Adjustable putter

• US 5,441,274 A
• Filed: 10/29/1993
• Issued: 08/15/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Truman R. Clay
• Original Assignee: Truman R. Clay
• Inventors: Clay, Truman R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US08/145,892
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167 R, 273/77 R, 273/80.1, 273/80 B, 273/81.4, 273/81.5, 273/81.6, 273/187.4, 273/187.5, 273/80.2, 273/80.4, 273/168, 273/171, 273/172.173 , 273/163 A
• US Class Current: 473/201
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/065 for putters

Abstract

A golf clubhead includes a lower part with stepped ramps spaced apart and inclined downwardly toward each other engageable by stepped undersurface slopes at the opposite ends of an upper clubhead part carried by the golf club shank, which lower part and upper part can be secured together in different tilted relationships to alter the lie of the golf club. The upper clubhead part has two generally horizontal weight-receiving bores located at opposite sides, respectively, of the longitudinal center of such part and equally spaced from such center, and the clubhead lower part has upright weight-receiving bores located at opposite sides, respectively, of the longitudinal center of such part and equally spaced from such center for receiving weight slugs selectively to alter the weight and balance of the clubhead. The two parts are inserted in a shell having opposite faces forming blades having different lofts. The grip or shaft of the golf club has a club attitude index for reference by the golfer in addressing the golf ball, each index including an elongated element located in a central reference plane of the golf club shaft, and two rows of side elements located on opposite sides, respectively, of the central element, each side element being formed by a curved row of spots flaring from the end closer to the grip butt away from the central element.

Claims

1. In a golf club, the lie of which can be adjusted, a clubhead comprising an elongated lower part having spaced lengthwise thereof two ramps inclined oppositely downward toward each other, and an elongated upper part having on the underside thereof and spaced lengthwise thereof two slopes inclined downwardly toward each other and complemental to said ramps in said lower part, said upper part being tiltable relative to said lower part by shifting said upper part lengthwise relative to said lower part to alter the engagement of said slopes of said upper part with said ramps of said lower part.

2. In the golf club defined in claim 1, the ramps of the clubhead lower part being stepped and the slopes of the clubhead upper part having steps complementary to the steps of the clubhead lower part ramps.

3. In the golf club defined in claim 1, the clubhead upper part having opposite ends which opposite ends are formed as overhangs and the slopes being on the undersides of the overhangs.

4. In the golf club defined in claim 1, the clubhead further including a shell and an insert in said shell including the clubhead lower part and the clubhead upper part.

5. In the golf club defined in claim 4, the shell having opposite sides which opposite sides are formed as blades and said blades having different lofts.

6. In the golf club defined in claim 1, one of the parts having in it weight-receiving bores.

7. In the golf club defined in claim 6, the weight-receiving bores being in the clubhead upper part and having axes generally parallel to the slopes on the underside of the clubhead upper part and extending transversely of the length of the clubhead upper part.

8. In the clubhead defined in claim 6, the weight-receiving bores being in the clubhead lower part and being arranged with their axes upright.

9. In the golf club defined in claim 6, the clubhead upper part having two weight-receiving bores which have axes generally parallel to the slopes on the underside of the clubhead upper part and extending transversely of the length of the clubhead upper part, and the clubhead lower part having two weight-receiving bores arranged with their axes upright.

10. In the golf club defined in claim 1, the golf club further including a shaft member and a grip member carried by the end portion of the shaft member remote from the clubhead, one of said members having a club attitude roll index including an elongated central element disposed in a central plane of the golf club shaft member, and two elongated side elements adjacent to opposite sides of said central element, respectively, and flaring oppositely, respectively, away from said central element, said central element and said side elements forming an index indicating the swiveled attitude of the shaft member.

11. In the golf club defined in claim 10, the side elements flaring away from the central element in the same direction.

12. In the golf club defined in claim 10, the elongated side elements being rows of spots.

13. In the golf club defined in claim 12, adjacent spots in the side elements being of different colors.

14. The golf club defined in claim 1, the clubhead upper part and the clubhead lower part being relatively shiftable to alter their relationship for changing the loft of the golf club.

15. In the golf club defined in claim 5, the clubhead lower part and the clubhead upper part being fittable in the shell in two different relationships alternatively, in one of such relationships the clubhead lower part being reversed end-for-end with respect to the clubhead upper part in the other relationship.

16. In a golf club including a generally cylindrical shaft member, a clubhead carried by the shaft member and having a blade, and a generally cylindrical grip member carried by the end portion of the shaft member remote from the clubhead, the improvement comprising one of the members having a club attitude roll index located on the curved side of such generally cylindrical member and including a central element disposed in a central plane of the golf club shaft member, which plane is generally parallel to the clubhead blade, and two elongated side elements at opposite sides of said central element, respectively, and respectively diverging from said central plane, said central element and said side elements forming a roll index whereby the relationship of said side elements to said central element observed by the user indicates the roll attitude of the shaft member and the attitude of the clubhead blade.

17. In the golf club defined in claim 16, in which the side elements are elongated rows of spots extending lengthwise along the length of the member on which they are located.

18. In the golf club defined in claim 17, the spots being of rectangular shape and arranged with opposite sides extending generally parallel to the length of the row of spots.

19. In the golf club defined in claim 17, in which adjacent spots in the side elements are of different colors.

20. In the golf club defined in claim 17, the side rows of spots being curved to flare symmetrically from the central element.

21. In the golf club defined in claim 16, the central element being elongated and having its length extending lengthwise of the member on which it is located and the side elements having their lengths extending lengthwise of the member on which they are located and flaring away from the central element in the same direction lengthwise of the central element.

22. In the golf club defined in claim 21, the shaft member having a butt located farthest from the clubhead, and the side elements flaring relative to the central element away from the butt of the shaft member.