GB2357251A - Golf ball retrieving club - Google Patents

Abstract

A putter that picks up a golf ball from a green or from a hole comprises of golf ball holding cavity 11 on the sole of the putter head. The ball holding cavity 11 may be semi-spherical and open at the rear wall of the putter head. When a light pressure is applied via the putter to a golf ball 12 lying on the ground or in a hole the golf ball 12 is persuaded deeper into the tapered ball holding cavity 11 resulting in a gentle pick up action.

Description

2357251 IMPROVEMENTS TO GOLF EQUIPlyffiNT (PUTTERS) This invention relates

to a putter that is capable of picking a golf ball up from the green or from out of the hole after putting. This facility being an integral part of the putter head.

There is an undesirable tendency on the part of some golfers to scoop the golf ball out of the hole using the toe end of their putters sometimes damaging the edge of the holes in the process. Putters were not designed for this purpose.

There are separate attachments when added to the putter grip to pick up the golf ball, they are cumbersome in use and imply senility on the part of the user. The putter has to be inverted when these are used. This invention goes some way towards addressing both these anomalies. According to the present invention there is provided a means of picking up a golf ball using the cavity on the underside of the putter head see 11 in figs 1 & 2.

An embodiment will now be described along with the accompanying drawings that will explain how this is achieved.

Fig. 1 shows the putter head with a golf ball in the picked up position.

Fig. 2 shows how the grip is acAieved.

Figs. 3 & 4 show how the golf ball is picked up out of a hole.

Fig. 1 shows the putter head made from a steel casting, it has a sen-dspherical cavity 11 fig. 1 on the underside.

This cavity being open ended at the rear and central to the putting face (other forms of cavities could be considered). The depth of this cavity is 23mm. and the width at the lowest point is 42.75min see 13 & 14 fig. 2. This width reduces and tapers inwardly to a depth of 5 mm see 15 fig. 2 the drigle of this taper is S' inclusive. This S' angle has been found to provide the necessary gentle grip on a golf ball 12 (any greater angle results in ejection).

In their manufacture golf balls are held to ati accurate tolerance on their diameter 42.67nim the resiliency and elasticity in the material they are made of also assists in this gripping action.

When light pressure is applied via the putter to a golf ball lying on the ground or in a hole the golf ball 12 is persuaded deeper into the tapered cavity 11 resulting in a gentle pick up action.

With the position of this pick up point and the size and shape of the putter head autorngtic location is achieved within the plastic cups, even when the hole is fun of water where the ball can not be seen.

A curvature of the sole 19 fig. 1 & 2 is also.necessary to allow for the conical shape in the bottom of the plastic cup 16 fig. 3.

V% v There are some types of plastic cups that have a centralleiscuteon this means that the golf ball comes to rest at the side of the cup in this case the open end of the cavity 11 picks up the ball as before see 17 fig. 4. Due to the ball being partly visible after pick up it is easily removed by finger and thumb see fig. 1.

Claims (3)

1 1 claim a method of picking up a golf ball from the ground or form inside a hole on the putting green, using a putter that has a special cavity on the underside or sole.

The putter is held in the normal manner in so doing.

2 When light presure is applied via the putter to a golf ball lying on the ground or in a plastic cup (hole) the position of this cavity aGtomatically locates the ball and the ball is persuaded further into this cavity where the reducing gap 14 fig. 2 gently grips the ball effecting the necessary pick up action.

3 This invention as described is unobtrusive, has no effect on the putting action and does not breach the rules of golf as laid down by the R & A.