Abstract:
A method of putting a golf ball includes a golfer standing erect with the head up and the body facing the hole. The golf ball is positioned to the side of the golfer on his dominant side. A uniquely designed putter is grasped in the dominant hand with the grip of the putter extending upwardly along and against the dominant arm to a position above the elbow. The upper portion of the grip and the dominant arm are grasped firmly with the non-dominant hand to provide stability and the dominant arm and club are swung smoothly in a pendulum-like motion from the shoulder of the dominant arm. The result is a smooth consistent putting swing wherein the effects of flexing elbows and twisting wrists are eliminated and, ultimately, a better putting game and lower golf score. The invention also includes an unique putter for carrying out the inventive putting technique.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0001]    This invention relates generally to the game of golf and more particularly to putting.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    Golf is a challenging endeavor requiring extreme physical discipline and countless hours of practice to establish and maintain proper form throughout the golf swing. Proper form is perhaps no more important than when putting a golf ball on the green. It is widely held that a consistent and accurate putting style requires a smooth pendulum-like swing of the putter. Historically this is accomplished by addressing the golf ball with the shoulders aligned generally with the hole, gripping the putter handle firmly, locking the arms so that they do not flex at the elbow during the swing, and swinging the club head smoothly through the ball. The goal is that the arms and the putter form a pendulum that swings smoothly from the shoulders and that flexing at the elbows and wrists not affect the smooth swing of the putter. It is also very important that the club head remains fixed square with the ball throughout the swing.  
           [0003]    Although the mechanics of a good putting swing are well understood, putting them into practice reliably and consistently is an elusive goal among golfers. While every effort is made by golfers to keep the arms and hands rigid throughout the swing, there is virtually always some flexing at the elbows and some twisting of the wrists. Unfortunately, even the slightest amount of such flexing and twisting can affect the distance and particularly the line of the putt rather drastically so that fewer putts are sunk. As a result, golfers invest countless hours of practice to improve their putting swing and to establish the smooth pendulum-like swing discussed above. Unfortunately, while perfection can be approached in this regard, it can rarely be attained reliably and consistently.  
           [0004]    In addition to the difficulty of establishing a good putting swing, the traditional putting stance also can affect one&#39;s putting game negatively. This is because the golfer&#39;s body faces not with the hole, which is the target of the putt, but instead faces the ball. This relationship of the body to the hole increases the difficulty of judging the distance and line to the hole because the hole is viewed with the head down and turned sideways toward the hole. This is an unnatural way for humans to judge distance and angle.  
           [0005]    Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved putting methodology that insures a smooth pendulum-like swing virtually every time with a minimum of required practice and physical discipline. There also is a need for a putting style in which the distance and line to the hole can be judged more accurately by viewing the hole naturally with the head up, level, and facing the hole throughout the swing. It is to the provision of such a putting methodology and a unique putter for practicing the methodology that the present invention is primarily directed.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    Briefly described, the present invention, in a preferred embodiment thereof, is an improved method of putting a golf ball wherein the golfer addresses and faces the hole instead of the ball throughout the swing. The golf ball is positioned to the dominant side of the golfer; that is, the side corresponding to the golfer&#39;s dominant arm. The unique putter of the invention, which has a specially designed head and extra long shaft and grip, is grasped with the dominant hand at the lower portion of the grip. The upper portion of the grip extends upwardly along the dominant arm to a position above the elbow. The golfer then grasps his upper arm and the upper portion of the grip firmly with the non-dominant hand to anchor the shaft of the putter to the dominant arm above the elbow. The dominant arm and the putter shaft are thereby locked together forming a rigid pendulum that swings from the shoulder of the dominant arm. The golfer then surveys the hole to judge distance and line by facing the hole with the head up and level. In this way, the golfer&#39;s natural binocular vision results in an improved estimate of the proper distance and the proper line to the hole. The stroke is then made with the dominant arm swinging smoothly back and through to the golfer&#39;s side, similar to a bowling motion, with the non-dominant hand and arm riding along to maintain stability. The inventors have discovered that this highly unique putting method and putter results in a significant improvement of the putting game almost immediately. Further, it does not require hours of practice to master and can be used successfully by beginning golfers and pros alike to improve their putting games and reduce their scores. These and other features, objects, and advantages of the putting method and putter of this invention will become more apparent upon review of the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures, which are briefly described as follows. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a golf putter that embodies principles of the present invention in a preferred form.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a golfer in the process of carrying out the putting method of the invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the face of the putter of FIG. 1 illustrating the unique method of attaching the hosel to the head.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 is a top elevational view of the head of the putter of FIG. 1.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the putter of FIG. 1 showing the contoured bottom and back of the head, the attachment of the hosel, and the mounting of the shaft within the hosel.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the hosel of the putter illustrating its angle, which provides for assembling left and right handed putters from the same components. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0013]    Referring now in more detail to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows a unique putter for carrying out the putting method of the invention. The putter  11  has a head  12 , a hosel  13 , a shaft  14 , and a grip  15 . The head  12 , described in more detail below, is formed with a generally flat top surface  17 , a contoured bottom surface  26 , sides  28 , a back surface  29 , and a face  18 . Holes are formed through the head from its face rearwardly and these holes are filled with balancing inserts  19 , whose density and weight are carefully chosen to balance the head  12 .  
         [0014]    The hosel  13 , through which the shaft  14  is connected to the head  12 , is generally cylindrical and, as shown in FIGS.  3 - 6 , has a depending square mounting tongue  24  that is that fits and is secured within a corresponding square hole or insert  23  formed in the top surface of the head. The hosel body is oriented relative to the mounting tongue to form an angle  21  that is at least 10 degrees, which insures the USGA minimum of 10 degrees of lie angle for a putter. The square insert  23  in the head and the corresponding square mounting tongue  24  insures precise alignment of the hosel and shaft with the head during putter assembly. Further, since the head  12  is symmetrical about its center line, left handed putters and right handed putters can be manufactured from the same components by simply orienting the hosel to angle to the right or the left as necessary. The shaft  14  is mounted within a hole  25  (FIG. 6) in the top of the hosel and extends upwardly therefrom. The grip  23  is disposed on the shaft and may be made of a rubber or other appropriate material to provide a secure friction grip for a golfer. The shaft and grip are a minimum of  18  inches long to comply with USGA regulations and, more importantly, are long enough to extend beyond the elbow of a golfer&#39;s dominant arm when at address position, as described in more detail below.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 illustrates the unique putting style and methodology of this invention. A golfer  31  is shown at address position on a green  39  putting a golf ball  37  toward the hole  38 . The golfer  31  in this illustration is right handed such that his right arm  32  and right hand  33  are dominant and his left arm  34  and left hand  36  are non-dominant. When putting, the ball is positioned to his right side, which is his dominant side. It will be understood that the same basic technique described herein also is applicable to left handed golfers, except that, for them, the putt is made from their left side rather than from their right side. Referring still to FIG. 2, rather than addressing and facing the ball while putting, as is traditional, the golfer  31  addresses and faces the hole  38  when practicing the present putting method. The putter  11  is held with the dominant hand  33  gripping the lower portion  16  of the grip and with the upper portion  22  of the grip lying and extending along the dominant arm  32  to a position above the elbow. The non-dominant hand  36  firmly grasps the top portion  22  of the grip and the dominant arm  32  to maintain the grip of the putter firmly against the dominant arm, to provide stability during the swing, and to prevent the dominant arm from bending or twisting at the elbow. It will thus be seen that the dominant arm  32  and the putter  11  together form a rigid pendulum that swings from the shoulder of the dominant arm.  
         [0016]    The golfer  31 , when in the just described address position, aligns the head  12  of the club with the ball, which is positioned to the side of his dominant foot  20 . The golfer then surveys the hole with his head up, level, and facing the hole. It has been found that when surveying the hole from this position, the golfer is able to form a more accurate mental assessment both of the distance to the hole as well as the intended line of the putt. It is believed that this results from the natural use of the golfer&#39;s binocular vision; i.e. with the head up and the eyes level, rather than the head down position of a traditional putting stance. In any event, the golfer uses the improved mental assessment of the distance and line to square the putter face with the intended line of the putt. The putter is then drawn back and swung through the ball all in a smooth pendulum-like motion. During the swing, the putter shaft and the dominant arm are rigid and monolithic resulting in an almost pure pendulum swing from a pivot point at the golfer&#39;s dominant shoulder. The non-dominant hand and arm follow along during the swing to maintain stability throughout the swing.  
         [0017]    As a result of the just described putting technique, it has been found that the head of the putter follows a smooth arc throughout the swing. It has also been found that the head of the club stays square with the intended line of the putt throughout the entire swing, including at the moment of impact with the ball. Because of the outstanding stability of the dominant arm and club during the swing, the golfer is able to keep his eyes on the target rather than on the ball throughout the swing. In traditional putting swings, of course, the eyes are on the ball during the putt. This, in combination with the unique mechanics of the swing, has been found to enhance the accuracy of the putt even more. The ultimate result is an improved overall putting score, a consistency from putt-to-putt that heretofore has been almost unachievable, and a more enjoyable experience for the golfer.  
         [0018]    FIGS.  3 - 6  illustrate in more detail a preferred embodiment of the unique putter of this invention and the unique method of its assembly. It should be understood, however, that the particular configuration shown in these figures may be modified in a variety of ways without departing from the broader invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment of the putter illustrated here is not and should not be considered to be limiting upon the inventions disclosed herein.  
         [0019]    In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the head  12  of the putter has a face  18  with a zero degree loft and is symmetrical about a vertical center line. A pair of holes are formed in the head extending rearwardly from its face  18  to accommodate a pair of balancing inserts  19 . The balancing inserts themselves can be made of metal, plastic, a composite, or any material whose density and weight are chosen for their ability to balance the club head precisely. Balancing insert technology itself is known to those of skill in the art and need not be discussed in more detail here. It also should be noted that the club might be formed with no balancing inserts at all if desired or balancing may be accomplished in any of a number of ways other than balancing inserts, as is known to those of skill in the art. Accordingly, the balancing inserts shown in the illustrated embodiment and, indeed, balancing in general, is not and should not be considered to be a limitation of the invention.  
         [0020]    The head  12  further includes a generally flat top surface  27 , a contoured bottom surface  26 , sides  28 , and a contoured or curved back surface  29 . The hosel  13  is mounted to the top surface of the head  12  by means of a square mounting tongue  24 , which is received in a corresponding square insert  23  formed in the head  12 . Further, as mentioned above, the hosel  13  forms an angle  21  (FIG. 6) of at least ten degrees with respect to the square mounting tongue  24 . This insures a lie angle of at least ten degrees between the head  12  and the shaft  14 , which complies with USGA regulations. The square mounting tongue and insert simplifies fabrication of the putter significantly because the hosel is precisely and automatically oriented with respect to the head by simply inserting and securing the tongue within the hole. In addition, left and right hand putters may be fabricated with the same components by simply turning the hosel to the left or right as needed before securing it to the head, as indicated in phantom lines in FIG. 3. The hosel  13  is formed with an shaft receiving hole  25  (FIG. 6) into which the bottom end of the shaft  14  is secured to mount to shaft to the head.  
         [0021]    As best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 6, the bottom surface  26  of the head is smoothly contoured both from side-to-side and front-to-back to approximate the arc of a swing relative to the playing surface. In this regard, the contoured bottom surface may be designed to be more curved for shorter players and less curved for taller players if desired. The back surface  29  of the head also is curved, primarily for reasons of aesthetics and for balance. As shown in FIG. 5, the shaft  14  of the putter extends upwardly from the hosel at a lie angle equal to the angle  21  of the hosel itself. The method of assembly of the club of this invention includes securing the hosel to the head, securing the shaft in the hosel, and providing the shaft with a grip of the proper characteristics.  
         [0022]    The invention has been described herein in terms of preferred embodiments and methodologies. It will be understood by those of skill in the art, however, that various additions, deletions, and modifications might be made to the illustrated embodiments within the scope of the invention. For instance, the particular shapes and configurations of the putter head and hosel illustrated herein may be modified in scores of ways without exceeding the bounds of the invention or affecting the unique putting methodology of the invention. The mounting tongue of the hosel may be formed with a variety of shapes other than square such as, for example, triangular or star shaped. All such shapes provide the advantage of automatic alignment of the hosel with the head, which is an aspect of the invention. The mounting tongue might even be cylindrical and not automatically aligning where precise alignment and adjustment of the shaft and head are desired. Variations may also be made to the putting method of the invention. For instance, it may be possible to practice the invention with or without grasping the club and dominant arm with the non-dominant hand. A golfer may wish to align his body slightly to one or another side of the target rather than directly with it as shown in the preferred embodiment. The knees may be slightly bent as shown in FIG. 2 or straight as desired. Finally, it should be noted that the shape of the club head, the length and shape of the shaft and grip, the lie angle of the hosel, and any other similar parameters will comply with USGA regulations in all cases, and may be updated to reflect changes in these regulations. For instance, should the USGA change its regulations for an at least 10 degree lie angle for the hosel in the future, then the angle of the hosel of the present application will simply change to satisfy the new requirements. These and other additions, deletions, and modifications of the illustrated and preferred embodiments might well be implemented by those of skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed herein.