US20150209643A1

US20150209643A1 - Golf club pointing aid

Info

Publication number: US20150209643A1
Application number: US14/567,714
Authority: US
Inventors: Michael Macaluso
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-01-27
Filing date: 2014-12-11
Publication date: 2015-07-30

Abstract

A golf club pointing device to aid in aligning and developing a better putting stroke is disclosed. The golf club pointing aid simply attaches to a golfer's putting shaft by clamping means which allow the pointing aid to slide a positioning rod having a pointer attached to a location centered over the “sweet spot” of the putter and at an adjustable angle to the putter face. To practice and perfect a good putting stroke, the golfer keeps the pointer centered over the middle of the golf ball during the backward movement of the putter and also during the forward movement of the putter. When properly executed, the putter face will contact the golf ball in the same position as originally aligned. The result is that with practice, a consistent putting stroke may be developed with improved results in making putts.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present disclosure claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/931,761, filed on Jan. 27, 2014, entitled “Golf Club Pointing Aid”, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to an improved golf club training aid and, more particularly, to one which forms an attachment to a shaft of a golf club in order to provide proper positioning of a golfer with respect to their golf club and also to provide proper orientation of the golf club with respect to a golf ball. More specifically, the golf training aid is a golf putter practice device which enables the golfer to align the golf putter with the intended path of a golf ball to a putting hole which aids in perfecting the golfer's putting stroke.

BACKGROUND ART

Prior art patent golf alignment devices have been proposed to aid in the sighting and aligning of a golf putter head with the intended path of the golf ball have had various shortcomings. For example, the putter pointer device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,343, is difficult to attach to the shaft of the putter and is limited to use with blade type putters only. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,761, this putter alignment device is built into a specialty designed putter and is limited to use only with that particular putter.
Therefore, most golfers would prefer a golf alignment device that may be used with any putter or iron that they may select. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,158, a base head is mounted in front of a putter shaft which as shown in the drawings of this patent interferes with the visual alignment of this type of putter pointer. Additionally, the base head clamping design limits the mounting locations on the putter shaft and requires a cumbersome screw adjustment to position the alignment pointer over the “sweet spot” of the putter face. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,253,829 a golf club is provided with a sighting means in the form of an elongated body mounted on the shaft and oriented parallel to the sole plane of the club head to point in the direction of the golf putting strike. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,693, a direction indicator is disclosed for golf clubs comprising an arrow pivotably secured to the club shaft and pointing in the direction of the stroke. None of these patents disclose offers the versatility and benefits of the golf club pointing aid in accordance with the below described invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an assembled top plan view of the golf club pointing aid as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an assembled side elevational view of the golf club pointing aid as shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an assembled top perspective view of the golf club pointing aid as shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The components of the golfing club pointing aid 10 are shown in FIGS. 1 through 4. The main body assembly consists of two (2) mating block sections, 12 and 14 respectively. A passageway is formed by a pair of opposite groves 12 a and 14 a defined the two block sections 12 and 14 provided for gripping and or attachment to a golf club shaft 16. Once again, and as shown in the exploded view of FIG. 1, these block sections 12 and 14 form both halves of the passageway. The block sections 12 and 14 are held and tighten together by clamping means using a thumb screw combination 18 and 18 a and a tension spring 20. Passageways 12 b and 14 b pass through both blocks 12 and 14 providing the appropriate threaded communication means for the thumb screw combination 18 and 18 a. By loosening or tightening the thumb screw combination 18 and 18 a, the grip of the golfing club pointing aid 10 on the club shaft 16 may be loosened or tightened. This allows the golf aid to be positioned anywhere along the length of the club shaft 16.
Turning once again to FIGS. 1 through 4, an adjustable pointer 20 is provided. As can be seen in the exploded view shown in FIG. 1, the adjustable pointer 20 comprises two sections or bars 22 a and 24 a which are screwed together using washers 22 b and 24 b, respectively to form the elongated straight pointer 20 whose use will be further described below. A pointer holder 26 defines an aperture 28 in which the pointer assembly 20 is attached. This assemblage of 22 a, 24 a and 26 or pointer bar assembly 30 is gripped by an annular passageway 32 defined by a groove 34 in extending block 12. The pointer 20 is the actual pointing or direction indicator. The pointer 20 runs parallel with the side of the block assembly 12 and 14. In the initial positioning of the golfing aid 10 along the shaft 16 of a club, the pointer bar 12 is positioned so that it runs perpendicular to the face of a club head. The club would usually be a putter in most cases. The golfer would line up a hole so that it is in a straight line relationship with the pointer bar 20. This may be done by sighting down the length of the pointer bar 20. Once the club is in position, the golfer may place their feet and body about the club head in the proper positioning for driving a golf ball directly into a putting hole.
The pointer bar 20 may be rotatably and axially adjusted in relation to by sliding along the annular grooved passageway 28 so that the length of the pointer bar 20 is properly positioned over the club head and is directly over the point on the golf putting face at which it is desirable to contact a golf ball. This allows the golfer to have a visual guide for his backswing and follow through, by keeping the pointer bar 20 constantly over a golf ball (not shown).
Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 3 and 4, there is shown the golfing aid of the present invention attached to the shaft 16 of a golf putter wherein the primary functions of golfing aid is to act as an alignment device to the club face and also act as an alignment device that will trace the “sweet spot” or center of gravity of the club face. The golfing aid 10 attaches to the club shaft 16 by clamping means as described above and is adjustable in two (2) areas. It is adjustable up and down the club shaft 16 and it is also adjustable by moving the pointer mechanism 26 up and down. This allows the golfer to line up the pointer 20 with the center of gravity or “sweet spot” of the clubface Lining up the pointer 20 with the sweet spot of the clubface ensures hitting the center of the clubface.
Additionally, the golfing aid 10 will show the golfer if their clubface is aiming properly to the target line. In use, the golfer points the pointer 20 of the golf aid at the target aiming this pointer 20 to the target instead of the clubface. The pointer 20 is used to show where the clubface is pointing at all times. This is extremely useful in teaching the golfer the proper backswing and downswing of the golf club during putting and also provides the additional listed benefits;

- Light weight construction made out of plastic or metal (such as aluminum), that will not in use affect the golfer's feel or stroke of their putter.
- Portable design that may easily be carried in a golf bag.
- Easy to attach, use, and remove from any type or design of golf putter.
- A practice device that may be used indoors or outdoors on a real putting green.
- Easy to adjust components in order to provide the best different possible alignment configurations.
- A clamping design that allows the golf aid to be located securely at any position and varying angles along the putter's golf shaft.
- A long adjustable easy to assemble and disassemble pointer that provides an accurate sighting guide along the intended path of the golf ball.
- A golfing aid that shows the golfer any deviation from the desired putting stroke by keeping an elongated pointer centered over the golf ball during the backstroke and the forward stroke when the golfer's putting.
- A golfing aid that allows a golfer to keep their eyes centered on the golf ball during the putting stroke.
- A golfing aid that, with continued use and practice, will help a golfer improve their putting stroke.

It is contemplated for embodiments of the invention to extend to individual elements and concepts described herein, independently of other concepts, ideas or system, as well as for embodiments to include combinations of elements recited anywhere in this application. Although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments. As such, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in this art. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, it is contemplated that a particular feature described either individually or as part of an embodiment can be combined with other individually described features, or parts of other embodiments, even if the other features and embodiments make no mention of the particular feature. Therefore, the absence of describing combinations should not preclude the inventor from claiming rights to such combinations.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments, it will be evident that the various modifications and changes can be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative sense rather than in a restrictive sense.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A golf club pointing aid for attachment to golf club shaft, comprising:

a pair of mating block sections that form a main body assembly;

a thumb screw combination for gripping and tightening said pair of mating blocks using a tension spring located between said pair of mating block sections; and

an adjustable pointer attached to said mating block sections wherein said adjustable pointer is located to be centered over the “sweet spot” of the putter and at an adjustable angle to the putter face.

2. The golf club pointing aid according to claim 1, wherein said pair of blocks further defining a pair of passageways providing appropriate threaded communication means said thumb screw combination.

3. The golf club pointing aid according to claim 1, wherein loosening or tightening said thumb screw combination allows the golf aid to be positioned anywhere along the length of the club shaft.

4. The golf club pointing aid according to claim 1, wherein said adjustable pointer is formed by two sections of bars which are screwed together using a pair of washers.

5. The golf club pointing aid according to claim 1, wherein a pointer holder defining an aperture in which said adjustable pointer is assembled and located.

6. The golf club pointing aid according to claim 1, wherein said pointer runs parallel along a side of said block assembly.

7. The golf club pointing aid according to claim 1, wherein a pointer bar assembly is gripped by an annular passageway defined by a groove in one of said block sections for holding and aligning said pointer.

8. The golf club pointing aid according to claim 1, wherein said pointer bar is rotatably and axially adjusted in relation to by sliding along an annular grooved passageway so that the length of said pointer bar is properly positioned over the club head

9. The golf club pointing aid according to claim 1, wherein the golfer lines up said pointer with the center of gravity or “sweet spot” of the clubface.

10. A golfing aid that attaches to a club shaft using clamping means and is adjustable in two (2) areas for aligning a club shaft and head for proper striking of a golf ball.