Abstract:
A golf putter shaft mounting device that gives the golfer improved feel, accuracy and distance control by maintaining face balance through a wide range of custom settings of lie angle and custom length selection. This invention also allows for ease of manufacture of a putter with custom features. This invention also relates to golf swing training, specifically to an apparatus that aids in learning and improving the alignment and swing for the putter.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/214,911 Apr. 30, 2009 by the present inventor. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of Invention 
       [0002]    This invention relates to a golf putter club and, more specifically, to the golf putter shaft mounting device which enables a customized lie angle, custom selectable length and selectable right or left hand configuration while maintaining face balance of the putter head for all configurations. Further, this invention relates to a method of assembling a putter having an adjustable lie angle, selectable length and selectable right or left hand configuration. 
         [0003]    The United States Golf Association (USGA) Rules allow two distinct categories for adjustable lie angle golf putters. 
       1) Adjustable Shafts 
       [0004]    Adjustable shaft designs must have a precise lie angle limit structure to prevent adjusting the lie angle to less than 10 degrees (more than 80 degrees upright). Small gears, grooves, indentations, and limit pins are usually used. These pose significant manufacturing cost and complexity challenges for manufacturers and limit ease of adjustment use by the golfer. 
         [0000]    2) Bendable Shafts and/or Shaft Mounts. 
         [0005]    Bendable shaft/hosel designs are much more simple to manufacture and use by the golfer. There are no physical lie angle limit requirements. The designs must be set to USGA conforming lie angles at the time of manufacture. Thereafter it is up to the golfer to constrain any adjustments to allowable ranges. Bendable shaft/hosel designs have historically required orthogonal bending of a vertical or near vertical hosel attaching the putter head to the putter shaft. Orthogonal bending has carried a high risk of breakage with repeated adjustments or over wide ranges of lie angle adjustment. With orthogonal bending it has been difficult to achieve precise adjustments. And the range of adjustment has been restricted to approximately plus or minus 3 degrees A bendable putter shaft mounting device is needed that is more repeatably and precisely adjustable and has a wider range of adjustment. 
         [0006]    A golfer&#39;s putting style and technique varies with every player having his or her own unique style. Traditionally, a golfer selects a putter that matches his or her own putting style. Further, golfers often require a putter that is customized to the physical attributes of the golfer. For instance, a golfer&#39;s putting posture, height, and length of arms, legs, and torso all have bearing on a golfer&#39;s putting style and selection of a preferred putter. 
         [0007]    Further, for any given golfer, an individual may desire a putter configuration to reflect the condition of a particular course. For instance, golf greens may vary in terms of the green speed based upon the turf grass used for the greens. Further, weather conditions and variations in course maintenance may further alter the characteristics of a green. Or, the golfers physical flexibility may change dictating use of a different lie angle. Such characteristics may be reflected in a change to a golfer&#39;s style and preferred putter characteristics. Accordingly, there is a need for a putter that can be manufactured to the unique and varying demands of a particular golfer. Further, there is a need for a putter that can be customized to adapt to a given golfer&#39;s particular putting style initially and as it may change over time. 
       PRIOR ART 
       [0008]    There are a variety of putter-type golf clubs which provide for altering the lie angle between the shaft and the club head. 
         [0009]    One such example is in U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,726 to Fenton in which a hosel is set within a flange member in a pivotable fashion. A set screw locks the hosel within the flange member in a preselected position. 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,279 to Culpepper discloses a reversible putter head which may be assembled to fit an individual golfer in accordance with a golfer&#39;s height, stature, and personal preference of the individual. 
         [0011]    It is also known to provide a curved hosel which alters the position of the shaft relative to the club head. Such teachings are reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,672 to Smith.
       U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,203 to Middleton teaches the use of a straight hosel positioned at 90 degrees relative to the axis of the shaft which may be used to provide an offset distance of the putter club head to the shaft which is greater than the diameter of a golf ball.       
 
         [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,295 issued to Phillips discloses a golf putter with an adjustable shaft attached to a removable sphere with set screws which permits movement of the shaft. This device is relatively complex and has many drawbacks. 
         [0014]    The patent to Melanson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,205 relates to an adjustable lie angle golf club putter having an elongated slot in the putter head with aligned boreholes in the walls of the slot. 
         [0015]    The shaft is secured to a hosel member which terminates in a tang having parallel flat sides which mate with the slot. This golf putter, too, has inherent disadvantages and complex interlocking mechanism. 
         [0016]    Several previous designs have been contemplated in which the angle of the putter shaft may be modified or set to the comfort of the golfer. Two such putter designs incorporating adjustable hosels are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,267,733 (Szokola) and 5,340,104 (Griffin). 
         [0017]    However, in the putters disclosed therein, the shaft angle can be adjusted only once, i.e., prior to use of the putter, and the shaft angle is then set using adhesive so that it is no longer variable. Thus, once the shaft angle has been set to one golfer&#39;s comfortable position, the putter might not be comfortably used by another golfer or even the same golfer at a future point in time. It is further desirable to provide a putter whose shaft is movable to allow the shaft angle to be varied a multiple number of times depending on the preference of the particular golfer using the putter. 
         [0018]    Furthermore, most golfers prefer a face balanced putter. A face balanced putter will maintain the face of the putter head horizontal when the putter is balanced using the shaft over an object such as a finger. For a putter whose shaft angle may be varied, a putter that is initially face balanced when the shaft is at an initial manufactured angle will be non-face balanced when the shaft is changed to another angle unless the shaft is mounted in a centered device that can be rotated. This is because an extension of the shaft will no longer intersect the center line of the putter head. This holds regardless of whether the shaft is installed in the heel, toe or center of the putter head. 
         [0019]    It is desirable, therefore, to provide a putter whose face balance is maintained through out any range of adjustable lie angles. This is also appropriate for a putter that can be used by more than one golfer, in order to enable each golfer to adjust the putter lie angle as desired. 
         [0020]    Although prior arts disclose various improvement in the art, a majority of these prior devices have complex interlocking mechanisms and inherent manufacturing drawbacks when trying to comply with the USGA Rules of Golf. These prior arts do not contain a particular structure and novelty as disclosed and claimed hereinafter. 
         [0021]    There remains room for variation and improvement in the art directed towards an improved putter shaft mounting device which maintains face balance while allowing for a wide range of lie angle adjustment for a golfer. Also, to allow for easy shaft length choice by removable shafts. And, for ease of manufacture by providing for a left hand or right hand configuration. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    The following significant advantages which lead to increased enjoyment of the game of golf through more efficient putting and putting stroke training, with/or without an instructor and/or with individual practice, are provided by my invention:
       1) Putting feel and stroke are more consistent because the setup of the putter can now be properly set for the individual golfer&#39;s physical characteristics and personal posture preferences.   2) Distance control is more consistent because the golfer can now more consistently strike the ball in the center of the putter face.   3) Roll efficiency is improved due to the golfer&#39;s hand position at address being matched to the design of the putter head.   4) Putter manufacturing construction is simplified and adjustment features are simplified for the golfer.   5) For putter fitting and training purposes, a series of trial and error lie angle and shaft length adjustments can be readily made to test which configuration works best for each individual golfer.       
 
     
    
     
       DRAWING FIGURES 
         [0028]      FIG. 1  shows a detailed view of a typical embodiment of the present invention apparatus. 
           [0029]      FIG. 2  shows a detailed view of a typical embodiment of how the present invention apparatus is installed in a golf putter head. 
           [0030]      FIG. 3  shows a detailed view of a typical embodiment of how the present invention apparatus is adjusted for an upright lie angle. 
           [0031]      FIG. 4  shows a detailed view of a typical embodiment of how the present invention apparatus is adjusted for an flat lie angle. 
       
    
    
     REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS 
       [0000]    
       
           10  Shaft Mounting Device 
           20  Shaft Base 
           22  Shaft installation opening 
           30  Center Section 
           32  Center Section Rotationally Bending for Lie Angle Adjustment 
           40  Locking Base 
           50  Mounting Screw 
           60  Golf Putter Head 
           70  Golf Putter Shaft—truncated lower section without grip 
           72  Golf Putter Shaft adjusted to typical upright lie angle 
           74  Golf Putter Shaft adjusted to typical flat lie angle 
       
     
       SUMMARY 
       [0043]    In accordance with the present invention a centered shaft mounting device of fixed length is used to mount a golf putter shaft for the purposes of achieving a putter with a wide range adjustable lie angle, selectable lengths and left hand or right hand configurations. 
       DESCRIPTION 
     FIGS.  1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4   
       [0044]    A typical embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 1  detailed view. 
         [0045]    The shaft mounting device  10  is configured and designed to allow a shaft to be installed in a golf putter head while offering significant adjustment advantages for the golfer. It is designed to be installed such that its center axis intersects the center of the putter face. 
         [0046]    The shaft base  20  accepts one end of the golf putter shaft into the shaft installation opening  22  using normal installation methods such as epoxy adhesives. 
         [0047]    The center section  30  is of a diameter, length and material tensile strength to resist rotational bending (twisting) during normal use. But with deliberate side force on the putter shaft, the center section will allow rotational bending (twisting) to adjust the putter shaft lie angle in either a clockwise or counter clockwise direction  32  relative to the front of the putter head  60  when desired. 
         [0048]    The locking base  40  is of a flat sided shape to keep it from rotating when placed into a matching slot in the back or front of the putter head. A typical installation in the back of a putter head is shown. And, the flat sided end of the shaft mounting device contains internal axial threads to accept a mounting screw  50  to ensure it stays attached to the putter head. 
         [0049]    The length of the shaft mounting device  10  may be varied to adjust the shaft offset within the putter head  60 . The length, diameter and material tensile strength of the center section  30  may be varied to control the amount of rotational force required to bend (twist) the rod in order to change the lie angle. 
         [0050]    In  FIG. 2 , one example of how the improved putter shaft mounting device invention is installed in a typical golf putter head is shown. The view of the putter head  60  shows a typical installation of the shaft mounting device  10  into the putter head. 
         [0051]    In  FIG. 3  a putter golf shaft  72  mounted in a putter head  60  using the improved shaft mounting device adjusted to an upright (10 degrees from vertical) lie angle is shown. 
         [0052]    In  FIG. 4  a putter golf shaft  74  mounted in a putter head  60  using the improved shaft mounting device adjusted to a flat (22 degrees from vertical) lie angle is shown. 
       Operation 
     Preferred Embodiment—FIGS.  1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4   
       [0053]    The manner of using the present invention is to mount the shaft of a golf putter. Once a desired overall shaft length has been selected and installed, then the lie angle may be adjusted as desired for a proper fit to the golfer. Lie angle adjustment is done by first holding, standing on or otherwise clamping the putter head to restrict its movement and then by applying side pressure to the shaft sufficient to rotationally bend (twist) the center portion of the shaft mounting device. When the longitudinal body is approximately two inches in overall length with a center portion approximately ¾ inches in length and having a diameter of approximately ⅜ inches and constructed from aluminum alloy 2024, a wide lie angle adjustment range of plus or minus 6 degrees or more with at least 7 repetitions is provided by the present invention. 
       CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS AND SCOPE 
       [0054]    Accordingly, the reader will see that the Putter Shaft Mounting Device of this invention provides improvements in fit, feel and distance control for golfers when using golf putters. 
         [0055]    The design allows the golfer to improve their putting through more consistent distance control, and more accurate and more effective roll. 
         [0056]    The present invention is useful as an initial fitting and learning apparatus, a practice apparatus for continuing improvement and a playing apparatus. 
         [0057]    Although, the description above contains much specificity, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing an illustration of the presently preferred embodiment of this invention. For example, the shaft mounting device does not have to be cylindrical but instead could be rectangular, hexagonal or some other geometric shape. It does not have to be one piece construction but could be fabricated from two or more components. Or it could be fabricated as part of a one piece shaft/shaft mounting device assembly. While an aluminum alloy is used in this example of the present invention, other metals, metal alloys or materials could also be used. 
         [0058]    The putter shaft mounting device could also be installed behind the face of the putter head instead of into the rear of the putter head as shown. And it could be installed towards the heel or toe of the putter head if lie angle adjustability with a heel or toe balance bias is desired. The shaft mounting device of the present invention can be used on putters for right or left hand swinging golfers of any age, gender or degree of golf experience. Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.