Separable-shaft golf club

A golf club having length, L, and a center of gravity comprising:

• a first shaft member having a first end and a second end;
• a second shaft member having a first end and a second end;
• a club head coupled to the second end of the second shaft member;
• a grip attached to the first end of the first shaft member;
• a releasable, hollow connection unit comprising:
• a hollow male connector having a first portion (which has an inside diamater of IDa) and a second portion (which has an inside diameter of IDb), the first portion coupled to either the second end of the first shaft member or the first end of the second shaft member, the second portion having external threads,
• a hollow female connector that has an inside diameter of IDc and having a threaded interior, the hollow female connector coupled to the second end of the first shaft member or the first end of the second shaft member, the threaded interior of the hollow female connector and the external threads of the second portion of the male connector sized and configured to releasably mate to form a connection and arranged to be urged tighter with each impact of the club head with a golf ball, and
• wherein IDa>IDb and IDc>IDb;
• and
• wherein the center of gravity of the golf club with the connection varies less than about 5% of the club length, L, from the center of gravity of a club that is identical except having an un-severed shaft and having no hollow male connector and no hollow female connector and varies less than 5% in weight.

A method of manufacturing a golf club with a separable shaft for easy transportation, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a golf club having a hollow steel shaft;
• cutting the shaft of the golf club at approximately a middle point of the shaft to form a first shaft member having a first end and a second end and a second shaft member having a first end and a second end;
• coupling a hollow male connector, which has a first portion having an inside diameter of IDa and a second portion having external threads and having an inside diameter of IDb and where IDa>IDb, to the second end of the first shaft member or the first end of the second shaft member so that the external threads of the second portion of the male connector extend from the first shaft member or second shaft member;
• coupling a hollow female connector, which an interior threaded portion that has an inside diameter of IDc and is sized and configured to mate with the external threads on the male connector and wherein IDc>IDb, to the second end of the first shaft member or the first end of the second shaft member;
• and
• wherein the interior threads of the hollow female connector and the external threads of the hollow male connector are configured to be urged tighter when the golf club hits a ball.

A golf club having a length, L, and a center of gravity comprising:

• a first hollow shaft member having a first end and a second end;
• a second hollow shaft member having a first end and a second end;
• a club head coupled to the second end of the second hollow shaft member;
• a hollow male connector having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion coupled in an interior portion of the second end of the first hollow shaft member or to an interior portion of the first end of the second shaft member, and the second portion of the hollow male connector having external threads;
• a hollow female connector having an exterior and a threaded interior, the exterior of the female connector coupled to the interior portion of the first end of the second shaft member or the interior portion of the second end of the first shaft member;
• wherein the external threads of the second portion of the hollow male connector are sized and configured to mate with the threaded interior of the hollow female connector to provide a releasable connection allowing the club to have an assembled configuration and a disassembled configuration;
• and
• wherein the second end of first hollow shaft member and the first end of the second hollow shaft member have an interior diameter of D1 and wherein the first portion of the hollow male connector has an interior diameter of D2, and wherein D2 is at least 85% of D1, and wherein the second portion of the male connector has an interior diameter D3 and wherein D3 is at lest 40% of D1.