AU672442B2

AU672442B2 - Golf putter head

Info

Publication number: AU672442B2
Application number: AU51555/93A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Barry Edwin Shipley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-05-06
Filing date: 1993-05-06
Publication date: 1996-10-03
Anticipated expiration: 2013-05-06
Also published as: AU5155593A

Description

IP- OPI' DATE 29/11/93 APPLN. ID 51555/93 lill I AOJP DATE 10/02/94 PCT NUMBER PCT/AU93/00203 AU9351555 INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (51) International Patent Classification 5 (11) International Publication Number: WO 93/22008 A63B 53/04, 53/00 Al (43) International Publication Date: I1 November 1993 (11.11.93) (21) International Application Number: PCT/AU93/00203 Published With international search report.

(22) International Filing Date: 6 May 1993 (06.05.93) Priority data: 6 7 PL 2282 6 May 1992 (06.05.92) AU (71)(72) Applicant and Inventor: SHIPLEY, Barry, Edwin [AU/ AU]; 17/77 Rosalind Street, Cammeray, NSW 2067

(AU).

(74) Agent: F.B. RICE CO.; 28A Montague Street, Balmain, NSW 2041 (AU).

(81) Designated States: AU, CA, JP, US, European patent (AT, BE, CH, DE, DK, ES, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE).

(54)Title: GOLF PUTTER HEAD (57) Abstract A golf putter is disclosed which has a head comprising a body having a central plane an attachment means for attaching a shaft parallel to the central plane and a front face for striking a golf ball the front face /2 being at a negative angle to the central plane so that a bottom edge of the front face is closer to the central plane than is a top edge of the front face and wherein the centre of gravity of the head is substantially aligned with a point on the front face which is the point of impact of a golf ball. Preferably the negative angle (AO) is of the order 50-7°. Further within the head of the club is disposed a cavity which is dimensioned such that the front face is defined by a relatively thin wall.

3 C 9 I 1 GOLF PUTTER HEAD Field of the invention This invention relates golf clubs, particularly golf putters and more particularly the head of a golf putter.

Background to the Invention Golf club heads have a front face which is used to contact the ball to be hit, and thus to exchange energy from the club to the ball. For woods and driving irons the front face is at a positive angle to drive the ball upwards, as well as forwards, when hit. The angles vary from club to club allowing the player to select the desired amount of lift for a particular shot. Putters, for use close to the hole, generally have little or no angle as they are intended to push the ball across the playing surface without any lift. Some players slightly pull their putter upwards as it strikes the ball so as to produce top spin and encourage more run on or distance for the same force.

15 Disclosure of the Invention The present invention provides a putter that has a negative angle on the front face. The front face will normally hit the ball above centre and therefore may produce top spin on the ball without a need to develop a !.,",particular putting style. Thus, when hitting the ball with the putter in accordance with this invention, the ball tends to be pushed and rolled, not :merely pushed along the playing surface.

Accordingly, in a first aspect the present invention consists in a golf club putter including: a golf head having a body having a central plane; a front planar face 25 for striking a golf ball, the front planar face being at a negative angle in the range of 4-80 to the central plane so that a bottom edge of the front planar face is closer to the central plane than is a top edge of a front planar face, and wherein the centre of gravity of the head is substantially aligned with a point on the front planar face which is the point of impact with the golf ball; said golf club head having a cavity located therein, the cavity being dimensioned such that the front planar face is defined by a wall which is 3thick; a shaft; and attachment means for attaching said shaft to a top portion of said body so that said shaft extends upwardly and generally parallel to the central plane.

~1~1 I 2 In one form the club head has two opposed front faces, both at equal negative angles so that the body is in the form of a narrow wedge, the narrowest end of the wedge facing vertically downward as it strikes the ball.

In a second aspect, this invention further consists in a putter head having a body having a central plane; a front planar face for striking a golf ball, the front planar face being at a negative angle in the range of 4-83 to the central plane so that a bottom edge of the front planar face is closer to the central plane than is a top edge of the front planar face, and wherein the centre of gravity of the head is substantially aligned with a point on the front planar face which is the point of impact with the golf ball; said putter head having a cavity located therein, the cavity being dimensioned such that the front planar face is defined by a wall thick; and an attachment means for attaching a shaft to a top portion of said body in a manner such that the shaft will extend upwardly and generally .15 parallel to the central plane.

It is preferred that the negative angle is in the range 50-7', The advantage of the cavity is that it provides a means by which the °walls of the front face may be made relatively thin, of the order of This thin wall allows a player to achieve a softer sense of contact with the ball. It also extends the "sweet spot".

Of the putters that are currently available with thin walled striking faces, most incorporated a "weighted" sole usually at the back and the lowest point of the club.

"i

I~

WO 93/22008 PCI/AU93/00203 3 heaa. This tends to put the club head off-balance with a hook or slice tendency built-in.

However, the club head of the present invention has a shape which is uniform with the bulk of the weight at the top of the blade. Furthermore, the centre of gravity is substantially in the centre and is aligned with a point on tho front face which is the point of impact of a golf ball.

Thus the club head of the present invention is perfectly balanced with no hook or slice tendency.

By way of example only, two embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the following drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a side on view of a club head in accordance with the invention striking a ball; Figure 2 is a front view of the club head of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a front view of a second embodiment of the club head.

Modes for Carrying out the Invention The club head 1 is similar in some regards to a conventional head of a golf putter. It includes a hollow attachment means 5 into which a club shaft 2 is adhered or permanently fixed in some alternative manner. In front view, as shown in Figure 2, the shaft 2 is at an angle B to the vertical, the angle being selected according to well known criteria but being generally in the order of 200. From the side view, as shown in Figure i, the shaft 2 is generally axially aligned with a central plane 6 of the head 1.

The club head 1 includes a front face 4 which is adapted to strike a ball 3 and to impart a driving force B in order to propel forward the ball 3. In the present invention the club head 1 has a negatively angled, or overhanging, front face 4 which is inclined at an angle WO 93/22008 PCT/AU93/00203 -4-

A

0 to the central plane 6 of the head 1. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure i, the club can be used by both left and right handed players by virtue of it including two such front faces 4, one on either opposite side of the club head i. Both faces are at the same negative angle A to the central plane 6.

Generally the club head 1 strikes the ball 3 at the bottom or lowermost point of the substantially circular arc or swing. At this point, by virtue of the negative angle A between the front face 4 and the central plane 6, the point of impact between the cl.ub head 1 and the ball 3, and thus the point of applying the driving force B, is a distance C above the centre-line of the ball 3.

With angle A0 equal to 6.50 distance C will be in the order of a few millimetres for a standard golf ball.

With this arrangement a generally conventional putter stroke will result in the ball 3 leaving the head 1 with initial top spin. For a given force this will result in further distance travelled by the ball 3, and furthermore the ball 3 will have a better tendency of rolling over imperfections in the playing surface.

As with a conventional golf head the corners and edges of the head 1 are slightly radiused although the actual size of the radii is not of significance. Also, the face 4 may be smooth or textured according to the desires of the manufacturer or the user. The head 1 may be produced from any of a number of suitable materials, generally the head 1 may be constructed lighter in weight than a conventional head, although the weight of the head 1 is also generally at the discretion of the manufacturer or ultimate user of the club.

The club head 10 of the second embodiment of the invention is similar to the club head 1 of Figures 1 and 2, with the excegtion that the attachment means is not

L

WO 93/22008 PCT/AU93/00203 shown. However, in this embodiment, a cavity 13 is disposed within the head such that the walls 12 of the opposed front face 4 are of the order of 3mm thick.

As in the first embodiment, faces 14 are negatively angled such that the angle E 0 formed with central plane 16 is equal to 6.50.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

I

Claims

1. A golf club putter including: a golf head having a body having a central plane; a front planar face for striking a golf ball, the fron' planar face being at a negative angle in the range of 4-8" to the central plane so that a bottom edge of the front planar face is closer to the central plane than is a top edge of a front planar face, and wherein the centre of gravity of the head is substantially aligned with a point on the front planar face which is the point of impact with the golf ball; said golf club head having a cavity located therein, the cavity being dimensioned such that the front planar face is defined by a wall which is 3- thick; a shaft; and attachment means for attaching said shaft to a top portion of said body so that said shaft extends upwardly and generally parallel to the central plane.

2. A golf club putter as in claim 1, wherein the negative angle is in the range of 5-70 S3. A golf club putter as in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the head lia: two opposed front planar faces, both at negative angles so that the body is in the oo• form of a narrow wedge, the narrowest end of the wedge facing vertically downward as it strikes the ball.

4. A golf club putter head as in any oi.e of claims 1-3 wherein the wall is about 3mm thick.

5. A putter head having a body having a central plane; a front planar face for striking a golf ball, the front planar face being at a negative angle in the range of 4-80 to the central plane so that a bottom edge of the front planar 25 face is closer to the central plane than is a top edge of the front planar face, .and wherein the centre of gravity of the head is substantially aligned with a point on the front planar face which is the point of impact with the golf ball; said putter head having a cavity located therein, the cavity being dimensioned such that the front planar face is defined by a wall thick; and an attachment means for attaching a shaft to a top portion of said body in a manner such that the shaft will extend upwardly and generally parallel to the central plane. 6 A putter head as in claim 5 wherein the negative angle is in the range of 5-70

7. A putter head as in claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the head has two opposed front faces, both at equal negative angles so that the body is in the p- I I form of a narrow wedge, the narrowest end of the wedge facing vertically downward as it strikes the ball.

8. A putter head as in any one of claims 5-7 wherein the wall is about 3mm thick. DATED this 16th day of July, 1996 BARRY EDWIN SHIPLEY Patent Attorneys for the Applicant: F.B, RICE CO. *o 9 6*o i* S* ft 09** 9*f f o 9 f I I