IE52137B1 - Golf putters - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to golf clubs. More particularly, this invention relates to golf putters having a soft striking face of controlled properties which imparts to the golfer using the putter improved touch, feel, and control, and enhanced ball rebound response from the putter face.

Description

This invention relates to golf clubs. More particularly, this invention relates to golf putters having a soft striking face of controlled properties which imparts to the golfer using the putter improved touch, feel, and control, and enhanced ball rebound response from the putter face.

It is recognized by a golfer that the game of golf has two fundamentally distinct aspects. One aspect is on the.driving tee and fairway, and the other is on the -f putting green'. On the driving tee and fairway the golfer looks to equipment which will maximize the distance of ball travel even at some sacrifice in ball control. Golf woods and-irons, therefore, normally utilize a relatively ' heavy' head set at’the end of a relatively long shaft.

These’ woods*and irons are normally swung with the greatest power possible, consistent with position and conditions on the golf course, all to provide greater distance of ball travel. It has been suggested to incorporate into the head or face of a wood a plastic material having high resiliency and hardness to provide greater distances of ball travel.

On the putting green, the golfer is not primarily concerned with power and distance, but needs to accurately propel the ball to and,into the hole with as few strokes as possible. Accurate propulsion of the ball to and into the hole requires a sense of touch and feel by the golfer - 3 between the golf ball on the green aDd his putter. The desire of the golfer to maximize the touch and feel necessary to accurately control the direction of the ball movement and the distance of the ball movement on the putting green has led to literally hundreds of putter shapes and designs. The various shapes and designs have included putters having heads with an increased mass to increase the distance of ball travel with a short backswing, which increases accuracy; localization and balancing of the mass in the he3d to improve directional accuracy; decreased mass in the putter head to provide increased accuracy, and the use of a striking face made of rubber or plastic material to impart a sense of feel and touch while controlling the rebound characteristics of the ball when struck with the rubber or plastic face of the putter. The various putter designs and various metal striking faces of different shapes and weights have received a mixed degree of success.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a golf putter comprising a head and a shaft, said head including a bottom face having a width greater than its height, and a top surface which is generally concave, said shaft being connected generally midway of said top surface and tilted transversely at an angle of at least 1CP with respect thereto, said top surface extending substantially the full width of the said bottom face to define masking means whereby the head, when the shaft is in a substantially vertical position and viewed from the top of the putter, gives a visual impression of having the lowest point of the base of the face of the putter substantially in axial alignment with said shaft.

The face may include a pad of controlled resiliencyWhen the putter is positioned for putting by grasping the shaft of the putter at about mid-length or thereabouts with a single band, the free end of the - 4 sheft extending up the forearm of the gripping hand, the golfer sees the head of the putter as though the lowermost point, or a lowermost point, on the face of the putter is substantially in line with the shaft, whether or not the lowermost point, or a lowermost point, is directly below the shaft or is spaced to one side or the other. The golfer, therefore, is not detracted as to where the actual lowermost point of the face of the putter is, giving the golfer, confidence in making a natural swinging or stroking arm movement substantially the same as in bowling.

The following description in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings is given in order toillustrete the invention. In the drawings; FIGURE 1 is a perspective view free the front of a preferred putter having a double wing club head and molded thereon an elastomeric face cf controlled hardness end resiliency, intermediate portions of the shaft of the putrer being broken away: FIGURE 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the method of putting of this invention; snd FIGURE 5 is a schematic perspective view illustrating s modification of the Eethod of putting as shown in FIGURE 2.

Reference is first made to FIGURE 1 which illustrates a putter generally identified by the numer&l 15 which includes a double wing head generally identified by the numeral 16 and a shaft 17 extending upwardly from head 16. Head 16 includes a platelike front portion 8 which includes a striking face 9 having a contoured base including a flat portion 7. Head 16 has a rearwardly extending body 10 to provide 8 substantially T-shaped putter. As shown, shaft 17 extends upwardly from the top of the rearwardly extending head portion 10 at an angle of at least 10 degrees in relation to the fist portion 7· The face 9 of the putter has molded thereto s resilient elastomer 6. The elastomer fsce as shown is approximately three-sixteenths (5/16) inch in - r, thickness and completely covers face 9. The elastomer is fabricated from ADIPRENE 54-18, a urethane elastomer manufactured and sold by the duPont Company. ADIPR3NE 54-18 is the reaction product of a polyether and diphenyl methane 4-,4'-diisocyanate, the polymer terminated with free isocyanate groups which were subsequently cured with 1,4-butane-diol. The elastomer has a hardness of 85 Durometer A and a resiliency cf 70# (Bashore). The hardness and resiliency compares with a hardness of 9θ Durometar D and a resiliency of 15# (3eshore) for a brass metal face putter.

The putter of FIGURE 1 having the elastomer face prevents a golf ball when stroked with the putter from skidding or slipping even when a backspin or twist is applied to the golf ball. This is in contradistinction to a metal face where slipping and skidding will occur. Additionally, the elastomer face permits a gclf ball to penetrate into the elastomeric' face when s’troked with e golf putter due to its relatively low hardness in relation to the golf ball, with the ball rebounding sharply from the elestomer and rebounding a distance greater than the distance of rebound of a golf hall when struck with a metal fece putter with equal force.

In contradistinction, an elastomeric face made from each of ADIPRENE L-10Q, a urethane polymer based on a polyether reacted with toluene diisocyanate and terminated with free isocyanate groups, and cured with MOCA (4,4'-methylene-bis-2-chloroaniline), and ADIPREKB L-515, a urethane polymer which is the reaction product of a polyether and toluene diisocyanate cured with MOCA foiled to provide the desired feel and touch; and, additionally, had rebound characteristics inferior to the rebound characteristics of a metal face putter. The L-100 polymer had a hardness of 9θ Durometer A and a resiliency of approximately 50#, whereas ADIPREKS L-515 had a hardness of 99+ Durometer A, 75 Duroneter D, and a resiliency of approximately 50#. - 6 The aforesaid examples establish the critical nature of the elastomer in providing a putter having the sense of feel and touch essential for good ball control as to direction and distance.

As will be apparent to one skilled in the art, various polymers including polymers having different chemical formulations can be fabricated to meet the hardness and rebound characteristics essential to provide an elastomeric face in accordance with the present invention. The essential characteristic, as hereinbefore stated, is that the elastomer be chemically formulated to produce the unique rebound response which permits penetration of the elastomer by e gclf ball when stroked end a sharp rebound without substantial energy loss.

Urethane polymer ADIPRENK 5418 is illustrative of such elastomers. Moreover, the thickness cf the elastomeric face can vary. Although it has been found that a thickness of three-sixteenths (3/16) inch is acceptable, the thickness can be increased or decreased with acceptable performance of the putter.

As used herein, percent resiliency is determined using the standard Bashore rebound method. Hardness Durometer A and Durometer D are based on procedures ASTM D676-59T and ASTM D1484-59. The term elastomer as employed herein is used in the broad sense to include materials polymeric in nature and which have the essential hardness and resilience properties herein defined. Controlled dampening, as used herein, means that the elastomer will permit penetration and will re30 bound without substantial energy loss. Stroked, as it is used herein, is to define the gentle or soft contact of a golf ball with a putter on a putting green in contrast to the power swing utilized by the golfer on the driving tee or fairway.

FIGURES 2 end 3 illustrate a preferred method of using the putter illustrated in FIGURE 1 which utilizes free wrist movement. In the embodiment cf FIGURE 2 the - 7 golfer will stand in a slightly crouched position with only a slight bending of the knees, slightly to one side of the ball 18. Preferably the ball will be slightly forward of the inside foot of the golfer. The shaft of the putter is gripped in hand 20 at a point remote from the free end of shaft 17, with the free end of the shaft extending upward with respect to the golfer's forearm and terminating at a point below the inner elbow cf the gripping arm. Free arm and hand 24 of the golfer is extended across the golfer's body, with the hand engaging the shaft-gripping arm substantially at the wrist with thumb and forefingers. With this engagement the free end of shaft 17 is maintained in, loose contact with the forearm and with the free arm, permitting free movement of the wrist of the gripping hand. When the putter is stroked to engage the ball, the free movement of the wrist of the gripping hand provides exceptional feel as the pitter face contacts the ball. The free wrist movement permits good control of the force of contact between the ball and the fece of the putter resulting in good accuracy in both direction end distance of ball travel.

In the modification of FIGURE 3, the putter is gripped substantially as described with reference to FIGURE 2. However, in this modification the free hand does not engage the gripping hand or arm, but rather loosely engages the free end of the club shaft, again permitting free movement of the wrist. The free wrist movement again permits control of the putter as the putter face contacts the golf bell, providing accuracy in direction and distance of ball travel. The engagement between the free end of the shaft and the free hand extending across the body provides' improved guidance and stability to the putter in the course of stroking the putter.

The linear measurements of 3/16 used hereinbefore correspond with 4.5 mm. 53137 The word ADIPRENE used herein is a Trade Mark.

In Patent Specification No. 5 213 6 we claim a putter comprising a shaft and a head having e striking face at one end of said shaft, r said head having an elastomer on at least the striking ares of said face of said head, said elastomer having a hardness of at least 70 Durometer A and a hardness less than the hardness of a golf ball end a high resiliency with controlled dampening, said hardness permitting i:· penetration of a golf ball into said elastomer when a ball is stroked with said face, and said resiliency end controlled dampening causing said stroked bell to rebound from said face a distance at least as great as the distance of the rebound of said ball when said hall is stocked with en equal for.ce with a metal putter head of equal mass. 53137

Claims (5)

CLAIMS:

1. A golf putter comprising a head and a shaft, said head including a bottom face having a width greater than its height,snd a top surface which is generally concave, said shaft being connected generally midway of said top surface and tilted transversely at an angle of at least 10° with respect thereto, said top surface extending substantially the full width of said bottom face to define masking means whereby the head, when the shaft is in a substantially vertical position and viewed from the top of tee putter, gives a visual impression of having the lowest point cf the base of the face of the putter substantially in axial alignment with said shaft.

2. A putter according to claim 1 wherein the head is shaped to give a bottom surface having a flat part and a curved part at eech end of said flat part.

3. ; A putter according to either of claims 1 or 2, wherein said top surface is substantially symmetrically concave.

4. , A putter according to any one of claims 1 to J wherein said head includes a body portion rearward of said face, said face and said body portion giving said head a T-shape, said width of said 'face being greater than the length of said body portion and said shaft extends from said body portion.

5. A putter according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said face includes a pad of controlled resiliency. - 10 C. A golf putter according to claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Dated this the 3rd day of December, 19 F. 3. KELLY & CO. ΒΪ: SaaA ΛΛ- ^ ΑΖ/Μ-ν- EXECUTIY 27 Clyde Road, Bail^bridge, Dublin 4 AGENTS FOB THE APPLICANTS