Golf putter having a negatively contoured ball-striking surface

• US 6,203,444 B1
• Filed: 07/03/1999
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brian J. Mcrae
• Original Assignee: Brian J. Mcrae
• Inventors: McRae, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US09/363,809
• Time in Patent Office: 626 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/330, 473/329, 473/342, 473/325, 473/288, 473/244
• US Class Current: 473/244
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/065 for putters

Abstract

A golf putter can be provided with a concave ball-striking surface that causes the golf ball to move toward a target point on the ball-striker axis when the ball contact is. offset from the ball-striker axis. The contour of the ball-striking surface can be varied to adapt the putter head to different target distances.

Claims

1. A golf putter comprising:

a putter head having a concave ball-striking surface symmetrical around a ball-striker axis, so that when said surface strikes a golf ball at points offset from said axis the ball is caused to roll toward a target point located along the ball-striker axis;

said ball-striking surface comprising a flexible front wall on said putter head; and

means for varying the curvature of said ball-striking surface;

said curvature-varying means comprising a manual adjustment mechanism operable to exert flexural forces on said flexible front wall.

2. A golf putter comprising:

a putter head having a ball-striking surface that has a heel edge and a toe edge, and a ball-striker axis located approximately midway between said edges;

said ball-striking surface being contoured so that when the putter head is swung along any path parallel to the ball-striker axis the golf ball will roll toward a target point located on said axis, even when the ball is struck at a point offset from said axis; and

means for adjusting the contour of said ball-striking surface between a flat contour normal to the ball-striker axis and a concave contour symmetrical around the ball-striker axis, to thereby vary the target point location along said axis;

said ball-striking surface comprising a flexible ball-striker wall;

said contour adjusting means comprising a mechanism for flexing said ball-striker wall so that the contour of said ball-striking surface can be varied between a flat contour normal to the ball striker axis and various concave contours symmetrical around the ball-striker axis.

3. The golf putter of claim 2, wherein said flexing mechanism comprises a screw in said putter head operable to exert a pulling force on said flexible wall.

4. The golf putter of claim 3, wherein said screw is located on said ball-striker axis.

5. The golf putter of claim 4, wherein said flexing mechanism further comprises a manual knob carried by said screw for rotating said screw around the screw axis.

6. The golf putter of claim 2, wherein said flexing mechanism comprises a rack-and-pinion means operable to exert a pulling force on said flexible wall.

7. The golf putter of claim 6, wherein said rack-and-pinion means comprises a pinion gear mounted for rotation in said putter head, and a toothed rack attached to said flexible wall, whereby pinion gear rotation moves said rack along the ball-striker axis.

8. The golf putter of claim 6, wherein said flexing mechanism further includes a golf club shaft rotatably connected to said putter head, and means responsive to manual rotation of said shaft for operating said rack-and-pinion means.

9. The golf putter of claim 8, wherein said rotation-responsive means comprises a universal joint located in said putter head.

10. A golf putter comprising:

a putter head having a non-deformable ball-striking surface that has a heel edge and a toe edge, and a ball-striker axis located approximately midway between said edges;

said ball-striking surface being contoured so that when the putter head is swung along any path parallel to the ball-striker axis the golf ball will roll toward a target point located on said axis, even when the ball is struck at a point offset from said axis; and

means for adjusting the stable non-transitory contour of said ball-striking surface between a flat contour normal to the ball-striker axis and a concave contour symmetrical around the ball-striker axis, to thereby vary the target point location along said axis.