GB2335149A - Golfing putter - Google Patents

Abstract

The golfing putter comprises a head 2 fixed to a shaft located in hole 5, the head having a front surface 10 for striking the golf ball, in which the upper face 6 has a band coloured green to match the colour of green grass disposed along the edge between the upper and front faces. The front surface may also be coloured green. The golf putter 1 helps golfers suffering from the 'yips'.

Description

1 A Golfing Putter 2335149 This invention relates to a golfing putter and

more particularly to a golfing putter for striking a golf ball towards a golf hole.

When playing golf the putter is used to strike a golf ball into the hole from on or around the green. The golfer addresses the ball with the putter which is then swung back and forward striking the ball towards the hole on the forward swing. Successful putting is characterised by a smooth rhythm throughout the swing. It requires accuracy and a steady hand. It is common for golfers at some time in their playing career to suffer from the 'yips'. This problem causes the golfer to fail to strike the ball into the hole especially from short distances, 0. 1-2 metres. The 'yips' is characterised by the golfer causing the face of the putter to twitch and lose the preferred alignment at the moment of impact as the golfer struggles to complete the shot. Coupled to this may be a deceleration of the forward motion of the putter, which may also becomes erratic and unpredictable, just before the front surface of the putter strikes the ball. Frequently. It is the nature of this problem that a psychological barrier is built up, striking the ball with the putter becomes more and more difficult, especially on short putts. This in turn adversely affects the golfer's confidence in his/her putting method further so reinforcing the difficulty.

It is an object of this invention to provide a putter which ameliorates or cures the 'yips' by striking the ball earlier in the forward swing than the golfer expects. The ball is struck before the effect of the 'yips' takes over, so breaking the pattern of badly struck putts.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a golfing putter comprising d shaft which may be grasped by a golfer when putting the golf ball and a head fixed at an end of the shaft, the head having a front face for striking the golf ball and an 2 upper face disposed in use towards the golfer, in which the upper face has a band coloured green, the band being disposed along an edge between the front and upper faces. Preferably the green colour is chosen to match that of typical grass found on a golfing green This way, a green coloured band will blend into the colour of the grass as the golfing putter is swung towards the golf ball. The eye of the user will therefore be distracted from the edge between the front and upper faces so that the front face of the putter contacts the golf ball before the golfer would otherwise anticipate the front face striking the golf ball. This will tend to reduce the lyips'.

It is advantageous if the green band has a constant width.

The user will therefore perceive the upper uncoloured face of the putter to have a more conventional shape. For the same reason, it is preferred if the band extends along the full length of the edge between the front and upper faces.

6 Because the front face of the putter may be visible to the golfer, particularly in the early stages of swinging the putter towards the ball, it is preferred if the front face is also coloured green, and most preferably the same colour green as the band along the upper face.

In order to enhance the visual illusion in which the green band along the upper face appears to merge with the green of the grass as the putter is swung towards the hole, the upper face may be provided with a demarcation line visually distinct from the green band on the upper face. This will tend to draw the eye more strongly towards the trailing edge of the green band and away from the leading endge between the front and upper faces. The demarcation line may be any visual device, for example a band with a different colour from the green band 335 on the upper face and the colour of the remainder of the upper 3 face which may, for example, be the natural clour of metal or other material used to form the putter head.

The invention will now be further described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view from the front of a golfing putter showing the head fixed to a shaft; Figure 2 is a top view of the putter head of Figure 1 according to the invention; Figure 3 is a front view of the front surface of the 15 putter head of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a section through the putter head of Figure 1 through line I- I of figure 3; and Figure 5 is a top view of the putter head of Figure 1 according to a second embodiment of the invention.

D Figure 1 shows a golfing putter 1 with a brass putter head 2 at one end to which is attached a chromed steel shaft 3 which has a rubber hand grip 4 at the other end. The shaft and grip are similar to that used for other golfing putters. The golfing putter illustrated has a total length of 650 mm.

j30 Referring now to Figures 2, 3 and 4, Figure 2 shows a putter head 2 according to the invention from the top, as a golfer would see it when using the putter. The shaft, not shown, may be fitted at 5 using an interference fit, particularly if the head is to be bonded to the head, for example by an epoxy resin. The top surface 6 is flat but may be otherwise shaped and has a band 7 of a green colour to match the colour of 4 green grass which may be painted or otherwise coloured, has a constant width of 10 mm wide but may be between 3 mm and 30 mm wide. The overall length of the putter head is 200 mm but may be between 90 mm and 300 mm. The width is 35 mm but may be 5 between 15 mm and 100 mm.

Figure 3 shows the putter head from the front, looking at the front surface 8. The shaft 3 is shown at an angle of 15 degrees to the top surface of the putter 6, but may be between 0 and 45 degrees. The front surface is coloured green as the band 7 of Figure 1, but may be of a lighter or darker hue. The overall depth of the front surface 8 is 22 mm but may be between 15 mm and 40 mm.

Figure 4 shows a cross section of the putter head through line I-I in Figure 3. The angle of the front surface 8 to the top surface 6 is 5 degrees but may be between 0 degrees and 15 degrees.

Figure 5 shows a second embodiment of the invention which differs from the first only in that a brightly coloured line 9 defines the side of the green band away from the edge between the front and upper surfaces.

A third embodiment of the invention differs from the first only in that the front surface 10 is not coloured green.

A fourth embodiment of the invention differs from the first only in that the band 7 comprises a plate of rigid material attached to the front surface of a putter to form the band being either of a green material such as coloured epoxy or painted green. For example it might be attached by means of screws and/or adhesive bonding. Such a plate would be crafted so that its outline from the front view would match that of the putter it was attached to.

Claims (6)

1 A golfing putter for putting a golf ball, comprising a shaft which may be grasped by a golfer when putting the golf ball, and a head fixed at an end of the shaft, the head having a front face for striking the golf ball and an upper face disposed in use towards the golfer, in which the upper face has a band coloured green, the band being disposed along an 10 edge between the front and upper faces.

2 A golfing putter as claimed in Claim 1, in which the green band has a constant width.

3 A golfing putter as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the band extends along the full length of the edge between the front and upper faces.

4 A golfing putter as claimed in any previous claim, 20 which the front surface is coloured green.

A golfing putter as claimed in any previous claim, in which a differently coloured demarcation line defines the side of the green band away from the edge between the front and 25 upper surfaces.

6 A golfing putter substantially as herein described, with refereence to or as shown in the accompanying drawings.