Abstract:
A golf putting aid is used with a putter having a handle, a putter head, and an elongated putter shaft. The level includes an elongated member affixed to the level and an attachment member capable of detachably securing the handle to the shaft of a putter. The method comprises attaching the level to the shaft of the putter and using the level to orient the putter shaft in a vertical plumb bob position. The putting aid may be used either with, or without the putter.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a putting aid and a method for using same. 
     In the game of golf, there are three variables with which every golfer must deal during putting. One of these variables is the distance of the ball from the hole. Another is the tendency of the ball to break either to the right or to the left when putted and approaching the hole. The final variable is the uphill/downhill nature of the putt over the distance from the ball to the hole. 
     Golfers commonly use their putter as a plumb bob for determining the various variables of the putt. This is usually done by grasping the grip of the putter between two fingers and permitting the putter to dangle from that grip. The problem with this method of using the putter as a plumb bob is that the putter often does not dangle at a perfectly vertical orientation due to the non-symmetrical arrangement of the putter head relative to the remainder of the putter. Therefore using the putter as a plumb bob in this fashion does not give an accurate read as to the exact orientation of vertical relative to the putt. 
     Therefore a primary object of the present invention is the provision of an improved putting aid and method for using same. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of a simple and easy to use putting aid which can be carried on the golfer&#39;s person and which can be quickly and easily attached to the golfer&#39;s putter shaft. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of a putting aid and method for using same which enables the golfer to determine the distance of the putt, the right or left break of the putt, and the uphill/downhill nature of the putt. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved putting aid and method for using same which enables the golfer to use the putter as a plumb bob to determine the correct orientation of vertical relative to the hole and to the putt. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of a putting aid and method which permit the handheld use of the device free from attachment to the putter. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of a putting aid and method for using same which are efficient in operation, durable in use, and simple in construction. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The foregoing objects may be achieved by a golf putting aid for use with a putter having a handle, a putter head, and an elongated putter shaft having a longitudinal shaft axis interconnecting the putter handle and the putter head. The putting aid includes a level having a longitudinal level axis and a bubble indicator for indicating orientation of the longitudinal level axis with respect to a level orientation. An elongated member is affixed to the level and has a longitudinal member axis extending parallel to the level axis. An attachment member is affixed to at least one of the level and the elongated member and is capable of detachable affixation to the putter shaft with the level axis and the member axis extending perpendicular to the shaft axis. 
     According to another feature of the invention the elongated member includes a plurality of spaced apart indicia marked thereon along the length of the member axis for use in determining the distance of a putting hole from the elongated member. 
     According to another feature of the invention the attachment member is a magnet. Other means of the attachment may be used without detracting from the other features of the invention. 
     According to another feature of the present invention, the invention comprises the combination of the putter with the putting aid attached to the shaft of the putter. However, the device also may be used without being attached to the putter without detracting from the other features of the invention. 
     The method of the present invention comprises using the above-described putting aid either in combination with the above-described putter or by itself without the putter. When used with a putter, the method comprises taking the putting aid and detachably affixing the attachment member of the putting aid to the putter shaft so that the level axis and the member axis are perpendicular to the shaft axis. Next, the orientation of the putter shaft is adjusted until the bubble indicator on the putting aid indicates that the level axis and the member axis are in a horizontal level orientation. This places the putter shaft in a vertical orientation for use as a plumb bob in lining up the putt of a ball positioned on a green in spaced relation to a golf hole. 
     According to another feature of the invention the method comprises holding the putter at arms length and lining up the outside margins of the golf hole with spaced apart indicia on the elongated member to determine the distance of the golf hole from the putter. 
     According to another feature of the present invention the method comprises lining up the putter shaft with the center of the hole and determining from the orientation of the surface of the green adjacent the hole whether or not the putt will break right to left or left to right. Alternatively the putter shaft may be lined up with the center of the ball and the same determination made. 
     According to a further feature of the present invention the method further includes moving to a position between the ball and the hole and to one side of a line between the ball and the hole, and using the vertical orientation of the putter shaft to determine whether the hole is uphill or down hill from the ball. The putting aid can be placed a distance from the putter&#39;s eye that causes one end of the putting aid to intersect the ball and the other end to intersect with the flag. It can alternatively be placed with one end lined up with the hole, or can be placed with the putting aid lined up with some point between the ball and the hole. This can be done with, or without, the putting aid attached to the putter. In either case the putting aid is placed in a level orientation to make the determination. If the ball is lower than the hole, the putter aligns one end of the putting device on the ball and looks at how high the other end is above the hole. If the ball is below the hole, then the putter aligns one end of the putting aid with the hole and determines how high the other end is above the ball. The height can be measured in the number of ball thicknesses in order to obtain a consistent measurement. 
     When used without the putter the putting aid is hand held and placed in a level position. The line of the putt is determined by comparing the surface of the green to the level orientation of the putting aid. This can be done to determine the left or right break of the putt, and from the side can be done to determine the uphill or downhill break of the putt as the ball approaches the hole. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a putter having the putter aid attached thereto. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective enlarged view of the putting aid. 
     FIG. 3 is a top plan view showing the use of the putting aid to determine the distance of the hole from the ball. 
     FIG. 4 is an elevational view showing the use of the putting aid to determine whether or not the putt will break left to right or right to left. 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail elevational view of the putting aid attached to the shaft of the putter. 
     FIG. 6 is an elevational view showing the use of the putting aid in alignment with the ball in order to determine the uphill/downhill nature of the putt. 
     FIG. 6A is a schematic view taken along line  6 A— 6 A of FIG.  6 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a putter  10  is shown having a putter grip  12  and a putter head  14  joined by an elongated putter shaft  16 . The numeral  18  designates the longitudinal axis of the putter shaft  16 . 
     Attached to the putter shaft is a putting aid  20  having an elongated member  22 . The numeral  24  designates the longitudinal axis of member  22 . Member  22  is affixed by glue or other means to a level  26  having a longitudinal level axis  28 . The level axis  28  and the member axis  24  are parallel to one another. Connected to the end of the level  26  is an attachment member  30 . Attachment member  30  may be of various constructions without detracting from the invention. The preferred means of attachment is the use of a magnet such as the magnet  30  shown in the drawings. 
     The elongated member  22  includes a plurality of calibrations or indicia spaced apart along its axis  24  and terminates at an inner end  34 . Member  22  also has an outer end  36 . 
     Level  26  includes a level frame  38  having an upper viewing window  40  (FIGS. 2,  3 , and  5 ) and a lower viewing window  42 . Within the level frame  38  is an elongated glass tube  44  having spaced apart level marks  46  thereon and having a liquid containing a bubble  48 . The bubble  48 , when it is centered within the level marks  46  indicates that the longitudinal axes  24 ,  28  are horizontal and level. 
     Magnet  30  includes a concave end  50  as can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 which enables the magnet to embrace the outer curvature of the putter shaft  16  for detachably affixing the putting aid  20  to the putter shaft  16  as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     Referring to FIG. 3, the device is shown for determining the distance of the hole from the ball. The putting aid  20  is attached to the putter shaft  16  and the putter shaft  16  is held at arms length. The outer end  36  of the elongated member  22  is aligned with the left margin  54  of the putting hole  52  as shown in FIG.  3 . The human eye  58  is used to make this alignment along line  60 . Then the human eye aligns the right-hand margin  56  of hole  52  with one of the indicia  32  on the elongated member  36 . Depending upon which indicia crosses this line  62 , the golfer can determine the distance of the hole  52  from the ball. In making this measurement, the shaft  16  is positioned in vertical alignment above a ball  68 . Thus the indicia on the elongated member  20  tells the golfer the distance of the hole from the ball. Alternatively the right edge  56  of the hole  52  may be aligned with the left end  39  of the level  38  and the line  60  will then intersect one of the indicia  32  to the left of left end  39  so as to indicate distance. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the use of the putting aid to make the putter  10  into a plumb bob for determining the direction in which the ball will break as it approaches the hole. The level bubble  48  is positioned so that the level is horizontal and this results in the vertical axis  18  of the putter  10  being precisely vertical as in the nature of a plumb bob. The putter is then positioned directly over the ball and in alignment with the center of the hole  52 . The horizon  66  adjacent the hole indicates whether the break is to the right or to the left. This can be visually ascertained by comparing the angle of the vertical plumb bob created by the putter  10  and the line of the horizon  66 . 
     The putter can also be used as a plumb bob to determine the uphill or downhill nature of the putt as illustrated in FIG.  6 . Again the bubble  48  is positioned centered between the markings on the level and this causes the putter shaft  16  to be vertical. The orientation of the uphill/downhill horizon  70  indicates whether the putt is uphill or downhill. In making this assessment the operator stands at a point between the ball  68  and the hole  52  and to one side of a line between the ball  68  and the hole  52  in order to measure this variable. If the ball  68  is above the hole  52 , the putting aid is then held an appropriate distance from the putter&#39;s eye  58  so that the inner end  34  of elongated member  22  is aligned with the ball  68  and the outer end  36  of elongated member  22  intersects the flag stick  64 . If the hole  52  is above the ball  68 , then the outer end  36  is placed on the hole and the inner end  32  is positioned above the ball  68 . In either case the slope can be determined by estimating the number of ball thicknesses the elongated member  22  is above the hole or ball respectively. 
     The horizontal member  22  can also be horizontally aligned with any point on the horizon between the ball  68  and the hole  52  in order to determine the slope at that point. In FIG. 6 the putting aid  20  is shown attached to the putter shaft  16 , but it also may be hand held and disattached from the putter shaft  16 . 
     The device is simple and easy to use. It can be carried in a golfer&#39;s pocket and can be attached to the shaft of the putter quickly and easily at the time of putting. It enables the golfer to examine the three variables shown in FIGS. 3,  4 , and  6  and described above. The putting aid permits the putter shaft to be used as a plumb bob in a much more accurate fashion then is normally achieved. 
     In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, these are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Changes in the form and the proportion of parts as well as in the substitution of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as further defined in the following claims.