U.S. patent number RE37,647 [Application Number 09/263,802] was granted by the patent office on 2002-04-09 for golf club putter.
This patent grant is currently assigned to California Institute of Technology. Invention is credited to Richmond A. Wolf.
United States Patent |
RE37,647 |
Wolf |
April 9, 2002 |
Golf club putter
Abstract
An improved putter including a pair of runners attached to the
bottom of the putter head. The runners take up less than the entire
surface of the bottom of the golf club. They raise the blade of the
putter above a ground surface. Their surface area is less than that
of the bottom of the golf club, so the interaction with the ground
is significantly reduced. This minimizes the interaction between
the putter's blade and the ground during putting. The chances that
the putter squarely strikes the ball without catching on the ground
is increased. The runners also raise the blade to a level to at or
near the golf ball's equator. This improves the probability of the
blade striking the ball with an upward blow during a swing. The
upward blow imparts a desirable top-spin roll on the ball.
Undesirable spins which make the ball deviate from its intended
path, such as back spin or side spin, are eliminated.
Inventors: |
Wolf; Richmond A. (Pasadena,
CA) |
Assignee: |
California Institute of
Technology (Pasadena, CA)
|
Family
ID: |
24465622 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/263,802 |
Filed: |
March 4, 1999 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
615493 |
Mar 12, 1996 |
05607365 |
Mar 4, 1997 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
473/328; 473/340;
473/341 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B
53/0487 (20130101); A63B 53/0433 (20200801); A63B
53/0416 (20200801); A63B 53/0408 (20200801) |
Current International
Class: |
A63B
53/04 (20060101); A63B 053/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;473/328,329,340,324,342,251,242,226,238,257 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
Progear Advertisement; Great Inventors Come in Stages, Then There's
a leap:; Mar. 1996; Golf Tips Magazine..
|
Primary Examiner: Passaniti; Sebastiano
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Fish & Richardson P.C.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A putter-type golf club adapted to strike a golf ball .[.at.].
.Iadd.near .Iaddend.its equator,comprising:
a handle element;
a club head comprising:
a .[.top.]. .Iadd.first .Iaddend.surface having an attachment
element for the handle element,
a ball-striking surface including a blade surface adapted to strike
a golf ball,
a rear surface disposed opposite said ball-striking surface, said
.[.top.]. .Iadd.first .Iaddend.surface extending between said ball
striking surface and said rear surface,
a first side surface extending between said ball-striking surface
and said rear surface on a first side of the club head,
a second side surface extending between said ball-striking surface
and said rear surface on a second side of the club head,
a bottom surface, formed opposite said .[.top.]. .Iadd.first
.Iaddend.surface, and bordered by said ball-striking surface, said
rear surface and said first and second side surfaces, said bottom
surface being non flat, and comprising a first runner extending
from the bottom of said ball-striking surface adjacent said first
side, having a height and having side surfaces and a bottom
surface, said first runner occupying less than half of a surface
area of said bottom surface, and having a height which is equal to
or less than the equator of the golf ball, and a second runner
extending from the bottom of said ball-striking surface adjacent
said second side, having a height and having side surfaces and a
bottom surface, said second runner occupying less than half of a
surface area of said bottom surface, and having substantially the
same height as the height of the first runner, said first and
second runners collectively having a surface area which is less
than a total area of said bottom surface of said club head, said
first and second runners being spaced apart by a distance greater
than a diameter of the golf ball, and .[.operating.]. .Iadd.located
.Iaddend.so that when said golf club is moved toward the golf ball
with said runners slightly above the ground, said blade surface
strikes the golf ball near its equator to impart an upward blow and
a spin roll on the golf ball,
wherein said first and second runners each comprise a front portion
which faces the golf ball at address, a rear portion which faces
away from the golf ball at address, and a surface extending between
said front portion and said rear portion, said surface including a
ground engaging surface which has a substantially curve area, a
tangent portion of the curve abutting against the ground, and a
straight segment disposed above said curved area.
2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein each said runner has one of an
ellipsoidal, square, rectangular, circular, or triangular
cross-sectional shape.
3. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said height of said runner is
between 3/8+L and 5/8+L inch.
4. The golf club of claim 3, wherein said height of said runner is
substantially 0.55 .[.inche.]. .Iadd.inch.Iaddend..
5. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said surface area of said
runner is in the range of 0.15-0.35 square inches.
6. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said first and second runners
have curved portions, and are integral with said golf club
head.
7. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said runners are separated by
a distance of substantially two inches.
8. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said runners are separated by
a distance of between 1.5 and 2.5 inches.
9. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said runners form a part of
said bottom surface of said club head.
10. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said runners are physically
separate pieces from the golf head, and further comprising an
attachment substance attaching said runners to said bottom surface
of said club head.
11. The golf club of claim 10, wherein said club head and said
runners are formed of different materials.
12. The golf club of claim 1, further comprising an insert attached
to said blade so that said insert strikes the golf ball when said
golf club is swung at the golf ball, said insert formed of a
different material than said golf club head..[.
13. A putter-type golf club adapted to strike a gold ball at its
equator comprising:
a handle element;
a club head comprising:
a top surface having an attachment element for the handle
element,
a ball-striking surface including blade surface adapted to strike
the golf ball,
a rear surface disposed opposite said ball-striking surface, said
top surface extending between said ball striking surface and said
rear surface,
a first side surface extending between said ball-striking surface
and said rear surface on a first side of the club head,
a second side surface extending between said ball-striking surface
and said rear surface on a second side of the club head,
a bottom surface, formed opposite said top surface, and bordered by
said ball-striking surface, said rear surface and said first and
second side surfaces, said bottom surface being non flat, and
comprising
a first runner extending from the bottom of said ball-striking
surface adjacent said first side, having a height and having side
surfaces and a bottom surface, said runner having a front portion
which faces the golf ball, a rear portion which faces away from the
golf ball, and said bottom surface extending between said front
portion and said rear portion, said bottom surface including a
ground engaging surface which has a shaped area which is shaped
such that only a part of an area defined by a perimeter of said
front portion, rear portion and side portions will touch the ground
when said club is pressed against the ground, said first runner
occupying less than half of a surface area of said bottom surface,
and having a height which is equal to or less than an equator of
the golf ball, and
a second runner extending from the bottom of said ball-striking
surface adjacent said second side, having a height and having side
surfaces and a bottom surface, and said bottom surface extending
between said front portion and said rear portion, said bottom
surface including a ground engaging surface which has a shaped area
which is shaped such that only a part of an area defined by a
perimeter of said front portion, rear portion and side portions
will touch the ground when said club is pressed against the ground,
said second runner occupying less than half of a surface area of
said bottom surface, and having substantially the same height as
the height of the first runner, said first and second runners
collectively having a surface area which is less than a total area
of said bottom surface of said club head, said first and second
runners being spaced apart by a distance greater than a diameter of
the golf ball, and operating so that when said golf club is moved
toward the golf ball with said runners slightly above the ground,
said blade surfaces strikes the golf ball near the equator of the
golf ball to impart an upward blow and a spin roll on the golf
ball,
wherein said first and second runners each comprise a front portion
which faces the golf ball at address, a rear portion which faces
away from the golf ball at address, and a surface extending between
said front portion and said rear portion, said surface including a
ground engaging surface which has a substantially curved area, a
tangent portion of the curve abutting against the ground, and a
straight segment disposed above said curved area..]. .[.
14. A putter as in claim 13, wherein said shaped area is a section
of a circle..]..[.
15. A putter as in claim 13, wherein said shaped area is a curved
area..]..[.
16. The putter of claim 13, wherein said surface area of said
runner in the range of 0.15-0.35 square inch..].
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to improved putters which have
surfaces that improve accuracy in golf ball interaction.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY
An important part of golfing is putting. Accurate putting requires
attention to speed/distance and line. Speed/distance defines the
velocity and force applied to a ball, while line defines the
direction of the moving ball. The line can only be made by the
golfer, but the speed can be aided by a more consistent roll.
A top spin roll is generally most desired because it is less likely
to be affected by bumps on the green which might otherwise effect
the line of the ball. Many golf putter designs have attempted to
aid the golfer in producing a moving ball that has an appropriate
top spin roll.
It is an object of the invention to define a new design that
facilitates this result.
Another problem with accuracy in putting is caused by ground
interaction. A golfer usually lines up the putter with the ball
("at address"), brings the club back ("takeaway"), and then hits
the ball and follows through. The desired results are obtained when
the putter is kept exactly as the golfer intended it. However, the
putter is usually touching the ground at address. During takeaway,
the putter may interact with the ground ("ground interaction"). The
golfer aims to keep the putter slightly above the ground during the
rest of the takeaway and follow through. However, sometimes the
putter does touch the ground. Even the most carefully manicured
course includes some irregularities in its greens. This can effect
the aiming of the putter, and hence effect the line of the
ball.
In recognition of this problem, it is an object of another aspect
of the present invention to reduce the amount of interaction
between the club and the green. This is preferably done by reducing
the surface area of the surface of the club that interacts with the
ground, using a new technique.
It is often desirable to strike the golf ball near the center of
gravity of the ball, i.e., its equator. The equator of a golf ball
is usually around 0.75 inches off the ground, since a golf ball has
a diameter of 1.5 inches. Another goal of the present invention is
to aid the golfer in striking the ball at a consistent
location.
The present invention features an improved golf putter which
includes a pair of ground engaging surfaces attached to downwardly
extending areas called herein runners. The runners include
downwardly-extending feet which extend from the bottom surface of
the putter head at the head's heel and toe. Each runner has a
surface area which is less than the entire area of the bottom
surface of the putter. The runner also has a height which depends
on the shape and mass of the putter. The height preferably ranges
from 3/8+L -5/8+L inches.
During a stroke, this ground engaging surface becomes the lowermost
area of the putter. If this surface does come into contact with the
ground, the leading edge of the putter blade ("the blade") is
raised to a level which is slightly below the ball's equator. Since
any putter generally does not touch the ground during a putt, the
ball will be struck with an upward blow during a putting stroke.
This action facilitates imparting the desirable top-spin roll to
the golf ball.
The runners also facilitate the blade striking the ball at a
location that minimizes undesirable side spin or back spin which
otherwise occurs when the ball is putt.
The present invention defines improved structural aspects and
surfaces which reduce the surface area that usually would come into
contact with the ground. This thereby reduces the chance of ground
interaction.
The base of the runners of the present invention have a reduced
ground engaging surface area, thereby reducing their interaction
with the ground. The runners have a smaller surface area than the
head itself to minimize interaction with the ground. The combined
surface area of each runner is preferably in the range of 0.15-0.35
in.sup.2. The edge of the runners are preferably formed with a
shape to further minimize interaction with the ground during a
putting stroke, rounded, angled, or tapered.
The positions of the runners also allow the user to place or "set"
the putter relative to the ball in a consistent, well defined way.
During the takeaway, the head is brought back and then moved
forward along a straight path which is collinear with the desired
path of the ball. This facilitates consistent, accurate
putting.
As described above, a good putt involves proper speed and
direction, including consistent speed and a desired direction from
a straight takeaway and straight follow through. The present
invention modifies speed by raising the blade, and modifies line by
reducing the surface area.
Another aspect of the present invention uses an insert at the blade
surface that is formed of a different material than the material of
the remainder of the golf club. That material may, for example,
have an elasticity which is similar to that of the covering of the
golf ball (e.g., rubber or plastic). The insert makes it possible
to strike the golf ball with a consistent force. The insert also
produces a desirable "dead hit" which further facilitates accurate
putting.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other aspects of the present invention will now be
described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
FIG. 1A is a front view of an improved putter according to the
invention;
FIG. 1B is a side view of the putter of FIG. 1A prior to contact
with a golf ball;
FIGS. 2A-2D are side views of the putter of FIG. 1A, respectively,
prior to being swung, during swinging, immediately prior to contact
with a golf ball, and immediately after contact with the golf
ball;
FIGS. 3A-3D are side views of a putter of the prior art,
respectively, prior to being swung, during swinging, immediately
prior to contact with a golf ball, and immediately after contact
with the golf ball; and,
FIGS. 4A-4D show another embodiment of the invention which includes
rounded edges on the putter;
FIGS. 5A-5C show a rounded embodiment with a shaft that fits
outside the putter neck;
FIGS. 6A-6C show a crooked shaft putter embodiment;
FIGS. 7A-7C show an embodiment including specially shaped runners;
and
FIG. 8 shows an embodiment which is optimized for use with heavy
material.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIGS. 1A and 1B respectively show front and side views of a first
embodiment of a putter 10 according to the invention. The putter 10
includes a head 12 having a front face 14, a shaft 18 which can
include a handle or other elements allowing gripping the golf club,
and a pair of runners 20, 21. Each runner includes a front portion
15 which faces the ball 30, and inside 36, outside 31, and back 37
portions. A ground engaging surface is formed from the lowermost
surfaces of the runners in the general area 24.
The putter has a heel end 21 and a toe end 23. The first runner 20
is formed on the bottom surface of the head at the toe end 23 and
the heel end 21. Blade 25 is formed on front face 14 between the
runners 20 and 21.
The head 12 also includes side surfaces 50, 52 and rear surface 55,
and a bottom surface 57.
The runners 20 and 21 raise the blade 25 of the putter 20 above a
ground surface 22.
The surface area of the ground engaging surfaces of the runners
(indicated by the bracket 24) which contacts the ground 22 is
smaller than the surface area of the bottom surface 57 of the
putter head 12. This system minimizes interactions between the
blade and the ground during putting. The minimized interactions can
reduce deflections of the putter. They also promote a firm top spin
roll of the ball. The runners 20 and 21 also raise the blade 25 to
a level which is slightly below the equator 32 of the ball 30 which
allows more consistent putting pace which can contribute to speed.
This helps the blade 25 to strike the ball 30 with an upward blow
during putting. The upward blow imparts a desirable top-spin roll
on the ball, and causes undesirable spin which tend to cause the
ball to deviate from the desired path, such as back or side spins
to be minimized.
The height and surface area of the runners are important design
parameters in the putter head design. The height of the runner is
shown as the arrow 27. This height determines the location where
the ball is struck. A golfer usually raises the putter off the
ground slightly during a putt. A putt begins with the bottom of the
club head on the ground, but the putter is raised above the ground
at the moment when it strikes the ball. The inventor found it
desirable to form the runners to have a height which is below the
equator of the ball.
The runners 20, 21 preferably have a height between 3/8+L inches
and 5/8+L inches, with a height of 0.55 inches being the most
preferred.
The total surface area of the runners is chosen to provide a stable
base on which to set the putter while minimizing contact between
the head and the ground. The preferred surface area is between
0.15-0.35 square inches per runner for a total of 0.3-0.7 square
inches.
The distance separating the runners (shown by the arrow 31) is
preferably wider than a golf ball diameter (1.5 inches).
Preferably, the distance is between 1.5 and 2.5 inches. Other
preferred dimensions of the putter are described herein with
reference to the further embodiments.
Each runner preferably includes a straight segment (arrow 42) and a
curved, tapered, or angled segment (arrow 43) along the front
vertical portion which faces the ball. Sharp edges are less
preferred, as they tend to catch on the ground during putting,
thereby disrupting the swing. The back portion 37 of the runner is
similar to the front portion, and includes a straight segment and a
curved, tapered, or angled segment.
Insert 33 is shown on the front face 12. Insert 33 may be disposed
between the two runners. As will become evident from investigation
of the other embodiments, the insert is optional, and many usable
embodiments omit using the insert.
The insert 33 includes a lower edge which is located even with the
blade 25. The insert 33 is preferably formed of a material
different than the material of the putter head 12.
Most preferably, the insert is formed of a material having some
property which is similar to the material forming the outer
covering of the golf ball. The insert 33 promotes a desirable "dead
hit" when the ball is struck. Such a hit reduces vibrations during
impact, minimizes the chances that the ball "jumps" off the front
face of the putter head following impact, and, in general, provides
the user with a more comfortable feel during putting.
The present invention preferably uses two runners. The putter is
rested on the two runners prior to putting. During putting, the
putter is easily drawn backwards from the rested position, and then
pushed forward in a pendulum-type motion. The path along which the
putter swings is generally collinear with the desired path of the
ball. Conventional putters, in contrast, have a much larger bottom
surface area. This creates a greater possibility that during
takeaway or follow through that there may be risk of interaction
with the ground. The present design is less likely to be thrown off
line because there is less surface area interaction with the
ground. Since the putter starts at rest on the ground and most be
moved, interactions between the uneven ground and the putter
surface must take place.
The inventor currently contemplates forming the putter of the
present invention from the metallic glasses, as described in U.S.
Pat. Nos. 5,288,344 and 5,368,659, the disclosures of which are
herewith incorporated by reference to the extent necessary for
understanding of the present invention.
FIGS. 2A-2D show different positions of the putter 10 relative to a
golf ball 30 during a putting stroke. Prior to the stroke (FIG. 2A)
the putter 10 is set so that the runners 20 rest on the ground 22.
The runners 20 elevate the blade 25 so that it is slightly below
the ball's equator. The putter 10 is drawn back (FIG. 2B) and then
pushed towards the ball. The bottom surfaces of the runners 20 are
preferably above the ground 22 (FIG. 2C) as the ball is struck, if
a good putting stroke is made. The blade 25 then impacts the ball
30 very near the ball's equator with an upward blow (FIG. 2D). This
causes the ball to roll away from the putter with a desirable top
spin (indicated by the arrow 35) and along a path collinear with a
path defined by the putters swing.
FIGS. 3A-3D show an analogous sequence of steps for a putter 50 of
the prior art. Prior to the stroke (FIG. 3A) the putter 50
preferably rests with its blade 55 even with or slightly above the
ground 57. The blade 55 is typically just below the ball's equator.
The putter 50 is then drawn back (FIG. 3B) and then pushed towards
the ball (FIG. 3C). The blade impacts the ball with the leading
edge below the equator of the ball with a downward force (FIG. 3D)
to generate backspin on the ball (indicated in the figure by the
arrow 59), causing the ball to skid. The ball may eventually
exhibit a top-spin roll, although this typically occurs after the
ball has skidded for some small distance and deviated from its
intended course.
Other embodiments include additional features.
FIGS. 4A-4C show an embodiment that has a rounded head 400. The
hozzle 402 of the head is sized to fit a shaft 405 around it. This
embodiment includes a system which has no sharp edges on the
putter--every edge is at least slightly rounded. The shaft fits
around the outside of the hozel as shown.
The putter head 400 has a lower, runner area 410, which is wider in
dimension than the upper, shaft attaching area 420. FIG. 4B shows a
cross sectional view of the FIG. 4A rear view along the line
4B--4B. FIG. 4C shows the front view of the putter. The runners in
this embodiment are rounded along multiple axes, to form a rounded
ground engaging surface.
FIGS. 5A-5C show another rounded embodiment--this one having a
shaft which fits around the outside of the neck of the putter. The
preferred dimensions of this putter are 2.2 cm by 12.2cm overall
with 1 cm lip forming the blade area.
The FIGS. 6A-6C embodiment uses a crooked shaft.
FIGS. 7A-7C shows an embodiment with runners that are less rounded
than those of previous embodiments.
The FIG. 8 embodiment uses a special heavy material such as brass
or bronze.
Other embodiments are within the scope of the invention. For
example, runners can be included with any type of putter design. In
addition, each dimension of the putter head depends on the types of
materials used to fabricate the head. These dimensions can
therefore be adjusted significantly for different types of putters
formed from different materials. In particular, the dimensions are
likely to decrease when more dense materials are used.
The runners described above have ellipsoidal cross sections.
Alternatively, the runners have triangular, cylindrical, circular,
or any other type of cross-sectional area. The runners preferably
include both flat and curved, angled, or tapered portions in all
dimensions. For instance, all surfaces of the runner can be curved
(e.g., the runner has a hemispherical shape).
The preferred embodiment of the invention features two runners. In
other embodiments the putter can have a single runner. In this
case, the runner has a similar shape as described above. In still
other embodiments, the putter includes more than two runners,
distributed periodically or randomly along its bottom surface.
Preferably, the putter head and the runners are formed together in
a single cast. Alternatively, the runners can be attached to the
putter head using, e.g., a weld or adhesive. Runners can be made on
a putter having any shape or size which falls within guidelines of
the United States Golf Association (USGA).
The angle of the putter's shaft has minimal affect on the design of
the putter head and the runners. The shaft can be imbedded directly
into the putter head.
All such modifications are intended to be encompassed in the
following claims.
* * * * *