GB2381756A

GB2381756A - A golf putter

Info

Publication number: GB2381756A
Application number: GB0127063A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philip Conway Robbins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-11-10
Filing date: 2001-11-10
Publication date: 2003-05-14
Also published as: WO2003041808A2; GB0127063D0; US20050070372A1; GB0412214D0; GB2397774B; AU2002339109A1; WO2003041808A3; GB2397774A

Abstract

A golf putter comprising a head (2 fig 1) fixed to a shaft (3 fig 1). The head consists of a front face 7 and a top face 6, weighted so that the centre of gravity 8 is located in the upper front portion of the club head 2 in order to impart overspin to the ball. The toe and heel of the club head may be weighted to enlarge the 'sweet spot' on the front face of the club.

Description

A Golfing Putter 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 the green 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. On striking the ball the putter propells the ball towards the hole overcoming the inertia of the stationary ball.

The design of the putter head has a crucial effect on the quality and repeatability of the strike. Modern putters are typically made with much of their mass situated towards the toe and heal of the putter. This is so that the effective lateral centre of mass of the putter, also known as the sweet spot, is as large as possible thereby helping the golfer hit the ball with a consistent quality of strike despite minor errors in the swinging of the putter. Equally typically, many putters have much of their mass on the bottom of the putter moving the vertical centre of mass towards the bottom of the face. The face of a golfing putter is typically angled slightly up from 900 so that the ball is not driven into the ground or caused to skid along the ground following the strike. This also helps the golfer hit the ball with a consistent quality of strike.

It is the case that putters may induce backspin onto the ball which affects its roll immediately after the ball is struck and for up to 20% of the length of the putt. This is principally caused by the centre of mass and momentum of the putter being below the centre of the ball. An analogy is in the strike of a billiard ball where a backspin is induced when the cue hits the ball below its centre line (its centre of mass). In putting a golf ball this tends to be an intermittant problem with the consequences on the putt being dependant on both the swing of the putter by the golfer and on the quality of the putting surface. The combination of a low centre of gravity and these other factors reduces the predicability in the direction and distance travelled by the ball-both essential aspects of control when a golfer is putting. A well-struck putt is often said to exhibit"a good roll", implying that the ball simply rolls towards the golf hole with no other adverse spin.

It is an object of this invention to provide a putter which removes the design-induced causes of back spin on the ball, thereby providing a consistent strike with more predictable results and so allowing the golfer to concentrate on the direction and distance of the putt.

Accordingly, the present invention provides 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 vertical

centre of mass is in an upper portion of the front face of the putter.

The golfer may then more readily strike a golf ball with said centre of mass above the point of impact with the golf ball.

Also according to the invention, there is provided a method of striking a golf ball, using a golfing putter according to the invention, comprising the step of using the putter to strike the ball so that the point of contact between the front face of the putter and the golf ball is below said centre of mass of the 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 right- handed golfing putter according to the invention showing the head fixed to a shaft; Figure 2 is a top view of the putter head of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view from the front of the putter head of Figure 1 showing the head fixed to the shaft; Figure 4 is a section through the putter head taken through line I-I of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a rear view of the putter head of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a rear view of a putter head similar to that of Figure 1, according to a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 7 is a rear view of a putter head similar to that of Figure 1, according to a third embodiment of the invention; and Figure 8 is a cross sectional view of the putter head striking a golf ball showing the point of contact between the front face of the putter and the golf ball below said centre of mass of the head.

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 3 and grip 4 are similar to that used for other golfing putters. As shown in Figure 2, the shaft may be fitted to the head 2 at a hole 5 using an interference fit, particularly if the shaft 3 is to be bonded to the head 2, for example by an epoxy resin. The head 2 has a top face 6 with a flat upper surface but this is not an essential feature of the invention, and the top face 6 may have a different shape. The overall length of the putter head 2 is 200 mm, but may be between 90 mm and 300 mm. The width of the head 2 is 35 mm but may be between 15 mm and 100

mm. The golfing putter illustrated has a total length of 650 mm.

In the first embodiment of the present example illustrated by figure 3, the centre of mass 8 of the head is beind an upper third portion of the front face of the head.

Reference is now made to Figure 4, which shows an L-shaped cross section of the putter head 2 through line I-I in Figure 3. The head has a front face 7 for striking a golf ball (not shown). The front face 7 extends 30 mm in a generally vertical direction, but may be between 15 mm and 50 mm. The top face 6 is preferably wider that the front face 7 is tall, and in the present example extends 40 mm in a generally horizontal direction.

Preferably, the front face is thinner than the top face.

In the present example, the overall thickness of the front face 7 is 3 mm but may be between 1 mm and 10 mm. The overall thickness of the top face 6 is 4 mm but may be between 1 mm and 10 mm. The angle of the front face 7 to the top face 6 is greater than a right angle, and in the illustrated example is 93 degrees, but may be between a right angle and 100 degrees.

Figure 5 shows the putter head from the rear. The shaft 3 is shown at an angle of 15 degrees to a normal of the top face of the putter 6, but may be between 10 and 45 degrees. The area 9 shows the volume under the top surface 6 between the front surface 7 and the back of the putter. This volume may be filled with a material of lower density

than that of the rest of the head in order to make a flat surface to contact the ground. The downwardly depending lobe 14 serves to provide material to enable an efficient interference fit between shaft and head.

Figure 6 shows a second embodiment of the invention which differs from the first only in that weight has been added below the flat surface 6 in the form of two downwardly depending lobes of brass 10 and 11 at either end of the putter head 2.

Figure 7 shows a third embodiment of the invention which differs from the second only in that wieght has been added above the flat surface 6 in the form of two upwardly extending lobes of brass 12 and 13 at either end of the putter head 2. These upper lobes are particularly useful in raising the centre of mass of the head, which is otherwise lowered by the downwardly depending lobes.

Figure 8 shows a cross section of the front face 7 of the putter head in contact with a ball 15. The centre of mass 8 is above the point of contact between the front face 7 and the ball 15. Line A-A is drawn along the center line of the golf ball 15, line B-B represents the putting surface.

Claims

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 vertical centre of mass is behind an upper portion of the front face of the head.

2. A golfing putter as claimed in Claim 1, in which said centre of mass is beind an upper third portion of the front face of the head.

3. A golfing putter as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which in which the size of the sweet spot is increased by end weighting of the putter.

4. A golfing putter as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the angle between the front face and the top face is greater than a right angle.

5. A golfing putter as claimed in Claim 4, in which the said angle is less than 100 .

6. A golfing putter as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the head has an L-shaped cross-section with the top face forming one arm of the L-shape and the front face forming the other arm of the L-shape.

7. A golfing putter as claimed in Claim 6, in which the L-shaped cross-section extends fully along the head.

8. A golfing putter as claimed in Claim 6, in which the L-shaped cross-section terminates at ends of the head having downwardly depending lobes.

9. A golfing putter as claimed in Claim 6, in which lobes extend upwardly from the top face at the two ends of the head.

10. A golfing putter as claimed in Claim 8, in which lobes extend upwardly from the top face above the downwardly extending lobes.

11. A golfing putter as claimed in any of Claims 6 to 9, in which the front face is thinner than the top face.

12. A golfing putter as claimed in any of Claims 6 to 10, in which the top face is wider than the front face is tall.

13. A method of striking a golf ball, using a golfing

put 4L.-L-L putter as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising the step of using the putter to strike the ball so that the point of contact between the front face of the putter and the golf ball is below said centre of mass of the head.

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

15. A method of striking a golf ball using a golfing putter substantially as herein described with reference to or as shown in the accompanying drawings.