Putter heads and putters including polymeric material as part of the ball striking surface
First Claim
1. A putter head, comprising:
- a main putter body portion including a first arm and a second arm;
a first polymeric element engaged with the first arm;
a second polymeric element engaged with the second arm;
a ball striking face member engaged with or integrally formed as part of the main putter body portion, the ball striking face member including a rear portion, wherein each of the first the second arm extend away from the rear portion of the ball striking face member, and wherein the first and second arms extend rearwardly with respect to the ball striking face member and outwardly away from one another, the ball striking face member further including a central portion for contacting a ball during a putting stroke, wherein the central portion includes a plurality of openings defined therein; and
a polymeric material located between at least the central portion of the ball striking face member and the main putter body portion, wherein a portion of the polymeric material is exposed at an exterior surface of the ball striking face member through the plurality of openings.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Putter heads and putters include one or more of: (a) a main putter body portion including a first arm and a second arm; (b) a first polymeric and/or damping element engaged with the first arm; and (c) a second polymeric and/or damping element engaged with the second arm. The putter heads further may include polymeric material within the putter head structure and exposed at a central ball striking portion of the ball striking face, e.g., in elongated openings provided in the ball striking face. Grooves may be provided in the material of the ball striking face and/or in the exposed polymeric material to affect the ball launch. The putter heads may have various additional features or structures, e.g., relating to weighting features, alignment aid features, putter head constructions or parts, polymeric material exposure features, groove features, etc.
132 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A putter head, comprising:
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a main putter body portion including a first arm and a second arm; a first polymeric element engaged with the first arm; a second polymeric element engaged with the second arm; a ball striking face member engaged with or integrally formed as part of the main putter body portion, the ball striking face member including a rear portion, wherein each of the first the second arm extend away from the rear portion of the ball striking face member, and wherein the first and second arms extend rearwardly with respect to the ball striking face member and outwardly away from one another, the ball striking face member further including a central portion for contacting a ball during a putting stroke, wherein the central portion includes a plurality of openings defined therein; and a polymeric material located between at least the central portion of the ball striking face member and the main putter body portion, wherein a portion of the polymeric material is exposed at an exterior surface of the ball striking face member through the plurality of openings. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A putter, comprising:
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(a) a putter head including; a main putter body portion including a first arm and a second arm, a first polymeric element engaged with the first arm, a second polymeric element engaged with the second arm, a ball striking face member engaged with or integrally formed as part of the main putter body portion, the ball striking face member including a rear portion, wherein each of the first arm and the second arm extend away from the rear portion of the ball striking face member, and wherein the first and second arms extend rearwardly with respect to the ball striking face member and outwardly away from one another, the ball striking face member further including a central portion for contacting a ball during a putting stroke, wherein the central portion includes a plurality of openings defined therein, and a polymeric material located between at least the central portion of the ball striking face member and the main putter body portion, wherein a portion of the polymeric material is exposed at an exterior surface of the ball striking face member through the plurality of openings; and (b) a shaft engaged with the putter head.
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34. A putter head, comprising:
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a main putter body portion including a ball striking face having a central recess defined therein and a rear portion, a first arm, and a second arm, wherein each of the first arm and the second arm extend away from the rear portion of the bail striking face, and wherein the first and second arms extend rearwardly with respect to all striking face and outwardly away from one another; a first polymeric element engaged with the first arm; a second polymeric element engaged with the second arm; and an insert engaged within the central recess of the main putter body portion, the insert including a polymeric base material, wherein a plurality of depressions are defined in an exposed surface of the polymeric base material, wherein at least some of the plurality of depressions include an edge element mounted therein to thereby provide a ball striking surface of the putter head with grooves defined therein between edges of the depressions and adjacent edges of the edge elements mounted within the depressions.
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35. A putter head, comprising:
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a main putter body portion including a first arm and a second arm; a first damping element engaged with the first arm; a second damping element engaged with the second arm; a ball striking face member engaged with or integrally formed as part of the main putter body portion, the ball striking face member including a rear portion, wherein each of the first arm and the second am extend away from the rear onion of the ball striking face member, and wherein the first and second arms extend rearwardly with respect to the ball striking face member and outwardly away from one another, the ball striking face member further including a central portion for contacting a ball during a putting stroke, wherein the central portion includes a plurality of openings defined therein; and a polymeric material located between at least the central portion of the ball striking face member and the main putter body portion, wherein a portion of the polymeric material is exposed at an exterior surface of the ball striking face member through the plurality of openings.
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Specification