U.S. patent application number 10/241858 was filed with the patent office on 2004-03-18 for golf putter and method of putting.
Invention is credited to Snyder, Ray E..
Application Number | 20040053703 10/241858 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31991270 |
Filed Date | 2004-03-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040053703 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Snyder, Ray E. |
March 18, 2004 |
Golf putter and method of putting
Abstract
A golf putter which is effective to improve a golfer's alignment
of putts on a golf green, and a method of using such a putter, are
disclosed. The head of the putter is characterized by a relatively
large bottom surface area and a relatively large mass. The combined
center of gravity of the head, shaft and grip falls within the area
of the bottom surface of the putter head, whereby the putter stands
upright by itself. There are also wide bright highly visible
horizontal lines on top of the putter head at right angles to the
putter head face which are adapted to be aligned with the intended
direction of roll of the ball. A method of using such a putter is
disclosed, namely, placing the stand alone putter on a golf green
behind the ball without support, backing away from the putter
standing at rest adjacent the ball, and observing a desired
direction of roll to the cup in the green. The face of the putter
is aimed in the desired direction of roll by observing the wide
bright stripes on the top surface of the putter. Thereafter, with
the putter head face thus aimed, the putting stroke is completed by
striking the ball along the selected direction of roll.
Inventors: |
Snyder, Ray E.; (Mount
Prospect, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Gregory B. Beggs
Law Offices of Gregory B. Beggs
5100 Fairview Avenue
Downers Grove
IL
60515
US
|
Family ID: |
31991270 |
Appl. No.: |
10/241858 |
Filed: |
September 13, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/243 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 53/0433 20200801;
A63B 53/007 20130101; A63B 53/0441 20200801 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/243 |
International
Class: |
A63B 069/36 |
Claims
I claim:
1. In a golf putter having a head, shaft and grip, a statically
balanced combination in which: said head has a significantly large
bottom area adapted to contact a putting surface when said shaft is
in an upright position, and the combined center of gravity of said
head, shaft and grip falls within the bottom area of said head,
whereby said putter can stand upright by itself.
2. The golf putter of claim 1 in which said head is generally
rectangular in shape and defines a platform for supporting the
putter in an upright position.
3. The golf putter of claim 2 in which said head is formed with a
ball contacting face and with parallel longitudinal flanges or
wings at right angles to said face.
4. The golf putter of claim 3 in which said longitudinal flanges
carry wide bright stripes perpendicularly directed toward said
face.
5. An improved method of putting comprising providing a statically
balanced putter having a head with lines or indicia adapted to be
aligned with a desired direction of roll of a golf ball and capable
of standing erect on a putting surface, placing said putter on said
putting surface in a position next to the ball and opposite from
the cup with said lines generally aligned with the desired
direction of roll backing away a significant distance from the ball
so as to view the orientation of said lines with the desired
direction, and reorienting the position of said head to complete
the putting stroke.
Description
[0001] This invention relates to an improved golf putter that is
effective to aid in the alignment of putts on a golf green. More
particularly it relates to an improved construction of a golf
putter head and shaft, and to an improved method of preparing for
and executing a putting stroke. The head of the improved putter of
this invention is characterized by a relatively large bottom
surface area and a relatively large mass so that the combined
center of gravity of the head and grip falls within the area of the
bottom surface whereby the putter can stand upright by itself. The
head is further characterized by highly visible horizontal lines or
markings at right angles to the putter face and adapted to be
aligned with the intended direction of roll of the ball. Alignment
of a putt is improved by placing the free, erect putter behind the
ball and backing away from it to observe the horizontal lines on
the putter in relation to the cup and thereby to obtain a clear
sense of direction.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The dedicated golfer probably makes 20 or more practice
putts for every putt made in actual play. There is no reward for
practicing one's errors, and one of the most serious errors in
putting is improper alignment of the putter face with the desired
direction of roll. Alignment, generally, for any golf shot, is
often taught to golfers by placing a club on the ground with the
shaft pointing in the direction of a desired target. The golfer is
expected to take his stance to address the ball by placing his toes
adjacent to, or on a line parallel to, this shaft. If a second club
is used, it is usually placed on the ground just outside the ball,
with its shaft parallel to the first. This second shaft effectively
becomes a tangent to the arc of the swinging clubhead. More
importantly, it shows the direction of travel in which the clubhead
should be moving at impact.
[0003] Touring professional golfers frequently make a ceremony of
their putting by crouching down to read their putts from both sides
of the cup, and many use their caddy as an assistant to determine
the correct alignment. The typical amateur golfer does not have
this luxury and often resorts to other methods. One such method is
to "plumb-bob" the putt by holding the shaft of the putter
vertically at arm's length behind the ball and in a general line
between the ball and the cup. Many golfers also use the trademark
or other markings on the ball to help line up their putts. Some
golfers, particularly senior golfers, may not be too adept at
crouching to read their putts and might welcome any aid available
to them.
[0004] Many commercially available putters have lines, bands, or
other markings on their heads to aid in alignment. One such putter
is the Odyssey "Two-Ball" by Callaway which has two large white
circles in line and normal to the putter face to aid in alignment
with the ball. Another is the "Short E" putter by Leading Edge
which has two longitudinal flanges similar to the putter described
herein.
[0005] Another practice putting device that is commercially
available is the "Putter Ball" which has a spherical putting head
and is endorsed by Sergio Garcia. This device is intended to train
the golfer to strike the ball squarely in its center and along the
line of intended travel.
[0006] In the conventional putter, the shaft is attached to the
head at some desired angle with respect to a vertical plane, and
the weight of the shaft and grip unbalance the putter and prevent
it from standing upright.
[0007] Putting styles and methods vary greatly among playing and
teaching professionals. In his "Little Red Book," Harvey Penick
teaches his preferred method as follows:
[0008] "Read your line from behind the ball. Walk to the ball from
behind and take your stance with your hands slightly ahead of the
ball or straight up. Glance at the hole and glance at your putter
blade to make sure it is square to your line.
[0009] Now take one, two or three practice strokes, concentrating
on each one as if you are trying to make the putt, judging the
distance. I like to see the stroke start with a forward press,
using the swing-the-bucket image.
[0010] Then put your putter blade down behind the ball, keep your
head and eyes still, and imitate your last practice stroke."
[0011] Mr. Penick's advice, ". . . make sure it is square to your
line," is critical in that this is a matter of perception, and one
may assume he is squarely aligned when he is not.
[0012] There are several patents that show putters or heads with a
structural appearance similar to the one described herein, but none
of these have the functional elements of the present invention;
these are:
1 U.S. Pat. No. Title D 256,262 Golf Putter Head D 312,858 Putter
Head D 380,801 Golf Putter Head D 381,383 Putter Head D 410,717
Golf Putter Head D 421,471 Free Standing Golf Putter Head D 436,638
Golf Putter 3,319,962 Golf Putter 4,871,174 Golf Club 5,913,731
Golf Putter 5,924,938 Golf Putter With Movable Shaft Connection
5,947,841 Golf Putter Head 5,961,398 Golf Club Head Apparatus
5,997,409 Universal Golf Club 6,068,560 Golf Club Putter Head
6,394,910 Golf Putter For Aligning Player's Head
[0013] Nearly all of the above patents show lines, grooves, or
stripes on the tops of the putter heads, presumably to aid in a
golfer's alignment of the putter face with the direction of roll.
Others disclose more subtle features directed to this purpose. For
example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,938 shows a putter which provides a
selectable number of hosel attachment points on the clubhead and
means for spring biasing the live weighting of the clubhead. U.S.
Pat. No. 5,997,409 shows a shaft attachment to the clubhead which
is adjustable for either right or left handed use. U.S. Pat. No. D
421,471 discloses an ornamental design for a putter head to which a
shaft, illustrated in dotted lines, may be attached perpendicularly
or at some angle to the top surface of the putter head. This design
is entitled "Free Standing Golf Putter Head," although probably
nearly all of the putter heads shown in the above patents are free
standing, in a manner of speaking, until a shaft is attached to
them. The latest to issue of the above patents, U.S. Pat. No.
6,394,910, dated May 28, 2002, demonstrates that the desire to
attain correct alignment in putting is a matter of current, and
continuing, concern.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The present invention is embodied in the structure and use
of a golf putter with a head, shaft and grip arranged in a
statically balanced combination in which the head has a
significantly large bottom area adapted to contact a putting
surface when the shaft is in an upright position, and the combined
center of gravity of the head, shaft and grip falls within the
bottom area defined by the head. The combination is such that the
putter can stand by itself with the shaft in an upright position.
In use, the statically balanced putter has a head with lines or
indicia adapted to be aligned with a desired direction of roll of a
golf ball and capable of standing, with the shaft erect, on a
putting surface. Preferably, the putter head is swung a few times
above or adjacent to the ball and in the desired direction. The
highly visible lines on the moving putter head leave a temporary
image in the golfer's eye of the path defined by the lines. The
putter is then placed on the putting surface in a position next to
the ball and opposite from the cup with the lines generally aligned
with the direction of the defined path. While the putter is free
standing, it is viewed at a significant distance from the ball so
as to orient the lines on the putter head with the desired
direction of the path of the ball, and thereafter the putter head
is moved along the oriented lines to complete the putting
stroke.
[0015] From the foregoing, and from what follows, it will be
apparent that the present invention solves numerous problems which
golfers have long had in trying to adjust the face of their putter
to direct a golf ball along a perceived path.
OBJECTS
[0016] It is a primary object of the present invention to provide
an improved putter that is capable of standing erect by itself on a
putting surface so as to aid in the alignment of a putt.
[0017] It is also an object of the present invention to provide a
putter having a head, shaft and grip, with the head having a
relatively large bottom surface area that is flat or slightly
curved and adapted to rest on a putting surface so as to hold the
shaft of the putter in an upright position. The weight of the shaft
and grip are selected so as to be insufficient to overcome and
unbalance the weight of the head.
[0018] It is a further object to provide a putter head with
longitudinal flanges or wings at right angles to the face of the
putter, each flange carrying a highly visible stripe which is also
aligned normal to the putter face, and said flanges and stripes
being adapted to be aligned with a desired direction of roll of a
golf ball.
[0019] It is an additional object to provide an improved method of
putting by providing a putter with a head carrying highly visible
lines or indicia at right angles to the face of the putter and
adapted to be aligned in a desired direction of roll of a ball,
placing the putter in an erect position behind the ball, backing
off from the free standing putter so as to view a desired
alignment, and adjusting the alignment of the putter as needed to
complete the putt.
[0020] It should be noted that this invention is intended as a
device and method to aid in the alignment of putts and is not
intended as a replacement for putting skill. The direction of
alignment to conform with the green's contour and the length and
strength of the putting stroke still have to be judged by the
golfer.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the putter of the present invention
shown in an erect position;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the balanced putter of FIG.
1;
[0023] FIG. 3 is an enlarged top view of the head of the putter
shown in FIG. 1;
[0024] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the putter head shown in
FIG. 3 taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3;
[0025] FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the putter head shown
in FIG. 3; and
[0026] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the putter shown in FIG. 1
being observed by a golfer lining up a putting stroke in accordance
with the method of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0027] The improved putter P of the present invention is shown in
FIG. 1 and comprises a head 10, a shaft 11, and a grip 12. Each of
these components has a center of gravity 30, 31 and 32,
respectively, as shown schematically on FIG. 1. The shaft 11 is
attached to the head 10 at some pre-determined angle A which is
measured to a horizontal plane located at the bottom of the head
10. Usually such a plane substantially coincides with a putting
surface below the putter head such as putting surface S. The shaft
is also disposed in a vertical plane which is substantially
parallel with the putter face 15. The shaft 11 is preferably made
of light weight material such as graphite, and the grip 12, which
is attached to the upper end of shaft 11 in a conventional manner,
is also preferably made of light weight material. The head 10 has a
bottom surface 14 which is adapted to contact and rest on the
putting surface S. The point of contact is actually an area, but is
shown in the diagram of FIG. 2 as the fulcrum point F. The weight
of the shaft 11 and the weight of the grip 12 each create a
counter-clockwise moment about the point F. In any conventional
putter these moments will unbalance the putter and cause it to fall
over. The weight of the head 10 of the present invention creates a
clockwise moment about the point F which is sufficient to overcome
the opposite moments of the shaft 11 and grip 12 so that the putter
remains upright and stands by itself.
[0028] An enlarged view of the putter head 10 is shown in FIGS. 3
through 5. The head 10 comprises a body 13 formed with a bottom
surface 14, a ball-contacting face 15, and two horizontal,
longitudinal flanges or wings 16 and 17 which extend away from and
at right angles to the face 15. The longitudinally extending
flanges 16 and 17 cause the center of gravity 30 of the head 10 to
be located rearwardly a significant distance from the face 15. Two
highly visible longitudinal lines or stripes 18 and 19 are formed
on the tops of the flanges 16 and 17, respectively. These stripes
are elevated to improve visibility, rather than being grooved, and
are preferably formed of a wide and bright surfaced material
affixed to the tops of the flanges. One product which has been
found to lend itself well to forming such wide bright stripes is a
vinyl lacing about 3/8 inches wide with a white enameled upwardly
facing surface. Equal lengths of that lacing may be adhered
parallel to each other on the top surfaces of the flanges 16 and
17. Additional wide bright strips such as 20 a, 20 b and 20 c may
be used as well to enhance the view of the path of the putter head.
In the embodiment illustrated, the shaft 11 is attached to the head
10 at an attachment point 21, which is one of a variety of
attachment points that might be chosen. The shaft 11 might, for
example, be attached next to the "sweet spot" or center of
percussion for the face 15. The bottom surface 14 is flat or only
slightly curved from the flange 16 to the flange 17. This
configuration of the head 10 defines a stable platform for
supporting the putter P in an upright position independently from
any support from the golfer using it. The combined weight of the
shaft 11 and grip 12, and the combined length of these elements,
are selected so as not to unbalance the putter P and make it fall
over if left to stand alone.
[0029] With a conventional putter, the alignment of the putter face
with the desired direction of roll of the ball is presumably
improved by viewing and orienting the attitude of the putter face,
including any lines or markings on top of the putter head from a
location directly above the ball. The angle or field of view for
alignment is limited from this position, which is why many golfers
view or "read" their putts at some distance from the ball and cup,
or even from the opposite side of the cup. The "plumb-bobbing"
method also is often employed to improve the alignment by holding
the vertical shaft of the putter at some distance from the body.
This provides a view of the contour of the green from a more direct
line with the line of roll, and some golfers claim this aids their
putting.
[0030] An improved method of alignment for putting is attained with
the use of this putter P in the following manner:
[0031] A few practice swings are taken either above or adjacent to
the ball B to obtain a visual image of an over all desired path or
direction of roll which is illustrated by the line 22 (see FIG. 6)
leading to the cup 23;
[0032] The putter P is then placed upright on the putting surface S
directly behind the ball, i.e., on the side of the ball opposite
from the cup as in FIG. 6, with face 15 of the putter head aligned
at 90 degrees to the initial portion of the desired direction of
roll; and leaving shaft 11 of the putter P in this upright
position, the golfer backs away from the putter;
[0033] The desired direction of roll is now viewed by the golfer
from a perspective illustrated by the lines of sight 24 and 25
which is oriented to the stripes 18 and 19 on the putter head 10;
and
[0034] The grip 12 is rotated to reorient the putter face 15, if
necessary, for stroking the ball along the desired direction of
roll as the putter head is moved to complete the putting stroke or
for repeat reading and orientation adjustment prior to making the
putting stroke.
[0035] The present invention has been shown and described with
regard to one particular putter head which is generally rectangular
in shape. It is to be understood that the configuration of the head
employed could also be semi-circular, triangular, or other
geometric shape that is effective to define a platform adequate to
hold all the elements of the putter in a statically balanced
upright position, independent of any support besides itself. It is
to be further understood that the scope of the invention is not to
be deemed as limited to the embodiment shown and described except
in-so-far as the claims appended hereto may be so limited.
* * * * *