WO2003068335A1

WO2003068335A1 - Golf putter head and golf putter using the same

Info

Publication number: WO2003068335A1
Application number: PCT/US2002/001285
Authority: WO
Inventors: Walter Boettger
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-01-18
Filing date: 2002-01-18
Publication date: 2003-08-21
Anticipated expiration: 2004-07-18
Also published as: AU2002237856A1

Abstract

The present invention provides a golf putter head having a vertical striking face, a horizontal upper surface, a lower surface and a shaft mounting hosel located in the upper surface at the center of gravity of the putter head, and comprising a substantially rectangular forward section, a substantially rectangular rearward section in parallel spaced relation and perpendicular to a front to rear axis through horizontal midpoints thereof, and a mid section joining the forward and rearward sections along the front to rear axis to form the putter head, wherein the striking face is substantially rectangular and is defined by horizontally parallel upper and lower edges forming a plane that is perpendicular to a plane formed by the upper surface and wherein the lower surface is beveled front to rear at an angle of 2° to 5° from horizontal and wherein the center of gravity coincides with a center of mass and is located adjacent to the join between the forward section and the mid section along the front to rear axis. A putter comprising the putter head mounted on a shaft is also provided.

Description

GOLF PUTTER HEAD AND GOLF PUTTER USING THE SAME FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to golf putter heads and to golf putters using the same. More particularly, the invention relates to a golf putter head which is balanced so as to maintain an ideal position of the club face relative to the ball through the entire putting stroke.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the game of golf, the object is to get the ball from the tee to the green and into the cup in the fewest strokes possible. Matches are most often lost on the green due to a golfer' s inability to precisely control the alignment, force and direction of the ball in the act of putting.

Considerable time and effort has been put into the design of putters and putter heads in order to achieve a club which can "guarantee a perfect putt every time". The result is that golfers are presented with a bewildering array of putter designs and devices which rarely meet with expectations .

One key to achieving a good putting stroke is for the putter to be balanced. The balance needs to be both front to rear and side to side, or heel to toe. In addition, it is desired that a putter be ^λλface balanced", which is when the putter is balanced so that, when suspended from the center of gravity of the shaft, the striking face of the putter head is perpendicular to the ground. Achieving balance involves optimum weight distribution around the mounting point of the shaft, which is most often done by locating the hosel at the center of gravity of the putter head.

In addition to balance, it is important that the ball be struck by the correct part of the putter face known as the "sweet spot". This "sweet spot" is at the center of percussion. Failure to hit the ball with the "sweet spot" will cause the putter to twist at impact causing the ball to roll off line. In this respect a balancing of the mass of the putter head is important to ensure that it is centered on the sweet spot and that it is not too far forward or too far to the rear. The inventor herein has found that a proper balancing of the mass of the putter head is best achieved by placement of a counterbalance weight behind the club face and at a distance therefrom which is just outside the diameter of a golf ball. This balancing of the weight and mass of the putter head places the center of balance and the center of mass at the same location which is along the front to rear center line of the club immediately adjacent to the rear of the club face. Furthermore, proper alignment of the putter face with the ball and alignment of the putter head with the ground upon addressing the ball is important to ensure that the ball is hit with the sweet spot. In this respect it has been found a flat putter face which is perpendicular to the ground at the instant of striking the ball is preferred. The prior art is replete with examples of putters which seek to provide the ideal club for the perfect putt. However, these prior art putters exhibit features and structures which are inconsistent with accurate putting. McClure, U.S. 1,703,199 recognizes the need for weight and mass balance in a putter. However, this patent has a mass that places the center of gravity significantly behind the striking face with the result that rear mass is located behind the striking face a significant distance outside the diameter of a golf ball with the result being that the club is prone to torque.

Palmer, U.S. 3,037,770 presents a club having a head with a narrow front to rear thickness such that the center of gravity is at a point rearward of the axis of the shaft. This location coupled .with the close mass location relative to the striking face of the club produces a forward imbalance resulting in a faster head speed during the putting stroke. In addition, the spherical bottom surface of the club head makes proper alignment at ball address more difficult with a tendency to heel or toe the ball.

Hoglund, U.S. 3,758,115, approaches the object of a balanced putter with an enlarged, elongate body and a relatively narrow thickness transverse planar head connected to the body by a narrow neck. The shaft is connected to the head at the center of gravity with the object being to obtain front to rear and lateral balance. However, the extreme length of the body of the club head results in the placement of the rear mass a significant distance outside the diameter of a golf ball when measured from the striking face which produces a tendency for the head to torque or twist relative to the shaft during the putting stroke. As with Palmer, the arcuate bottom edge of the club head contributes to such torque due to the tendency to misalign the head at ball address. Long, U.S. 4,010,958, presents a putter in which the distribution of mass is relocated from behind the sweet spot to the heel and toe ends in an attempt increase the horizontally operating rotational inertia of the club, thereby reducing the ill effect when the ball is struck away from the center of percussion of the head. The resulting club head forms a square with mass concentrations at each corner. This is totally unlike the structure of the putter head of the present invention.

In the case of Dalton, U.S. 4,138,117, and Winchell, U.S. 5,080,365, the clubs presented in these patents are similar in nature to that of Hoglund, i.e., elongated bodies with a transverse planar head. Like Hoglund and Palmer before, the extreme length of the head mass has a tendency to create torque around the shaft during a putting stroke despite the position of the shaft mounting at the center of gravity. In addition, the relatively arcuate bottom edge of the striking face has a tendency to increase such torque due to the difficulty in achieving a level heel to toe address of the ball.

Guthrie, et al . , approaches the concept of the present invention in presenting a golf putter resembling a section of railroad track with the base of the track forming the forward section and striking face and the upper track portion serving as a counterweight. The shaft of the putter is mounted to the web joining the base and upper track portion at about the center of gravity for the track section. However, the position of the shaft mounting in this patent is spaced rearward from the rear face of the base indicating that the overall front to rear length is greater than optimum and that the counterweight has a mass greater than the forward section. Such a weight and mass disparity has the same effect as the elongated bodies in Palmer, Hoglund, Dalton and Winchell in producing torque around the shaft. In addition, as with other prior art putters, the bottom edge of the striking face and the lower surface of the putter head itself is curved which results in a greater tendency to heel or toe the club when addressing or hitting the ball which causes the ball to roll off line. The foregoing deficiencies of the prior art have been overcome by the putter head of the present invention thereby providing golfers with a putter capable of precisely controlling the force and direction of the golf ball during putting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a golf putter head comprising a forward section of a first width having a front striking face and a rear face, a rearward section of a second width narrower than the first width and having a front face and a rear face, and means connecting the forward section and the rearward section in a parallel spaced relationship along and perpendicular to a front to rear axis, wherein the first width is substantially twice that of the second width, the spacing between the rear face of the forward section and the front face of the rearward section is one half the width of the rearward section, the forward and rearward sections having equal thickness whereby the distance from the striking face to the rear face of the rearward section is substantially equal to the width of the rearward section and wherein the center of gravity and center of mass of the putter head coincide and are located at a point along the front to rear axis immediately adjacent to the rear face of the forward section.

The present invention further provides a golf putter head having a vertical striking face, a horizontal upper surface, a lower surface and a shaft mounting hosel located in the upper surface at the center of gravity of the putter head, and comprising a substantially rectangular forward section, a substantially rectangular rearward section in parallel spaced relation and perpendicular to a front to rear axis through horizontal midpoints thereof, and a mid section joining the forward and rearward sections along the front to rear axis to form the putter head, wherein the striking face is substantially rectangular and is defined by horizontally parallel upper and lower edges forming a plane that is perpendicular to a plane formed by the upper surface and wherein the lower surface is beveled front to rear at an angle of 2° to 5° from horizontal and wherein the center of gravity coincides with a center of mass and is located adjacent to the join between the forward section and the mid section along the front to rear axis.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a golf putter comprising; a forward section of a first width having a front striking face and a rear face, a rearward section of a second width narrower than the first width and having a front face and a rear face, and means connecting the forward section and the rearward section in a parallel spaced relationship along and perpendicular to a front to rear axis, wherein the first width is substantially twice that of the second width, the spacing between the rear face of the forward section and the front face of the rearward section is one half the width of the rearward section, the forward and rearward sections having equal thickness whereby the distance from the striking face to the rear face of the rearward section is substantially equal to the width of the rearward section, a shaft mounting hosel located at the center of gravity of the putter head along the front to rear axis and in line with a horizontal midpoint of the forward section, an elongate shaft mounted in the hosel and extending upward from the upper surface, the shaft being bent at an angle of about 20° from vertical in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front to rear axis of the putter head, wherein the striking face is substantially rectangular and is defined by parallel upper and lower edges, the upper and lower edges being straight, the forward section, the rearward section and the connecting means form separate continuous planar upper and lower surfaces, wherein the upper surface is horizontal and the striking face is perpendicular thereto and at least a portion of the lower surface is beveled at an angle of 2° to 5° in a rearward direction and the center of gravity coincides with a center of mass and is located adjacent to the join between the forward section and the mid section along the front to rear axis .

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a golf putter having improved balance and control of the putting stroke and resulting ball travel. A further object is to provide a golf putter that is balanced front to rear and side to side about the center of gravity and which is capable of being readily face balanced relative to the shaft.

A still further object is to provide a golf putter having a head structure which provides the improved balance and control and which structurally defines the sweet spot or optimum striking area of the club face from the overhead vantage point of the user.

Yet a further object is to provide a putter which exhibits virtually zero torque about the shaft enabling the user to maintain an ideal position of the club face relative to the ball through the entire putting stroke.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following drawings and description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1, is a perspective view of the putter head of the present invention.

Figure 2, is a forward plan view of the putter head of the present invention. Figure 3, is a top plan view of the putter head of the present invention.

Figure 4, is a side view of the putter head of the present invention.

Figure 5, is a top view of a second embodiment of the putter head of the present invention.

Figure 6, is a top view of a third embodiment of the putter head of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As shown in Fig. 1, the putter head 1 of the present invention comprises a forward section 2 of a first width having a front striking face 3 and a rear face 4, a rearward section 5 of a second width narrower than the first width and having a front face β and a rear face 7, and a mid-section 8 connecting the forward section 2 and the rearward section 5 in a parallel spaced relationship along and perpendicular to a front to rear axis .

Looking at Fig. 3, the width of the forward section 2 is substantially twice the width of the rearward section 5 with the spacing A between the rear face 4 of the forward section 2 and the front face β of the rearward section 5 being one half the width of the rearward section 5. The forward and rearward sections have equal thickness such that the distance B from the striking face 3 to the rear face 7 of the rearward section 5 is substantially equal to the width of the rearward section 5.

In the preferred embodiment, the forward section 2 of the putter head 1 is approximately four inches wide and one half inch thick. Applying these dimensions to the above description, the rearward section 5 is approximately two inches wide and one half inch thick. Thus, the distance A is one inch whil.e the - distance B is two inches.

The effect of this relationship is to place the horizontal center line of the rearward section at a point that is spaced from the face 3 of the forward section 2 a distance substantially equal to the diameter of a regulation golf ball. Only about one half the thickness of the rearward section 5 is outside this diameter. The foregoing relationships are important to the improved nature of the putter head since they result in the center of gravity, CG, and center of mass, CM, of the putter. head coinciding at the same location 9 which is at a point along the front to rear axis immediately adjacent to the rear face 4 of the forward section 2.

This point coincides with the center line of the hosel 13 into which the shaft 14 of the putter is inserted and fixed. By placing the hosel 13 at the point of the combined center of mass and center of gravity, the head 1 can be more easily face balanced relative to the shaft 14. A club is face balanced when, with the club balanced at the center of gravity along the shaft, the plane of the face is perpendicular to the ground. Face balancing of a club, particularly a putter is extremely important for achieving full control of the putting stroke so that the ball is struck squarely by the face 3 of the putter head.

A golf ball is struck squarely when, at the point of contact, the club face 3 is vertically and horizontally perpendicular to the diametric axis of the- ball. Alignment of this nature is partially achieved by use of indicia, such as indicated in the drawings at 11 and 12, which provide the golfer with a visual indication of the position of the club relative to the ball. However, face balancing of the putter head 1 is of greater importance since a putter that is not face balanced cannot consistently hit the ball squarely. In most cases a club is face balanced after the shaft is attached by grinding the club head at one point or another. Such after the fact grinding affects the weight and mass balance of the club head. With the putter head 1 of the present invention, wherein the center of gravity and the center of mass coincide with the center of the shaft 14 in the hosel 13, it is possible to achieve face balancing of the club without grinding the putter head 1 at any point thereby avoiding disturbing the center of gravity and the center of mass of the putter head 1 itself . In addition, the compact depth of the putter head 1 being based on the diameter of a regulation golf ball as described previously has the effect of both reducing the tendency of the head 1 to torque about the shaft 14 and providing better control over the speed of the head 1 during a putting stroke, particularly at the point of impact with the ball all of which translates into better control over the alignment of the putter face 3 when it strikes the ball. In addition, the rearward section 5 acts a counterweight for the forward section 2 to provide an overall balance for the putter head 1. As the prior art shows, this balancing of the head can also be accomplished with both longer and shorter head depths.

However, the present inventor has found that putter heads having a front to rear head depth that is significantly longer than the diameter of a golf ball, even though balanced relative to the shaft, have a greater tendency to torque or twist relative to the shaft during the putting stroke. This torque is transmitted through the shaft to the golfer's hands requiring the golfer to make adjustments during the course of the stroke which can further upset the alignment of the putter face with the ball at the point of contact. However, it has also been found that the depth of a putter head 1 has a minimum value as well. In the case of traditional blade type putters where all of the mass of the head is concentrated in a short depth, the forward motion of this mass causes an increase in the speed of the head just prior to the striking of the ball.

If a golfer is not aware of this it can result in over shooting the hole or misalignment of the head at the moment of contact with the ball. Other putters where the mass of the head is all within a depth that is shorter than the diameter of a regulation golf ball exhibit a similar tendency. It has been found that by locating some of the mass of the putter head rearward of the face of the putter the golfer has better control over the inertia of the putter throughout the stroke. The difficulty has been in determining the optimum depth within which to distribute the mass of a putter head.

The present inventor has found that the diameter of a golf ball is the key to determining the depth of a putter head to achieve optimum control over both the putter and the ball during the act of putting. By limiting the depth of the putter head 1 of the present invention so that most of the mass of the head 1 is within and dispersed along a depth that substantially corresponds to the diameter of a regulation golf ball the tendency of the head 1 to torque relative to the shaft is significantly reduced or completely eliminated. In addition, the counterbalancing action of the rearward section 5 in the putter head 1 of the present invention has a tendency to retard a certain amount of the momentum of the club so that the speed of the head 1 throughout the stroke is constant. Fine tuning of the concept has resulted in the putter head 1 of the present invention where no more than one half the thickness of the rearward section 5 is outside of a depth corresponding to the diameter of a golf ball. This relationship has been found to produce the combination of balance and control for a putter.

In addition to the foregoing, the relationship of the striking face 3 to the upper surface 10 of the putter head 1 is such that the planes of these two surfaces are perpendicular. Thus, when a putter having the putter head 1 mounted thereon is held at ball address, i.e. immediately adjacent to the golf ball prior to initiating the stroke, the upper surface 10 is horizontal and parallel to the ground while the striking face 3 is vertical and perpendicular to the ground. In this manner, the club is positioned square to the ball in the vertical plane, or X axis. To ensure that the club is positioned square in the horizontal plane, or Y axis, indicia are provided on the upper surface 10 to identify the center line axis 11 of the putter head 1 as well as the outer dimensions 12 of the golf ball. The indicia 11 and 12 are provided at least on the upper surface 10 of the forward section 2. Preferably, however, the indicia 11 extends rearward along the upper surface 10 of the mid-section 8 and extensions of the indicia 12 are provided in the appropriate location indicating the extreme width of a golf ball on the upper surface of rearward section 5.

As shown in the drawing figures, the striking face 3 of the putter head 1 is substantially rectangular and is defined by parallel upper and lower edges 15 and 16 and side edges 17 and 18. Upper and lower edges 15 and 16 are straight with no curvature. These straight edges, particularly lower edge 16, provide stable base for the putter when addressing the ball. Previous putters have had a curved lower edge which can result in heeling or toeing of the club with the resulting misalignment of the club face to the ball. In addition, the lower surface 19 of the putter head 1 is planar with no curvature. In previous putters, the lower surface of the head has had a front to rear curvature which has made alignment of the club with the ball more difficult especially when combined with a heel to toe curvature.

^'In order to provide for clearance with the ground during the putting stroke and to allow for those circumstances when it is desired to apply a small amount of loft to the ball, the lower surface 19 of the putter head 1 is provided with a rearward bevel 20 on the order of 2° to 5°, preferably 2° to 3°, relative to the ground. This bevel can run from the lower edge 16 of the face 3 to the rear of the putter, but preferably begins along a line parallel to and spaced rearward from the lower edge 16 about one eighth to one quarter inch thus leaving a base 21 at the forward edge of the lower surface 19 on which the golfer can plant the putter at ball address.

With respect to the shaft 14, with the location of the hosel 13 where indicated, in order to maintain a normal stance relative to the ball it is necessary to provide an angle to the shaft 14. This may be done by forming the hosel 13, and thereby mounting the shaft 14, at an angle of 20° to 30° to the vertical in a line parallel to the heel-toe direction of the putter head 1. Preferably, the hosel 13 is vertical in the putter and the shaft 14 is provided with a bend of 20° to 30° from vertical at a point about two inches above the upper surface of the head. Alternatively, a straight shaft 14 may be used and the putter used in a between-the-legs or croquet style stroke. Although the preferred embodiment of the putter head 1 is shown in figures 1 and 3, alternative embodiments are possible within the teaching of the present invention. Such alternatives are shown in Figures 5 and 6 wherein a pair of arms 22 and 23 are substituted for the one piece mid-section 8 of the preferred embodiment. The overall relationships of the forward and rearward sections 2 and 5, the center of gravity and center of mass location 9, the hosel 13, and the various surfaces of the putter head 1 as previously described are the same in the alternative embodiments. The arms 22 and 23 serve the same purpose as mid-section 8 and may be positioned to extend between corresponding ends of the forward and rearward sections 2 and 5 as shown in Fig. 5 or they may converge at the hosel 13 as shown in Fig. 6. So long as the overall balance and other relationships remain the same, the means for connecting the forward and rearward sections 2 and 5 of the putter head 1 in their particular relationship relative to the diameter of a golf ball may vary. The foregoing description presents the preferred embodiments of the present invention and it is understood that many variations and modifications of those embodiments will be evident to those skilled in the art and may be carried out without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

What is claimed is: 1. A balanced golf putter head comprising: a forward section of a first width having a front striking face and a rear face, a rearward section of a second width narrower than said first width and having a front face and a rear face, and means connecting said forward section and said rearward section in a parallel spaced relationship along and perpendicular to a front to rear axis, wherein said first width is substantially twice that of said second width, the spacing between said rear face of said forward section and said front face of said rearward section is one half the width of said rearward section, said forward and rearward sections having equal thickness whereby the distance from said striking face to said rear face of said rearward section is substantially equal to the width of said rearward section and wherein the center of gravity and center of mass of said putter head coincide and are located at a point along said front to rear axis immediately adjacent to said rear face of said forward section.

2. The golf putter head of claim 1 having a shaft mounting hosel located at the center of gravity of said putter head along said front to rear axis and in line with a horizontal midpoint of said forward section.

3. The golf putter head of claim 2, wherein said striking face is substantially rectangular and is defined by parallel upper and lower edges, whereby said striking face is perpendicular to a horizontal upper surface of said putter head.

4. The golf putter head of claim 3 wherein said forward section, said rearward section and said connecting means form continuous upper and lower surfaces of said putter head and wherein said lower surface has a rearward bevel across the width of said lower surface and extending rearward from adjacent said lower edge of said striking face to a lower edge of said rear face of said rearward section and forming an angle with a horizontal plane of from 2° to 5°.

5. The golf putter head of claim 4 wherein said bevel is from 2° to 3°.

6. The golf putter head of claim 4, wherein said connecting means comprises a single arm extending between the mid-points of said forward and rearward sections and perpendicular thereto along said front to rear axis.

7. The putter head of claim 4 wherein said connecting means comprises a pair of arms extending between said rear face of said forward section and said front face of said rearward section.

8. The putter head of claim 7, wherein said arms extend between opposite ends of said forward section and corresponding opposite ends of said rearward section.

9. The putter head of claim 7 wherein said arms converge at said hosel.

10. A golf putter head having a vertical striking face, a horizontal upper surface, a lower surface and a shaft mounting hosel located in said upper surface at the center of gravity of said putter head, and comprising a substantially rectangular forward section, a substantially rectangular rearward section in parallel spaced relation and perpendicular to a front to rear axis through horizontal midpoints thereof, and a mid section joining said forward and rearward sections along said front to rear axis to form said putter head, wherein said striking face is substantially rectangular and is defined by horizontally parallel upper and lower edges forming a plane that is perpendicular to a plane formed by said upper surface and wherein said lower surface is beveled front to rear at an angle of 2° to 5° from horizontal and wherein said center of gravity coincides with a center of mass and is located adjacent to the join between said forward section and said mid section along said front to rear axis.

11. The golf putter head of claim 10 wherein said forward section has a width twice that of said rearward section.

12. The golf putter head of claim 11 having a front to rear depth substantially equal to the width of said rearward section.

13. The golf putter head of claim 12 wherein said rearward section defines the width of a sweet spot on said striking face which dimension is substantially equal to the diameter of a golf ball.

14. The golf putter head of claim 4 further comprising golf ball alignment indicia on said upper surface.

15. The golf putter head of claim 13 further comprising golf ball alignment indicia on said upper surface.

16. A golf putter comprising; a forward section of a first width having a front striking face and a rear face, a rearward section of a second width narrower than said first width and having a front face and a rear face, and means connecting said forward section and said rearward section in a parallel spaced relationship along and perpendicular to a front to rear axis, wherein said first width is substantially twice that of said second width, the spacing between said rear face of said forward section and said front face of said rearward section is one half the width of said rearward section, said forward and rearward sections having equal thickness whereby the distance from said striking face to said rear face of said rearward section is substantially equal to the width of said rearward section, a shaft mounting hosel located at the center of gravity of said putter head along said front to rear axis and in line with a horizontal midpoint of said forward section, an elongate shaft mounted in said hosel and extending upward from said upper surface, said shaft being bent at an angle of about 20° to 30° from vertical in a direction substantially perpendicular to said front to rear axis of said putter head, wherein said striking face is substantially rectangular and is defined by parallel upper and lower edges, said upper and lower edges being straight, said forward section, said rearward section and said connecting means form continuous planar upper and lower surfaces, said upper surface is horizontal and said striking face is perpendicular thereto and at least a portion of said lower surface is beveled at an angle of 2° to 5° in a rearward direction and said center of gravity coincides with a center of mass and is located adjacent to the join between said forward section and said mid section along said front to rear axis.

17. The golf putter of claim 16, wherein said bevel commences along a line rearward of an parallel to said lower edge and spaced therefrom approximately one fourth to one half the thickness of said forward section forming a forward planar strip of said lower surface between said lower edge of said striking surface and said bevel which is perpendicular to said striking face.

18. The golf putter of claim 16, further comprising ball alignment indicia on said upper surface.

19. The golf putter of claim 18 wherein said rearward section defines the width of a sweet spot on said striking face.