Golf putter having spaced weight member

A golf putter is formed with a clubhead including a striking face, added weight along the bottom at the rear of the clubhead to form a soleplate and weight added to the toe and heel portions. Secured to the back side of the clubhead is a rearwardly extending support member. An elongated cylindrical weight member secured to the end of the support member is centered thereon and extends parallel to the striking face. Additional embodiments are shown wherein the elongated weight member is positioned high at the rear of the clubface, or supported on the soleplate. In one alternative embodiment the weight is concealed in a cavity within the clubhead with its support member secured to a separate striking face member. In another embodiment, the weight member is faired into an open cavity and spaced from the walls of the cavity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Because of the great interest in golf and golf equipment, there is a continuing effort to devise newer and better golf clubs. This applies to putters, as well as other clubs, and a visit to any well stocked golf professional's shop will disclose a number of designs of golf putters available. Variations include clubs, particularly putters, having heads with various amounts of offset from the shaft, various shapes of head and various weighting arrangements. Great effort has been expended in attempting to distribute the weight on the clubhead so that the club will swing straight and true.

Specifically, most golf putters today are weighted toward the bottom of the club with varying proportions of the weight placed toward the heel or the toe. The desirable weight distribution and the offset or lack of it are all features which give rise to very subjective reactions by individual golfers, which is probably the reason for the number of designs available. There seems to be no agreement as to an optimum putter design. Comparatively, recent putter designs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,693,478; 4,898,387; 5,308,069; and 5,464,218. It does appear, however, that most of the later and more sophisticated designs attempt to arrange the weight around the clubhead to aid in providing as straight a swing as possible, with the least likelihood of hitting the ball off center, causing the ball to veer from the intended course. Nevertheless, most putters today require that the ball be hit squarely in the center and with the clubhead directly perpendicular to the intended direction of travel of the ball. It would be desirable for most golfers to have golf clubs, and particularly, putters, which are more forgiving of a stroke which is somewhat off center of the clubhead.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Applicant has devised a golf putter which is believed to be more forgiving of an off-center contact with the golf ball than any heretofore available. This putter utilizes a significant proportion of the clubhead weight in the form of a bar extending parallel to the clubhead and spaced outwardly from the rear part of the clubhead by means of a short support or shaft centered on the bar and the clubhead.

As compared with a clubhead having an identical shape and having the extra weight simply cast into the back of the clubhead, applicant's new club clearly provides enhanced performance, especially in situations where the clubhead strikes the ball off center. The length of the rearwardly extended bar, as shown, is approximately half that of the main part of the clubhead, and a significant amount of testing indicates that the clubhead can hit the ball substantially off center without causing the ball to change its direction. Actually, an even longer bar could improve the clubhead performance somewhat more, but the additional length results in a heavier clubhead and less attractive appearance.

The length of the clubface over which the ball may be hit without causing the ball to be deflected is greater than the length of the spaced bar, as shown. Typically, the clubhead may be 4-⅞″ long and the bar centered at the rear is 2-{fraction (7/16)}″ long. Experience with a putter made according to the invention indicates that improved performance is observed even if the point of impact with the ball is anywhere over the entire length of the striking face. Optimum performance will occur if the ball is hit within the length of the bar and a significantly improved performance is experienced even if the point of contact with the ball is outside the length of the bar.

In other embodiments, the weight member is mounted from the top of the putter, or near the bottom of the putter, as when it is carried on the soleplate. Applicant has also formed the weight and support as a “T-bar” which is welded into the clubhead with the end of the support flush with the striking face.

Another embodiment utilizes the same basic concept as the embodiments described above but conceals the bar in a chamber within the putter behind the striking face. In this embodiment, the bar or weight is preferably flat, supported at the center of a separate striking face member and unsupported at the ends such that its performance is similar to the other embodiments described above.

In a further embodiment, the clubface is formed with a cavity open to the rear and with the support extending into the cavity from the rear or back side of the striking face. The weight is secured to the support such that it is spaced from the bottom and sidewall of the cavity. The support is configured so that its exposed surface is substantially flush with the rear side of the clubhead, making the weight, if not concealed, at least not apparent to a casual observer.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from consideration of the following description taken in connection with the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now toFIG. 1, the putter clubhead10is secured to a shaft12by means of an integral hosel12′. The hosel may also be a separate member attached to clubhead10. The clubhead is shown addressing a bail14, shown in phantom, on a putting green16. The clubhead10includes a striking face18with a weighted portion20formed on the rear side. At the bottom of the weighted portion20is a soleplate21. The weighted portion20extends toward the toe and heel of clubhead10but is cut out or relieved in the upper part of the center, as shown at numeral22. A short rod or bar24is secured to, and cantilevered from, the rear side of the striking face18at the center of the cut out part18, which is also essentially at the weight center of the clubhead10. An elongated cylindrical weight26is secured at its exact center to bar24leaving the ends of weight26cantilevered from the point of attachment of weight26to bar24.

FIG. 2is a plan view of the clubhead10showing the clubface18, the weighted portion20, cutout part18, bar24, and the elongated cylindrical weight26. The integral hosel12′ is shown in section. Member26is conveniently shown as cylindrical, although it could have other cross sections such as hexagonal so long as its weight is evenly balanced on opposite sides of its point of attachment to bar24.

Golf balls14and15are shown in phantom adjacent to the striking face18to indicate that clubhead10could strike a ball off center of the clubhead at any point along its length from the location of ball14to that of ball15without causing the ball to travel off course. As stated above, the point of impact could be even further outboard and the ball will still travel straight. As shown inFIGS. 2 and 3, bar24is of such length that weight26extends rearwardly somewhat beyond the width of the main part of clubhead10, including soleplate21. Since bar24and weight26are normally threadedly engaged with clubhead10, weight26must be able to be turned into clubhead10without interference from soleplate21. With different attachment means, such as welding, bar24could be somewhat shorter.

FIG. 4is a simplified force diagram indicating the effect of striking a ball substantially off center with a putter having the clubhead10. When the clubhead10strikes the ball, a force is applied against the clubface18as shown by the arrow A. This causes a moment arm tending to turn or pivot the clubface18around its center toward the direction of the arrow A. This would normally cause the ball to be deflected from the desired path. With applicant's clubhead, the end of weight26on the side of the impact reacts because of its inertia with a compensating force toward the clubface (arrow B) which tends to oppose the tendency of the club to turn.

FIGS. 5-13disclose embodiments not included in the Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/227,741, referred to above.

FIG. 5is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention in this view, the clubhead30includes a clubface32, a soleplate34, an integral hosel36, and a rear face38. Extending from a position high on the rear face is a shaft or support40centered on an elongated cylindrical weight42. A top view of this embodiment is shown in FIG.6. Note that support40extends from the top of rear face38. This embodiment is preferably cast as a single unitary piece.

FIGS. 7 and 8are side elevational views and vertical sectional views, respectively, of a modified form of the clubhead ofFIGS. 1-3in which the support24A and the cylindrical weight26A form a T-bar which is welded in a hole or port44in the portion of the clubhead containing clubface18. The clubhead10is bored to receive the stepped cylindrical insert46and the insert46is secured in place, preferably by welding in place with its tip46A flush with clubface18preferably at the exact location of the club “sweet spot”. Additionally, the weight member26A, in the form of an elongated cylinder26A is secured to a circular boss at the outer end of support24A as by welding, brazing or epoxy bonding.

FIG. 9is an exploded view of still another embodiment of the invention in which the spaced weight member is concealed within a clubhead50, which is hollowed out to form a chamber52extending over most of its length. Clubhead50may contain additional bores54,56for receiving additional weight members (not shown). A cylindrical support member58carries an elongated weight60and is seated in a bore62centered in a faceplate64. A bore65provides a means for attaching a separate hosel and/or shaft.

FIG. 10is a top view of the clubhead50ofFIG. 9showing the chamber52, bores54and56, support member58, and weight member60in phantom; andFIG. 11is a sectional view taken along line11—11of FIG.10. For clarity, the spacing between weight member60, the back face53of chamber52, and the faceplate64is somewhat exaggerated, the normal spacing being in the order of 0.015 to 0.020 in. Weight member60would normally be of a material such as tungsten, which is substantially heavier than the other material of clubhead50, which may be of aluminum. It will be recognized that the ends of weight member60are unsupported and free to respond to the impact of the clubhead50on a golf ball just as described in connection with FIG.4. Once the parts are in position, as shown, they are secured by welding or by an epoxy adhesive.

FIG. 12is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the invention in which the clubhead90is preferably cast as a single unitary piece, including a hosel91, and the elongated weight member92is supported on the soleplate94of the clubhead, in this embodiment, the support93may be integral with or directly supported on the rearwardly extending soleplate94.

The clubheads described have been formed of 431 stainless steel, but they can be formed of any material in common use for manufacturing putters, such as various alloys of aluminum, titanium or brass.

FIG. 13is a top view of the clubhead90of FIG.12.

FIG. 14is an exploded rear perspective view of an embodiment of the invention in which the weight is faired into a cavity or chamber68on the back side of a clubhead70which includes a soleplate71. A weight member72is supported on a short shaft or support74, which is welded or otherwise secured to the striking face76of clubhead70. A small collar78on support74spaces weight member72away from the bottom or vertical wall79of cavity68. Weight member72is sized to provide for a small clearance, such as 0.010 to 0.020 inch between its edge surface80and the sidewall82of cavity68. It will thus be appreciated that the weight72is unsupported on its ends and has clearance all around its edges and is therefore free to respond to an impact with a golf ball in the same manner as described above. The weight member72is smoothly faired into the back surface of the clubhead in such manner that it is not readily apparent that it is a separate weight. A shaft of hosel83is secured to clubhead70.

FIG. 15is a top view of clubhead70with a portion of its top broken away along with a portion of weight member72to show the manner in which collar78on support74serves to space weight member72away from the vertical wall79of cavity68. Again, the clearance between cavity sidewall82and weight member72, and between vertical wall79and weight member72is somewhat exaggerated for clarity. The support74is shown welded to the striking face76at numeral84.

FIG. 16is a sectional view taken along line16—16of FIG.15. Visible in this view are clubhead70, weight member72, and support74with collar78. The wall79of cavity68is shown along with sidewall82. Welds84are also shown.

FIGS. 17 and 18are front and rear elevational views, respectively, of clubhead70. Although support74is welded to striking face76, this connection would be barely visible, if at all, on a finished clubhead, as shown in FIG.17. Hosel83is shown secured to clubhead70.

The above-described embodiments of the present invention are merely descriptive of its principles and are not to be considered limiting. The scope of the present invention instead shall be determined from the scope of the following claims including their equivalents.