Abstract:
A golf putter improves a golfer&#39;s ability to consistently impart a smooth putting stroke on the ball. The putter has an elastomer insert extending over a ball striking surface formed on the head of the club head. An inertial mass or ballast is formed at a rear central portion of the club head, with center portions of the ballast mass aligned with the vertical center line of the ball striking surface. The shaft portion of the putter is connected to the club head so that the longitudinal axis of the shaft intersects the center line of the club head and the inertial mass. The club head also has a base plate portion to assist the golfer in club grip and alignment during “set up” before the actual putting stroke.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to golf clubs, more specifically to putters. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     No aspect of golf receives any more attention, analysis and study than putting. In a round of even par golf, two strokes per hole are allocated to putts. Golfers are continually working on ways to improve or enhance their scores by reducing the number of putts used. The relatively simply stated principle of smoothly imparting a rolling motion to the ball for movement along its intended path or line, is actually very difficult to repeatedly and consistently achieve. Part of this problem is that the structure of a number of putters is often not of a type that makes it easy for a golfer to accomplish this seemingly easy task. The number and variety of putters used is great; almost every golfer has a different type of particular preferred club design of choice for use as their putter. Even so, a golfer may experiment with a wide variety of putters and putting strokes should a run or series of rounds occur with excessive putts. One of the key factors is confidence of the golfer in an ability to consistently impart a smooth, controlled uniform stroke to the ball so that it moves along its intended line or path of movement at the desired speed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly, the present invention provides a new and improved golf putter which improves a golfer&#39;s ability to consistently impart a smooth putting stroke on the ball. The putter includes a club head mounted on a lower portion of a club shaft. The club head has a sole plate portion with heel and toe portions extending upwardly from it. A ball contact member formed of an elastomer is mounted with a retainer plate which extends upwardly from the sole plate portion. The retainer plate extends between the heel and toe portions of the club head rearwardly of the elastomer ball contact member. 
     An inertial mass or ballast of the club head is mounted on the sole plate portion rearwardly of the retainer plate and aligned opposite a central portion of the ball engaging or contact face. A hosel or socket is formed in the inertial mass to receive the lower portion of the club shaft. The ball engaging face extends between the heel and the toe portions, over the full lateral extent of the ball contact member and vertically across the front upright surface of the contact member. 
     With the present invention, a substantial portion of the weight of the club head is formed by the inertial mass, which is centrally located behind the ball contacting member. The elastomer ball contact member imparts a smooth motion to the ball with reduced chance of the ball jumping or skipping off the club face when stroked. Further, the club shaft is connected to the club head at this same central location. Thus, the mass of the club is concentrated or focused in the center part of the ball contact area of the putter. This is also the point of connection of the club shaft to the club head. An alignment indicator or guide is formed on the club head to indicate this central axis or line. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front isometric view of a golf putter according to the present invention, with portions thereof shown in phantom. 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the golf putter of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of the golf putter of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is a rear elevation view of the golf putter of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 is a rear isometric view of the golf putter of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 6 is a front isometric view of another embodiment of a golf putter according to the present invention, with portions thereof shown in phantom. 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevation view, taken partly in cross-section, along the line  7 — 7  of FIG.  6 . 
     FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of the golf putter of FIG.  6 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
     In the drawings, the letter P designates generally a new and improved putter according to the present invention. The putter P includes a club or putter head H mounted on a lower portion  10  of a club shaft  11 . The club shaft  11  is conventional and may be of any suitable length in its upward extent from the lower portion  10  mounted with the club head H. The club shaft  11 , as is conventional, has a club grip (not shown) mounted at its upper end. The club grip may be of any of numerous commercially available types. 
     The club head H is formed of a suitable metal alloy, such as a manganese alloy and includes a sole plate or face member  12 . A heel portion  14  and a toe portion  16  are formed extending upwardly from the sole plate portion  12  of the club head H. The heel portion  14  and toe portion  16  are spaced laterally from each other by a gap  18  on a front portion  20  of the sole plate  12 . The gap  18  is formed inwardly of a retainer plate  22  which extends upwardly from the sole plate  12 . The retainer plate  22  is formed of the same material as the sole plate  12 , heel portion  14 , and toe portion  16  and extends laterally between rear portions  24  and  26  of the heel portion  14  and the toe portion  16 . 
     With the present invention, a ball contact member  28  is provided in the club head H. The ball contact member  28  is formed of an elastomer, preferably a polyurethane elastomer of suitable hardness, about ⅜″ thick and about 3″ in width by ⅞″ in height. For example, a polyurethane elastomer having a D scale durometer hardness of at least 65 is suitable for use as the ball contact member  28 . The ball contact member  28  is fitted in and fixedly mounted in the gap  18  on the club head H. The ball contact member  28  is mounted by a suitable strength adhesive, such as an epoxy resin, on a rear surface  30  to a front surface  32  of the retainer plate  22 . Similarly, the ball contact member  28  is mounted along a first side surface  34  to an inner surface  36  of the heel portion  14 . The ball contact member  28  is also mounted in the same manner along a second side surface  38  to an inner surface  40  of the toe portion  16 . 
     The elastomer ball contact member  38  has a ball contact surface  42  formed extending laterally across the full frontal extent of a club face  44  between the metal heel and toe portions  14  and  16  of the club head H. The lateral extent of the ball engaging surface  42  of the ball contact member  38  is preferably three inches or more, thus at least double the diameter of a standard U.S. golf ball. Thus, unless the putter P is intentionally misaligned, the ball when stroked is contacted by the elastomer mass of the ball contact member  28 . Contact with the elastomer ball contact member  28  imparts a smooth motion to the ball with reduced chance of the ball jumping or skipping off the club face in the event that slightly irregular or excessively strong stroke is imparted to the ball. 
     The ball contact surface  42  of contact member  28  extends vertically with substantially no loft upwardly the full vertical extent of the club face  44  and retainer member  24  between the metal heel and toe portions  14  and  16 , respectively. Thus, regardless of the height that the club head H is above the ground when the ball is stroked during a putting stroke, the ball begins to roll when it is contacted by the elastomer mass  28  of the ball contact member, again reducing the chance of the ball jumping or skipping off the club face  44 . Also, a softer touch can be used in the putting stroke. 
     The club head H includes an inertial mass or ballast portion  46  formed rearwardly of the retainer plate  22  and ball contact member  28 . The inertial mass  46  extends laterally along the retainer plate  28  over a width spaced about a vertical center plane passing through the center of gravity, as indicated at  48  of the ball contact member  28 . The inertial mass  46  is thus located opposite a central portion  50  of the ball contact surface  42 . In this manner, a substantial portion of the weight of the club head H is represented by the inertial mass  46 , which is centrally located behind the ball contacting member  28 . 
     The base or sole plate  12  of the club head H includes side flange members  52  and  54  formed extending rearwardly from the retainer plate  22  and laterally from side walls  56  and  58  of the inertial mass  46 . The flange members  52  and  54  along with the base plate portion  12  form a stable, broad generally relatively flat rest or support surface. A golfer may thus rest these portions of the club head H on the ground. This assists the golfer in gripping the club and achieving proper club shaft hand alignment during “setup” before the actual putting stroke, due to the substantial lateral extent of the base plate portion  12  of the club head H. 
     The inertial mass  46  of the club head H also has a hosel or socket  60  formed extending downwardly therein to receive the lower portion  10  of the club shaft  11 . The hosel  60  in the inertial mass  46  has a central longitudinal axis  62  located in a plane passing downwardly through and intersecting the vertical plane  48  formed through the center of gravity of inertial mass  46 . The longitudinal axis  62  of the hosel  60  is formed at a suitable angle from the vertical center plane  48 , usually between 20° and 30° and preferable approximately 26°, although this may vary depending upon the height of the club user. 
     The ball contact member  28  similarly has a vertical center plane, as indicated a  70 , passing through its center of gravity. The vertical center plane  70  through the ball contact member  38  is aligned with the vertical center plane  48  through the inertial mass  46  at its center of gravity. In this manner, a longitudinal axis of the club shaft  11  co-extensive with axis  62  of the hosel  60  intersects the aligned vertical center planes  48  and  70  through the centers of gravity of the inertial mass  46  and the ball contact member  38 . 
     Thus, the club shaft  11  is connected to the club head H at a central location aligned with the substantial portion of the weight of the club head H, represented by the inertial mass  46 . Thus, the mass of the putter P is concentrated or focused in the central part of the ball contact area  50  of the putter P. As has been noted, this is also the point of connection of the club shaft  11  to the club head H. 
     An aiming indicator or alignment guide groove  80  is formed on the club head H extending from the ball contact surface  42  across a top surface  82  of the ball contact member  28  and a top surface  84  of the retainer plate  22  and a top surface  86  of the inertial mass  46 . The alignment guide  80  is formed in alignment with the vertical planes  48  and  70  formed through the centers of gravity of the ball contact member and the inertial mass  46 . Thus, a user of the putter P can with guide  80  align a substantial portion of mass of the club, represented by the inertial mass  46  and the ball contact member  28 , as well as the connection point between the club shaft  11  and the club head H, with the center line of the ball in aligning a putting stroke. 
     For additional alignment accuracy, side aiming indicators or alignment guides  88  and  90  are formed in the heel portion  14  and toe portion  16  of the club head H. The alignment indicator  88  is formed in heel portion  14  parallel to aiming guide  80  inwardly of surface  36  extending across an upper surface  92 . Similarly, the alignment indicator  90  is formed parallel to aiming guide  80  outwardly from surface  40 , and extending across an upper surface  94 . 
     In some instances, golfers prefer to have a slight clicking noise or sound when the ball is stroked during a putting stroke. With an elastomer insert, such as the ball contact member  28 , this does not occur. For golfers who prefer the noise or sound emitted when the ball is stroked during a putting stroke, a metal insert  100  of brass or other suitable material is integrally formed into the ball contact member across the ball contact surface  42 . The metal insert  100 , for example, may be about ½″ in height, 2-⅜″ in width and extend approximately ¼″ into the ball contact face  42 . It is noted that there is a portion  102  (FIG. 7) of the elastomer insert  28  present behind the metal insert  100  and in front of surface  32  of retainer plate  22 . The portion  102  exerts a deadening effect and the metal insert  100  does not increase the likelihood of skipping of the ball off of contact surface  42 . 
     The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the details of the illustrated apparatus and construction and method of operation may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.