PRACTICE ATTACHMENT FOR GOLF PUTTER

Abstract

A practice attachment device for removable attachment to the head of a putter. The device is designed to aid a golfer improve a putting stroke when using a blade or heel-toe putter. The device includes a frame, an aligning rod, and a clamp to attach the combination of the frame and the rod to the putter head. The rod is cylindrical in shape and positioned in front of the putter head face such that it strikes the ball. If the putter head, and thus the rod, is not properly aligned with the ball, the ball will travel off target when struck. The golfer must change the stroke until the rod is properly aligned with the ball on contact. The frame includes a sight port to allow the golfer to align the frame on the putter at the center of the putter head.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a Continuation-In-Part of, and claims priority benefit to, pending U.S. design patent application Ser. No. 29/261,743, filed Jun. 20, 2006, entitled “PRACTICE ATTACHMENT FOR A GOLF PUTTER” filed by the same inventor of the present application. The entire content of that pending application is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to devices for improving golf swings. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices for improving golf putting. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a device removably attachable to a putter and arranged to aid a golfer improve a putting stroke.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Many golfers take great interest in improving their skills in order to reduce the number of strokes required to play each hole of golf that they play. While golfers must hit a golf ball hundreds of yards to reach the hole from the tee, approximately one-third to one-half of all golf strokes are taken on the green within fifty or sixty feet of the hole. Therefore, putting is an important aspect of the game. As a result, many golfers spend a substantial amount of time attempting to improve that part of their game. In spite of that effort, putting has remained a fickle aspect of the sport. A golfer can be told how to hold the putter, how to read the green and how to swing the putter. Unfortunately, it can be difficult for many golfers to translate that mental understanding of the important technical details of the putting stroke into reality.

There are many devices, tools, instructional programs and professionals available to assist golfers in improving all parts of their games from the tee to the hole. Some of these aids are much more costly than others and therefore may be out of reach of the recreational and/or well-funded golfer. The present invention is related to a putting stroke aid that is removably attachable to a blade or heel-toe type putter rather than a mallet type putter or any other type of golf club. Others have described publicly devices to assist in the improvement of golf strokes not limited to putting. However, each has its own deficiency resolved through use of an aid such as the invention described herein.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,253 to Cooper describes a putter permanently modified for the removable introduction of a flat-headed cylinder to the face of a heel-toe type putter. The Cooper device requires the golfer either to acquire a putter having a threaded hole through the putting service, or modify his/her own putter to accept the flat-headed cylinder. Either way, the golfer may be required to expend more than is desirable for a single-purpose putter. Further, the flat surface of the flat-headed cylinder fails to address putting problems by giving the putter a forgiving surface—the flat surface to perpetuate an improper putting stroke.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,895 to Nakajima describes a single-purpose putter comprised of a shaft and a ball-shaped head. The Cooper putter is not arranged as a conventional putter. It requires the golfer to purchase the item separate from the putter the golfer ordinarily uses. Therefore, the golfer would work on the putting stroke with the aid device and then separately putt with a separate device—the golfer's regular putter. This device not only adds to the golfer's expenses, but fails to allow the golfer to correct his/her stroke with the putter of choice.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,228 to Hawkins et al. describes a practice attachment tool for a golf club not limited to a putter. In particular, the Hawkins device is shown removably attachable to a club that appears to be a driver or other type of wood. The Hawkins device addresses the concern about either permanently modifying the golfer's existing club(s) or purchasing a dedicated stroke-aiding club. The attachment tool includes a convex ball striking surface, but the described mechanism for attaching the tool to the club is completely unsuitable in a practical sense. The Hawkins attachment means are straps described as either elastic (rubber bands) or hook-and-loop (Velcro®). Any ordinary physical exertion on the club, such as in the course of a swing, would dislodge the straps and cause the undesired movement of the attachment tool. Therefore, the Hawkins device is unsuitable for actual swing training. Further, it does not appear to be directed to aiding the improvement of the putting stroke but, instead, the full-swing stroke associated with all other golf club types.

What is needed is a putting stroke aid that is relatively inexpensive and that may be removably attached to a conventional putter without permanent modification of the putter. Also, what is needed is such a putting stroke aid that will remain in the desired position during the club swinging process. Further, what is needed is such an aid that is specifically directed to assisting in the improvement of the putting stroke.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a putting stroke aid that is relatively inexpensive and that may be removably attached to a conventional putter without permanent modification of the putter. It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a putting stroke aid that will remain in the desired position during the club swinging process. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide such an aid that is specifically directed to assisting in the improvement of the putting stroke.

These and other objects are provided by the present invention, which is a practice attachment for a golf putter. The practice attachment includes a frame and a clamping device. The frame has a convex curved edge aligned approximately perpendicular to the ground when the practice attachment is clamped to a putter. The frame further includes a sight hole. The frame may be formed of an angle and a cylindrical rod, with a thumb screw for easy adjustment of the positioning of the frame on the putter head and application and release of pressure on the putter head to keep the frame firmly in place or to remove it, as desired. The frame may be fabricated in a unitary fabrication but is not limited thereto.

The practice attachment of the present invention provides an inexpensive, simple, and durable device that can improve a golfer's putting stroke, and therefore putting accuracy, by producing a putting system where small deviations in putting swing result in large deviations from the intended direction of golf ball travel. An aspect of the invention is that it adds a convex striking surface to the golfer's preferred putter, but limited to either a blade-type putter or a heel-toe type putter. The practice attachment includes a facility to align the temporary, convex striking surface with the marked “sweet spot” that appears on the putter.

The practice attachment teaches the golfer to keep his or her head down and their eye on the ball for every putting stroke. Because the striking surface of the practice attachment is not flat (it is convex), the golf ball will not travel in the intended direction unless it is struck at the point on the convex striking surface that is on the line defined by the direction of putter head travel. If the ball is struck to one side or the other of this point, it will be driven to the right or left of the direction of putter head travel.

The practice attachment also helps golfers develop a smooth putting stroke. If the putting stroke is not smooth and careful, the golfer will have difficulty in repeating sending the ball in the intended direction of travel. The practice attachment is arranged to fit most blade-type and heel-toe putters. The practice attachment may be fabricated of one or more materials of interest, such as metallic and/or non-metallic materials or combinations thereof. The material or materials selected for the fabrication of each component of the practice attachment are preferably chosen to avoid marking, marring, scarring or otherwise damaging the golfer's putter in any manner. The components of the practice attachment may be fabricated of one or more pieces as desired for ease of use, shipment, and/or manufacture,

These and other advantages of the practice attachment of the present invention will become more apparent upon review of the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a heel-toe putter having the practice attachment device of the present invention attached thereto.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the practice attachment device.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the first embodiment of the practice attachment device.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the first embodiment of the practice attachment device.

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the first embodiment of the practice attachment device.

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the first embodiment of the practice attachment device.

FIG. 7 is a rear elevation view of the first embodiment of the practice attachment device.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the practice attachment device.

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the second embodiment of the practice attachment device.

FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view of the second embodiment of the practice attachment device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A practice attachment device 10 of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1 removably attached to a putter 100 at putter head 102. FIGS. 2-7 show a first embodiment of the practice attachment device 10 alone in various views that may be referred to in combination with this description.

The practice attachment device 10 includes an attachment frame 12 and a guiding rod 14. The rod 14 may be permanently or removably attached to the frame 12. For example, the rod 14 is preferably press fitted directly into the frame 12. Alternatively, it may be removably attached with a threaded screw into a threaded port of the frame 12 and of the rod 14, or it may be permanently attached to the frame 12 such as by welding or with a press fit stud. The frame 12 includes a body 18 and a clamp body 20. The clamp body 20 includes port 22 for receiving therein retaining means for holding the frame 12 to the putter head 102. The port 22 may or may not be threaded. As shown in the drawings, the retaining means is a clamp screw 24 having a threaded body 26 for passing through the port 22, and a wing head 28. The frame body 18 includes a sight port 30 to be used to aid a golfer in aligning the frame 12 and the rod 14 on the putter head 102. In this embodiment of the present invention the sight port 30 is cylindrical.

The frame 12, the rod 14 and the retaining means each may be fabricated of one or more metallic and/or non-metallic materials selected to minimize or avoid marking, marring, scarring or otherwise causing damage to the putter head 102. The frame 12 is preferably ⅛-inch thick aluminum alloy formed in an “L” shape, where the long leg is the main body 18 and is about 1.35 inches long, and the short leg is the clamp body 20 and is about 0.60 inches long. Front end 19 of the main body 18 of the frame 12 preferably has a radius to match the radius of the rod 14 as described herein. While the retaining means is shown as a clamp screw 24 used to attach the practice attachment device 10 to the putter head 102, alternative retaining means include a button head cap screw, a flat head screw, a self-tapping screw, or any similar removable attachment mechanism suitable for joining the frame 12 to the putter head 102 in a way that keeps the frame in a fixed position during the putting stroke. The wing head 28 is a preferred device to cause rotation of the clamp screw 24 in that it is easy to use by any golfer, regardless of age, gender or difficulty with fine motor skills. However, other means for causing rotation of the clamp screw 24 or other similar tightening component do not diminish the functional aspect of the practice attachment device 10.

The body 18 and the clamp body 20 of the frame 12 may be fabricated as two or more distinct pieces joined together such as by welding or adhesive. Alternatively and preferably, it may be a unitary piece in an “L” shape, such as an Aluminum extrusion. Further, the frame 12 and the rod 14 may be fabricated as two or more distinct pieces joined together in any of the manners described herein. Alternatively, the frame 12 and rod 14 may be fabricated as a unitary piece in a “U” shape.

The clamp body 20 is preferably fabricated to include as the port 22 a threaded hole, for example a no. 10-32 threaded hole, arranged so that the axis of the threaded hole for receiving threaded body 26 of the clamp screw 24 intersects the axis of rod 14 at a right angle. Further, the threaded hole is preferably located about midway along the length of clamp body 20. In general, the dimensions of the combination of frame 12 and rod 14 are designed to permit temporary attachment of the practice attachment 10 to the putter head 102. That is, the maximum opening between face 25 of clamp screw 24 and backside 15 of the rod 14 is adequate to fit over the width or thickness of any putter head 102 for a blade or heel-toe type of putter. The rod 14 is preferably a right cylinder, which may be either a solid or hollow. The rod 14 preferably has a radius of about 0.31 inches.

With continuing reference to FIGS. 1-5, the body 18 includes the sight port 30 extends from upper body face 18′ through lower body face 18″ such that when the practice attachment 10 is affixed to the putter head 102, the golfer can see onto upper surface 104 of the putter head 102 to a putter alignment mark 106 of the type applied to many putters by putter manufacturers. The alignment mark 106 is ordinarily aligned with the center of the long dimension of face 108 of the putter head 102. The sight port 30 thereby allows the golfer to properly locate the practice attachment 10 on the putter head 102 such that when the practice attachment is in use, optimal front striking surface 32 of the rod 14 is aligned with the center of the putter face 108.

When the practice attachment 10 is properly aligned on the putter head 102, the golfer may proceed with putting stroke practice. Specifically, the golfer may place a golf ball on a substrate, align the putter 100 with a target and swing the putter 100 with practice attachment 10 as he or she ordinarily would when playing. The frame 12 is attached such that the axis of the rod 14 is approximately vertical with respect to the underlying substrate, and the golfer is viewing the upper body face 18′ of the frame 12 when he or she is in the normal putting position. Only when the front striking surface 32 of the rod 14 is properly aligned with the ball will the ball travel in the direction of the target when the putter 100 is swung to hit the ball. Any other stroke path generated by the golfer will cause improper contact of the rod 14 with the ball such that the ball is not struck by the front striking surface 32 and will therefore not travel to the intended target. The golfer must thereby adjust the stroke until that impact is achieved. Through repetition the golfer will come to establish a smooth, consistent stroke by which the putter face 108 will strike the ball at the sweet spot when the bottom of the putter head 102 is substantially parallel with the underlying substrate.

A second embodiment of the practice attachment device 10′ is shown in FIGS. 8-10. In all respects but the shape of the sight port 30′ the second embodiment of the practice attachment device 10′ includes the same components and is attached and used in the same manner as described herein with respect to the practice attachment device 10 of FIGS. 1-7. In this embodiment of the invention, the sight port 30′ is not cylindrical but is instead elongate modified diamond shape. It is to be understood that the sight port may be of other shapes without deviating from the intent to provide the golfer with a line-of-sight to the alignment mark 106 of the putter head 102.

The practice attachment 10/10′ is a simple, cost effective aid to improve a golfer's putting stroke. The practice attachment 10/10′ may be easily attached to and removed from the putter head of the golfer's putter without the need to make any modifications to the putter and without the need to purchase a customized practice-aid putter. The practice attachment 10/10′ forces the golfer to establish a repeatable smooth putting stroke using the cylindrical arrangement of the rod 14 and its striking surface 32.

While the present invention has been described with particular reference to certain embodiments of the practice attachment device, it is to be understood that it includes all reasonable equivalents thereof as defined by the following appended claims.

Claims

1. A practice attachment for a golf putter having a putter head, the practice attachment comprising:

a. a frame including a rod having a convex curved edge aligned approximately perpendicular to the ground when the practice attachment is clamped to a putter, and wherein the frame includes a sight port; and

b. a clamp device for removably clamping the frame to the putter.

2. The practice attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rod is cylindrical.

3. The practice attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame includes a main body and a clamp body extending from the main body, and wherein the clamp body includes retaining means.

4. The practice attachment as claimed in claim 3, wherein the retaining means is a threaded port and the clamp device is a threaded thumb screw.

5. The practice attachment as claimed in claim 3, wherein the main body and the clamp body are fabricated as a unitary piece.

6. The practice attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame and the rod are fabricated as a unitary piece.

7. The practice attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the putter includes an alignment mark on the putter head, the rod includes a front striking face, and wherein when the frame is clamped to the putter head with the mark visible through the sight port, a proper putting stroke causes the front striking face to contact a ball aligned with a target.

8. The practice attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sight port is cylindrical.

9. The practice attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sight port is an elongated diamond shape.