Golf club with near vertical shaft

A golf club having a bent hosel. The hosel is approximately five inches long and the bend is approximately centered on the hosel. The hosel is connected to the golf club base to angle toward the golfer. At its middle, or approximately two and one half inches above the golf club base, the hosel is bent away from the golfer to a nearly vertical angle. The shaft of the golf club is connected to the upper portion of the bent hosel causing the shaft to continue at the nearly vertical angle. The novel angling of the hosel and shaft allow an average golfer to consistently hit straighter shots beginning with a putter, but including golf irons and golf woods.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to golf clubs and in particular to a golf club with a near vertical shaft allowing a more natural and accurate swing.

Known golf clubs include an often large angular offset between the golf club shaft and head position, pushing the golf club head away from a golfer during a swing. As a result, in order to align the club head with the ground horizontally, the golfer must hold the club with the golf club shaft at a slant relative to the vertical, angling down and away from the golfer. The golfer grasps the top grip portion of the shaft and assumes a stance with the shaft and grip slanted toward the waist, stomach, or chest area and spaced away from the golfer's body between approximately two and twelve inches.

Using known golfing methods, the head of the club is placed forward of the golfer's body and behind the ball position, either on the grass of a putting green or on the grass of a fairway. The golfer stands back from the ball position so that the head of the club is generally placed several inches from the toe of the golfer's shoes, (for example, when using a putter) or up to fifty inches away, (for example, when using a driver). The degree of the shaft's slant depends on the golfer's physical height, on the club the golfer is using, and on how much the golfer extends the arms away from the body. Nevertheless, in most cases and situations, the golf club shaft is slanted considerably down and away from the golfer, whether the golfer leans forward to “face” the ball directly or whether the golfer turns their feet or hips a little to the right or to the left. This preparation and positioning, and procedure to make the back swing and the return swing to hit the ball, is commonly referred to as “addressing the ball.”

Further, because the golfer holds the club head away from the body, a small lateral torque perpendicular to the swing is present during the swing. While this torque is small, it nevertheless may interfere with the natural “pendulum” motion of the swing and cause a small angular deflection of the club face which the golfer must compensate for. The small angular error in the club face may result in a large position error in the balls final position.

Therefore, the known methods for addressing the ball do not provide a natural swing for some golfers and a new golf club allowing a different method for addressing the ball and the swing is needed.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a golf club having a bent hosel. The hosel is approximately five inches long and the bend is approximately centered on the hosel. The hosel is connected to the golf club base to angle toward the golfer. At its middle, or approximately two and one half inches above the golf club base, the hosel is bent away from the golfer to a nearly vertical angle. The shaft of the golf club is connected to the upper portion of the bent hosel causing the shaft continue at the nearly vertical angle. The novel angling of the hosel and shaft allow an average golfer to consistently hit straighter shots beginning with a putter, but including golf irons and golf woods.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a golf club providing a more natural swing. The golf club including a head, a hosel, a shaft, and a grip. The head includes a substantially vertical face for hitting a golf ball and a base configured to reside approximately horizontally when the face hits the ball. The hosel is attached to the head at a point on the left side of the head, when viewed facing the face. The hosel includes a lower portion at a first angle between vertical and sloping upward to the left and an upper portion at a second angle between vertical and sloping upward to the right. The shaft extends up from the upper portion of the hosel at a third angle between vertical and sloping upward to the right. The grip is attached at the top of the shaft. The lower portion of the hosel preferably slopes to the left and the upper portion of the hosel preferably slopes to the right, and the shaft is preferably aligned with the upper portion of the hosel.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for a golfer to apply a more natural golf club swing. The method includes: grasping the grip of a golf club, the golf club having a shaft aligned with the grip and attached to a hosel which is attached to a head of the golf club, and swinging the golf club with the head of the golf club passing approximately under the golfer's grasp. The hosel includes an upper portion aligned with and attached to the shaft and sloping upward and towards the golfer, or vertical, and a lower portion attached to a head of the golf club at a point on the head away from the golfer.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a more accurate golf club using a short back-swing, such as a quarter-back-swing or a half-back-swing. The present invention applies to putters in particular because putting benefits from greater accuracy more than other phases of golf. However, the present invention may be adapted for a “chipper” and several “short irons,” clubs which may be used around the putting green and where accuracy is more important than distance. Further, the present invention may be adapted for any fairway iron where the club is not used to make shots at long distances.

In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a golf club not requiring a “great arc” type swing. Although prior-art clubs may make accurate shots, they are compromised to also provide leverage and swing speed. One of several ways to achieve swing speed is by swinging with a great arc. In order to make the great arc feasible, club shafts are constructed to slant away from the golfer. In this way, the club head could be a foot to more than a yard away from the golfer's feet. Having this space from where the golfer stands to where he places the club face behind the ball provides the golfer with the room and freedom to swing his arms and hands in the great arc. This is done in conjunction with a powerful pivot at his hips (including shoulder and back turns), that direct the upper torso toward the intended direction of the ball. The great arc, however, is not necessary for putting or for hitting shots when the golfer is close to the putting green. It is the intention of this novel idea to construct a type of golf club that can be swung without the great arc in order to give the average golfer more consistency in making accurate shots both on the putting green and at the near approach area to a putting green.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A rear view of a prior art golf club10is shown inFIG. 1. The golf club10includes a head18having a face18a(seeFIG. 3) for striking a golf ball, a grip12for grasping the club30, a short hosel16attached to the head18, and a shaft14connecting the grip12to the hosel16. At the point of the swing when the face18aof the head18strikes the golf ball, the face is substantially vertical but may slope back from the vertical on some clubs to provide some lift to the golf ball, and the base18bof the head is preferably approximately horizontal. The shaft14is generally required to be straight for competitive play, and the hosel16may be curved but is short and preferably not more than five inches long.

A golfer20is shown holding the prior art golf club10inFIG. 2, and forces F1and F2present in a swing of the golf club10when the club10is at a point of making contact with the golf ball24are shown inFIG. 3with the face18afacing up. The golfer20exerts a force F2required for the swing and impact of the face18aof the head18with the golf ball24, but an additional force F1is required to hold the head18of the club away from the golfer20. Although small, the required force F1may slightly bias the swing resulting in a slight angling of the face18aof the head18and a small variation in the intended trajectory of the golf ball24. Because the force F1is not a natural part of the swing, it is difficult for some golfers to learn to properly and consistently swing the prior art golf club10.

A rear view (i.e., the face of the head of the club into the paper) of the golf club30according to the present invention is shown inFIG. 4. The head18of the golf club30includes a vertical centerline CL horizontally centered on the base18and a vertical line V parallel to the centerline CL. The golf club30preferably includes a bent (or curved) hosel36. The shaft34extends from the hosel36as with the golf club10, on the left side (or heel17) of the head18when viewed from the rear of the head18. The hosel36includes a lower portion36aand upper portion36b. The lower portion32ais attached to the head18near the heel17, i.e., towards the golfer20. The lower portion36apreferably is vertical or slopes up and away from the vertical line V and towards the golfer20, and more preferably slopes away from the vertical line V at an angle A2from vertical, when the base18bof the head18is horizontal. The upper portion36bpreferably is vertical or slopes slightly towards the vertical centerline CL, and more preferably slopes slightly towards the vertical centerline CL at a small angle A1from vertical, when the base18bof the head18is approximately horizontal. The angle A1is preferably approximately three degrees and the angle A2is preferably approximately 21 degrees. The head18further includes a toe19opposite the head17. In use, the heel17is the end of the head18closest to the golfer20and the toe19is the end of the head18farthest from the golfer20.

The hosel36is preferably connected to the heel17of the club head18and the lower portion36apoints towards the golfer20as the golfer20normally stands as the golfer addresses the ball24. The lower portion36ahad a length L1which is preferably between two to three inches and more preferably approximately 2.5 inches. The upper portion36bhad a length L2which is preferably between two to three inches and more preferably approximately 2.5 inches. The overall length L3of the hosel36is preferably not more than five inches and is more preferably five inches. The shaft34is attached to the upper portion36band is aligned with the upper portion36band resides nearly vertically at the point of impact of the club head18with the golf ball24during a swing, at which point of impact the base18bof the head18is nearly horizontal.

The golfer20is shown holding the golf club30inFIG. 5. The golfer20now holds the grip12with the grip12and shaft30nearly vertical when the base18bof the head18is horizontal and the grip12at the top of the shaft12nearly directly above (i.e., the head18of the club30is not displaced towards or away from the golfer20sufficiently to require any noticeable lateral force F1(seeFIG. 3) to hold the club) on the head18at the point of impact and when the base18bof the head18of the golf club30is nearly horizontal. The grip12preferable is at least directly above some portion of the head18. The golf club30provides a vertical or upright shaft at the point of impact with the ball24allowing more accuracy than the golf club10having a shaft slanted away from the body as shown inFIG. 2. Since leverage and the freedom to create a great arc swing are not essential when using the golf club30for making shots that are close to the putting green, the vertical or upright shaft allows the golfer20to utilize a more natural and thus more accurate swing.

The force F2present in a swing of the golf club30is shown inFIG. 6. Because the shaft30is now nearly vertical at the point of impact with the ball24, the head18is nearly directly below the grip12, and the force F1ofFIG. 3is drastically reduced or eliminated. The golfer20is now free to swing the golf club30in a more natural manner with improved accuracy.

The golfer20holding a reverse golf club30′ according to the present invention is shown inFIG. 7and forces present in a swing of the reverse golf club30′ are shown inFIG. 8. The reverse golf club30′ provides the same advantage as the golf club30because head of the club30′ is nearly directly below the grip12of the club30′ at the point of impact with the ball24, thus minimizing or eliminating the lateral force F1ofFIG. 3freeing the golfer20to swing the golf club30′ in a more natural manner with improved accuracy.

Four typical prior art golf clubs10a-10dare shown inFIGS. 9A-9D. The golf clubs10a-10dall include shafts14angled away from vertical upwards and towards the golfer to allow room for a “great arc” type swing. As a result of the angle of the shafts14, the golfer must compensate for the resulting torque at the grip12, and errors may be introduced into the flight of the golf ball.

Four golf clubs30a-30daccording to the present invention corresponding to the prior art golf clubs10a-10dare shown inFIGS. 10A-10D. The golf clubs30a-30dhave nearly vertical shafts reducing or eliminating the torque around the grips12of the prior art golf clubs10a-10dthereby reducing or eliminating the errors introduced into the flight of the golf ball.

For the putting shot, a right-handed golfer would address the ball in the normal manner with perhaps a couple of exceptions. First, he would place his left leg so that the left shoe is as close to the ball as possible without it being in the way for a putter striking the ball during the performance of his shot. It is important that the golfer pushes the left hand back into his right hand without “breaking” (or bending) his wrists, and maintaining, without “breaking”, his wrists to make a solid contact during his return swing and follow through. The golfer should mentally “see” his vertical/upright shaft going directly to the target during its vertical/upright follow-through.

In regards to the “chipper” iron, and the other “irons,” it is suggested that until a golfer accustoms himself to this new system, that he should adjust his stance to an “open stance” as follows: assuming he is a right-handed golfer, the golfer puts his right foot toe at or near the place where the ball lies on the fairway grass and opens his stance by placing his left foot to partially spread away toward his left flank, thus creating the “open stance.” The open stance may help to prevent “shanking” the ball. The golfer preferably takes his club back with a good pivot and returns the club in his normal manner, but making certain that the vertical/upright shaft is pointing at the target as it is moving through the ball. At about the instant when the two hands are brought down into the ball in the usual manner, the golfer should have in his mind that approximately when the club head makes contact with the ball, that he turns his right hand slightly under his left hand in such a manner that the right forearm feels as if it is coming under the vertical/upright shaft during its movement toward the target. When the follow-through part of the swing is completed, that is to say when the golfer's hands have been extended to almost shoulder level elevation, the golfer might feel that his right forearm is underneath the shaft guiding it as it is finishes its movement aimed at the target. This final maneuver with this new type of hosel/shaft combination may help the golfer to achieve accuracy when the golfer makes his approach shots to the putting green.