Golf club

• US 8,616,990 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2004
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Cameron, Don T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US10/946,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20060063601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,387 Days
• Field of Search: 473238-254, 473324-350, 473313-314, 473/305, D21742-746
• US Class Current: 473/244
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3685 Putters or attachments on putters, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence

Abstract

A golf putter with an offset and shaft-attachment design is disclosed and claimed. The club includes a head having a strike surface, a sole, and a top line. A tube is coupled to the head, a coupling member is coupled to the distal end of the tube, and a shaft is also coupled to the coupling member. The coupling member connects the tube and the shaft such that they are relatively offset. The longitudinal axes of the tube and the shaft may be substantially parallel. An alignment indicia is provided on the club head. The tube is coupled to the head at an angle such that it blocks the indicia from a user'"'"'s view at address when the head is aligned properly. If the club head is not properly aligned, the golfer will be able to see the indicia and therefore know to adjust the club head before putting.

Claims

1. A golf club, comprising:

a head having an alignment indicia thereon;

a tube having a first end and a second end and a longitudinal axis, said first end coupled to said head;

a coupling member coupled to said tube second end; and

a shaft having a longitudinal axis, said shaft coupled to said coupling member;

wherein said tube blocks said indicia from a user'"'"'s view at address when said head is aligned properly; and

wherein said tube longitudinal axis is substantially parallel to and offset from said shaft longitudinal axis.

2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein a travel distance from a junction between said shaft and said coupling member to said sole is 5 inches or less.

3. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said shaft is offset from said head.

4. The golf club of claim 3, wherein said coupling member provides said offset.

5. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said tube is coupled to said head at an angle from about 2°

to 45°

as projected onto a vertical plane passing through a heel and a toe of the head.

6. The golf club of claim 5, wherein said angle is from about 10°

to 30°

.

7. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said indicia includes a plurality of dots.

8. The golf dub of claim 1, wherein said tube has a length as measured from a junction with said head to a junction with said coupling member between about 1 inch and 4 inches.

9. The golf dub of claim 1, wherein:

said head has a top line with a length; and

said tube is coupled to said top line in a middle third of said length.

10. The golf club of claim 1, wherein;

said head has a top line with a length; and

said tube is coupled to said top line in a heel-end third of said length.

11. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said indicia is positioned between said tube and a heel end of said head.

12. The golf dub of claim 1, wherein said coupling member is a separate body than said tube and said shaft.

13. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said tube is formed of a first material having a first specific gravity and said head is formed of a second material having a second specific gravity, said first specific gravity being less than said second specific gravity.

14. A golf club, comprising;

a head having an alignment indicia thereon;

a tube having a first end and a second end and a longitudinal axis, wherein the first end is coupled to the head;

a coupling member coupled to the tube second end; and

a shaft having a longitudinal axis, wherein the shaft is coupled to the coupling member,

wherein the tube blocks the indicia from a user'"'"'s view at address when the head is aligned properly, and

wherein the tube longitudinal axis is substantially parallel to and offset from the shaft longitudinal axis,

wherein said indicia is positioned between the tube and a heel end of the head, and wherein the indicia includes a plurality of dots.

15. The golf club of claim 14, wherein the tube is formed of a first material having a first specific gravity, wherein the head is formed of a second material having a second specific gravity, and wherein the first specific gravity is less than the second specific gravity.

16. The golf club of claim 14, wherein the shaft is offset from the head.

17. The golf club of claim 14, wherein the coupling member provides the offset.

18. A golf club, comprising:

a head having an alignment indicia thereon;

a tube having a first end and a second end and a longitudinal axis, wherein the first end is coupled to the head;

a coupling member coupled to the tube second end; and

a shaft having a longitudinal axis, wherein the shaft is coupled to the coupling member,

wherein the tube blocks the indicia from a user'"'"'s view at address when the head is aligned properly, and

wherein the tube longitudinal axis is substantially parallel to and offset from the shaft longitudinal axis,

wherein the tube is coupled to the head at an angle from about 2°

to 45°

as projected onto a vertical plane passing through a heel and a toe of the head, and

wherein the tube has a length as measured from a junction with the head to a junction with the coupling member between about 1 inch and 4 inches.

19. The golf club of claim 18, wherein the angle is from about 10°

to 30°

.

20. The golf club of claim 18, wherein the coupling member offsets the shaft from the head.