An Improved "Putter" Golf Club.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1896.
Complete Specification Left, 14th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 31st Oct., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved "Putter" Golf Club.
I, JAMES IVERACH MUNRO, 8 Viewforth Gardens, Edinburgh Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved "putter" golf club.
In accordance with my invention the striking face is fixed at right angles to the
line of the shaft with the shaft fixed to the back of the head at the centre thereof.
With my new arrangement the head may be of the usual shape viz. an elongated
strip of metal but in my case the top and bottom portions run parallel. In use the
putter is swung like a pendulum between the legs, the centre of the striking face
being at the centre of the line of the shaft with an equal projecting portion of the
striking face on either side of the line of the shaft.
Greater accuracy in putting is thus obtained because the striking face is at the
centre of the line of the shaft leaving spare striking face at each line of the shaft ;
by using the club like a pendulum the movement of the club is rendered very
accurate.
My said club may also be used in the ordinary way in which case it may be used
either right handed or left handed. The iron socket to secure the end of the shaft
may be rivetted or otherwise attached to the back of the club head.
Dated this 2nd day of July 1896.
JOHNSONS,
115 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.
I, JAMES IVERACH MUNRO, of 8 Viewforth Gardens, in the City of Edinburgh,
Clergyman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The object of my invention is to provide a "putter" golf club whose head and
shaft shall, when being played, be always in a perpendicular plane which plane
touches every point in the initial line of putt and the club face be at right angles
to said line.
As is well known among golfers, there are two styles of putting. In one style
the club head leaves the line of putt whenever it is drawn back to make the stroke,
thus making it uncertain that it will return to the exact line and not be "pulled
or "heeled" as it is technically expressed by golfers. In the other style an
endeavour is made to keep the club head in the line of putt as the head is drawn
back to make the stroke; but this endeavour involves an excessively complex
motion of the wrists, elbows and shoulders which complex motion again introduces
an element of uncertainty into the stroke.
My object then has been to eliminate these elements of uncertainty as far as
possible by making it easy to keep the putter head in the perpendicular plane
which touches every point in the initial line of putt.

page_text: As illustrated by the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 of which is a front
elevation, Fig. 2 a side elevation and Fig. 3 a horizontal section of the improved
putter, the object of the invention is attained by fixing the shaft A into a socket B
formed for its reception behind the face of the head C, the socket and conse-
quently the centre line of the shaft being at right angles to the top and bottom
edges, and equidistant from the ends of the head as shewn particularly at Figs. 1
and 3.
To explain these adjustments-
1. The shaft is fixed at right angles to the bottom edge of the putter so as to
enable the player to hold it perpendicularly when playing, particularly when
letting the club head touch the ground behind the ball preparatory to making the
stroke.
2. It is at right angles to the top edge of the putter to enable the player to keep
the face exactly at right angles to the line of putt.
3. It is fixed equidistantly from the ends to enable the player to let the putter
hang freely with the centre of the face behind the ball and thus make sure that it
is exactly perpendicular.
The motion of the putter, when properly played is consequently as near as
possible like that of an ordinary pendulum and is effected by an easy wrist
movement, that is to say, the head C of the putter describes an arc of a circle
whose plane is perpendicular, which plane touches every point in the initial line of
putt, and the face of head C is at right angles to the line of putt, and consequently
to said plane, the centre of circle being a point in the shaft or shaft extended.
There is thus a perfect and simple mechanical theory behind the club to guide to
perfection in practice. It is an application of the laws of dynamics to putting.
The head of the putter thus moving in such a plane secures greater accuracy than
is possible with ordinary putters because the tendency to send the ball to the right
or left of the line of putt is reduced to a minimum.
The bottom edge of the putter is slightly curved to enable it to be placed on
rough greens or on slopes where the roughness or inclination of the ground might
catch the end of the putter and spoil the stroke.
The putter is equally well adapted for right or left hand players.
It is better adapted for playing "stimies" than an ordinary putter as a spin can
be put upon the ball with equal ease from either side by striking slightly across
instead of on the line of putt thus causing the ball to travel in a curved path to
avoid the obstruction.
When the head of the putter is made of. wood the shaft may be passed
through it.
The shafts of all other putters are at an inclined angle to the bottom edges of
the several putters thus making it impossible to use them in the manner hereinbefore
described for which mine has been invented.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
1. An inproved "putter" golf club having the shaft so fixed that the central
line of shaft shall be perpendicular to the bottom edge of putter face.
2. An improved "putter" golf club in which the following features are combined,
the shaft or central line of shaft 1, is behind the putter face, 2, is perpendicular to
the top and bottom edges of the head, and 3, is equidistant from its ends,
substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of September 1896.
JAMES IVERACH MUNRO.