Golf putter

• US 4,077,633 A
• Filed: 05/26/1976
• Issued: 03/07/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William Taylor
• Original Assignee: George Studen
• Inventors: Studen, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Application Number:
  US05/689,000
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 273/77 R, 273/164, 273/167-175, 273/183 D, D34/5 GH, D34/5 GC
• US Class Current: 473/251
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0462 characterised by tapering thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence

Abstract

A golf putter comprises a putter head and a conventional handle shaft attached thereto. A golf ball striking face on the head is divided into two contiguous transverse face segments, the lower of which is slanted downwardly and backwardly at about 1°-7° and the upper of which is slanted upwardly and backwardly at about 1°-3°. The two face segments, which intersect along a line about 0.600 inches above the sole of the head, cause a line, rather than a point, contact with a ball being putted and also cause an overspin to a struck ball, both to improve directional control of the ball. Rapid visual alignment between a preselected striking region on the face and a ball to be putted is provided by a plurality of visually contrasting lines formed transversely across a top surface of the head parallel to the face and spanning the striking region. Ridges defining the contrasting lines are interrupted about a plane through the striking region center and orthagonal to the face and sole, a contrasting line pointing towards the striking region being thereby formed. The visual sighting effect may be enhanced by varying the length and/or the width of the contrasting lines in a regular manner as distance of the lines from the face increases.

Claims

1. A golf ball putter, which comprises:

(a) an elongate putter handle having a first, gripping end and a second, mounting end,

(b) a putter head having top, bottom and rear surfaces and a front, golf ball engaging face, and including means for enabling attachment of the mounting end of the handle to the putter head,

said front face being non-planar and including contiguous upper and lower transverse face segments,

said lower face segment being slanted downwardly and backwardly at a first preselected small angle from an intersection line with the upper face segment and relative to a plane orthogonal to the bottom surface, and said upper face segment being slanted upwardly and backwardly at a second preselected angle from said intersection line and relative to said plane, said upper and lower face segments thereby being formed at a large obtuse angle permitting engagement by the putter head of a golf ball along said intersection line, and permitting a preselected spin orientation to be imparted to the golf ball, and

2. (c) visual alignment means on the upper head surface adapted for enabling a user of the putter to visually align a preselected golf ball striking region on the front face with a golf ball to be putted,

said visual alignment means including means for defining a plurality of lines of contrasting appearances on the top surface of said head, said lines being generally parallel to an upper edge of the front face and spanning the region of said preselected striking spot by a substantial amount, said line defining means also including means for forming another contrasting line along a plane orthogonal to the front face and bottom surface and through the preselected striking region, said last mentioned contrasting line being generally orthogonal to the first mentioned lines of contrasting appearance and pointing directly towards the preselected striking region in a manner readily visible to a user holding the putter in a normal, golf ball putting manner,

said plurality of lines contrasting appearance being formed symmetrically about said last mentioned contrasting line, and the lines of contrasting appearance being formed of progressively wider widths as distance of the lines from the front face is increased, the contrasting lines closest to the front face being thereby substantially narrower than the contrasting lines closest to the rear surface, the ability of a user to rapidly align the preselected striking point with a golf ball to be putted being thereby enhanced.

3. A golf club or the like for striking a ball, which comprises:

(a) a club handle having an upper gripping end and a lower mounting end, and

(b) a club head having top, bottom and rear surfaces and a front, ball engaging face and including means for attaching the mounting end of the club handle to the club head,

said club head including means for defining a plurality of first lines of contrasting appearance on the top surface generally parallel to the front face, said defining means also defining a second line of contrasting appearance in a plane orthogonal to the front face and bottom surface and through the center of a preferential ball striking region, said second line pointing towards said center in a manner readily visible to a user holding the club in a normal, ball striking manner,

said first lines of contrasting appearance being formed symmetrically about said second line, the lines of contrasting appearance being formed to be progressively wider in width as the distance of the lines from the front face increases, the first lines closest to the front face being substantially narrower than the first lines closest to the rear surface, visual alignment between the preferential striking region and a ball being struck being thereby facilitated.

4. A golf club or the like for striking a ball, which comprises:

(a) a club handle having an upper gripping end and a lower mounting end, and

(b) a club head having top, bottom and rear surfaces and a front, ball engaging face and including means for attaching the mounting end of the club handle to the club head,

said club head including means for defining a plurality of first lines of contrasting appearance on the top surface generally parallel to the front face, said defining means also defining a second line of contrasting appearance in a plane orthogonal to the front face and bottom surface and through the center of a preferential ball striking region, said second line pointing towards said center in a manner readily visible to a user holding the club in a normal, ball striking manner,

the first contrasting line defining means including means for forming alternating elevated and recessed regions parallel to the head face, said elevated regions being interrupted to define said second line of contrasting appearance, said recessed and interrupted regions being at least partially filled with a material with high visual contrast with the elevated regions.