Compact golf club assembly

Claim 1

A golf club, comprising: a head having a elongated shank, and a latch-receiving opening in the shaft; an elongated shaft having a handle on one end thereof, an axial opening in the opposite end thereof for receiving the shank, and a shaft opening which registers with the latch-receiving opening of the shank when it is disposed in the axial opening of the shaft; a latch mounted on the shaft on one side thereof so as to be movable in a lateral direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, between a latched position in which the latch is disposed in the shaft opening and the latch-receiving opening of the shank to prevent longitudinal motion of the shank with respect to the shaft, and a release position in which the latch is removed from the latch-receiving opening in the shank to permit longitudinal motion of the shank with respect to the shaft; release means mounted on the shaft on the opposite side thereof as the latch, the release means being movable in a lateral direction with respect to the shaft and being connected to the latch so as to be movable therewith; a resilient band embracing the shaft and being so connected to the latch as to bias it toward said latched position whereby the release means are operable to move the latch toward said release position for removing the shank from the axial opening of the shaft; and the shank having a tapered end for engaging the latch for moving it toward said release position as the shank is being received into the axial opening in the shaft.