Patent Publication Number: US-2006009303-A1

Title: Golf putter

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This claims the benefit of US Provisional application no. 60/590,337 filed Jul. 23, 2004 and US provisional application no. 60/584,145 filed Jul. 1, 2004 both incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a putter for golf and methods of playing golf and methods of making a putter for advantageously putting a golf ball.  
      2. Background Discussion  
      Golf putter technology has been the subject of many innovations in recent years, some of which are scientifically well-founded, others of which may be considered merely psychological. However, whether the results are psychological or based on scientific reasoning, the value of the putter is in the results. Regardless, innovations which are scientifically sound are preferred since they are more widely accepted by a large range of golfers.  
      Through the years there has been much effort expended in improving golf clubs, particularly putters, and with much concentration on the development of means to enable a golfer to properly strike a golf ball on a true line toward the hole. In particular, it has been common to provide a method to align the head of the putter for more accurate putting. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,917,277, 3,866,922, 3,955,819, 3,921,984, 4,209,172, 4,519,612, and 3,880,430.  
      In addition, numerous efforts have been made to alter the weight distribution of a putter in an effort to reduce the tendency of a putter to rotate when a golf ball is struck off center. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,265,451, 3,843,122, 4,253,667, 4,369,974, and 1,537,320.  
      Many types of golf putters have heretofore been developed for the purpose of improving the chances of an ordinary player to properly strike the golf ball. These developers have concentrated on improving the putter&#39;s head shape, obtaining a better balance for the head, changing the ball-striking surface, placing indicia on the head, and the like.  
      As examples of golf putters, attention is directed to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 196,734, 218,178, 234,206, 234,207, 234,208, 234,209, 234,858, 235,567, 236,517, 239,401, 239,402, 4,592,552, 4,163,554, 5,401,022, 5,474,300, 5,364,102, 4,461,479, 5,465,967 and 5,554,078, 5,209,474, 5,632,691, 5,595,385, 6,213,890 and Des. 239,725, incorporated herein by reference.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 3,219,348 for instance, describes a golf putter featuring a handle having a triangular cross section which is supposed to provide a stabilizing means for gripping the club.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 3,578,332 describes a putter having an elongated head and is provided with an enlargement projecting upwardly from the top surface of the head and outwardly from the rear surface with the shaft connecting to the head at the enlargement. U.S. Pat. No. 3,923,308 discloses a putter having a head provided with a vertical slot of sufficient width and length dimensions to permit visual observations therethrough of the undersurface, that is, the putting green.  
      In U.S. Pat. No. 3,679,207 the player must use a side stance, that is, he must face the target or cup and stand with both feet substantially parallel to the line of putt. This putter is provided with an extra-length shaft which ungulates by about 10° from the vertical and terminates in a special-purpose handle. The shaft is made purposely longer than a standard shaft such that the player can putt from a generally upright position. For this purpose, the shaft is about 50 inches long compared to a standard shaft which is about 40″ long. The angulation of the shaft at 10° directs the shaft towards the head of the player when the head of the putter is located to one side of the player. The putter head is weighted and a counter-balancing weight is included on the upper end of the handle. This putter requires that one player&#39;s hand be placed on the balance point along the shaft and the other hand on the handle.  
      As is well known, the stance or style of the player contributes significantly to his putting ability and his ultimate chances of success. This is especially true since a large percentage of all strokes in regulation golf play are putts. Moreover, putting skill is developed with relatively few available guidelines compared to the rest of the golf game, resulting in heavy dependence on the part of the player and on the physical embodiment of his preferred putter. It is also evident that for a full understanding of the advantages of one type of putter versus another type, consideration must be given to the putting style to be employed with the particular golf putter.  
      To coordinate the golfer&#39;s stance, eyesight alignment, club head movement, and club head angle at impact so that the ball moves along its intended path for the desired distance, takes many hours of practice in order to achieve even marginal success. In an effort to make “lining-up” of a putt somewhat easier, certain golfers have preferred to use a croquet-style putter. This style allows the golfer to stand with one foot positioned on each side of a line coincident with the intended path of travel for the ball and to sight directly through the ball rather than standing at a right angle and slightly perpendicular to the intended path. However, in accordance with at least the “1977 Rules of Golf” as approved by the United States Golf Association (USGA), any putter which is intended to be “legal” for USGA sanctioned play shall be designed such that “the axis of the shaft from the top to a point not more than five inches above the sole shall diverge from the vertical by at least 10° in relation to the horizontal line determining length of head.” Consequently, unless a putter is designed with this side angle of at least 10°, a feature conventional croquet-style putters do not have, it will not be a “legal” putter. The USGA rules also require that the golfer stand to one side of the intended path rather than being positioned such that a line extension of this intended path is located between the feet.  
      Putting principles are also described U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,679,207 and 4,227,694. Each of the above inventions addresses one or several of the three most important elements of successful putting which are: 1) orienting the putter head such that at the point of impact the head face is perpendicular to the desired path for the ball to travel, 2) impacting the ball at its centerline, and 3) swinging the putter with a smooth motion in line with the desired direction of ball travel.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,228 teaches that there are various problems related to putting which golfers have attempted to overcome in their search for the ultimate putter.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 3,679,207 teaches the use of a modified croquet style of putting using a long shaft putter. This long shaft putter helps the golfer by allowing the use of a similar stance and body/putter relationship under varying conditions. While the position and stance variation problems with putters used in a modified croquet style is alleviated by this configuration, the golfer&#39;s body has a tendency to twist as the putter is swung. This twisting results in a roundhouse swing at the ball which makes hitting the ball centerline with the putter face perpendicular to the desired path of ball travel very difficult to consistently accomplish.  
      The putter of U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,690 uses a rigid shaft hinged to a rigid handle which, due to its employment of a pendulum-like principle, enables the golfer to more consistently impact the putter head at the ball centerline. While the putter is an improvement over non-pendulum putters, the bi-directional hinged construction uses a singular pivot axis which is difficult to align with the desired ball path. This construction also makes the ball roll distance difficult to control.  
      The invention of U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,323 is also difficult to maintain in proper alignment. In this patent, the bearing faces located at the putter top have a singular pivot axis and must be in correct alignment with the desired ball path. Because of the small size of the club&#39;s gripping device, it is difficult to appreciate its alignment with the desired ball path; consequently, aiming the putter is relatively difficult.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention provides a new and improved golf putter with a particular head weight and putter weight distribution selected to provide improved putting.  
      Other objects, features, and advantages of the instant invention, in its details of construction and arrangement of parts, will be seen from the above, from the following description of the preferred embodiment when considered in light of the drawings and the appended claims.  
      The putter has a selected length L ( FIG. 7 ) of 32-37 inches from the bottom of a heel of the head to the upper end of the shaft, typically 32-36 inches, 430-550 gram clubhead with sufficient counter weight to put center of mass (gravity) 20% to 50%, 25% to 40%, or 30% to 50% of the length “L” of the putter up from the bottom of the heel of the clubhead.  
      Typically, the center of mass (gravity) is 30% to 40%, 30 to 35%, 35 to 45%, or 40 to 45% of the length “L” of the putter up from the bottom of the heel of the clubhead. Thus, a typical center of mass (gravity) of may be 31, 32 or 33% of the length “L” of the putter up from the bottom of the heel of the clubhead.  
      If desired the clubhead may have removable weights, preferably removable heel and toe weights.  
      The club does not have a split grip as it is intended to be gripped as is a regular putter.  
      The putter of the present invention would be a substantially different and better putter than a conventional putter of the same length (330-350 gram clubhead with no counter weight.).  
      The present putter typically provides a number of benefits. It improves stroke, including more consistent swing path, more consistent and controlled acceleration. The ball rolls better because higher center of gravity reduces whip (less angular velocity at lower portion of shaft and clubhead). It provides a higher moment of inertia due to extreme heel-toe weighting and heavy head (larger sweet spot). Also, heavier mass reduces putter acceleration for given hand force (acceleration equals force divided by mass) and for same reason less variability in acceleration given differences in hand force. This allows more consistent control of distance. Also, the present putter allows a more full stroke on fast greens and downhill putts instead of a tiny jab. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  depicts fragmented views of the present putter.  
       FIG. 2  depicts the manner in which the present putter is used by a golfer in a traditional crouched stance with a golf ball directly below the eyes of a golfer.  
       FIG. 3  graphically depicts the approximate location of the center of gravity of the present putter.  
       FIG. 4  depicts a top view of the head of the present putter.  
       FIG. 5  depicts a back view of the head of the present putter.  
       FIG. 6  depicts a cross-section of a portion of a handle of the present putter to show a typical counterweight location.  
       FIG. 7  schematically shows the present putter.  
       FIG. 8  depicts a top view of an embodiment of the instant putter having an enclosed space in the head of the putter.  
       FIG. 9  depicts a second embodiment of the invention.  
       FIG. 10  depicts a third embodiment of the invention.  
       FIG. 11  depicts a schematic cross-sectional front view of a fourth embodiment of the invention with removable weights placed through a top wall of the clubhead. The cross-section cut to expose the respective diameters of clubhead heel and toe weights.  
       FIG. 12  depicts a photograph of the embodiment of  FIG. 11 .  
       FIG. 13  depicts a photograph shows a set of typical clubhead weights and shaft counterweights usable in the embodiment of the putter of  FIG. 12 .  
       FIG. 14  shows a schematic cross-sectional top view of a fifth embodiment of the invention with removable weights placed through a back wall of the clubhead. The cross-section is made at about the midpoint of the height of the clubhead to expose the respective diameters of clubhead heel and toe weights. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      As specifically depicted in  FIG. 1 , the present invention discloses a golf putter  10  for use by a golfer in playing golf. The putter  10  includes a shaft  1  and a clubhead  2 . The clubhead  2  has a back  24 , a face  22  ( FIG. 4 ), a heel  6  and a toe  7  ( FIG. 1 ). The clubhead  2  is integral with or attached to the shaft  1 .  
       FIG. 2  shows the manner in which the present putter is used by a golfer in a traditional crouched stance with a golf ball directly below the eyes of the golfer and the arms of the golfer hanging from the shoulders such that the hands of the golfer and the handle of the putter are away from the body of the golfer.  
      The shaft  1  includes a handle portion  3  integral with or attached to the remainder of the shaft  1 . The putter  10  has a selected length L ( FIG. 7 ) of 32-37 inches, typically 32-36 inches from the heel  6  to the upper end of the shaft  1 .  
      The putter  10  has a selected 430-550 gram clubhead  2  with sufficient counter weight to put center of mass (also known as center of gravity) of the putter 20% to 50%, 25% to 40%, or 30% to 50% of length “L” up the shaft from the bottom of the heel  6  of the clubhead  2 . Typically, the clubhead  2  weight ranges from 450 to 520 grams. Also, typically the counter weight puts the center of mass of the putter 30% to 40%, 30 to 35%, 35 to 45%, or 40 to 45%, of length “L” up the shaft from the bottom of the heel  6  of the clubhead  2 .  
      The clubhead may be a single piece or have multiple pieces.  
      If desired, the clubhead may have removable weights, preferably removable heel and toe weights. For example, the clubhead may have a base weight of 300 to 430 grams, 350 to 430 grams or 400 to 430 grams and be provided with weight pockets into which weights are placed to increase the clubhead weight above its base weight. For example, weights in increments of 10 to 25 grams, e.g., 10, 15, 20 or 25 grams, could be provides to increase heel and/or toe weight each by as much as 100 grams (as much as 200 grams total added weight) while achieving the desired clubhead weight.  
      As shown in  FIG. 11 , weight cylinders  312  are placed into the weight pockets  310  which open through the top wall  330  of the club head. The weight cylinders  312  have a longitudinal through hole through which a screw  320  passes and screws into a threaded opening  322  in the clubhead  300  at the bottom of the weight pocket  310 . The screw  320  has an opening  324  for an Allen wrench or any other suitable turning means.  
       FIG. 12  shows a photograph of an embodiment of the clubhead  300  of a putter of the present invention having weight pockets open through the top wall of the clubhead. Thus, the weights typically could increase the heel weight and toe weight by as much as 100 grams each (200 grams total).  
       FIG. 13  shows a photograph showing a set of weights  390  including a variety of typical clubhead weights in the foreground of the photograph and shaft counterweights in the background of the photograph usable in the embodiment of the putter of  FIG. 12 .  
       FIG. 14  shows another embodiment of a clubhead  400  in which weight cylinders  412  are placed into weight pockets  410  which open through a back wall  430  of the club head. The weight cylinders  412  have a longitudinal through hole through which a screw  420  passes and screws into a threaded opening  422  in the clubhead  400  at an inner end of the weight pocket  410 . The screw  420  has an opening  424  for an Allen wrench or any other suitable turning means.  
      As shown in  FIG. 1 , the handle portion  3  of the shaft  1  is covered by one grip  4 . The grip  4  runs continuously from its upper end  12  a length D of about 10 inches to about 16 inches, typically, from about 10 inches to about 12 inches. The remainder of the shaft  1  has a length F such that, combined with the length D of the grip  4  and the downward length of the clubhead  2 , the putter  10  has the desired overall length L.  
      The putter  10  has a single grip  4 , rather than a split grip, as the putter  10  is intended to be gripped as a regular putter held conventionally a distance below the navel or abdomen of the golfer. The overall length “L” of the putter  10  ( FIG. 7 ) is sufficiently short for the putter to be held conventionally a distance below the navel or abdomen of the golfer. Typical head dimensions ( FIG. 4 ) include a width “A” of about 3-4 inches, a length “B” of about 5 inches, and a face height “C” of about 1 inch. Face heights range typically from about ¾ to about 1 inch.  
      The shaft  1  may be constructed of substantially any conventional material of construction or any known combination of such materials; including but not limited to: iron, steel, titanium, lead, nickel, aluminum, brass, bronze, tungsten and the like; as well as any conventionally known plastic or plastic composite, including but not limited to: carbon fiber composite, fiberglass, and the like used alone or in any suitable combination  
      Suitable materials of construction for the clubhead  2 , e.g., clubhead weights (if any), include any conventionally known material or combination of such materials currently used for this purpose, including but not limited to: iron, steel, lead, nickel, brass, bronze, tungsten, combinations thereof and the like. Of the foregoing, steel, lead, nickel and brass are more typical. The head  2  is permanently fixed to one end of the shaft  1 , by any conventional arrangement known in the art; including but not limited to: mechanical fixing, including but not limited to: screw and thread, and the like; permanent bonding, including but not limited to: welding, brazing, gluing, cementing, and the like.  
      As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the head  2  may be provided with a hollow in the back  24  behind the face  22 .  
       FIG. 8  shows a head  102  of solid metal having a back  124  and a face  122 .  
      The handle portion  3  may be constructed as a separate portion of the shaft  1 , or merely as an extension of the remainder of shaft  1 . If constructed as a separate section, the handle  3  is permanently fixed to the other end of the shaft  1  in the same or similar manner as the head  2 . Regardless of whether the handle portion  3  is integral or separate relative to the remainder of the shaft  1 , the handle portion  3  may be constructed of substantially any conventional material of construction or any known combination of such materials; including but not limited to: iron, steel, titanium, nickel, lead, aluminum, brass, bronze, and the like; as well as any conventionally known plastic or plastic composite, including but not limited to: carbon fiber composite, fiberglass, and the like.  
      Further included in the handle  3  is a counterweight  26  ( FIG. 6 ) fixedly positioned substantially near or within the hand grip  4  sufficient to provide the putter with a higher than normal center of gravity. The exact location of the counterweight will depend on its weight and the weights of other elements of the putter  10 . Thus, the entire counterweight need not be within the handle portion depending on its weight and the weights of other elements of the putter  10 .  
      In an alternative, the counterweight  126  could be placed to encircle the outside perimeter of the handle portion  3  of the shaft  1  below a grip  104  ( FIG. 9 ).  
      In another alternative, portions of the shaft can be designed to integrally provide the desired center of gravity. For example, the wall or material of the handle portion  226  at least partially covered by a grip  204  could be made thicker or otherwise heavier than the remainder of the shaft  1  ( FIG. 10 ).  
      Generally, the shaft and handle are sufficiently stiff to avoid undue flexing during putting.  
      The grip  4  may be constructed from any known grip material, including but not limited to: leather, plastic, rubber, metal, wood, and the like. Leather is most preferred where esthetics are concerned. Rubber is most preferred where economy is concerned.  
      The present invention controls the putter weight distribution, rather than split the grip into upper and lower grips, to give a golfer better leverage to control the heavy putter head.  
       FIG. 3  graphically depicts the approximate location of the center of gravity  8  of an embodiment of the instant putter. Further a general description of the concept of center of gravity of golf clubs is provided by U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,923, with particular reference to  FIGS. 20 and 21 . The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,923 is incorporated herein by reference.  
      The term “sweet spot” (and its variants), as used herein, means: that area on a club face which should come into contact with a golf ball to give the greatest and straightest flight to the ball and the best handling feeling. The sweet spot is an area about the “center of percussion.” The center of percussion is generally a small part of the club face, wherein there is very little or no torque when this part of the club face contacts the golf ball. In general use, the sweet spot is the area about the center of percussion over which this torque is non-existent or substantially not noticeable by a golfer.  
      In many conventional configurations, the mass of the club head is concentrated just behind the sweet spot to provide the desired characteristics. With the mass so concentrated, the sweet spot tends to be relatively small. This would thus make it more difficult for most golfers to consistently cause the sweet spot to come into contact with the ball. Missing the sweet spot usually causes the ball to travel a considerably lesser distance and often contributes to the tendency to “push” or “pull” the ball (to the right or left, respectively). The techniques to broaden the sweet spot generally provide a means to concentrate the weight of the club head in the heel and the toe rather than directly behind the sweet spot. In one particular design, the head is fabricated of a relatively light material and inserts of denser material are provided in the area of the heel and toe of the club head. In another design, the portion of the club head directly behind the club&#39;s ball-striking face is removed so that the weight is necessarily located in other portions of the head, namely the toe and heel portions. In both of these designs the sweet spot is indeed broadened, however, the striking face of each of these clubs would lack the stiffness needed to advantageously utilize the elastic energy generated in the golf ball if it is not made thick enough. This stiffness is needed in order to preclude any deformation of the face, under impact, that would tend to increase the area of contact between the face of the ball and thus dissipate energy in the club head instead of imparting it to the ball.  
      Physical Considerations  
      To most fully understand the instant invention, consideration must be given to the physical principles that have been exploited in support of it; namely inertia of motion and inertia of rest.  
      Inertia of Motion—Inertia of Rest  
      It is well known physical principle that a body in motion tends to stay in motion; the greater the mass of a moving object, the greater its inertia or momentum of motion. When the momentum of motion of a body is increased, a correspondingly greater force is required to cause it to deviate from its prescribed path. Thus, by providing a putter head having a substantially greater mass than known by the prior art, it would take a correspondingly greater deviating force, i.e., an unintended or involuntary muscle twitch or the like, to otherwise spoil a golfer&#39;s intended stroke.  
      It is an equally well known physical principle that a body at rest tends to stay at rest; the greater the mass of a body at rest, the more likely it will stay at rest. The present invention exploits this principle by providing a counterweight  26  ( FIG. 6 ) of substantial mass in the handle  3  of the instant putter  10  proximate the hand grip  4 , at about the point that the golfer pivots the putter  10  after committing to a putt stroke. This achieves a putter having a head of substantial mass while also having a relatively normal center of gravity to facilitate putting. The mass of the counterweight  26  can be readily approximated by the general formula: 
 
 m   1   d   1   =m   2 (1− d   1 ) 
 
 where: 
          m 1 =the mass of the putter head     d 1 =the distance of the center of gravity of the putter head to the overall center of gravity of the putter     m 2 =the mass of the counterweight to be approximated; and,     l=the overall length of the putter        

      Although lead is a preferred material of construction for the instant counterweight  26 , any other commonly known such material would be suitable. As the mass of the point is increased, its tendency to remain at rest is increased. Thus, as is the case of the instant putter head  2 , by providing a substantial mass at about the instant pivot point, its tendency to move or be moved, after the golfer commits to a putt stroke, is correspondingly diminished. Thus, as in the case of the instant putter head, an increased mass at the instant pivot point would require a correspondingly increased force such as an unintended or involuntary muscle twitch and the like, to deviate it from the golfer&#39;s intended stroke.  
     DEFINITIONS  
      Typically, the club has an angle “A” ( FIG. 5 ) between the shaft  1  and the head  2  less than about 90° and more than about 45°.  
      The term “of greater than conventional mass” (and its variants) as to the novel head disclosed herein, means: a golf club head having a mass greater than any other known conventional golf club head. The term is intended to relate to golf club heads in general, and putter heads in particular. Typically, such a mass is defined by the range of at least greater than about 16 ounces.  
      The term “conventional crouched stance” (and its variants) as used herein, relates to that bodily stance that a golfer typically assumes when preparing to strike a golf ball with a golf club in general; and, a putter in particular. Such a stance is in part distinguishable from other atypical stances, less often used in the game of golf, such as a croquet stance.  
     EXAMPLE  
     Heavy Putter™ vs. Leading Brand Putter  
      The following describes a test conducted at the Hank Haney Golf Ranch, Mckinney, Tex. Oct. 18-Nov. 10, 2004, Conducted by: Marius Filmalter and Pierre Noizet, who are not inventors  
      Purpose  
      Heavy Putter™ LLC contacted Research Projects, a company created by Marius Filmalter and Pierre Noize, and together they developed and implemented a procedure to test whether the Heavy Putter™ golf putter produces a more consistent and accurate putting stroke than a conventional leading brand putter.  
      Procedure  
      There are two variables that determine whether a golfer holes putts—Distance and Direction. Using the ‘Super Sam’ Putting Analysis device at the Hank Haney Golf Ranch in McKinney Tex., Marius Filmalter and Pierre Noize tested 72 golfers of varying levels of ability. The golfers were asked to make 5 putts with the Heavy Putter™ golf putter of the present invention and five putts with a leading brand conventional putter. The Super Sam device recorded the results for the following velocity and direction variables:  
      Distance  
      Maximum Acceleration during the Stroke  
      Maximum Velocity during the Stroke  
      Acceleration directly after Impact  
      Direction  
      Putter Head Alignment at Impact  
      Putter Head Path Direction at Impact  
      Putter Face Alignment in Relation to Path at Impact  
      Combined  
      Impact Spot on the Putter Face  
      Next, Marius and Pierre employed statistical analysis software to test the variables. The statistical validity of the results was then confirmed by a Marketing Research Professor, B. P. S Murthi, PhD, of the University of Texas at Dallas.  
      For each putter, the variables were tested on a basis of accuracy and consistency:  
      Accuracy was determined by comparing the mean value of a variable versus the optimal value for that variable. For example, the optimal value for Putter Head alignment at impact is zero degrees in relation to the target. If tests proved, that for each variable the means of the two samples were different, then the one closest to the optimal value would be more accurate.  
      Consistency was determined by comparing the standard deviation of a variable for each sample. If tests proved, that for each variable the variances of the two samples were different, then the smallest Standard deviation of the two would be more consistent.  
      Results (Combined Variables)  
      Impact Spot on the Putter Face—Test Statistics are summarized in TABLE A  
      Measured in millimeters from the center (sweet spot) of the putter  
      Optimal Value of Mean=0  
      Optimal Value of Standard Deviation=0  
      F Value=2.00  
      Pr&gt;F=0.0001  
      t value=2.64  
      Pr&gt;|t|=0.0086  
                           TABLE A                                   LeadingBrand   HeavyPutter                                                        Mean   (1.246)   0.135           Standard Deviation   5.610   3.976           Coefficient of Variance   (4.504)   29.348           Minimum   (20.870)   (8.810)           Maximum   21.030   18.980           Range   41.900   27.790           Difference in Range   14.110           % Difference in Range   33.7%           Difference in Coeff of Var   (33.851)           % Difference in Coeff of Var   −751.6%           Difference in St. Dev.   1.633           % Difference in St Dev   29.1%           Difference in Mean   1.110           % Difference in Mean   89.1%                      
 
      Statistical Conclusions  
      Since Pr&gt;F&lt;0.05 the Variances are different at a 99.99% confidence level. The Standard Deviation of the Heavy Putter™ is lesser than that of the leading brand putter and therefore the Heavy Putter™ is more consistent.  
      Since Pr&gt;|t|&lt;0.05 the Means are different at a 99.14% confidence level. The Impact Spot of the Heavy Putter™ is more accurate since its mean is closer to zero.  
      Statistical Analysis  
      Heavy Putter™ produces a mean that is 89% closer to zero.  
      Heavy Putter™ produces a standard deviation that is 28% closer to zero.  
      Conclusion: Heavy Putter™ produces a more consistent and more accurate Impact spot.  
      Conclusions  
      Distance  
      The Heavy Putter™ needs less acceleration to produce the same velocity as the leading brand putter. It therefore seems that the golfer influences the dynamic energy of the club to a lesser extent. Because it is more consistent on all three variables, Maximum Acceleration, Maximum Velocity, and Acceleration after Impact, we conclude that The Heavy Putter™ produces better speed control than the leading brand putter.  
      Direction  
      The alignment of the Heavy Putter&#39;s at impact is more accurate than the Leading Brand Putter which implies that the Heavy Putter™ head remains squarer through impact. This produces putts that are more accurate in respect to their intended target line.  
      Compared to that of the Leading Brand Putter, Heavy Putter™ produces a more consistent Putter Head Path at impact. A consistent path allows a golfer to repeatedly stroke the putts on the intended direction.  
      The Heavy Putter™ has a more consistent Putter Head Alignment in Relation to Path than the Leading Brand Putter. This implies that the Heavy Putter™ produces putts with better direction. A consistent face alignment combined with a consistent path maximizes the golfer&#39;s ability to putt the ball on his or her intended line.  
      Combined  
      Compared to the Leading Brand Putter, the Heavy Putter™ produces more consistent and accurate impact on the sweet spot of the putter face which results in greater distance and directional control.  
      Although the invention has been described with reference to certain preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the broad principles of the invention. Hence, it is intended that the preferred embodiments and all of such variations and modifications be included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as defined by the following claims.