GB2213737A - Ball-retrieving golf putters - Google Patents

Abstract

A putter A enabling a golfer to retrieve a ball from a hole without bending, comprises an end portion of a shaft 1 secured to a head B which is substantially in the shape of a ring having a flat-faced outer portion 3 and a circular hollow inner portion 2 having a diameter smaller than that of a golf ball, which can thus be wedged in the circular inner portion 2. Preferably, the inner portion 2 has a thickened wall portion 4 to enhance the grip on a ball. A bridge (10, Fig 6) may be provided across the upper part of the inner portion 2, the bridge having centre line (19) to aid putting. <IMAGE>

Description

PUTTER The present invention relates to a putter used for golf; and more particularly relates to an improved putter enabling a golfer to pick up a ball within a hole while standing by stretching an arm without bending the body.

In order to pick up a golf ball within a hole after putting the same into hole by employing a conventional putter, it is necessary to bend the body while stretching an arm in order to pick up the ball from within the hole with the fingers.

There has not hitherto existed a putter enabling a golfer to pick up the ball within the hole in a standing posture by employing a putter itself used for golf play without assuming the aforementioned forced bending posture.

A putter as illustrated in figure 4 and figure 5 of the accompanying drawings is occasionally used. However, as is obvious therefrom, this conventional putter provides a concave lateral recess along the back face of the head thereof and both ends thereof are curled upward so as to pick up a ball thereon. However, such a conventional putter as above has a configuration of a lateral recess along the back face of the head; and accordingly to pick the ball from within a hole with a diameter of 108 mm and a depth of 100 mm and more is difficult in view of the length of the face thereof stretching in the lateral direction.

Furthermore even when the ball can be picked up onto the recess, the ball thus picked up has no stability on said recess; and therefore practical skill is required to attain the desired object. Furthermore, it is the view of medical science that such forced posture as bending the body while stretching an arm downward, could be a serious problem of the health.

The present invention seeks to overcome the aforementioned defects by providing an improved putter enabling a golfer to pick up a ball within a hole surely and easily without assuming a forced posture.

According to the present invention there is provided a putter comprising one end portion of a shaft 1 firmly secured orthogonally to a head B made of stainless steel or other materials similar thereto, said head B substantially in the shape of a ring forming arcs extending from both ends of a flat faced portion 3 so as to constitute a circular hollow portion 2 with a diameter somewhat smaller than that of a golf ball and preferably a thickened wall portion 4 having substantially two-thirds of the vertical length of an inner peripherical surface 5 of said circular hollow portion 2 from the upper portion to the lower portion along said surface 5 and further integrally formed therewith.

The improved putter enables a golfer to pick up a ball within a hole surely and easily in a standing posture with a putter used in golf play by utilizing the head of said putter. Preferably the putter enables the golfer to putt the ball at the centre of a flat faced portion of the head without skill for putting the ball into the hole in employing a conventional putter having a laterally stretching configuration.

Other or further objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the drawings which, by way of example, illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a putter according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along X-X in figure 1: Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view showing a mode of use of said putter; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a conventional putter; Figure 5 is a side view thereof; and Figure 6 is a similar view to figure 1 of another embodiment.

The present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be understood that the illustrated embodiment is susceptible to modification and change without departing from the spirit of the invention. The same numeral is given to the same part in the drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a putter according to the invention. In figure 1, A is a putter and B is a head of said putter. One end portion of a shaft is secured orthogonally to the surface of said head B as illustrated therein. The length of said end portion of the shaft is preferably 7-9 cm taking into consideration of the depth (100 mm and more) of a hole 8 so as to easily push a ball 6 within a hole slightly downwardly by utilizing the weight of the head B.

Said head made of steel materials, preferably stainless steel, has a configuration of a flat faced portion 3 for putting à ball and arcs extending from both ends of said portion 3 to constitute said head in the shape of a ring with a circular hollow portion 2 in the middle of the head.

Of course, said ends may be formed to have a configuration substantially orthogonal to said portion 3 without forming the- arcs at both ends thereof, if desired.

The length of said faced portion 3 in its lateral direction should be arranged somewhat longer than that of a diameter of the ball 6 and the length of said portion 3 in the vertical direction, i.e. the length of the ring in the vertical direction, should be substantially the half of the diameter of the ball so as to easily catch the ball at the centre of said portion 3 in putting the ball into the hole.

The diameter of the circular hollow portion 2 of the head B preferably made of stainless steel in the shape of a ring composed of said portion 3 in part is arranged to be somewhat less than that of the ball 6. Thus, when the head is pushed downward onto the ball substantially half of the ball may easily be pushed into said hollow portion 2 where it is gripped and maintained without falling down therefrom on account of the elasticity of the surface of the ball (made of plastics with many dimples thereon) and the friction between the ball and the peripherical edge of said hollow portion 2 abutting said surface of the ball.Along an inner peripherical surface 5 of said hollow portion 2, a thickened wall portion 4 having thickness of 3-5 cm is firmly secured to the inner peripherical surface 5 covering a portion corresponding substantially to two-thirds of the vertical length of said surface 5 from the upper portion to the lower portion so as to help maintain the ball pushed into the circular hollow portion 2 in more stable condition. That is to say, the lesser curved portions of the ball can be maintained therein in more stable condition owing to the step formed between said thickened wall portion 4 and inner peripheral surface 5. However, a putter in accordance with the invention need not have the said thickened wall portion 4.

Said thickened wall portion can be formed integrally with said inner peripherical surface 5 by employing the same material as that of the head or elastic steel having the thickness 3-5 mm in the shape of a band can also be secured to said inner peripherical face.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view showing a mode of use of the putter according to the present invention.

In picking up the ball within the hole by employing the putter A in the standing posture, the ball within the hole is slightly pushed downward by the head and then enters into the hollow portion 2 of the head B constituted as described above, by holding the shaft 1 with one hand. By pushing slightly downward on the ball, the surface of which is made of plastics with a number of dimples (not illustrated), it can be gripped by the circular hollow portion 2 of the head B by utilizing the weight of said head. A ball having the weight of 45.93 gram (and less) can easily be maintained within the hollow portion as it stands without falling down therefrom, on account of the elasticity of the surface of the ball, having a number of dimples, and the friction between the ball and the inner peripherical edge abutting said surface of the ball. Thus, the ball can be picked surely and easily out of the hole as it stands only by lifting the shaft I with one hand.

Referring now to figure 6, in order to effect putting more easily and accurately, a thin plate or bridge 10 may be mounted on the top of the putter head between the putting face 12 and the opposite portion of the head. The bridge is thin enough not to interfere with the putter's ability to pick up a ball, and it carries a centre line 19 to enable the golfer easily and accurately to line up the putt.

As described hereinabove, the advantages of the putter according to the present invention can be summarized as follows: it is possible to pick up the ball within the hole surely and easily in a standing posture of a golfer, so that the conventional defect can be solved and furthermore the bad influence on the body ascribable to assuming a forced posture as bending the body while stretching an arm in order to pick up the ball in the hole is also solved. Of course, said putter is convenient to pick up a ball within the so-called out-of-bounds.

Claims (9)

1. A golf putter comprising an end portion of a shaft secured firmly to a head substantially in the shape of a ring having a flat faced outer portion and a circular hollow inner portion with a diameter somewhat smaller than that of a golf ball.

2. A putter as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a thickened wall portion of substantially two-thirds of the vertical height of the inner peripherical surface of said circular hollow portion integrally formed therewith or applied thereto.

3. A putter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lateral length of said flat faced portion is somewhat larger than the diameter of the ball.

4. A putter according to claim 1 to 3, wherein the vertical height of said flat faced portion corresponds substantially to the half of the diameter of the ball.

5. A putter according to claim 2 to 4, wherein said thickened wall portion is in the shape of a band firmly fixed to said head.

6. A putter according to claim 2 to 5, wherein the thickness of said thickened wall portion is 3-5 mm.

7. A putter according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the head is made of stainless steel.

8. A putter according to any preceding claim having a thin bridge on top of the head from the flat faced portion to the opposite portion of the ring, the bridge having a centre line to aid a golfer in lining up the putt.

9. A putter substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in any of figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.