Putter

• US 4,927,144 A
• Filed: 08/07/1989
• Issued: 05/22/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert D. Stormon
• Original Assignee: Robert D. Stormon
• Inventors: Stormon, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coven, Edward M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US07/390,082
• Time in Patent Office: 288 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167-175, 273/80.2-80.8, 273/80 B, 273/80 C, 273/77 R, 273/77 A, 273/80.1, 273/80 A
• US Class Current: 473/313
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/021 the shaft axis being forwardly offset relative to the striking face of the head
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence

Abstract

The putter has a head with a downwardly open cavity and a plate closing the cavity and secured by screws. The club head has a top opening at its heel end and the plate has a through opening in its toe end. The shaft has an extension at its lower end including a first portion bent to pass downwardly through the top portion, a second portion slanting downwardly between the openings, and a third portion extending downwardly into the through opening where it is welded in place. The shaft is of smaller diameters at locations near where it passes through the openings. The shaft is smaller than the top opening so that the shaft can flex within the top opening and give upon initial impact with the golf ball and then later recoil against the golf ball. The club head has a center of gravity located at the intersection of the longitudinal axis of the second portion of the shaft and of a diagonal line bisecting the angle formed by a line from the grip to the through opening and by the centerline of the main portion of the shaft. The club head weight is balanced vertically relative to the centerline of the second portion of the shaft. The center of gravity is equally distant from the two smaller diameter portions of the shaft. The sight is wedge shaped and arranged to show apparent distortion up on misalignment of the club head.

Claims

1. The improvement in a golf putter having an elongated shaft with a grip at its upper end and having a club head with a heel end, a toe end, a sole, an upper surface, and a face comprising:

(a) said club head having a downwardly open cavity elongated in a heel-to-toe direction and having a plate closing said cavity at said sole of said club head and secured to said club head,

(b) said club head having a generally vertically extending top opening to said cavity in said heel end of said club head and said plate having a generally vertically extending through opening in said toe end thereof,

(c) said shaft having an extension at its lower end below the main portion of said shaft including a first portion bent to pass downwardly through said top opening, having a second portion slanting downwardly in said cavity toward said toe end, and having a third portion extending downwardly into said through opening in said plate where it is welded to said plate,

(d) said shaft at its location passing through said top opening being smaller in cross-section than said top opening whereby when a golf ball is struck by said face said first portion of said shaft has room in said top opening to flex relative to said club head whereby said head gives upon initial impact with said golf ball and then recoils against said golf ball,

(e) said club head having a center of gravity located at the intersection of the longitudinal axis of said second portion of said shaft and of a diagonal line bisecting the angle formed by a line from said grip to said through opening and by the centerline of said main portion of said shaft, said extension including a first reduced diameter portion above and adjacent to said top opening of said club head and said third portion of said extension being equally reduced in diameter and said reduced diameter portions being substantially equally spaced from said center of gravity whereby torquing of said shaft upon impact with a golf ball is equally shared by said reduced diameter portions, and

(f) half the weight of said club head being disposed above and half the weight of said club head being disposed below an oblique plane that extends through said longitudinal axis of said second portion of said shaft extension, said oblique plane forming straight horizontal lines in vertical planes at right angles to said longitudinal axis of said second portion of said shaft extension, whereby during generally horizontal travel of said club head during a stroke, said club head does not tend to rotate about said longitudinal axis of said second portion of said shaft extension.

2. The improvement in a golf putter having an elongated shaft with a grip at its upper end and having a club head with a heel end, a toe end, a sole, an upper surface, and a face, comprising:

(a) said club head having a downwardly open cavity elongated in a heel-to-toe direction and having a plate closing said cavity at said sole of said club head and secured to said club head,

(b) said club head having a generally vertically extending top opening to said cavity in said heel end of said club head and said plate having a generally vertically extending through opening in said toe end thereof,

(c) said shaft having an extension at its lower end below the main portion of said shaft including a first portion bent to pass downwardly through said top opening, having a second portion slanting downwardly in said cavity toward said toe end, and having a third portion extending downwardly into said through opening in said plate where it is welded to said plate,

(d) said shaft at its location passing through said top opening being smaller in cross-section than said top opening whereby when a golf ball is struck by said face said first portion of said shaft has room in said top opening to flex relative to said club head whereby said head gives upon initial impact with said golf ball and then recoils against said golf ball, and

(e) said club head having a center of gravity located at the intersection of the longitudinal axis of said second portion of said shaft and of a diagonal line bisecting the angle formed by a line from said grip to said through opening and by the centerline of said main portion of said shaft, said extension including a first reduced diameter portion near to said top opening in said club head and said third portion of said extension being equally reduced in diameter and said reduced diameter portions being substantially equally spaced from said center of gravity whereby torquing of said shaft upon impact with a golf ball is equally shared by said reduced diameter portions.

3. The improvement in a golf putter having an elongated shaft with a grip at its upper end and having a club head with a heel end, a toe end, a sole, an upper surface, and a face, comprising:

(a) said club head having a downwardly open cavity elongated in a heel-to-toe direction and having a plate closing said cavity at said sole of said club head and secured to said club head,

(b) said club head having a generally vertically extending top opening to said cavity in said heel end of said club head and said plate having a generally vertically extending through opening in said toe end thereof,

(c) said shaft having an extension at its lower end below the main portion of said shaft including a first portion bent to pass downwardly through said top opening, having a second portion slanting downwardly in said cavity toward said toe end, and having a third portion extending downwardly into said through opening in said plate where it is welded to said plate, and

(d) said shaft at its location passing through said top opening being smaller in cross-section than said top opening whereby when a golf ball is struck by said face said first portion of said shaft has room in said top opening to flex relative to said club head whereby said head gives upon initial impact with said golf ball and then recoils against said golf ball.

4. The improvement in a golf putter having an elongated shaft with a grip at its upper end and having a club head with a heel end, a toe end, a sole, an upper surface, and a face, comprising:

(a) said club head having a downwardly open cavity elongated in a heel-to-toe direction and having a plate closing said cavity at said sole of said club head and secured to said club head,

(b) said club head having a generally vertically extending top opening to said cavity in said heel end of said club head,

(c) said shaft having an extension at its lower end below the main portion of said shaft including a first portion bent to pass downwardly through said top opening, having a second portion extending in said cavity toward said toe end, and having a third portion extending downwardly and secured to the toe end of said plate, and

(d) said shaft at its location passing through said top opening being smaller in cross-section than said top opening whereby when a golf ball is struck by said face said first portion of said shaft has room in said top opening to flex relative to said club head whereby said head gives upon initial impact with said golf ball and then recoils against said golf ball.

5. The improvement in a golf putter having an elongated shaft with a grip at its upper end and having a club head with a heel end, a toe end, a sole, an upper surface, and a face, comprising:

(a) said club head having a downwardly open cavity elongated in a heel-to-toe direction and having a plate closing said cavity at said sole of said club head and secured to said club head,

(b) said club head having a generally vertically extending top opening to said cavity in said heel end of said club head,

(c) said shaft having an extension at its lower end below the main portion of said shaft including a first portion bent to pass downwardly through said top opening, having a second portion extending in said cavity toward said toe end, and having a third end portion secured to the toe end of said plate, and

(d) said shaft at its location passing through said top opening being smaller in cross-section then said top opening whereby when a golf ball is struck by said face said first portion of said shaft has room in said top opening to flex relative to said club head whereby said head gives upon initial impact with said golf ball and then recoils against said golf ball.

6. The putter of claim 5 in which said club head has two weight cavities, one weight cavity being located beyond the heel end of said downwardly open cavity and the other cavity being located beyond the toe end of said downwardly open cavity endwise of said club head whereby torque can be increased and decreased in the heel and toe of said club head.

7. The putter of claim 5 in which during addressing of a golf ball in a normal manner by said face, said golf ball first touches said face above the level of the center of gravity of said club head.

8. The putter of claim 5 in which the longitudinal axis of said second portion of said extension of said shaft in the normal position of said club head in addressing a golf ball makes an angle with the horizontal of substantially 15.5°

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