Patent Publication Number: US-2013244806-A1

Title: Golf putter

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     Priority to Korean patent application number 10-2011-00______ filed on, 2011, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, is claimed. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a golf putter used in the putting of a golf play and, more particularly, to a golf putter in which the face of a putter head, coming into contact with a golf ball, is processed to have a protruded and curved surface, thereby being capable of improving a feeling of touch, the forward movement of the golf ball, and the degree of accuracy when a golf ball is impacted. 
     2. Background of the Related Art 
     In order to capture a golf course, various kinds of golf clubs are used according to topography, a distance, etc. A golf putter is finally used in a putting green when a hole cup is captured. 
     The golf putter includes a putter head equipped with a ball striking face, a shaft and a grip coupled to the putter head, and so on. Various techniques for sending a golf ball in an accurate track are being applied to the putter head forming the golf putter because a golf score chiefly depends on the degree of accuracy of putting for capturing a hole. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A putter head that is now being applied to most golf putters has a plane putter face. The putter head is chiefly configured to have various forms of grooves in the putter face. In a golf putter having the putter head, the plane putter face strikes a golf ball and thus pushes the golf ball forwardly in a putting stroke process. 
     The golf putter configured as above is problematic in that it is not easy to push the golf ball in a desired track direction because smooth rolling (i.e., forward rotation) is not applied to the golf ball in the putting stroke process. Furthermore, when the golf ball is strongly putted for long putting, an edge part formed at the bottom of the putter face may lift up the golf ball in the finishing process of a putting stroke in which the putter head is separated from the golf ball. Accordingly, the golf ball frequently jumps and drops in a specific distance and then moves forwardly. If the golf ball jumps and then moves forwardly, a problem arises because the golf ball misses an original track aimed by a golfer or irregular or inaccurate force is applied to the golf ball. The above problems are important factors that make it difficult for the golf ball to accurately reach a desired point. 
     Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems occurring in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a golf putter in which an upper face, and a putting face and a lower face having different diameters are formed in the putter face of a putter head and a putting spot area is formed at the center of the putting face. In this golf putter, in a putting stroke process, the putting face and the curved face of the lower face adjoining the putting face impact a golf ball as if they sweep up the golf ball. Accordingly, smooth and forward rotation is applied to the golf ball and, even though the golf ball is impacted by strong force, a phenomenon in which the golf ball jumps up can be prevented. Furthermore, a golfer can have an improved feeling of putting and have a sense of security and a sense of self-confidence according to the feeling of touch because a golf ball is rolled as if the golf ball sticks to the putting face and the lower face in the putting stroke process of the golf ball. 
     To achieve the above object, a golf putter according to the present invention includes a putter head, including a putter neck and a connector, and a shaft coupled to the connector, wherein a putter face is formed in the front of the putter head and balancers are backwardly protruded and formed on both sides of the rear of the putter face in order to keep the balance between a toe and a hill. The putter face formed in the front of the putter head includes a putting face formed to cross a center of the putter face in a length direction when seen from the front, a lower face formed at the lower end of the putting face, and an upper face formed at the upper end of the putting face so that the putter face partitions the upper face and the lower face on the basis of the putting face. The putting face, and the upper face and the lower face have different radii and have protruded and round forms. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further objects and advantages of the invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a golf putter according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of a putter head according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3A  is a cross-sectional view of a putting face for illustrating a diameter of the putting face according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3B  is a cross-sectional view of an upper face for illustrating a diameter of the upper face according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3C  is a cross-sectional view of a lower face for illustrating a diameter of the lower face according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4A  is a cross-sectional view for illustrating a stroke process of the golf ball according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4B  is a cross-sectional view for illustrating a correlation between a putter face and a golf ball in the stroke process according to the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  shows an example in which the golf putter according to the present invention is used. 
     
    
    
       
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                 &lt;Description of reference numerals of 
               
               
                 principal elements in the drawings&gt; 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 10: golf putter 
                 20: putter head 
               
               
                   
                 21: balancer 
                 22: putter neck 
               
               
                   
                 23: connector 
                 30: putter face 
               
               
                   
                 31: putting face 
                 32: lower face 
               
               
                   
                 33: upper face 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     A preferred embodiment of a golf putter  10  according to the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . As shown, the golf putter  10  of the present invention includes a putter head  20 , including a putter neck  22  and a connector  23 , and a shaft S coupled to the connector  23 . A putter face  30  is formed in the front of the putter head  20 . Balancers  21  are backwardly protruded and formed on both sides of the rear of the putter face  30  in order to keep the balance between a toe and a hill. 
     The putter face  30  formed in the front of the putter head  20  includes a putting face  31  formed to cross the center of the putter face  30  in a length direction when seen from the front, a lower face  32  formed at the lower end of the putting face  31 , and an upper face  33  formed at the upper end of the putting face  31 . Thus, the putter face  30  partitions the upper face  33  and the lower face  32  on the basis of the putting face  31 . 
     The vertical cross sections of the putter head  20  according to the present invention are shown in  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B, and  3 C. As shown, the putting face  31  formed at the center of the putter face  30  is configured to have a protruded and round form having a radius R 1  of 17.5 mm to 22.5 mm. The lower face  32  is configured to have a protruded and round form having a radius R 2  of 7.5 mm to mm. The upper face  33  is configured to have a protruded and round form having a radius R 3  of 10 mm to 12.5 mm. 
     The putting face  31  and the lower face  32  are consecutively formed in the putter face  30 . A boundary of the putting face  31  and the lower face  32  is subject to round processing to have a curved surface, so that a golf ball B closely adheres to the putting face  31  and the lower face  32  smoothly and naturally when the golf ball B is putted. 
     In the present invention, the reason why the putting face  31  is formed to have the curved surface having the radius R 1  of 17.5 mm to 22.5 mm is described below. If the radius R 1  of the curved surface of the putting face  31  is less than 17.5 mm, it is difficult to hit an accurate putting spot because of a difference with the diameter 42.67 mm of the authorized golf ball B and a feeling of security is low. If the radius R 1  of the curved surface of the putting face  31  exceeds 22.5 mm, the golf ball B does not stably adhere to the putting face  31  in a putting stroke process because the diameter of the putting face  31  is much greater than the diameter 42.67 mm of the golf ball B. 
     In the present invention, the reason why the lower face  32  is formed to have the curved surface having the radius R 2  of 7.5 mm to 10 mm is described below. If the radius of the curved surface of the lower face  32  is less than 7.5 mm, a desired level of forward rotation is not applied to the golf ball B when the golf ball B is detached from the lower face  32  because the golf ball B does not stably adhere to the lower face  32  in the finishing process of a putting stroke. If the radius of the curved surface of the lower face  32  exceeds 10 mm, a golfer cannot have a stable feeling of touch because the lower face  32  operates as if it pushes the golf ball B in the finishing process of a putting stroke. 
     In the golf putter constructed as above according to the present invention, in the impact process of a putting stroke, the golf ball B is impacted by the putting face  31  having the curved surface. In the finishing process of the putting stroke performed after the impact, the lower face  32  smoothly pushes and forwardly moves the upper end of the golf ball B impacted by the putting face  31  having the curved surface, as if the lower face  32  presses and sweeps up the upper end of the golf ball B. Accordingly, the golf ball B can be prevented from being jumped (see  FIGS. 3A and 3B ). 
     In accordance with the present invention, in the impact process of a putting stroke, a phenomenon in which the golf ball B jumps up can be prevented. 
     Furthermore, in subsequent processes after the impact, the golf ball B smoothly and closely adheres to the lower face  32  adjoining the putting face  31  having the curved surface. Accordingly, a golfer can have a stable feeling of touch in a putting stroke process. Furthermore, in a process from the impact process of a putting stroke to the finishing process of the putting stroke, the putting face  31  and the lower face  32  forming the curved surface forwardly moves the golf ball B as if they sweep up the golf ball B while pressing the golf ball B, so that smooth and forward rotation is applied to the golf ball B and an excellent straight movement property is guaranteed. Accordingly, the golf ball B can be easily moved in a track desired by a golfer, and the advance distance of the golf ball B can be maintained accurately and regularly. 
     Furthermore, although a hit point is formed at a central portion of the putting face  31  by stronger force for long putting in a putting stroke process, the lower face  32  is configured to smoothly push the upper end of the golf ball B, as if the lower face  32  presses and sweeps up the upper end of the golf ball B. Accordingly, a phenomenon in which the golf ball B jumps up even in strong putting can be minimized. Furthermore, a golfer can move the golf ball B in a desired track because smooth and forward rotation is applied to the golf ball B even in strong putting and thus a straight movement property is improved. 
     As described above, the golf putter of the present invention includes the putter face, including the upper face, the putting face, and the lower face which form the curved surface and have different diameters. Accordingly, in a putting stroke process, a golfer can have a stable feeling of touch in which a golf ball moves as if the golf ball sticks to the putter face because the golf ball smoothly and closely adheres to the putting face and the lower face. Furthermore, in the finishing process of an impact, the lower face of the curved surface adjoining the putting face smoothly pushes the upper end of the golf ball as if the lower face presses and sweeps up the upper end of the golf ball. Accordingly, a phenomenon in which the golf ball jumps up can be prevented, and the impacted golf ball can move to an accurate position according to an accurate track because smooth forward rotation is applied to the golf ball right after the impact. 
     Consequently, in accordance with the present invention, a golfer can perform a putting stroke accurately and minutely. Accordingly, the golf putter of the present invention can greatly help a golfer to improve a score. Furthermore, a golfer can have a stable feeling of touch in which a golf ball moves as if the golf ball sticks to the putter face because a surface of the golf ball smoothly and closely adheres from the curved surface of the putting face to the curved surface of the lower face in a putting stroke process. Accordingly, a golfer can improve his putting ability because the golfer can have a stable metal state and a feeling of self-confidence.