Golf club putter

• US RE37,647 E1
• Filed: 03/04/1999
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Wolf, Richmond A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US09/263,802
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 473/328, 473/329, 473/340, 473/324, 473/342, 473/251, 473/242, 473/226, 473/238, 473/257
• US Class Current: 473/328
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0408 with defined dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0416 Heads with an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence

Abstract

An improved putter including a pair of runners attached to the bottom of the putter head. The runners take up less than the entire surface of the bottom of the golf club. They raise the blade of the putter above a ground surface. Their surface area is less than that of the bottom of the golf club, so the interaction with the ground is significantly reduced. This minimizes the interaction between the putter'"'"'s blade and the ground during putting. The chances that the putter squarely strikes the ball without catching on the ground is increased. The runners also raise the blade to a level to at or near the golf ball'"'"'s equator. This improves the probability of the blade striking the ball with an upward blow during a swing. The upward blow imparts a desirable top-spin roll on the ball. Undesirable spins which make the ball deviate from its intended path, such as back spin or side spin, are eliminated.

Claims

1. A putter-type golf club adapted to strike a golf ball at near its equator,comprising:

a handle element;

a club head comprising;

a top first surface having an attachment element for the handle element,

a ball-striking surface including a blade surface adapted to strike a golf ball,

a rear surface disposed opposite said ball-striking surface, said top first surface extending between said ball striking surface and said rear surface,

a first side surface extending between said ball-striking surface and said rear surface on a first side of the club head,

a second side surface extending between said ball-striking surface and said rear surface on a second side of the club head,

a bottom surface, formed opposite said top first surface, and bordered by said ball-striking surface, said rear surface and said first and second side surfaces, said bottom surface being non flat, and comprising a first runner extending from the bottom of said ball-striking surface adjacent said first side, having a height and having side surfaces and a bottom surface, said first runner occupying less than half of a surface area of said bottom surface, and having a height which is equal to or less than the equator of the golf ball, and a second runner extending from the bottom of said ball-striking surface adjacent said second side, having a height and having side surfaces and a bottom surface, said second runner occupying less than half of a surface area of said bottom surface, and having substantially the same height as the height of the first runner, said first and second runners collectively having a surface area which is less than a total area of said bottom surface of said club head, said first and second runners being spaced apart by a distance greater than a diameter of the golf ball, and operating located so that when said golf club is moved toward the golf ball with said runners slightly above the ground, said blade surface strikes the golf ball near its equator to impart an upward blow and a spin roll on the golf ball,

wherein said first and second runners each comprise a front portion which faces the golf ball at address, a rear portion which faces away from the golf ball at address, and a surface extending between said front portion and said rear portion, said surface including a ground engaging surface which has a substantially curve area, a tangent portion of the curve abutting against the ground, and a straight segment disposed above said curved area.

2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein each said runner has one of an ellipsoidal, square, rectangular, circular, or triangular cross-sectional shape.

3. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said height of said runner is between {fraction (3/8+L )} and {fraction (5/8+L )} inch.

4. The golf club of claim 3, wherein said height of said runner is substantially 0.55 inche inch.

5. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said surface area of said runner is in the range of 0.15-0.35 square inches.

6. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said first and second runners have curved portions, and are integral with said golf club head.

7. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said runners are separated by a distance of substantially two inches.

8. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said runners are separated by a distance of between 1.5 and 2.5 inches.

9. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said runners form a part of said bottom surface of said club head.

10. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said runners are physically separate pieces from the golf head, and further comprising an attachment substance attaching said runners to said bottom surface of said club head.

11. The golf club of claim 10, wherein said club head and said runners are formed of different materials.

12. The golf club of claim 1, further comprising an insert attached to said blade so that said insert strikes the golf ball when said golf club is swung at the golf ball, said insert formed of a different material than said golf club head.

13. A putter-type golf club adapted to strike a gold ball at its equator comprising:

a handle element;

a club head comprising;

a top surface having an attachment element for the handle element,

a ball-striking surface including blade surface adapted to strike the golf ball,

a rear surface disposed opposite said ball-striking surface, said top surface extending between said ball striking surface and said rear surface,

a first side surface extending between said ball-striking surface and said rear surface on a first side of the club head,

a second side surface extending between said ball-striking surface and said rear surface on a second side of the club head,

a bottom surface, formed opposite said top surface, and bordered by said ball-striking surface, said rear surface and said first and second side surfaces, said bottom surface being non flat, and comprising

a first runner extending from the bottom of said ball-striking surface adjacent said first side, having a height and having side surfaces and a bottom surface, said runner having a front portion which faces the golf ball, a rear portion which faces away from the golf ball, and said bottom surface extending between said front portion and said rear portion, said bottom surface including a ground engaging surface which has a shaped area which is shaped such that only a part of an area defined by a perimeter of said front portion, rear portion and side portions will touch the ground when said club is pressed against the ground, said first runner occupying less than half of a surface area of said bottom surface, and having a height which is equal to or less than an equator of the golf ball, and

a second runner extending from the bottom of said ball-striking surface adjacent said second side, having a height and having side surfaces and a bottom surface, and said bottom surface extending between said front portion and said rear portion, said bottom surface including a ground engaging surface which has a shaped area which is shaped such that only a part of an area defined by a perimeter of said front portion, rear portion and side portions will touch the ground when said club is pressed against the ground, said second runner occupying less than half of a surface area of said bottom surface, and having substantially the same height as the height of the first runner, said first and second runners collectively having a surface area which is less than a total area of said bottom surface of said club head, said first and second runners being spaced apart by a distance greater than a diameter of the golf ball, and operating so that when said golf club is moved toward the golf ball with said runners slightly above the ground, said blade surfaces strikes the golf ball near the equator of the golf ball to impart an upward blow and a spin roll on the golf ball,

wherein said first and second runners each comprise a front portion which faces the golf ball at address, a rear portion which faces away from the golf ball at address, and a surface extending between said front portion and said rear portion, said surface including a ground engaging surface which has a substantially curved area, a tangent portion of the curve abutting against the ground, and a straight segment disposed above said curved area.

14. A putter as in claim 13, wherein said shaped area is a section of a circle.

15. A putter as in claim 13, wherein said shaped area is a curved area.

16. The putter of claim 13, wherein said surface area of said runner in the range of 0.15-0.35 square inch.