US3332684A

US3332684A - Golf club

Info

Publication number: US3332684A
Application number: US338644A
Authority: US
Inventors: Solheim Karsten
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-01-20
Filing date: 1964-01-20
Publication date: 1967-07-25
Anticipated expiration: 1984-07-25

Description

K. SOLHEIM July 25, 1967 GOLF CLUB Filed Jan. 20, 1964 INVENTOR. Ka eem-M 5'04 HEM/l ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,332,684 GOLF CLUB Karsten Solheim, 10412 N. 37th St., Phoenix, Ariz. 85028 Filed Jan. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 338,644 2 Claims. (Cl. 273-81.3)

This invention relates to improvements in golf clubs which in the past have most often been constructed with a straight shaft having a grip or handle at one end and a narrow portion at the other end attached to a club head. When in normal use, the grip is held by a player in such a way as to cause the club head to extend away from him with the club face perpendicular to the line of its motion at the moment of impact with a ball.

For best results, the player swings the club head through the ball such that its impact with the ball occurs at approximately the center of its face. However, the center line of the grip does not pass through the center of the club head since the club head extends from the shaft. Accordingly, some torque is developed on the shaft which tends to cause the grip to twist in the, players hands, particularly at the moment of impact. In an effort to eliminate the undesirable torque, clubs have been provided in the past with a hosel curved in such a way as to cause the extended axis of the shaft to pass through the center of the club face; but such efforts have not been satisfactory except in those particular designs or styles of golf clubs used exclusively for putting which do not produce much torque in normal use.

It is believed that a curved hosel has been unsatisfactory not only because of its distracting appearance but also because it does not assist the golfer with his timing. For best timing the golfers hands should lead the club head through the downstroke, particularly at the moment of impact. A golfer usually achieves that timing by coordinating his body to lead with his arms and hips in the downstroke and follow-through.

The object of this invention is to provide a golf club having a head in which the center of gravity is substantially along, but slightly behind, the extended center line of its straight elongated grip.

Another object is to provide a golf club so constructed that it assists the golfer in leading the club head with his arms throughout his swing, particularly at the moment of impact of the club face with the ball.

These and other objects are achieved by bending the shaft of a golf club near the grip in such a manner that the extended center line of the grip is caused to extend slightly in front of the leading edge of the club head a distance equal to lessthan the diameter of a golf ball, but great enough that the extended center line passes in front of the leading edge of the club face, and between the toe and the heel thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a golf club as it is held with its sole substantially fiat on the ground while a ball is being addressed;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the golf club of FIG. 1 as it is held while a ball is being addressed; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the club of FIG. 1 showing it in an evenly balanced position with the front "ice edge of the club face horizontal while it is being supported in a cantilever manner.

Referring to the drawings, the face of a club head 10 is shown having a longitudinal grip 11 connected thereto by a shaft 12 which is bent slightly at a point 13 near the base of the grip such that an extended center line 14 of the grip passes in front of the leading edge of the club head as viewed in FIG. 1, and between its toe 17 and heel 15 as viewed in FIG. 2. Ideally, the bend at the point 13 is so formed that the extended center line 14 passes through the center of gravity of a ball 16 (FIG. 1) and the club head combined, but at the moment of impact while the ball is compressed against the club face. However, since it is difiicult to determine how much different balls compress upon impact and since the loft or the slope of the club face varies from club to club of a set, it is believed that the present invention may be advantageously practiced if the extended center line is made to pass in front of the center of the club face any distance equal to less than a ball diameter, but great enough to cause the center line to pass in front of the leading edge of the club face.

As viewed in FIG. 2, the extended center line 14 passes half-way between the toe 17 of the club face and the heel 15; accordingly, it appears the extended center line of the handle would pass through the center of the ball at the moment of impact. However, that is not necessarily true since the head is being swung downwardly at the moment of impact, but even so, deviation from the ideal would not have an appreciable effect on the improved results achieved by the practice of this invention. The extended center line 14 may be made to pass closer to the toe or the heel, depending on the balance desired, but still passing through the ball.

In practice, the bend at the point 13 is adjusted in the plane of the front view of FIG. 2 in such a manner that the club is balanced as desired about the extended center line. To test for that proper adjustment, the club may be supported as shown in FIG. 3 like a cantilever with the grip 11 held horizontally between a pivot 20 near the shaft-end thereof and a bracket 21 at the other end. If the bend is properly adjusted for even balance about the center line of the club handle, the head 10 will assume the horizontal position shown; if not the grip will rotate about its axis until the club assumes a slightly toe-down or heel-down position. If a club slightly toe heavy is desired, the extended center line 14 is made to pass closer to the heel, and vice versa.

When the bend at the point 13- has been properly adjusted, the extended center line 14 of the grip 11 will pass through the golf ball, preferably below its center, at the moment of impact, thereby allowing the club head 10 to lag slightly behind the body movement of the golfer, particularly the extended leading arm and hand, at the moment of impact to assist his timing. A large torque is not developed which would tend to rotate the club about the axis of its grip because the shaft is bent back as viewed in FIG. 1 and the club is more evenly balanced on both sides thereof as viewed in FIG. 2.

I claim:

1. A golf club comprising:

a head having a toe portion and a heel portion,

an upwardly extending shaft connected to said heel portion,

3 4 an elongated grip secured to the upper end of said References Cited shaft 2 D PA said gnp being so inclined relative to said shaft that UNITE STTES TENTS an imaginary extension of the center line of said 3,166,320 1/1965 01110115 27380 grip passes in front of a central portion of the strik- EN ing face of said club head, and in front of the lead- 5 FQREIGN t TS ing edge f Said club head, 3,806 9/1926 Austral a. the distance between the center of the club face and 2503829 3/1963 Austral!- said imaginary extension of said center line being less than a diameter of a golf ball, and the Width BARRY SHAY, Primary Examine?- w gfersagtfi gegfialbgfirtion corresponding to the dlam DELBERT B. LOWE: G. I M ARLO, 2. A golf club as defined in claim 1 wherein said shaft Assistant Examiners is straight between said grip and heel portion.

Claims

1. A GOLF CLUB COMPRISING: A HEAD HAVING A TOE PORTION AND HEEL PORTION, AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING SHAFT CONNECTED TO SAID HEEL PORTION, AN ELONGATED GRIP SECURED TO THE UPPER END OF SAID SHAFT, SAID GRIP BEING SO INCLINED RELATIVE TO SAID SHAFT THAT AN IMAGINARY EXTENSION OF THE CENTER LINE OF SAID GRIP PASSES IN FRONT OF A CENTRAL PORTION OF THE STRIKING FACE OF SAID CLUB HEAD, AND IN FRONT OF THE LEADING EDGE OF SAID CLUB HEAD, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE CENTER OF THE CLUB FACE AND SAID IMAGINARY EXTENSION OF SAID CENTER LINE BEING LESS THAN A DIAMETER OF A GOLF BALL, AND THE WIDTH OF SAID CENTRAL PORTION CORRESPONDING TO THE DIAMETER OF A GOLF BALL.