Golf club with plural alternative impact surfaces

• US 7,442,129 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ilir Bardha
• Original Assignee: Ilir Bardha
• Inventors: Bardha, Ilir
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US11/469,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20070161430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 473244-248, 473/313, 473/340, 473/342, 473/329, 473/349, 473334-339, 473/251, 473/288
• US Class Current: 473/251
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/022 allowing adjustable positioning of the head with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/026 loft angle only, i.e. relative angular adjustment between the shaft and the club head about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the intended line of play when the club is in its normal address position
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/028 with a range of alternative attachment points for the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/065 for putters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A golf club having a shaft and an elongated head projecting at a lie angle relative to the shaft, the head having the shape of a regular polygon in a cross section at right angles to the central axis of the head, with each face being formed of a material that provides a different ball rebound factor, the head section being rotatable about the central axis so that any one of the faces may be presented for use with the club.

Claims

1. A golf club having an elongated shaft and a head having a central axis fixed to the shaft so that the central axis extends at an obtuse angle to said shaft, the head comprising an adjustable section which is a square with four planar faces in a plane normal to the central axis rotatably connected and supported about the central axis, the adjustable section being rotatably positionable at any one of four orientations relative to the shaft, the orientations constituting rotational positions of the adjustable section about the central axis so that in each position at least one of the planar faces is disposed in a ball-impacting position relative to the shaft, each planar face having a different rebound factor when impacting a ball.

2. The golf club of claim 1 wherein the obtuse angle formed between the central axis of the head and the shaft constitutes a near right angle.

3. A golf putter having an elongated shaft and a head connected to one end of the shaft with a central axis extending at an angle to the shaft, said head comprising:

a first section fixed relative to the shaft; and

a second section, rotatably connected and supported relative to the first section, which is square with four planar faces in cross section in a plane normal to the central axis of the head to form a plurality of substantially planar ball-impacting faces each parallel to the central axis, each face being formed of a material providing a different rebound factor when impacting with a golf ball, relative to the other faces, the section being positional in any one of a plurality of rotational orientations relative to the shaft, and each orientation providing at least one face substantially parallel to a plane passing through the shaft and the central axis of the neck to present a ball-impacting face having a rebound factor dependent on the chosen rotational orientation.

4. A golf putter head comprising:

an elongated neck adapted to receive a shaft;

a head connected to the neck having a central axis projecting at an angle relative to the shaft;

the head having a section fixed relative to the shaft and an adjustable section being rotatably connected and supported relative to the fixed section and selectively positionable at any one of a plurality of orientations constituting rotational positions of the sections about the central axis so that in each position at least one of the planar faces is disposed substantially parallel to a plane through the length of the shaft and the central axis to form a ball-impacting surface,each planar face having a different rebound factor when impacting a ball.

5. The golf putter of claim 4 wherein the head further comprises a heel section fixed to one end of the shaft and the adjustable section is adapted to be rotatably supported relative to the section.

6. The golf putter head of claim 4 wherein at least certain of the planar faces of the adjustable section of the head comprise an insert disposed in a recess on the adjustable section, the insert being formed of a different material than the material forming the recess.

7. A golf putter comprising:

an elongated shaft;

a heel section fixed to one end of the shaft; and

a blade portion, elongated about a central axis, adapted to be rotatably connected and supported relative to the heel so the central axis extends at an obtuse angle to the shaft, the blade portion being square in cross section normal to the central axis with four faces, each parallel to the central axis, each face providing a different impact factor with respect to a golf ball, and a separable connector adapted to allow a first end of the blade to be rotated about the heel section to one of a plurality of rotational positions of the blade relative to the central axis, so as to position any one of the faces in a ball-impacting position.

8. The golf putter of claim 7 wherein comprises complementary sections on the blade and the heel that may be positioned in abutment to one another to fix the blade in a chosen rotational position relative to the heel or may be separated from one another to allow rotation of the blade relative to the heel, without removal of the blade from the putter.

9. The golf putter of claim 8 wherein the connector further comprises a rotational fastener element adapted to extend between the blade and the heel and draw the blade and the heel into abutment in one rotational position and allow separation of the blade and the heel in another rotational position so that the blade may be rotated about its central axis to change the blade'"'"'s rotational position relative to the heel and present a different face of the blade in a ball-impacting position.

10. The golf putter of claim 9 wherein the blade comprises a hole formed through the length of the blade along its central axis and the connector comprises a rotational fastener element extending through the hole.

11. The golf putter of claim 10 wherein the rotational fastener element comprises a bolt having a slotted head in one end and a male angle engagement section formed at the other end.

12. The golf putter of claim 11 further comprising a compression spring supported on the bolt, adjacent the bolt head, so that when the bolt is rotated so as to bring the blade and the heel into abutment, the spring is compressed.

13. The golf putter of claim 11 wherein the heel has a hole formed with a female angle engagement section adapted to receive the male angled engagement section formed at one end of the bolt.

14. The golf putter of claim 7 further comprising an elongated weighting element having a central hole adapted to be inserted into the hole formed through the central axis of the blade so the rotational fastener element may be passed through the central hole of the weighting element, whereby weighting elements of different weights may be selectably disposed within the blade.

15. The golf putter of claim 7 further comprising a toe portion symmetrical about a central axis, fixed to the second end of the blade, so that central axes of the blade and the toe portion coincide, and the toe portion rotates with the blade.

16. A golf putter club comprising:

an elongated shaft, a grip formed on one end of the shaft, a head formed at the other end of the shaft having a central axis projecting at a lie angle relative to the shaft, the head having a section with a regular polygonal cross section in a plane normal to the central axis, forming a plurality of substantially parallel faces, the section being rotatably connected and supported relative to the balance of the head and selectively positionable at any one of a plurality of orientations constituting rotational positions of the section about the central axis so that in each position at least one of said planar faces is disposed in a ball-impacting position, each planar face having a different rebound factor when impacting a ball.

17. A golf putter club comprising:

an elongated shaft;

a heel section fixed to one end of the shaft;

a blade portion, elongated about a central axis, rotatably connected to the heel so the central axis extends at an obtuse angle to the shaft, the blade portion being square in cross section normal to the central axis with four faces, each parallel to the central axis, each face providing a different impact factor with respect to a golf ball, and a connector rotatably joining the blade portion to the heel section, adapted to allow a first end of the blade to be rotated about the heel section to one of a plurality of rotational positions of the blade relative to the central axis, so as to position any one of the faces in a ball-impacting position; and

a toe portion, rotationally attached to a second end of the blade so that the orientation of the toe portion remains constant with the orientation of the heel section after rotation of the blade portion.