Patent Publication Number: US-2003232661-A1

Title: Golf club putter head

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] This invention relates to a golf club, and more particularly to a golf putter head designed to facilitate more precise and accurate control of the putting stroke.  
       [0002] Through the years, the golf industry has introduced numerous putters, with shapes and designs claimed to give advantage to the player on the greens, better accuracy and precision strike. Thousands of putters and drivers have been designed with numerous variations in the configurations, face shapes, slots, grooves, etc. all to improve the game and make it easier for a beginner and professional player to control the roll of the ball. However, none of the existing designs provide a putter head with a weight distribution towards the heel of the putter head and a low center of gravity.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a putter head, which has a low center of gravity.  
       [0004] It is another object of the present of the present invention to provide an improved putter head having a weighted heel.  
       [0005] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a putter head with reduced weight upper portion in the area above the “sweet spot.” 
       [0006] These and other objects of the present invention are achieved through a provision of a putter head having a generally triangular configuration with rounded corners. A striking face extends between a bottom face and a top face. A cutout is formed in the striking face, and a wedge-shaped high-impact polymer insert is fitted into the front face cutout. The striking face has an inclined lower portion to facilitate a perpendicular direction of impact of the hitting plate on the golf ball.  
       [0007] The bottom face is provided with an irregularly-shaped cutout and a sole plate is fitted into that cutout. The sole plate has a specific weight greater than the specific weight of the putter head body, which is made of a hardwood, such as for instance persimmon wood. The heavy sole plate lowers the center of gravity of the putter head.  
       [0008] The bottom face cutout is defined in part by a bottom surface. A plurality of openings is formed in the bottom surface. These openings are filled with a material, for instance epoxy that has a specific weight smaller than the specific weight of the putter body. The bottom face openings are located adjacent to the striking face of the putter head.  
       [0009] The heel portion of the putter head is located at an apex of the converging side faces. A weight member is fitted in the heel portion to re-distribute the weight of the putter head and make the heel portion heavier than the front portion where the striking plate is located. As a result, a more balanced strike and accuracy of the ball travel is achieved. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0010] Reference will now be made to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals and wherein  
     [0011]FIG. 1 is an exploded top view of the putter head in accordance with the present invention.  
     [0012]FIG. 2 is an exploded bottom view of the putter head of the present invention.  
     [0013]FIG. 3 is a front view of the striking face of the putter head of the present invention, with the insert plate removed for clarity.  
     [0014]FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the striking face of the putter head showing orientation of centerline hosel holes.  
     [0015]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the sole plate of the putter head of the present invention.  
     [0016]FIG. 6 is a side view of the sole plate shown in FIG. 5. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     [0017] Turning now to the drawings in more detail, numeral  10  designates the putter head in accordance with the present invention. The putter head  10  comprises a striking face  12  defined by a flat surface with a cutout  14  in the center thereof. A hitting plate  16  having a generally trapezoidal vertical section, fits into the cutout  14  and is retained therein in a frictional engagement. The wedge-shaped insert, or hitting plate  16  is retained in place with the help of a sole plate, as well.  
     [0018] The body of the putter head  10  has a specific weight; is made of a hardwood, for instance persimmon wood; the insert  16  is formed from a high impact polymer, which gives, on impact with the ball, a more precise strike and gives a different feel as compared to conventional hardwood putter striking face.  
     [0019] The putter head  10  further comprises side faces  18  and  20  that extend from opposite ends of the striking face  12  and connect to the striking face  12  by rounded corners  22  and  24 , respectively. The rounded corners  22  and  24  extend from the outermost limits of the striking face  12  at an acute angle thereto, while the side faces  18  and  20  extend at about 60-degree angles in relation to the front striking surface  12 . The side faces  18  and  20  converge into an apex or rounded face  26 , which forms an apex of the triangularly-shaped putter head  10 .  
     [0020] An opening  30  is formed in the top face  32  of the putter head. The opening  30  is located adjacent the apex defined by the corner  26 . A weighted plug, or weight member  34  is inserted into the opening  30 . The plug  34  maybe a brass cylinder secured in the opening  30  with an epoxy or other similar adhesive material. The plug  34  provides the distribution of weight to the heel portion of the putter head  10 . The addition of the weight in the heel portion of the putter head  16  facilitates parallel orientation of the putter head relative to the ground when balanced by a golf club shaft.  
     [0021] A shaft opening, or hosel opening, is formed in the top face  32 , along the top edge of the striking face  12 . One of such openings is shown in solid line in FIG. 1, while alternative openings are shown in phantom line in FIG. 1. Depending on the position of the shaft, the putter head  10  can be provided with an opening  38  adjacent to the corner face  22 , which will accommodate a left handed player with an off-center shaft location. Alternatively, the putter head  10  can be provided with an opening  40  which would be suitable for a right-handed player. The openings  38  and  40  are drilled perpendicularly to the face  32  of the putter head  10 .  
     [0022] If the manufacturer desires to produce a putter head  10  for use with a center shaft, the invention provides for the use of two alternative openings, a left-handed center hosel opening  22  and a right-handed hosel opening  44 . The openings  42  and  44  are drilled at an angle in relation to the vertical axis of the putter head  10 . As can be better seen in FIG. 4, a center axis of the hosel opening  42  is oriented at an angle “a,” which is about 70-72 degrees in relation to the top face  32 .  
     [0023] Similarly, the angle of the center axis passing through the hosel opening  44 , angle “d” in FIG. 4, is about 70-72 degrees in relation to the top face  32 . The shaft of the handle, if the center hosel model is selected, will pass through the openings  42  or  44 , depending on whether the left-handed or the right-handed model is chosen. Both openings  42  and  44  cross the centerline  48  (FIG. 1).  
     [0024] To facilitate striking of the ball in a straight line, the front face  12  of the putter head  10  is provided with an upwardly inclined portion  50  (FIG. 3). The portion  50  extends an angle in relation to the bottom edge  52  of the putter head  10 ; the portion  52  terminates at an edge  54 , which defines the upper edge of the surface inclined portion  50 . The inclined portion extends an a pre-determined angle, defined as angle “c” in FIG. 3, which may be about 35-37 degrees in relation to the horizontal bottom edge  52 .  
     [0025] The same slanted angle is provided on the hitting plate  16 ; the inclined portion of the hitting plate  16  is identified by numeral  56  in FIG. 4. The loft of the putter head  10  provides a better accuracy in striking the ball and reduces the resistance of the ball in the beginning of a travel. The ball rolls forward from the hitting plate  16  above the inclined surface  56  and is propelled more accurately toward the goal.  
     [0026] As can be further seen in FIG. 3, the cutout  14  formed in the face  12  has upwardly inclined walls  58  and  60 . The walls are oriented at angles “d” and “e,” respectively. The angles “d” and “e” may be 76-78 degrees in relation to the bottom edge  62  of the cutout  14 . The striking plate  16  fits into the cutout  14  and frictionally engages the walls  58 ,  60  and the edge  62 .  
     [0027] The bottom surface of the putter head  10 , shown better in an exploded view in FIG. 2, is provided with an irregularly-shaped cutout  70  sized and shaped to receive a sole plate  72  therein. The sole plate  72  is made from heavy material, for instance brass, to lower the center of gravity of the putter head  10 .  
     [0028] A plurality of openings  74  is found in the bottom surface of the cutout  70 . Adjacent to the front striking face  12  The hardwood material that makes up the structure of the putter head  10  is removed from the openings  74  and lightweight epoxy resin is deposited into the openings  74 . The epoxy resin has a slower specific weight in comparison with the hardwood body of the putter head  10 . As a result, the front portion of the putter head  10 , where the openings  74  are located, is made artificially lighter than the heel portion, where the weighted plug  34  is positioned.  
     [0029] As can be further seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, the sole plate  72  has a thicker heel portion  76 . This arrangement further ensures that the weight of the heel portion  26  is greater in comparison with the all-wood putter head conventionally used by the gold players.  
     [0030] The combination of the hardwood, the offset of the hosel weight, particularly with the center line hosels, the high impact striking plate  16  improves the swinging mass of the putter head  10  and facilitates a better pendulum motion needed for an accurate strike. The swinging mass, being particularly distributed through the body of the putter head  10  provides better inertia to the putter head and assures that he striking face  12  stays perfectly square at impact. The face is not “open” or “closed”, but is rather balanced for the accurate strike. The angle of the strike by the plate  16  remains perpendicular to the ball and assures that the ball is rolling on a true line.  
     [0031] In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the mass of the putter head  10  is between 113 to 230 grams. The mass is moved closer to the back of the putter head while making the front portion lighter. As a result, the swinging action of the putter head has a better perspective, and a more accurate rolling of the ball can be achieved. The weight of the putter head  10  is distributed in a precise balance to assure that the striking face always faces straight up and does not roll to the left or to the right.  
     [0032] Many changes and modifications can be made in the design of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof. I therefore pray that my rights to the present invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.