring disposed in the bore, the spring being attached in a normally stretched condition between a lower end of the hosel depending shaft region and a plug closing a lower end of the club head bore. 
   An elongate tube extension may be fixed to the hosel shaft region, the tube being sized to closely fit into, and rotate in, the club head bore. The detent means may then comprise two opposing detent notches formed upwardly into a lower end of the tube extension, and the bore closing plug is formed having a raised region sized for fitting into the tube notches. Also, tension spring is installed through the tube extension and is attached to a swivel extending downwardly from the hosel shaft region. 
   Alternatively, the club head bore is stepped having an upper bore region sized to receive the hosel depending shaft region and a larger diameter lower bore region. In which case, the means for urging the hosel club head attachment region against the club head upper surface includes a compression spring disposed in the bore around the hosel depending shaft region, the spring being confined in a normally compressed condition between a shoulder formed between the bore upper and lower regions and a retainer attached to a lower end of the hosel depending shaft region. The detent means comprise detent protrusions depending from opposite sides of said hosel pivot shaft region and mating detent recesses formed into the club head from its upper surface. 
   In another version in which the club head bore is stepped having an upper bore region sized to receive the hosel pivot shaft and a larger diameter lower bore region, the means for urging the hosel club head attachment region against the club head upper surface includes a magnet disposed in the bore lower region and attached to a lower end of the hosel pivot shaft region and above a magnetic metal disc installed in a lower end of the club head bore. A washer is attached to the lower end of the hosel pivot shaft region, the magnet being attached to the washer. The washer abuts a shoulder formed between the bore upper and lower regions when the hosel pivot shaft region is withdrawn from the bore a distance sufficient to enable said 180 degree rotation of the hosel. 
   The club head bore is located generally at the center of the club head and the club head chipping side is preferably formed at an angle of between about 70 degrees and about 85 degrees from the club head upper surface. 
   A combination chipper and putter golf club thus comprises a club head having a generally flat upper surface and having a vertical ball putting side surface and an opposing, angled ball chipping side surface, the club head having a bore formed perpendicularly therethrough. An included hostel has an elongate club head attachment region and an upwardly angled club shaft region, the club head attachment region having a short depending shaft region. A tubular extension has an upper end and a lower end, the upper end of which is fixed to the hosel depending shaft region. The tubular extension is sized to fit closely into the club head bore, being rotatably installed therein. The tubular extension has a detent notch formed upwardly into the its lower end; a plug installed at a lower end of the bore has a raised portion for receiving the tubular extension detent notch. A tension spring connected between a lower end of the hosel depending shaft region and the bore bottom plug extends through the tubular extension. The spring urges the hosel club head attachment region against the club head upper surface with the plug raised portion receiving the tubular extension detent notch, while enabling the hosel tubular extension to be withdrawn from the bore a distance sufficient to release the detent notch from the plug raised portion to thereby enable the hosel to be pivoted 180 degrees relative to the club head. 
   The tubular extension may be formed having an opposing pair of detent notches formed upwardly into the lower tubular end. Preferably the tension spring is rotatably connected to a swivel extending downwardly from said hosel depending shaft region. 
   Specifically, a combination chipper and putter golf club comprises a club head having a generally flat upper surface with a vertical ball putting side surface and an opposing, angled ball chipping side surface and having a bore formed perpendicularly therethrough. First and second detent recesses are formed downwardly into the club head from its upper surface, the detent recesses being located at identical distances to opposite sides of the bore. 
   Included is a hostel having a club head attachment region and an upwardly angled club shaft region. The club attachment region has a depending pivot shaft region sized for being slidingly received into the club head bore and has a pair of depending detent protuberances located to opposite sides thereof, the detent protuberances being sized to fit into the club head detent recesses when the pivot shaft region is fully received into the bore. Means, comprising a spring, are disposed in the bore for urging the hostel pivot shaft region into the bore until the hostel club head attachment region abuts the club head upper surface with the detent protuberances received into the detent recesses, while enabling the pivot shaft region to be withdrawn from the bore a distance sufficient to withdraw the detent protuberances from the detent recesses so as to permit the hosel to be pivoted 180 degrees relative to the club head. 
   The spring may be a tension spring connected between a lower end of the hosel pivot shaft and a plug installed to close a lower end of the bore. 
   The bore may be stepped, having an upper region for receiving the hosel pivot shaft and an enlarged diameter lower region, the spring then be a compression spring confined in a compressed condition between a shoulder at an intersection of the bore upper and lower regions and a retainer fixed to a lower end of the hosel pivot shaft region. 
   Further, a combination chipper and putter golf club comprises a club head having a flat upper surface and having a vertical ball putting side surface and an opposing, angled ball chipping side surface, the club head having a stepped bore formed perpendicularly therethrough. The stepped bore has an upper region and a larger diameter lower region, and has first and second detent recesses formed downwardly thereinto from the upper surface and located at identical distances to opposite sides of the bore. Included is a hostel having a club head attachment region and an upwardly angled club shaft region, the club attachment region having a depending pivot shaft region sized for being slidingly received into the club head bore upper region and extending into the stepped bore lower region, and having a depending detent protuberance located to fit into one of the detent recesses when the pivot shaft region is fully received into the stepped bore. Means are disposed in the stepped bore lower region for urging the hostel pivot shaft region into said stepped bore with the hostel club head attachment region against the club head upper surface and with the detent protuberance received into one of the detent recesses, while enabling the pivot shaft region to be withdrawn from the bore a distance sufficient to withdraw the detent protuberance from the detent recess so as to permit the hosel to be pivoted 180 degrees relative to the club head. The means comprises a magnet attached to a lower end of the hosel pivot shaft region and a magnetic material plug disc installed in a lower end of the stepped bore lower region and includes a washer attached to the lower end of the hosel pivot shaft region for limiting a withdrawal distance of the hosel pivot shaft from the stepped bore by abutting a shoulder region between the bore upper and lower regions. 
   Preferably the detent recesses are formed adjacent the bore and the bore is located at a center of said golf club head upper surface and the hosel club head attachment region is formed having two depending detent protuberances located to fit into the two club head recesses when the hosel pivot shaft region is received into the stepped bore. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention can be more readily understood by a consideration of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  includes two perspective views of a club head region of the dual-purpose, combination chipper and putter golf club of the present invention:  FIG. 1A  showing the club hosel oriented on the club head so that a club head chipping face is positioned for addressing a golf ball, and  FIG. 1B  showing the club hosel oriented on the club head so that a club head putting face is positioned for addressing the golf ball; 
       FIG. 2  is a longitudinal cross sectional drawing taken along line  2 — 2  of  FIG. 1A , showing a tubular extension of a hosel depending shaft region received into a vertical club head bore, showing a detent arrangement at the bottom of the tubular extension and showing a stretched tension spring connected between the hosel depending shaft region and a plate covering the bottom of the club head bore; 
       FIG. 3  is a transverse cross sectional drawing taken along line  3 — 3  of  FIG. 1A , and corresponding to the longitudinal cross sectional drawing of  FIG. 2 , showing the tubular extension of the hosel depending shaft region received into the club head bore and showing the tension spring stretched between the hosel depending shaft region and the bottom cover plate; 
       FIG. 4  is a cross sectional drawing looking along line  4 — 4  of  FIG. 2 , showing features of the bottom cover plate; 
       FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective drawing showing portions of the hosel with the depending shaft region and the tubular that is joined thereto, the tubular extension having detent recesses formed at its lower end and having corresponding keying recesses formed at its upper end, and showing a central raised region of the bottom cover plate which cooperates with the tubular extension detent recesses, and further showing features and orientation of the tension spring; 
       FIG. 6  is a longitudinal cross sectional drawing corresponding to  FIG. 2  showing the hosel lifted a sufficient distance upwardly against the tension spring relative to the club head to withdraw the tubular detent recesses from mating detent regions of the bottom cover plate so the hosel can be rotated 180 degrees relative to the club head to the alternative detent locking position shown in phantom lines; 
       FIG. 7  is a longitudinal cross sectional drawing corresponding to  FIG. 2  of a first variation combination golf club, showing a depending pivot shaft region of the variation club hosel received in a vertical club head bore, showing depending detent projections formed adjacent opposite side regions of the hosel pivot shaft, showing mating detent recesses formed into the club head, and showing a tension spring connected to the bottom of the hosel pivot shaft from a bore bottom cover for urging the hosel against an upper surface of the club head; 
       FIG. 8  is a transverse cross sectional drawing corresponding to  FIG. 3 , also showing the depending pivot shaft region of the variation club hosel received in the vertical club head bore and showing the tension spring connected to the hosel shaft for urging the hosel against the upper surface of the club head, further showing opposing putting and chipping faces of the club head; 
       FIG. 9  is a transverse cross sectional drawing corresponding to  FIG. 7 , showing the hosel lifted upwardly from the club head upper surface against the tension spring a sufficient distance to enable the hosel to be rotated 180 degrees to the opposite end of the club head, as depicted in phantom lines; 
       FIG. 10  is a view taken along line  10 — 10  of  FIG. 9 , showing the detent recesses formed into the first variation club head to opposites sides of the club head bore; 
       FIG. 11  is a longitudinal cross sectional drawing corresponding generally to  FIG. 2 , of a second variation combination golf club, showing a stepped bore through the club head and showing the hosel resiliently connected to the club head by a compression spring installed around the hosel pivot shaft; 
       FIG. 12  is a view looking along line  12 — 12  of  FIG. 11 , showing a screw-in plug disc installed in the lower end of the club head stepped bore; 
       FIG. 13  is a longitudinal cross sectional drawing corresponding generally to  FIG. 6 , showing the second variation hosel lifted upwardly from the club head upper surface against the compression spring a sufficient distance to enable the hosel to be rotated 180 degrees to the opposite end of the club head, as depicted in phantom lines; 
       FIG. 14  is a longitudinal cross sectional drawing corresponding generally to  FIG. 11  of a third variation combination golf club, showing a stepped bore through the club head and showing the third variation hosel held to the club head by a magnet connected to the lower end of the hosel pivot shaft; and 
       FIG. 15  is a longitudinal cross sectional drawing corresponding generally to  FIG. 13 , showing the third variation hosel lifted upwardly from the club head upper surface against the force of the magnet a sufficient distance to enable the hosel to be rotated 180 degrees to the opposite end of the club head, as depicted in phantom lines; 
   

   In the various FIGS. the same elements and features are given the same reference number and corresponding elements and features are given the original reference numbers followed by an “a”, “b” or “c” as appropriate. 
   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   There is shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B  a dual purpose, combination chipper and putter golf club  20  comprising a combination chipper and putter club head  22 , a hosel  24  connected (as more particularly described below) to the club head and a club shaft  26  (only lower regions of which are shown) that is joined to the hosel. 
   Club head  22  is formed having an angled chipping face  30  shown contacting a golf ball  32  in  FIG. 1A  and an opposite, vertical putting face  34  shown contacting the golf ball in  FIG. 1B . 
   As depicted in  FIG. 1  and in the longitudinal cross section of  FIGS. 2 and 6  and the transverse cross section of  FIG. 3 , hosel  24  is formed having an elongate, relatively straight and slender club head attachment region  36  that, in club use, sits on a club head flat upper surface  38  and having an upwardly-angled region  40  to which shaft  26  is joined. Depending vertically from an under surface  42  of hosel region  36  is a cylindrical shaft  44  which is received closely into a vertical club head central, circular bore  46  ( FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  6 ). As shown in  FIG. 3 , chipping face  30  is formed at an angle, α, relative to club head upper surface, that is preferably between about 70 degrees and about 85 degrees. 
   A bore  46  is formed through club head  22  perpendicular to club head upper surface  38  in a generally central location of the club head. Shown connected, as by spot or laser welding, to hosel depending shaft  44  is an elongate tubular extension  48  which fits closely into bore  46  and is rotatable therein. 
   As best seen in  FIG. 5 , tubular extension  48  has an opposing pair of detent recesses or notches  50  formed upwardly thereinto from a bottom surface  52 . A corresponding, similarly oriented, pair of keying recesses or notches  54  are formed downwardly into tubular extension  48  from an upper surface  56 , and are located directly above detent notches  50 , for the purpose described below. Detent notches  50  are sized to be received by an upwardly extending bar region  58  of a bottom plate  60  so as to provide a detent arrangement. Bottom plate  60  is recessed into club head  22  from a bottom surface  62  thereof to close bore  46 , and is retained in club head  22  by a pair of screws  64 . Tubular extension keying notches  54  are received in a pair of projections  70  formed in hosel region  36  adjacent shaft  44  and function to provide proper orientation of detent notches  50  when tubular extension  48  is joined to the hosel shaft. Shown installed downwardly through an aperture  72  formed through hosel region  36  and shaft  44  is a swivel member  74  having a depending hook portion  76  for the connection of an upper end  78  of an associated tension spring  80 . A small hole  82  is formed in bottom plate bar region  58  for receiving a hook  84  at the lower end of spring  80 . 
   For assembly, as shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  6 , and as apparent from  FIG. 5 , spring upper end  78  is connected to swivel loop portion  76  and tubular extension  48  is installed over spring  80  and is joined to hosel shaft  44  with keying notches  54  received into projections  70  for proper keying of the tubular extension to the hosel shaft. With tubular extension  48  received into club head bore  46 , spring  80  is manually stretched and spring lower end hook  84  is inserted through hole  82  in bottom plate bar region  58  and bottom plate  60  is installed in club head  22  and retained therein by screws  64 . 
   Assembled in the above-described manner and as shown in  FIG. 2 , tensioned spring  80 , pulls (urges) hosel region  36  tightly against club head upper surface  38  (with hosel lower surface  42  against such upper surface). With tubular extension detent notches  50  engaging bottom plate bar region  58 , hosel  24  is fixed against any rotational movement relative to club head  22  and golf club  20  is ready for chipping golf ball  32  by chipping surface  30  ( FIG. 1A ). 
   As shown in  FIG. 6 , to prepare golf club  20  for putting, hosel  24  is manually lifted upwardly from club head  22 , against tension of spring  80 , a distance, d, sufficient to release tubular extension detent notches  50  from bottom plate bar region  58 . Hosel  24  is then rotated 180 degrees in either rotational direction to an opposite position relative to club head  24  (as shown in plantom lines) and is then released to cause tubular extension detent notches  50  to again be received by bottom plate bar region so as to relock the hosel in position for use of golf club  20  for putting ball  32  ( FIG. 1B ). 
   First Variation of  FIGS. 7–10 : 
   A first variation golf club  20   a  is depicted in  FIGS. 7–10 . As shown, golf club  20   a  is basically the same as golf club  20  except that tubular extension  48  is not used, hosel depending shaft  44   a  is increased in length, and locking detents (described below) are formed at the top of a club head  22   a.    
   Located to opposite sides of hosel shaft  44   a  are respective first and second depending detent protrusions or protuberances  90  which are generally rectangular in shape. Although two such detent protrusions  90  are shown, it will be appreciated that only one of the detent protrusions may be provided. As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 9 , club head  22   a  is formed having respective first and second rectangular recesses  92  at opposite side of a vertical bore  46   a . Recesses  92  are open to a club head upper surface  38   a  and are shaped to closely receive detent protrusions  90  when a lower surface  42   a  of a hosel region  36   a  is against the club head upper surface. 
   Hosel region under surface  42   a  is held tightly against club head upper surface  38   a  by tension spring  80  installed in club head bore  46   a  ( FIGS. 7–8 ). As shown, upper end  78  of tension spring  80  is pivotally connected to a downwardly extending portion  76   a  of a swivel member  74   a  installed through hosel region  36   a  and depending shaft region  44   a . Lower end  84  of tension spring  80  is connected to an upwardly-extending bar region  58  of a bottom plate  60   a  which is secured to club head  22   a  by screws flush with a bottom surface  62   a  of club head  22 . 
   Golf club  20   a  is operated in the manner described above for golf club  20  with respect to repositioning hosel  24   a  relative to club head  22   a . Thus, as depicted in  FIG. 9 , hosel  24   a  is lifted upwardly from club head  22   a , against tension in spring  80 , a distance, d, sufficient to withdraw detent protrusions  90  from detent recesses  92 . Hosel  24   a  is then rotated 180 degrees in either rotational direction to the hosel position depicted in phantom lines and is released so that detent protuberances  90  are again received in detent recesses  92 , thereby locking the hosel in its new position. 
   Second Variation of  FIGS. 12–14 : 
   A second variation golf club  20   b  is depicted in  FIGS. 12–14 . As shown, golf club  20   b  is similar as above-described golf clubs  20  and  20   a , except as described below, the basic difference being that instead of using tension spring  80 , a compression spring  100  is installed in a stepped bore  46   b  in a club head  22   b . Located to opposite sides of a longer hosel shaft  44   b  are respective first and second depending detent protrusions  90  which are generally rectangular in shape. Although two such detent protrusions  90 , it will be appreciated that only one of the detent protrusions may be provided. As shown in  FIGS. 12 and 14 , club head  22   b  is formed having respective first and second rectangular recesses  92  at opposite side of an upper region  102  of a vertical bore  46   b . Recesses  92  are open to a club head upper surface  38   b  and are shaped to closely receive detent protrusions  90  when a lower surface  42   b  of a hosel region  36   b  is against the club head upper surface. 
   Upper bore region  102  is sized to closely receive hosel pivot shaft  44   b ; a larger diameter bore lower region  104  is sized to receive compression spring  100 . Compression spring  100  is installed around hosel shaft  44   b  and is held in a normally compressed condition between a bore shoulder  106  at the juncture between upper and lower bore regions  102  and  104  and a retainer washer  110  attached to a bottom surface  112  of the hosel shaft by a screw  114 . In such compressed condition of compression spring  100 , hosel  24   b  is held firmly against club head upper surface  38   b  with detent protrusions  90  received in detent recesses  92 . A bottom plate  116  is threaded into club head  22   b  to close a lower opening of bore lower region  104  ( FIG. 13 ). 
   Repositioning of hosel  24   b  into the 180 degree position (shown in phantom lines in  FIG. 14 ) is accomplished in the manner described above for hosels  24  and  24   a  of golf clubs  20  and  20   a , except that the lifting of hosel  24   b  to clear hosel detent protrusions  90  from club head detent recesses  92  is against increased compression of compression spring  100 . After such 180 degree rotation, hosel  24   b  is released so that hosel detent protrusions  90  are again received in club head recesses  92  and lower surface  42   b  of hosel region  36   b  again bears against club head upper surface  38   b , the hosel being pulled down into and held in such new position by compression of compression spring  100 . 
   Third Variation of  FIGS. 15–16 : 
     FIGS. 15–16  depict a third variation dual-purpose, combination chipper and putter golf club  20   c  which is essentially identical to above-described golf club  20   b  except as specifically described below. As more particularly described below, the basic difference between golf clubs  20   c  and  20   b  is that a hosel  24   c  of third variation golf club is held against a club head  22   c  by a disc-shaped magnet  120  instead of by above-described compression spring  100 . 
   Club head bore  46   b  has upper bore region  102   b  sized to closely receive hosel pivot shaft  44   b  and a larger diameter lower region  104   b  sized to receive magnet  120  and a protective washer  110 . Magnet  120  and washer  110  are attached to a bottom surface  112  of hosel shaft  44   b  by screw  114 . Disc-shaped plug  116 , which is made from a ferrous alloy, is threaded into club head  22   b  at the lower end of bore lower region  104  and is contacted by magnet  100  to thereby firmly hold hosel  24   b  against club head upper surface  38   b , as depicted in  FIG. 15 . 
   Repositioning of hosel  24   b  into the 180 degree position (shown in phantom lines in  FIG. 16 ) is accomplished in the manner described above for hosel  24  and  24   a , except that the lifting of hosel  24   b  to clear hosel detent protrusions  90  from club head detent recesses  92  is against the magnet force between magnet  120  and plug  116 . Upward lifting of hosel  24   b  is limited by washer  1110  reaching shoulder  106  at the intersection of bore upper and lower regions  102  and  104 . Hosel  24   b  is then released so that hosel detent protrusions  90  are again received into club head detent recesses  92  and lower surface  42   b  of hosel region  36   b  again bears against club head upper surface  38   b , the hosel being held in such new position by magnet attraction between magnet  120  and plug  116 . 
   It will be appreciated that hosel  24 ,  24   a ,  24   b  and  24   c , as well as club head  22 ,  22   a ,  22   b  and  22   c , may be constructed from any strong, rigid material, including, but not limited to, brass, hard aluminum alloy, stainless steel and titanium or a strong, rigid polymeric plastic material. 
   Thus, although there is described and illustrated herein a dual purpose, combination chipper and putter golf club and variations thereof, for purposes of illustrating the manner in which the present invention may be used to advantage, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Consequently, any and all variations and equivalent arrangements which may occur to those skilled in the applicable art are to be considered to be within the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the claims which are appended hereto as part of this application.