WO1998042417A1

WO1998042417A1 - Golf putter apparatus for training and play

Info

Publication number: WO1998042417A1
Application number: PCT/US1998/005900
Authority: WO
Inventors: Walter P. Halas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-03-26
Filing date: 1998-03-26
Publication date: 1998-10-01
Anticipated expiration: 1999-09-26
Also published as: AU6941298A

Abstract

This invention relates generally to a sports training apparatus and more specifically to a golf club for use in improving a golfer's putting skills which can be adapted easily for regulation use in normal play. This training golf putter has a protruding center of percussion or 'sweet spot' which visually separates the club's sweet spot from the putter's striking face such that the golfer must intensely concentrate on striking the ball correctly.

Description

GOLF PUTTER APPARATUS FOR TRAINING AND PLAY

This invention relates generally to a sports training apparatus and more specifically to a golf club for use in improving a golfer's putting skills which can be adapted easily for regulation use in normal play.

In golf as with other sports in which a ball is hit with a club, a bat, a racket or other hand-held striking instrument, expert and accurate shots require that the point of contact between the club and the ball be at their respective concentric centers of percussion. In laymen's terms, the ball should hit the golf club at the club's "sweet spot. " If the ball is hit accurately at this sweet spot, it will fly straight and true along the golfer's intended path. Failure to hit the sweet spot will likely result in an errant stroke, even if the club strikes the ball slightly offset from the sweet spot. On the putting green where accuracy and precision are frequently and frustratingly tested, a golfer's improved skill in consistently striking the ball at the putter's sweet spot will be reflected in an improved score.

Many golf instructors and theorists argue that, for a consistently successful putting stroke, the clubhead should remain in a perpendicular relationship with the desired ball path throughout the stroke, and that the path of the sweet spot remain in a direct line with the desired ball path throughout the takeaway and follow-through phases of the standard golf swing. The present invention encourages this desired stroke visually by use of a golf putter with a protruding sweet spot. Use of the invention trains the player to maintain these spatial relationships in a regular game of golf. Improper hitting of the ball outside of the protruded sweet spot will cause the ball to veer off course substantially more than would be the case with a normal putter. Thus, by using the invention, the golfer will easily be able to chart the course of his or her progress by distinguishing between proper and improper swings.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved apparatus for training a golfer's putting skills. It is an alternate object of the invention to provide an improved golf putter that visually separates the club's sweet spot from the remainder of the striking face such that the golfer must intensely concentrate on striking the ball with the club's sweet spot.

It is an alternate object of the invention to provide a club that can easily be adapted for either putting training or for normal play.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides a golf putter adaptable for training golfers in the proper method of putting. In the invention, the sweet spot protrudes from the striking face of the golf putter. The protruding sweet spot is sized to ensure that striking the ball at or near the club's sweet spot will result in an accurate putt. In one embodiment, the protrusion containing the sweet spot has a diameter approximately the size of a quarter. Extending the sweet spot forward of the putter striking surface forces a player to improve the consistency and/or accuracy of his or her putts without damaging the weighting relationship of the sweet spot with respect to the putter face. This extension forces the player to concentrate intensely on the sweet spot as the contact point and to retain her or his focus throughout the swing of the club.

This sweet spot extends from the face of the putter during training and practice, but can be recessed flush with the striking surface of the putter for regulation use in normal play . A screw located on the non-striking surface of the putter allows extension and recession of the sweet spot protrusion. This screw can be adjusted easily using a screwdriver, coin or golf-spike wrench.

With these observations and objectives in mind, the manner in which the invention achieves its purpose will be appreciated from the following description and the accompanying drawings, it being understood that changes may be made in the specific structure disclosed herein without departing from the essentials of the invention set forth in the appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1. is a front view in perspective of the club head showing the sweet spot fully extended in training mode. Figure 2. is a front view in perspective of the club head showing the sweet spot fully recessed in normal playing mode.

Figure 3. is a side view in perspective of the club head showing the sweet spot partially extended.

Figures 4(a)-(c). show the sweet spot insert from the (a) front, (b) side, and (c) back.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figs. 1 and 2 show a club head 1 attached to a shaft 2 or hosel 3, which in turn is attached to a gripping means (not shown) at the opposite end of the shaft 2. The head 1 has at least one surface 4 suitable for striking a golf ball. The striking surface may deviate slightly from the axial plane of the shaft in accordance with a standard or regulation putter configuration. In another embodiment, the club has two surfaces suitable for striking a golf ball in order that the club may be used by both right- and left-handed players (not shown).

A sweet spot device 5 is illustrated in Figs. 4 (a)-(c). In one embodiment, the sweet spot device 5 comprises a round flat disc 6 whose center is located at the sweet spot of the club head 1 and attached at its center to a threaded post 7. The diameter of the disc 6 is comparable to a United States 25 cent coin (quarter). The device 5 has a second disc 8 or screw nut (not shown) at the end of the post 7 opposite the disc 6, the purpose of which is to retain and/or adjust the position of the training device 5 in the club. As seen in Fig. 4 (c) the second disc 8 may have a slot 9 across the face of the disc to accommodate a screwdriver, coin or golf-spike wrench for adjusting the degree of extension and/or recession of the sweet spot protrusion. Fig. 4(b) shows that, in one embodiment, the post of the sweet spot device 5 is threaded suitable for holding the device in the desired position yet easily adjustable in conjunction with mating threads (not shown) within the club head 1.

A person skilled in the art will be able to envision alternate methods of fixing the protruding sweet spot to the striking surface of the club. In one alternate embodiment, the protruded sweet spot could take the form of a wide magnetic disk which, given the low striking force generally associated with putting, could be attached to the striking face. In another embodiment, the sweet spot protrusion shown in Fig. 4 could be adjusted by a manual or spring-held locking ratcheting mechanism rather than by a threaded post 7. In yet another embodiment, a standard golf putter could be adapted for training by removably attaching a sweet spot device to the club head using a spring clip. In this embodiment, the spring clip sweet spot device need not be adjustable as it can simply be removed from the club head for normal play.

Fig. 1 shows the club head 1 with the sweet spot training device 5 extended in training mode. The striking surface of the sweet spot disc 6 retains a substantially parallel relationship to the striking surface 4 of the club. The sweet spot disc 6 may protrude as much as 1 inch from the overall surface of the club. The second disc 8 is located on the non-striking side of the putter.

Fig. 2 shows the club head 1 with the sweet spot training device 5 recessed such that the striking surface of the device 5 is flush with the striking surface of the club. This is the position used for normal play of a round of golf. It will be appreciated that the sweet spot training device can be adjusted ( Fig. 3) to any position between the fully extended and fully recessed position and still be suitable for training putting skills.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention an be embodied in forms other than as herein disclosed for the purpose of illustration.

Based on the above, what I claim is:

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising: a striking face; and a flat-surfaced protrusion suitable for striking a ball substantially concentric with the center of percussion of said striking face.

2. A golf club head as in Claim 1 in which said flat surface is substantially parallel to said striking face.

3. A golf club head as in Claim 1 , wherein the distance between said striking face and said flat surface can be adjusted.

4. A golf club head as in Claim 1 , wherein said protrusion can be recessed such that said flat surface can be adjusted to be substantially flush with said striking face.

5. The golf club head as in Claim 3, wherein said manner of adjustment can comprise a threaded post attached to said flat surface and movably mounted in said striking face.

6. The golf club head as in claim 1 , wherein said protrusion can be removably attached to an existing golf club head.

7. A golf club comprising: a shaft; a gripping means located at one end of said shaft; a head positioned at the other end of said shaft, said head comprising at least a striking face and a flat-surfaced protrusion substantially concentric with the center of percussion of said striking face and suitable for striking a ball.

8. A golf club as in Claim 7 in which said flat surface is substantially parallel to said striking face.

9. A golf club as in Claim 7, wherein the distance between said striking face and said flat surface can be adjusted.

10. A golf club as in Claim 7, wherein said protrusion can be recessed such that said flat surface can be adjusted to be substantially flush with said striking face.

11. An attachment for use in combination with a golf club to improve putting skills comprising: one or more flat- surfaced protrusions arranged and constructed such that each can be removably attached to said putter in a manner concentric with the center of percussion of said putter.

12. An attached as in Claim 11, wherein said protrusion is attached magnetically in a manner concentric with the center of percussion of said putter.