U.S. patent application number 09/974490 was filed with the patent office on 2003-04-10 for janus putter.
Invention is credited to Jung, Man Young.
Application Number | 20030069081 09/974490 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25522106 |
Filed Date | 2003-04-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030069081 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Jung, Man Young |
April 10, 2003 |
Janus putter
Abstract
A golf putter club comprising: a putter head having a first ball
striking face formed between a toe end and a heel end; a second
ball striking face formed on said toe end, said second ball
striking face narrower than said first ball striking face; a shaft
attached closer to the heel end of said putter head, said shaft
having a grip of circular cross section, said shaft shaped to allow
a player to address a ball with said second putting face by
aligning said second putting face by manually rotating the putter
toe counterclockwise by 90 degrees from the first gripping position
when a player is in a right handed stance.
Inventors: |
Jung, Man Young; (La Canada,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LAW OFFICES OF CLEMENT CHENG
17220 NEWHOPE STREET #127
FOUNTAIN VALLEY
CA
92708
US
|
Family ID: |
25522106 |
Appl. No.: |
09/974490 |
Filed: |
October 10, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/325 ;
473/203; 473/335; 473/340 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 53/0416 20200801;
A63B 53/04 20130101; A63B 53/08 20130101; A63B 53/0487
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/325 ;
473/203; 473/335; 473/340 |
International
Class: |
A63B 053/04; A63B
053/14 |
Claims
1. A golf putter club comprising: a. a putter head having a first
ball striking face formed between a toe end and a heel end; b. a
second ball striking face formed on said toe end; c. a shaft
attached to said putter head, said shaft shaped to allow a golf
player to grip the putter, said shaft shaped to allow a player to
address a ball with said second putting face by aligning said
second putting face by rotating the putter toe counterclockwise by
90 degrees from the first gripping position when a player is in a
right handed stance, whereby the player after putting the ball on
the green can later chose to rotate said putter toe clockwise by 90
degrees to address the ball with said first putting face.
2. The golf putter club of claim 1, wherein said second ball
striking face is slanted with a 0-5 degree loft.
3. The golf putter club of claim 1, wherein said putter head is of
a teardrop shape.
4. The golf putter club of claim 1, wherein said putter head is of
a rectangular shape.
5. The golf putter club of claim 1, wherein said putter head has a
recessed portion behind the first striking face.
6. The golf putter club of claim 1, wherein said putter head has
weight distributed in a non-uniform manner by use of weighted
inserts.
7. The golf putter club of claim 1, wherein said shaft has a
tapered grip of circular cross section.
8. The golf putter club of claim 1, wherein said shaft has a
cylindrical grip of circular cross section.
9. The golf putter club of claim 1, wherein said shaft has an
ergonomic grip that conforms to a person's hand.
10. A golf putter club comprising: a. a putter head having a first
ball striking face formed between a toe end and a heel end; b. a
second ball striking face formed on said toe end, said second ball
striking face narrower than said first ball striking face; c. a
shaft attached closer to the heel end of said putter head, said
shaft having a uniform cylindrical grip of circular cross section,
said shaft shaped to allow a player to address a ball with said
second putting face by aligning said second putting face by
manually rotating the putter toe counterclockwise by 90 degrees
from the first gripping position when a player is in a right handed
stance.
11. The golf putter club of claim 10, wherein said second ball
striking face is slanted with a 0-5 degree loft.
12. The golf putter club of claim 10, wherein said putter head is
of a teardrop shape.
13. The golf putter club of claim 10, wherein said putter head is
of a rectangular shape.
14. The golf putter club of claim 10, wherein said putter head has
a recessed portion behind the first striking face.
15. The golf putter club of claim 10, wherein said putter head has
weight distributed in a non-uniform manner by use of weighted
inserts.
16. The golf putter club of claim 10, wherein said shaft has a
tapered grip of circular cross section.
17. The golf putter club of claim 10, wherein said shaft has an
ergonomic grip that conforms to a person's hand.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The game of golf has been one of America's enduring sport
pastimes. Playing golf can be a refreshing and energizing
experience. In the game of golf, players hit a golf ball with clubs
such as woods, putters and irons. Golf requires skill and proper
equipment. Over the history of golf, the equipment has become more
complex and the number of golf clubs in a golf club set has
expanded. Today, each of the clubs has a particular advantage and
use.
[0002] The standard course has 18 consecutively numbered holes that
are playing areas leading to cups. The player tries to hit the ball
into the cup. The cup is 4.5" in diameter and is set into a green,
which is a smooth surface of closely cropped grass. Golfers begin a
hole using a wood or iron to drive the ball toward the hole from a
tee area. Between the tee and the green lies a fairway that
contains a number of obstacles such as areas of taller grass called
the rough, trees, lakes, streams, sand pits (bunkers), and mounds.
Players must play the course as they find it and they must play
only their own ball. Once on a green, a putter can be used to putt
the ball along the surface of the green toward the cup.
[0003] Sometimes a golf ball lies near the green about 1'-2' away
from the green but in 4"-5" of rough. In this situation, a putter
would best allow a golfer to make the fine adjustments in his game
to direct the ball along the green. Many improvements in putters
have improved the balance of the heel and toe blade putter. Yet it
remains difficult for a golfer to use a putter in the rough. A
traditional putter would be clumsy at best.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0004] To create a putter that can strike a golf ball in the rough,
without requiring an additional club, while still allowing the
putter to be used as a traditional putter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 shows a golfer using a Janus putter in a right handed
stance.
[0006] FIG. 2 shows a top view of a Janus putter addressing a
ball.
[0007] FIG. 3 shows a front perspective view of a Janus putter.
[0008] FIG. 4 shows an orientation diagram of a Janus putter.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0009] The present invention is a toe striking face putter also
called a Janus putter. The Janus putter is of traditional
configuration well known in the sport. The traditional putter has a
shaft connected to a head. A grip allows a player to hold the
shaft. The head has a toe end and a heel end. A first striking face
is formed between the toe end and the heel end, as located in all
traditional putters. Sometimes, an alignment guide allows a player
to line up a mark on the head of a putter to the ball. Other
putters have interesting weight distributions. A player grips the
shaft and swings the putter at the ball using the first striking
face. The player here uses the first putting position, also called
a first putting stance.
[0010] The toe striking face putter further includes a toe end
having a second flat striking face capable of hitting a golf ball
when the ball is in the rough where the grass is taller. The grip
and the shaft are shaped to allow a player to use the same stance
to hit the ball with the second striking face. The Janus putter
thus acts as an alternative to a chipper in certain situations and
does not require an extra club in the bag. A player aligns the
second putting face by rotating the putter toe counterclockwise by
90 degrees (to the left). The toe of the putter is wide and
preferably slanted with a 0-5 degree loft for a better striking
face. The word loft is well known in the art and standard golf
terminology. The player is here uses the second putting position,
also called a second putting stance, which is enabled by the shape
and configuration of the putter head and the shaft.
[0011] FIG. 1 shows a right-handed golfer using the Janus putter.
When the ball lies near the green 1'-2' away from the green but in
4"-5" of rough, a golfer can use the Janus putter to putt through
the grass in the rough and onto the green where the grass is
smooth. Another situation when a golfer would need a Janus putter
is where the lie would not allow a club to reach, such as where the
ball lies between two rocks. Golfers can also use the toe end of
the Janus putter in areas such as the green should they desire an
additional challenge of striking the ball with a smaller striking
face. Also in miniature golf, a small striking face can reach a
golf ball in tight areas that are created by numerous artificial
obstructions.
[0012] The golfer can use the toe end to strike a ball having a lie
in the rough. The toe end striking face is complementary to the
normal striking face that is used on the green. To use the putter's
toe striking face, a golfer prepares a swing conventionally, with
the putter toe pointing away from the golfer. The golfer then
rotates the putter shaft 90 degrees counterclockwise along the axis
of the shaft to point the putter toe striking face towards the
ball. The USGA rules of golf require a grip of a circular cross
section without guide marks that can be felt. Thus, it is preferred
to have a cylindrical grip of a uniform and circular cross section
without guide marks that can be felt. The term `cylindrical` here
encompasses a slightly tapered grip where the grip has varying
circular cross sectional sizing, but is basically cylindrical to a
casual observer. Other grips can be employed such as the popular
ergonomic grips that conform to a person's hand.
[0013] Here, the player takes a normal putter swing instead of
using a chipper or iron. FIG. 2 shows the orientation of a putter
toe alignment with a golf ball. A golfer sees this view when
addressing the ball (preparing a swing). A player is addressing the
ball when aligning the clubface to the ball in preparation for a
stroke. The rules of golf do not allow a person to move, talk or
stand close to or directly behind the ball or the hole when a
player is addressing the ball or making a stroke.
[0014] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a golf putter showing
that only a small portion of the toe end needs to be modified.
Compared to an ordinary putter, the toe end is shaped to allow a
ball striking face. The ball striking face can be as large as the
diameter of a ball but is preferably smaller than the diameter of a
ball. The toe face can be angled to allow a slight loft of up to 5
degrees to assist in the orientation of the golf putter.
[0015] FIG. 4 shows the orientation of the toe edge from a
right-handed perspective. The bottom toe edge A is pointed towards
the ground while the top toe edge B points away from the ground.
The bottom toe edge A can be slightly smoothed or rounded in shape,
like top toe edge B, to allow smooth contact with the ground in
situations where bottom toe edge A contacts the ground. The second
face C will be slightly slanted to the right from a right angle,
due to the orientation of the shaft. The slanting of second face C
shows the first striking face on the right side and the bottom
surface of the putter head on the left side. The bottom surface of
the putter head is usually not shown and points towards the ground
when using the first striking surface.
[0016] The Janus putter head can have various shapes. It can be
teardrop shaped, where the toe and heel ends merge behind the first
striking surface in a semicircular shape. The teardrop is a popular
club head configuration where the putter head is supposed to look
like a teardrop. In actuality the popular club head configuration
looks more like a semicircle when viewed from above. The putter
head can also be rectangular in shape according to FIG. 1.
[0017] A stylized version can have a guideline and weight
distributive strategies as seen in FIG. 3. Weight distributive
strategies are old in the art and allow the putter head to have
weight distributed in a beneficial non-uniform manner. Weighted
inserts and recessed portions allow a club designer to create a
variety of weight distributive configurations. A recessed portion
behind the first striking face is shown in FIG. 4 and is also a
popular configuration. These putter head shapes allow for a toe
striking face capable of achieving the desired results. The simple
rectangular shape as shown in FIG. 1 is the best mode, allowing
minimal interference from the rough due to its slim profile.
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