Aid for driving golf balls

Abstract

Accuracy of flight of a golf ball struck by an otherwise conventional golf club is improved by providing a circle of precisely the diameter of a golf ball on the upper surface of the club head whereby when the club head is laid adjacent a ball prior to a swinging stroke the adjacent circular configurations of the circle and golf ball coact to establish a directional axis accurately related to the line of flight of the ball when struck by the club.

Description

This invention relates to devices for obtaining improved accuracy in the flight of a golf ball, and is particularly adapted to woods, namely clubs designated as Nos. 1-4 identified in the claims as driving clubs.

It has been proposed in prior art to provide various markings, symbols directional aids and the like upon golf clubs all seeking to improve the accuracy of flight of the ball.

This prior art shows that in general it has been customary to provide linear markings on drivers and other golf clubs. The present invention represents an improvement over such art by the provision of novel marking unexpectedly contributing to accuracy of flight of the driven ball, and this is the major object of the invention.

More specifically it is an object of the invention to provide on the upper surface of the club head, where it occupies the same visual field as the ball, which may be on a tee or on the playing surface, a novel circular configuration which when viewed with the adjacent ball establishes a common axis between the ball center and the circular figure that may be aligned with the desired point or direction of arrival of the ball struck by the club. The circular configuration is a circle of the same size as the golf ball or a pictorial planar representation of the golf ball. It may be an intagliated design of a golf ball and integral to the club head; such representations of the golf ball to be identical in circumference to the ball itself.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds in connection with the appended claims and the annexed drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing a golf club, here a wood, provided with the invention according to a preferred embodiment and disposed adjacent the ball to be struck by the club;

FIG. 2 is a similar top plan view of a golf club according to a further embodiment; and

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating practice of the invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a conventional golf ball 11 resting on or above a playing surface as on the usual golf tee and adjacent to it the head 12 of a driver 13 having a ball striking face 14, an upper surface 15 and the usual shaft 16.

In FIG. 1 the ball is of course at rest and the club head is resting on the ground behind it with the upper end of the shaft in the hands of the player who is looking down at the ball and the adjacent club head in the same direct field of view. The striking face 14 is conventionally inclined with respect to the vertical for imparting loft to the ball. The upper surface 15 of the club head is slightly convex but lies substantially in a horizontal plane.

The upper surface 15 of the club head is provided with a marking 17 that has a circular configuration 18 as its periphery symmetrical about a theoretical unmarked center indicated at 19. Preferably the circular configuration is disposed as close as possible to the upper edge of striking surface 14, that is the front end of the club and centered laterally of surfaces 14 and 15. Advantageously center 19 may be in a plane containing the axis of shaft 16.

The physical form of marking 17 may vary. Advantageously it is a decal or sheet-like element adhesively secured to the surface 15, and whichever is used it should be water resistant in that it does not tend to become removed or damaged by rain or dew for example. Marking 17 may be engraved or otherwise permanent. Preferably there is no marking within the circle 18 showing center 19 for a purpose to appear.

The diameter of configuration 18 is important. It should be that of the ball 11. As is known the diameter of the U.S.G.A. standard golf ball is 1.680 inches.

In any event in practicing the invention the club head is laid close to the ball as shown in FIG. 1 and as indicated in FIG. 3. In FIG. 3 the player (not shown) is holding the club in the FIG. 1 condition and he will seek to drive the ball from the tee 21 toward the hole 22 in distant green 23.

As the player looks down, he sees in the same field the ball 11 and the adjacent circular configuration 18. The efficiency of the invention is based on the scientific optical fact that the human eye in looking at a circle tends to seek the center of that circle, and it is believed that by providing two adjacent similar circles, the ball 11 and the marking 17, the player automatically settles his vision on the theoretical centers of those circles, thereby establishing a directional axis indicated at 24 that includes aligned diameters passing through marking center 19 and the ball center indicated at 25. Since center 19 is preferably unmarked the eye will similarly view the circles defined by the ball and configuration 18.

Once having established the axis 24 the player may maneuver the club head to direct the axis 24 toward the desired arrival point or lie such as hole 22, this directional line being indicated at 26 in FIG. 3. For long holes the point 22 would be an intermediate arbitrary lie on the fairway.

In practice a player may use the invention to correct a chronic slice or hook tendency by relating the axis 24 with respect to the hole 22. Ancillary values to the correction of hooking and slicing are obtained by preferential placement of the decal marker on the club head located along the upper edge of face 14 closer to the club shaft to correct against slicing, and more distant from shaft to counteract hooking.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Claims

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A glof ball driving club wherein the head thereof includes a striking face intersecting a generally horizontal upper surface on the club head, marking means in the form of a plain circle devoid of configuratiion marking within the periphery of the circle on the upper surface of the club head, the intersection of said striking face and upper surface being tangent to said plain circle, and the diameter of said plain circle being approximately 1.68 inches whereby when the club head is laid adjacent to a ball of said diameter prior to a swinging stroke the adjacent circular configurations of the circle and golf ball as viewed by the player coact optically to establish a directional axis accurately related to the line of flight of the ball when struck by the club.

2. The club defined in claim 1, wherein said circle is on a water resistant medium adhesively bonded upon the upper surface of said club head.