Patent ID: 7749098

Claim:
A golf putter head ( 1000 ) designed to strike a golf ball (B), comprising: a putter body having a heel ( 1100 ), a toe ( 1200 ), a front ( 1300 ), and a back ( 1400 ), wherein the front ( 1300 ) includes a face ( 1310 ) having a face height ( 1312 ), a face height midpoint elevation ( 1314 ), and a ball contact portion ( 1320 ), and wherein: a) the ball contact portion ( 1320 ) is curved vertically having a vertical radius of curvature ( 1330 ) and a center of curvature ( 1340 ), wherein (i) the vertical radius of curvature ( 1330 ) is at least 2 inches and no more than 3.5 inches; (ii) a portion of the ball contact portion ( 1320 ) is above a center of curvature elevation ( 1342 ) and a portion of the ball contact portion ( 1320 ) is below the center of curvature elevation ( 1342 ); and (iii) the center of curvature elevation ( 1342 ) is less than the face height midpoint elevation ( 1314 ); and b) the ball contact portion ( 1320 ) includes a plurality of horizontal contact facets ( 1350 ), wherein each contact facet ( 1350 ) has a facet width ( 1352 ) and a facet length ( 1354 ), and wherein: (i) the facet width ( 1352 ) is no greater than 0.07 inches; (ii) the plurality of horizontal contact facets ( 1350 ) includes at least one horizontal contact facet ( 1350 ) located at an elevation above the center of curvature elevation ( 1342 ) and at least one horizontal contact facet ( 1350 ) located at an elevation below the center of curvature elevation ( 1342 ); and (iii) no more than two of the plurality of horizontal contact facets ( 1350 ) contact the golf ball (B) when struck by the ball contact portion ( 1320 ).