Golf putter

Abstract

A putter type golf club head having a putter head with an overall weight between 375-600 grams and a short shaft attached to the putter head having an overall length between 20-33 inches.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to golf putters. More particularly, the invention relates to a golf putter having a heavy head in conjunction with a short shaft.

[0003] 2. Discussion of the Prior Art

[0004] The main factors that must be considered for putting success include properly reading the slope of the green, aligning the putter to the intended aim line, maintaining the path of the club head during the execution of a putting stroke, positioning the face angle of the striking face at impact, striking the ball on the ball striking face relative to the exact center of percussion and controlling the force applied to the golf ball as it is struck to control the speed of the ball as it rolls toward the hole. The condition of the putting surface and the effect of the elements, such as wind or rain, also have a substantial effect upon putting success, although a golfer has less control over these latter conditions.

[0005] An important factor for controlling the position, speed and direction of a putter head resides in the feel that a golfer experiences while putting. One way of measuring this feel is by calculating swing weight of a particular golf club. Swing weight is measured on a mechanical scale and is determined by the moment of force created as a result of the length of the shaft and the weight of the club head. Shortening the length of the shaft lowers the swing weight, making the club feel much lighter. Thus, a short shaft with a conventional weighted club head will feel extremely light and consequently is more difficult to control.

[0006] Conventional golf putters are made with shafts whose lengths are between approximately 34 and 36 inches (or much greater for commonly used long putters) and with heads weighing between approximately 290 and 320 grams. Some elongated putters have shafts which extend up to 60 inches in length. It is also known to provide golf putters having shorter length shafts, for example, those used by children and favored by many touring professionals. Other examples of golf clubs using relatively short shafts are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,462,155, to Pelz, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,378,881, to Thompson. There is no suggestion in either of these patents for altering the weight of the club head.

[0007] Prior art putters also recognize the desirability of providing a structure for adjusting the overall weight of a putter head by the addition or subtraction of removable masses. Examples of such putters are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,253,869, to Dingle et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,053, to Lane. There is no suggestion in these patents for altering the length of the shaft to maintain the feel of a conventional putter as the weight is changed.

[0008] However, those skilled in the art are consistently looking for putter designs which will help golfers improve upon their putting stroke. The present putter offers a combination of weight and length to help improve a golfer's ability to feel and control the putter, thereby raising his or her performance level.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a golf putter including a putter head secured to a lower end of a shaft. The shaft includes a grip at the upper end thereof. The putter head has an overall weight in the range of approximately 375 to 600 grams and the shaft has an overall length between approximately 20 and 33 inches.

[0010] It is also an object of the present invention to provide a golf putter wherein said shaft has an overall length of approximately 31 inches.

[0011] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a golf putter wherein the putter head has an overall weight of approximately 425 grams.

[0012] It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of forming a putter type golf club. The method is achieved by selecting a golf shaft having an overall length in the range of approximately 20 to 33 inches, forming a putter type golf club head with an overall club head weight within the range of approximately 375 to 600 grams and attaching said club head to said shaft.

[0013] Other objects, advantages and salient features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred, but non-limiting, embodiment of the subject invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf putter in accordance with the present invention.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the putter of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] The detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. It should be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, the details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limited, but merely as the basis for the claims and as a basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to make and/or use the invention.

[0017] Physics and geometry dictate that the shorter the golf shaft, the greater control the golfer has over the motion imparted to the putter head, at least in part because the golfer's hands are closer to the club head. Furthermore, a heavier club head provides greater club head stability, making it easier for the golfer to control the position, speed and direction of the putter head as the putting stroke is executed. The present invention takes advantage of these two concepts and, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, provides a golf putter 10 having a putter head 12 with substantially increased weight in combination with a relatively short shaft 14. The overall putter head 12 weight is preferably within the range of approximately 375 to 600 grams. The overall length of the shaft 14 is between approximately 20 inches and 33 inches.

[0018] The combination of a weighted putter head 12 and short shaft 14 provides advantages not recognized by the prior art. This structure provides a putter type golf club 10 with all the advantages of a shorter shaft with respect to being able to more easily control the putter head, while maintaining the same or similar feel aspects of conventional putters with longer shafts. The short shaft 14 allows the golfer's arms to extend downwardly in a full vertical position, this being recognized as the most efficient position. The short shaft also allows the golfer to extend his or her arms downwardly in line with the putter grip 16 and in a position closer to the ball when addressing a golf ball prior to executing a putting stroke. This closer positioning is achieved without requiring the user to alter his or her customary bend at the hips. Although the putter head 12 is substantially heavier than conventional putter heads, the putter 10 is not appreciably more difficult to move when executing a putting stroke. However, the slight increase in effort required to move the heavier head is translated into greater feel for improved distance control. Improved control is also enhanced by the short shaft 14, which positions the user's hands closer to the mass of the putter head 12. Once the putter 10 starts its movement, motion stability is achieved as a result of the increased weight of the putter head 12, causing the putter 10 to tend to stay in the direction of initial motion due to the laws of inertial physics.

[0019] As mentioned above, the shaft 14 ranges in length from approximately 20 to 33 inches. This length is substantially shorter than a conventional putter type golf club which is normally approximately 34 to 36 inches long. Preferably, the shaft 14 of the present invention is 28 to 32 inches, the exact length depending upon the distance from a golfer's hands to the ground when in his or her address position.

[0020] The mass of the putter head 12 is preferably in the range of approximately 375 to 600 grams, it being understood that the mass of a conventional weighted putter head is in a range of 290 to 320 grams. It will be appreciated that the overall weight of the putter head 12 may be achieved by using a thicker head design, a more dense material and/or various weights or inserts. In addition, any combination of the above weighting techniques may be employed. It is also contemplated that other weighting techniques may be employed without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the putter head may be made of conventional steel with a head design thicker than conventional heads to bring it up to the desired weight or the head may be weighted with suitable inserts, such as, lead and/or tungsten or other heavier metal, to achieve the weight.

[0021] In use, a golfer should typically bend slightly from the hips and allow his arms to drop vertically to a fully extended position. At a location where the hands naturally fall, the golfer's hands engage the handle or putter grip 16, which may be separately attached as is commonly done in the manufacture of conventional putters. When using a putter of conventional length (34 to 36 inches), the golfer's arms are bent considerably at the elbows, thus giving room for flexibility and error during the putting stroke. It will be appreciated that the overall height of the golfer, his arm length and the overall amount of bend at the hips, combine to determine exactly how long the shaft 14 must be in order for a natural conjunction of the hands and the putter grip to occur.

[0022] It is contemplated that a preferred embodiment of a golf putter 10 fitted for a typical 6 foot golfer would use a shaft length of 31 inches. Shorter players will use putters with shorter shafts, whereas taller players will use putters with slightly longer shafts.

[0023] A similar feel, defined as swing weight, is obtained with the shorter shaft putter of the present invention when compared with a conventional longer putter due to the combination of a short shaft 14 and weighted head 12. It will be appreciated that the swing weight of a golf putter is reduced approximately six points per inch as the shaft is shortened. Therefore, it can be readily calculated that a swing weight for the golf putter 10 of the present invention can be comparable to a conventional length shaft putter by adding weight to the club head as it is shortened.

[0024] With the putter head 12 of the present invention, it has been found that a head weight of approximately 425 grams combined with a 31 inch shaft is ideal for maintaining stability of motion as the putter 10 is swung during the execution of a putting stroke. The increased club head weight, while providing additional mass, does not create a substantially different inertia because of the shorter shaft 14. Therefore, the same approximate swing weight feel, as with a conventional putter, is maintained during the execution of a putting stroke.

[0025] However, once the putter head 12 is in motion, the increased weight creates a stability of motion whereby it is more difficult for the golfer to create an uneven or erratic motion which might divert the putter head from its initial intended aim line during the execution of the putting stroke. The increased mass also exerts a greater impact on a golf ball for a given club head speed, therefore, causing the ball to roll further. Club head speed determines ball speed. Understand, however, it also requires a slight increase in effort to attain a given club head speed. The increased mass also expands the effective hitting area, or sweet spot, thereby making the putter more forgiving on the miss hits. And, its greater mass, along with the associated increased effort, create a feel that makes it easier to roll a golf ball to a preselected distance.

[0026] While various preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it will be understood that there is no intent to limit the invention by such disclosure, but rather, is intended to cover all modifications and alternate constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A putter type golf club, comprising: a putter head secured to a lower end of a shaft, the shaft including a grip at the upper end thereof; wherein the putter head has an overall weight in the range of approximately 375 to 600 grams and the shaft has an overall length between approximately 20 and 33 inches.

2. The putter type golf club according to claim 1, wherein the shaft has an overall length of approximately 31 inches.

3. The putter type golf club according to claim 1, wherein the putter head has an overall weight of approximately 425 grams.

4. A method of forming a putter type golf club, comprising the following steps: (a) selecting a golf shaft having an overall length in the range of approximately 20 to 33 inches; (b) forming a putter type golf club head with an overall club head weight within the range of approximately 375 to 600 grams; and (c) attaching the club head to the shaft.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shaft has an overall length of approximately 31 inches.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the putter head has an overall weight of approximately 425 grams.