Patent Publication Number: US-2005137027-A1

Title: Golf putter

Description:
This invention relates to an improved golf putter. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved head for a golf putter.  
      As is known, various types of putters have been produced for the game of golf for “putting” a golf ball on a green into a cup. In some cases, the putter has been provided with a striking face that is disposed in a vertical plane and in other cases, the striking face is disposed at an angle to a vertical plane, typically known as the “loft angle”. All putters with any degree of loft on the striking face will create a back spin on a golf ball because of the horizontal path of the putter head before impact and because the loft creates a degree of obliqueness to the impact launching the ball on or above a horizontal path. This, in turn, is due to the fact that the center of gravity of the putter head is at or above the contact point of the ball and/or that the center of gravity is close to the face of the putter head and also close to the contact point of the ball.  
      It is an object of the invention to provide a golf putter head that avoids the creation of a backspin to a golf ball upon impact.  
      It is another object of the invention to create a minimal spin on a putted golf ball or no spin at all or even topspin.  
      It is another object of the invention to improve the mechanics of a putter for putting a golf ball into a cup.  
      Briefly, the invention provides a golf putter head having a front face for impacting against a golf ball at a pre-determined contact point and a center of gravity disposed below a horizontal plane passing through the contact point.  
      The location of the center of gravity from the front face of the club head is from {fraction (1/2)} inch to 3 inches behind the face and lower than half the diameter of the ball from the sole of the head. Thus, when a golf ball is struck, at best, a minimal spin will be created on the ball and, preferably, no spin or a top spin will be imparted to the ball. The mechanism by which this occurs is referred to as “the vertical gear effect”. Thus, with the ball contact point above the center of gravity of the putter head, during contact with the ball, the face of the putter will be inclined to move upward to rotate about the center of gravity of the head thereby reducing the spin or creating top spin on the ball. That is to say, a vertical gear effect comes into play because the center of gravity of the putter head is behind the face and low enough to allow contact between the face of the putter head and the ball to be in line with or above a straight line between the centers of gravity of the colliding bodies, i.e. the putter head and the golf ball, to thereby create a twisting moment such that the contact point between the ball and the face is caused to move upward reducing any back spin or eliminating back spin or creating a launch without spin or creating top spin, any of which are dependent on the location of impact on the face. This launch condition of minimum or, preferably, no spin, or more ideally top spin, is ideal for a putt as the launch condition will start the putt on a path rolling without the normal sliding motion associated with almost every putt using a normal putting stroke.  
      The front face of the putter head may be disposed angularly of a vertical plane, for example with a loft angle of 0 to 5 degrees or more of loft, or may have a convex face in either or both the vertical and the horizontal planes.  
      The putter head is also provided with a unique contoured shape in a horizontal plane that includes a triangular section extending rearwardly of the front face and a pair of lobes that extend rearwardly from the triangular section in symmetric relation about a centerline of the triangular section. Each lobe of the putter head is also provided with a recess for receiving a weight, such as a tungsten weight, by means of which the center of gravity of a club head may be adjusted. The triangular section of the putter head may also be provided with one or more recesses for purposes of adjusting the center of gravity of the head.  
      The putter head is also provided with a transversely extending shoulder at a forward end in which a bore is disposed for receiving a shaft. This bore may be vertical and off set from the center of the shoulder to accommodate a left-handed person or a right-handed person. Alternatively, the bore may be placed near the centerline of the head at an obtuse angle to receive a shaft.  
      The putter head is constructed so that the center of gravity of the head is disposed on the center line of the head and at a point below a horizontal plane passing through the contact point on the front face of the head which contacts the ball and the center of the ball.  
      The putter head also provides an extremely high moment of inertia about the vertical and both primary horizontal axes, i.e. a horizontal axes through the toe and heel of the head and a horizontal axes through the face to back of the putter head. The high moments of inertia about these three axes in conjunction with the low center of gravity give an advantage no other putter has. 
    
    
      These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:  
       FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a putter constructed in accordance with the invention at a moment of impact with a golf ball;  
       FIG. 2  illustrates an enlarged view of a putter head immediately prior to impact with a golf ball in accordance with the invention;  
       FIG. 3  illustrates a partial side view of a putter head in accordance with the invention disposed adjacent a golf ball on a green;  
       FIG. 4  illustrates an exploded view of a putter head constructed in accordance with the invention;  
       FIG. 5  illustrates a view taken on line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 ; and  
       FIG. 6  illustrates a view taken on line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 4 . 
    
    
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , the golf putter  10  is comprised of a shaft  11  of conventional construction and a putter head  12  for putting a golf ball  13  of conventional construction, e.g. of a diameter of not less than 1.680 inches (42.67 mm).  
      Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the golf putter head  12  has a front face  14  that is disposed angularly of a vertical plane, for example at a loft angle of 3° to the vertical plane.  
      As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the putter head  12  has a contoured shape in a horizontal plane that includes a triangular section  15  and a pair of lobes  16  that extend from the triangular section  15  in symmetric relation about a center line (not shown) of the triangular section  15 . The triangular section  15  has a pair of recesses  17  in an upper surface that are disposed symmetrically of the center line and that are separated by a bar  18  disposed along the center line of the head  12 . The recesses  17  are provided to adjust the center of gravity of the head  12 .  
      Each lobe  16  has a recess  19  in an upper surface into which a weight  20 , for example a tungsten disk is mounted in fixed relation. These disks  20  are provided for adjusting the center of gravity of the putter head  12 .  
      Referring to  FIG. 3 , the putter head  12  a transversely extending shoulder  21  at the forward end that is raised above the plane of the upper surfaces of the triangular section  15  and lobes  16 . In addition, as illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the shoulder  21  has a bore  22  located near the centerline of the putter head  12  for receiving the shaft  11 . As illustrated, the bore  22  is disposed at an obtuse vertical angle, for example of 72°, to a horizontal plane. As indicated in  FIG. 1 , the golf shaft  11  is of a bent type. Alternatively, the bore  22  for receiving the golf shaft may be vertically disposed and spaced from the centerline of the golf shaft for receiving a shaft of different contour.  
      The putter  10  is constructed with the location and bend of the shaft  11  such that the putter  10  is face balanced i.e. when the assembled putter is balanced in a horizontal manner, the face  14  will face upward.  
      Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the shoulder  21  also includes a groove  23  in an upper surface that extends perpendicularly of the bore  22  and parallel to the front face of  14  for alignment of the front face perpendicularly to an imaginary line extending from the front face to a cup or other point on a green to which the golf ball  13  is to be directed.  
      As indicated in  FIGS. 3 and 6 , each recess  17 ,  19  extends toward the sole  24  of the club head  12 .  
      Referring to  FIG. 3 , the club head  12  is constructed so that the center of gravity  25  of the head  12  is disposed below the point of contact  26  of the front face at which a golf ball  13  is to be impacted. In particular, the center of gravity  25  of the head  12  is disposed below the plane of a straight line  27  passing through the contact point  26  and the center of gravity  28  of the golf ball  13 . In addition, the center of gravity  25  of the putter head  12  is disposed from one-half inch to three inches behind the front face  14 .  
      The position of the center of gravity  25  of the head  12  is adjusted by making the recesses  17  greater or less and/or by making the weights  20  greater or less in weight.  
      Placement of the center of gravity  25  below the line  27  passing between the contact point  26  and center of gravity  28  of the golf ball  13  creates a vertical gear effect on the ball when struck as described above. That is to say, with the contact point  26  above the center of gravity  25  of the head  12 , the face  14  will be inclined to rotate about the center of gravity  25  thereby avoiding placing a backspin on the ball. Instead, and preferably, a topspin would be imparted to the ball. This launch condition is ideal for putting the golf ball  13 , as the ball will begin moving without a sliding motion or a backspin motion. That is to say, the ball  13  will begin rotating in a proper manner on the way to a cup.  
      The invention thus provides a head for a golf putter that avoids imparting backspin to a golf ball when putted.  
      Further, the invention provides a golf putter who is able to launch a golf ball with no spin or with topspin.  
      Various modifications made in the putter head within the scope of the invention. For example, a single recess  17  may be provided in the triangular section  15  of the head  12  symmetrically of the center line of the head  12 .  
      The high moments of inertia about three axes in conjunction with the low center of gravity will give the advantage no other putter has.  
      The loft on the putter head may be as little as 0 degrees to the maximum allowed by the rules of 10 degrees. This will still minimize the back spin or even provide a little top spin. Only in putters do we seek to have zero to no back spin but still a launch angle to get the ball off the ground in the initial stages after impact. If a ball is hit with zero loft and a center of gravity at or even behind the face, the ball will start out on a horizontal path which, because most balls settle on a green in a depression, will jump out of this depression and may be deflected off line and also leave the face with an erratic speed from one putt to another putt.