U.S. patent application number 14/091924 was filed with the patent office on 2014-05-29 for mass balanced golf club.
The applicant listed for this patent is Richard B. Pitbladdo. Invention is credited to Richard B. Pitbladdo.
Application Number | 20140148267 14/091924 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50773766 |
Filed Date | 2014-05-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140148267 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pitbladdo; Richard B. |
May 29, 2014 |
MASS BALANCED GOLF CLUB
Abstract
A modification to a golf club including a shaft extension and a
balance weight provides a significant modification of the golf club
mass distribution to affect the combination of forces and torques
that the body, via the arms and hands, must exert on the golf club
grip in order to impart motion to the golf ball towards the cup. A
preferred design reduces the torque that the hands impart on the
golf club grip to move the golf club through its controlled arc
motion to strike the golf ball. The distributed weight of the golf
club shaft contributes to a smoother motion of the golf club.
Inventors: |
Pitbladdo; Richard B.;
(Naples, FL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Pitbladdo; Richard B. |
Naples |
FL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
50773766 |
Appl. No.: |
14/091924 |
Filed: |
November 27, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61730625 |
Nov 28, 2012 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/292 ;
29/428 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 53/0487 20130101;
A63B 60/00 20151001; A63B 60/24 20151001; A63B 53/00 20130101; A63B
53/047 20130101; A63B 60/22 20151001; A63B 53/08 20130101; Y10T
29/49826 20150115; A63B 53/14 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/292 ;
29/428 |
International
Class: |
A63B 53/00 20060101
A63B053/00; A63B 59/00 20060101 A63B059/00 |
Claims
1. A golf club comprising: a hand grip for gripping the golf club
having a hand grip center between a lower hand grip end and an
upper hand grip end opposite the lower hand grip end; a shaft
projecting downward from the lower hand grip end at a first shaft
end and having a second shaft end opposite the first shaft end; a
club head at the second shaft end having a club face for striking a
golf ball; a shaft extension projecting upward from the upper hand
grip end at a first shaft extension end and having a second shaft
extension end opposite the first shaft extension end; and a balance
weight at the second shaft extension end.
2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein a length of the shaft
extension and a weight of the balance weight are selected to
provide a balance torque to offset at least a portion of a club
head torque caused by a weight of the club head at a club head
distance away from the hand grip center.
3. The golf club of claim 2, wherein the length of the shaft
extension and the weight of the balance weight provide the balance
torque to offset at least 10% of the club head torque.
4. The golf club of claim 2, wherein the length of the shaft
extension and the weight of the balance weight provide the balance
torque to offset at least 25% of the club head torque.
5. The golf club of claim 2, wherein the length of the shaft
extension and the weight of the balance weight provide the balance
torque to offset at least 50% of the club head torque.
6. The golf club of claim 2, wherein the length of the shaft
extension and the weight of the balance weight provide the balance
torque of 100% of the club head torque.
7. The golf club of claim 2, wherein the length of the shaft
extension is in the range of 20% to 100% of a distance from the
hand grip center to the club head.
8. The golf club of claim 2, wherein the weight of the balance
weight is in the range of 25% to 200% of the weight of the club
head.
9. The golf club of claim 2, wherein the length of the shaft
extension is in the range of 20% to 100% of a length of the shaft
and the weight of the balance weight is in the range of 25% to 200%
of the weight of the club head.
10. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the club head is a putter
head.
11. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the club head is a pitching
club head.
12. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the club head is a short iron
head.
13. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the shaft extension is
removably fastened to the upper hand grip end.
14. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the balance weight is
removably fastened to the second shaft extension end.
15. The golf club of claim 1, wherein a center of mass of the
balance weight is aligned with a center of the shaft extension, the
hand grip center, a center of the shaft, and a center of mass of
the club head.
16. A method of offsetting at least a portion of a club head torque
of a golf club caused by a weight of a club head at a club head
distance away from a hand grip center comprising: a) selecting a
balancing projection comprising a shaft extension having a shaft
extension length, a first shaft extension end, and a second shaft
extension end opposite the first shaft extension end and a balance
weight at the second shaft extension end; and b) attaching the
first shaft extension end to an upper hand grip end of the golf
club, the golf club comprising: the hand grip for gripping the golf
club having the hand grip center between a lower hand grip end and
the upper hand grip end opposite the lower hand grip end; a shaft
projecting downward from the lower hand grip end at a first shaft
end and having a second shaft end opposite the first shaft end; and
a club head at the second shaft end having a club face for striking
a golf ball.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the shaft extension length and
a weight of the balance weight of the balancing projection are
selected to provide a predetermined offset of the club head torque
based on a length of the shaft and a weight of the club head.
Description
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims one or more inventions which were
disclosed in Provisional Application No. 61/730,625, filed Nov. 28,
2012, entitled "MASS BALANCED PUTTER". The benefit under 35 USC
.sctn.119(e) of the United States provisional application is hereby
claimed, and the aforementioned application is hereby incorporated
herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention pertains to the field of golf clubs. More
particularly, the invention preferably pertains primarily to golf
putters and to a lesser extent to golf pitching clubs and short
irons.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Golf putters as presently configured are not designed
considering the static balance of the golf club. Both torque and
linear force must be imparted to the golf club grip to effect its
arc motion to strike the golf ball. Belly putters and long putters
are attempts to improve on conventional golf putters but such
designs are being brought into question as legal golf club designs
within the rules of golf.
[0006] Other modifications to the weight distribution of a golf
club are known in the art. U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,261,641, 7,699,718,
7,770,460, and 7,770,461, as well as U.S. Patent Application
Publication Nos. 2004/0147339 and 2003/0148819, for example, add
weights from the hand grip end of the club down the shaft toward
the club head end of the club.
[0007] The above-mentioned references are hereby incorporated by
reference herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] A modification to a golf club including a shaft extension
and a balance weight provides a significant modification of the
golf club mass distribution to affect the combination of forces and
torques that the body, via the arms and hands, must exert on the
golf club grip in order to impart motion to the golf ball towards
the cup. A preferred design reduces the torque that the hands
impart on the golf club grip to move the golf club through its
controlled arc motion to strike the golf ball. The distributed
weight of the golf club shaft contributes to a smoother motion of
the golf club.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 shows schematically a prior art golf putter.
[0010] FIG. 2 shows schematically a prior art golf putter termed a
belly putter.
[0011] FIG. 3 shows schematically a prior art golf putter termed a
long putter.
[0012] FIG. 4 shows schematically a statically mass balanced golf
club in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 5 shows schematically a golf club with the balance
weight having a specific shape conforming to the putter shaft in a
preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 6 shows schematically the static torque on the putter
grip involved in the putter stroke using a prior art golf
putter.
[0015] FIG. 7 shows schematically a golf club with the static
torque on the putter grip counter balanced in a preferred
embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Although descriptions herein are generally for golf clubs,
principles of the invention are most relevant to a golf putter, but
may be applicable to other types of golf clubs, including, but not
limited to, pitching clubs and short irons.
[0017] FIG. 1 shows the most common type of conventional golf
putter (10) with a putter head (11), a putter hand grip (13), and a
putter shaft (12), which connects the putter head (11) to the
putter hand grip (13). There are many swing styles; however, most
are variations of a pendulum motion about a point (19) between the
putter grip (13) and the shoulder of the golfer, the pendulum being
of length (14) plus length (15).
[0018] FIG. 2 shows a prior art golf putter (20) termed a "belly
putter". The top end of the putter shaft (22) is anchored at
approximately the player's belt line (29). Thus location (29) is
the anchor point for a pendulum of length (24) plus length (25) in
the pendulum motion of the putter (20), whereby the hands apply a
substantially linear force to the putter grip (13) during the
putter stroke.
[0019] FIG. 3 shows a prior art golf putter (30) termed a "long
putter". The top end of the putter shaft (32), which is a pendulum
of length (34) plus length (35), is held in a substantially fixed
position (39) by one hand and the other hand imparts the pendulum
motion to the golf putter (30) by applying a linear force to the
putter grip (13) during the putter stroke.
[0020] For the belly putter (20) and the long putter (30), the top
end (29, 39) of the putter shaft (22, 32) is substantially
anchored. Therefore, the putting force exerted on the hand grip
(13) by the player's hand or hands is substantially linear. Little
or no torque is required to move the club (20, 30) in its
respective pendulum motion.
[0021] FIG. 4 shows the simplest form of a golf club (40) in a
preferred embodiment of the present invention. The centerline of
the shaft (42) passes through the center of mass (41) of the club
head (11). The shaft (42) extends a distance (44) between the
center of mass (41) of the club head (11) and the center of the
hand grip (13). A shaft extension (47) extends upwardly from the
hand grip (13) to the balance weight (46), which has a center of
mass (43). The shaft extension (47) extends a distance (45) between
the center of mass (43) of the balance weight (46) and the center
of the hand grip (13). The shaft extension (47) and balance weight
(46) together form a balancing projection. The center of mass (43)
of the balance weight (46) is located in substantial alignment with
the center of the hand grip (13) and the center of mass (41) of the
club head (11).
[0022] Club head torque, as used herein, refers to the integral or
the incremental summation of the products of the masses or weights
of the lower portion of the golf club below the center of the hand
grip and their distances from the center of the hand grip. Balance
torque, as used herein, refers to the integral or the incremental
summation of the products of the masses or weights of the upper
portion of the golf club above the center of the hand grip and
their distances from the center of the hand grip.
[0023] Assuming the distributed effect of the weight of the shaft
(42) and the weight of the shaft extension (47) to be negligible,
static mass balance is achieved when the weight of the balance
weight (46) times the distance between the center of mass of the
balance weight (46) and the center of the hand grip (13) equals the
weight of the club head (11) times the distance between the center
of mass of the club head (11) and the center of the hand grip (13).
In other words, static mass balance is achieved when the weight of
the balance weight (46) times the length (45) of the shaft
extension (47) equals the weight of the club head (11) times the
length (44) of the shaft (42) distance.
[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the distance (45) of the shaft
extension (47) is one half the distance (44) of the shaft (42). In
this embodiment, static mass balance is achieved when the weight of
the balance weight (46) is twice the weight of the club head
(11).
[0025] FIG. 5 shows a golf club (50) in a preferred embodiment with
the balance weight (56) shaped to conform to the outside shape (58)
of the shaft extension (57). Thus, the only indication of the
balance weight would be the length (55) of the shaft extension
(57). This would most likely be an acceptable configuration for the
"Rules of Golf".
[0026] In some embodiments, an objective is to emulate as to a
degree the feel, the dynamics, and the smooth motion of the belly
putter (20) and the long putter (30), as these putter
configurations are being questioned relative to "The Rules of
Golf".
[0027] Referring back to FIG. 4, the location of the balance weight
(46) above the hand grip (13) at the top of the shaft (47) has an
anchoring effect on the top of the shaft much like the anchor
points (29) and (39) respectively of the belly putter (20) and the
long putter (30). The center of pendulum motion (49) is located a
length/distance (48) above the center of mass (43) of the balance
weight (46).
[0028] Referring to FIG. 6, the putter head (11) of a conventional
golf putter is cantilevered from the putter grip. The hands must
exert a counterclockwise torque (63) on the grip (13) equal to the
product of the putter head (11) weight (61) times the horizontal
distance (64) to maintain the angle (65) between the putter shaft
(12) and the horizontal substantially constant during the putter
stroke.
[0029] Referring to FIG. 7, the clockwise torque of the balance
weight (46), which has weight (77) times the horizontal distance
(75), acts to reduce or negate the counterclockwise torque (73)
produced by club head (11) weight (71) times distance (74) to
provide a mass balanced golf club (40).
[0030] The balance weight being located above the hand grip
provides a stabilizing influence/smoothing effect on the golf club
motion during the stroke. The location of significant weight at
each end of the golf club shaft aids in maintaining the angle (76)
of the golf club shaft (42) substantially constant during the golf
stroke. This has been qualitatively verified in initial tests of a
prototype statically balanced putter.
[0031] The magnitude of static balance may be changed to provide
different measures of feel to the golf club. "Feel" as described
herein is the combination of torques and linear forces that the
body, via the arms and hands, must exert on the hand grip (13) in
order to impart motion to the golf ball towards the cup.
[0032] It is important to note that the prior art concepts of the
belly putter (20) and the long putter (30) are concepts that, in
addition to anchoring the top end (29) and (39) of the golf club,
affect the feel of the putter by changing the forces and torques
the hands impart on the putter grip (13) using the body and/or
hands in a certain manner. In contrast, the embodiments described
herein use the balance weight (46) and shaft extension distance
(45) to affect the forces and torques.
[0033] The magnitude of mass balancing may vary in accordance to
the preference of individual golfers. Referring to FIG. 7 in a
preferred embodiment of minimum balancing, the weight (77) of the
balance weight (46) is about 25 percent of the weight (71) of the
club head (11) and the length (45) of the shaft extension (47) is
about 20 percent of the length (44) of the golf club shaft (42).
This minimum balancing would provide a balance torque that is 5
percent of the club head torque. Preferred embodiments may have the
weight (77) of the balance weight (46) vary between 25 percent and
200 percent of the weight (71) of the club head (11) in combination
with the variation of the length (45) of the shaft extension (47)
between 20 percent and 100 percent of the length (44) of the golf
club shaft (42).
[0034] In other embodiments, the balancing torque provided by the
balancing projection is closer in value to the club head torque. In
some embodiments, the balancing torque is at least 10 percent of
the club head torque. In some embodiments, the balancing torque is
in the range of 10 percent to 25 percent of the club head torque.
In some embodiments, the balancing torque is at least 25 percent of
the club head torque. In some embodiments, the balancing torque is
in the range of 25 percent to 50 percent of the club head torque.
In some embodiments, the balancing torque is at least 50 percent of
the club head torque. In some embodiments, the balancing torque is
in the range of 50 percent to 100 percent of the club head torque.
In some embodiments, the balancing torque is about 100 percent of,
or equal to, the club head torque.
[0035] In some embodiments, the shaft extension is an integral
extension of the shaft of the golf club. In other embodiments, the
shaft extension is permanently fastened to the grip end of the golf
club. Any permanent fastening mechanism may be used within the
spirit of the present invention. In preferred embodiments, however,
the shaft extension is removably attached to the grip end of the
club so that different shaft extensions of different lengths and
weights may be attached to a golf club. In preferred embodiments,
the shaft extension is designed to be removably attachable to the
grip end of a conventional golf club. In other embodiments, the
grip end of the golf club is designed to receive the shaft
extension. Any reversible fastening mechanism may be used within
the spirit of the present invention, including, but not limited to,
a screw or a bolt.
[0036] In some embodiments, the balance weight is integral to an
end of the shaft extension. In other embodiments, the balance
weight is permanently fastened to the shaft extension. Any
permanent fastening mechanism may be used within the spirit of the
present invention. In preferred embodiments, however, the balance
weight is removably attached to the end of the shaft extension so
that different shaft extensions of different lengths may be
combined with different balance weights of different weights. Any
reversible fastening mechanism may be used within the spirit of the
present invention, including, but not limited to, a screw/screw
hole or a bolt/bolt hole.
[0037] In a preferred embodiment, the balance weight is pro shop
changeable via an attachment technique such that the balance is
adjustable to the individual's preference. Some individual golfers
may prefer less mass balancing, whereas others may prefer a balance
weight that gives substantial balancing.
[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the balance weight attachment
technique is significantly secure such that it cannot be changed on
the golf course by the golfer during play. This would most likely
be an acceptable configuration within the "Rules of Golf". In some
embodiments, a locking mechanism between the golf club and the
balancing projection prevents the golfer from removing the
balancing projection from the golf club on the golf course.
[0039] The description above generally describes the present
invention as it applies to a golf club. In some embodiments, the
golf club is a putter and the club head is a putter head. In other
embodiments, the golf club is a pitching club and the club head is
a pitching club head. In other embodiments, the golf club is a
short iron and the club head is a short iron head.
[0040] Accordingly, it is to be understood that the embodiments of
the invention herein described are merely illustrative of the
application of the principles of the invention. Reference herein to
details of the illustrated embodiments is not intended to limit the
scope of the claims, which themselves recite those features
regarded as essential to the invention.
* * * * *