Golf putter
First Claim
1. A golf putter comprising:
- a club shaft;
a club head mounted on a lower portion of the club shaft, comprising;
a sole plate portion;
a heel portion extending upwardly from said sole plate portion;
a toe portion extending upwardly from said sole plate portion spaced from said heel portion;
a ball contact member being formed of an elastomer;
said ball contact member having a ball engaging face formed on a front upright surface thereof;
said ball engaging face extending laterally between the heel and toe portions over the extent of the ball contact member;
a retainer plate extending upwardly from said sole plate portion rearwardly of said ball contact member and between said heel and toe portions for support of the ball contact member;
an inertial mass mounted on said sole plate portion rearwardly of said retainer plate;
said inertial mass being located opposite a central portion of the ball engaging face;
said inertial mass having a hosel therein for receiving the lower portion of the club shaft;
said inertial mass extending laterally along the retainer plate over a width thereof spaced about a vertical plane passing through the center of gravity of the ball contact member; and
said inertial mass extending laterally along the retainer plate over a width less than the diameter of a golf ball.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A golf putter improves a golfer'"'"'s ability to consistently impart a smooth putting stroke on the ball. The putter has an elastomer insert extending over a ball striking surface formed on the head of the club head. An inertial mass or ballast is formed at a rear central portion of the club head, with center portions of the ballast mass aligned with the vertical center line of the ball striking surface. The shaft portion of the putter is connected to the club head so that the longitudinal axis of the shaft intersects the center line of the club head and the inertial mass. The club head also has a base plate portion to assist the golfer in club grip and alignment during “set up” before the actual putting stroke.
82 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A golf putter comprising:
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a club shaft;
a club head mounted on a lower portion of the club shaft, comprising;
a sole plate portion;
a heel portion extending upwardly from said sole plate portion;
a toe portion extending upwardly from said sole plate portion spaced from said heel portion;
a ball contact member being formed of an elastomer;
said ball contact member having a ball engaging face formed on a front upright surface thereof;
said ball engaging face extending laterally between the heel and toe portions over the extent of the ball contact member;
a retainer plate extending upwardly from said sole plate portion rearwardly of said ball contact member and between said heel and toe portions for support of the ball contact member;
an inertial mass mounted on said sole plate portion rearwardly of said retainer plate;
said inertial mass being located opposite a central portion of the ball engaging face;
said inertial mass having a hosel therein for receiving the lower portion of the club shaft;
said inertial mass extending laterally along the retainer plate over a width thereof spaced about a vertical plane passing through the center of gravity of the ball contact member; and
said inertial mass extending laterally along the retainer plate over a width less than the diameter of a golf ball. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
the club shaft is an elongate member with a longitudinal axis; and
the hosel in the inertial mass has a longitudinal axis located in a plane intersecting a vertical center plane through the inertial mass at its center of gravity; and
the longitudinal axis of the club shaft when mounted in the hosel intersects the vertical center plane of the inertial mass.
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6. The putter of claim 1, wherein:
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the ball contact member has a vertical center plane through its center of gravity;
the hosel in the inertial mass has a longitudinal axis located in a plane intersecting a vertical center plane through the inertial mass at its center of gravity; and
wherein the vertical center planes through the centers of gravity of the hosel and ball contact member are aligned.
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7. The putter of claim 6, wherein:
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the club shaft is an elongate member with a longitudinal axis; and
the longitudinal axis of the club shaft when mounted in the hosel intersects the aligned vertical center planes through the centers of gravity of the inertial mass and the ball contact member.
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8. The putter of claim 6, further including:
an aiming indicator formed in the ball contact member and the inertial mass along the aligned vertical centers planes through their center of gravity.
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9. The putter of claim 8, further including:
an aiming indicator formed in the heel portion and the toe portion in parallel alignment with the aiming indicator formed in the ball contact member and the inertial mass.
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10. The putter of claim 1, wherein the ball engaging face of the ball contact member extends laterally over a width larger than the diameter of a golf ball.
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11. The putter of claim 1, wherein the ball engaging face of the ball contact member extends laterally over a width approximately double the diameter of a golf ball.
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12. The putter of claim 1, wherein the elastomer of the ball contact member is a polyurethane elastomer.
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13. The putter of claim 1, wherein the elastomer of the ball contact member is a polyurethane elastomer having a D scale durometer hardness of at least 65.
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14. The putter of claim 1, wherein the sole plate portion has flanges extending rearwardly from the retainer plate and laterally outwardly from the inertial mass.
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15. The putter of claim 1, further including:
a metallic insert formed in the ball engaging face of the ball contact member for emitting a sound when the ball is stroked.
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16. A golf putter comprising:
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a club shaft;
a club head mounted on a lower portion of the club shaft, comprising;
a sole plate portion;
a heel portion extending upwardly from said sole plate portion;
a toe portion extending upwardly from said sole plate portion spaced from said heel portion;
a ball contact member being formed of an elastomer;
said ball contact member having a ball engaging face formed on a front upright surface thereof;
said ball engaging face extending laterally between the heel and toe portions over the extent of the ball contact member;
a retainer plate extending upwardly from said sole plate portion rearwardly of said ball contact member and between said heel and toe portions for support of the ball contact member;
an inertial mass mounted on said sole plate portion rearwardly of said retainer plate;
said inertial mass being located opposite a central portion of the ball engaging face;
said inertial mass having a hosel therein for receiving the lower portion of the club shaft; and
said sole plate portion has flanges extending rearwardly from the retainer member and laterally outwardly from the inertial mass.
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Specification