Golf Putter Head Design

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a putter head for a golf putter club, having a striking face (4), front body portion (2) and rear body portion (3) wherein the putter head has a central concave recess (8, 9) in the top and bottom surfaces of the front body portion (2) and rear body portion (3), the bottom surfaces (30) of the front body portion (2) and rear of the trailing edge body portion (3) has a ridged step (31) along the top surface, parallel with the top surface of the leading edge body portion (2).

Description

The present invention relates to a putter head for a golf putter club.

A putter is a golf club designed for use primarily on the green, and the putting stroke is one which requires the angular orientation of the planar striking face of the putter to remain substantially constant relative to the ball during the time the putter head and ball are in contact.

Any opening or closing of the striking face of the putter relative to the correct set-up, either during the contact time, or before contact with the ball during the putting stroke, will cause the ball to follow an unintentional path either outside or inside the intended ball path—depending on whether the striking face of the putter was opened or closed throughout the contact time with the ball.

An additional problem with the putting stroke is the set-up of the striking face perpendicular to the intended ball travel direction before the commencement of the putting stroke. This is a common problem with putting as the current putter designs, as disclosed in numerous prior art, do not completely solve the difficulty in setting the putter head, and therefore the striking face of the putter, perpendicular to the intended ball travel direction.

A further problem with golf putters in general is the internal balance and weight distribution of the putter head. If the weight of the putter head is not well balanced, then unless the player strikes the ball exactly on the centre of the striking face, it is inevitable that internal moments will arise around the point of impact. These will result in the putter head rotating in the direction of the moments and therefore cause the striking face to either close or open as the ball contacts the striking face, depending on the direction of rotation. This rotation will cause the ball to follow an unintentional path either outside or inside the intended ball path.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the above problems. Accordingly, the present invention provides a putter head for a golf putter comprising a leading edge body portion, a trailing edge body portion and a central body portion with a concave profiled area proximal to the point of impact with the ball which runs between the leading and trailing edges.

The present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principle of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments illustrated.

Preferably, the leading edge body portion is thin in relation to the trailing edge body portion, and has a ball striking face, a bulbous toe body portion, a central body portion and a bulbous heel body portion. Ideally, an intentional concave recess above and below the central body portion is thus formed as a result of the geometry of the toe and heel body portion. This recess is a major advantage over all prior art as it not only further balances and spreads the mass either side of the impact point on the striking face, but as both the top surface and bottom surface of the central body portion are concave, it further reduces the mass in the striking zone of the leading edge, thus presenting a substantially improved feel to the golfer on impact.

The reduced mass behind the striking zone as a result of this upper and lower concavity allows the leading edge to absorb more vibrations resulting from the impact, and coupled with the mass benefits, increases the ‘sweet spot’ area, within which an impact with the ball will result in no, or negligible internal moments, and the putter head remaining square to the intended set-up during impact and follow through. This is a major technical advantage over the prior art.

Preferably, the concavity above and below the central body portion of the leading edge is continued through to the trailing edge body portion, formed as a result of the geometry of the toe, heel and central body portions of the trailing edge body portion.

Ideally, the lower surfaces of the leading edge body portion are also geometrically followed through to the trailing edge body portion to form the sole of the putter head, which contacts the putting surface on set-up. Preferably, the two distinct bulbous areas at the toe and heel of the sole, separated by the lower concavity running from the leading edge to trailing edge, have a flat ground engaging region. This forms a flat sole to aid in correctly addressing the putter head behind the ball preventing ‘heel up’ or ‘toe down’ set-up, encouraging straight take away and follow through of the putting stroke.

Ideally, the rear of the trailing edge body portion has a ridged step along the top surface, so as when viewed from above during set-up, this ridge provides visual parallel edges in conjunction with the top surface of the thin leading body portion when viewed from above during aiming. This aids the golfer in squaring the club behind the ball accurately and therefore setting up the striking face perpendicular to the intended ball direction.

Preferably, the top surface of the leading edge body portion has means for receiving a putter golf club shaft. Alternatively, the top surface of the trailing edge body portion has means for receiving a putter golf shaft.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show by way of example only, one preferred embodiment for a putter head in accordance with the invention.

In the drawings:—

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the putter head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the putter head, looking towards the toe of the putter head;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation of the putter head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation of the putter head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a top elevation of the putter head.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a putter head 1 for a golf putter. The putter head 1 has a leading edge body portion 2 and a trailing edge body portion 3. The leading edge body portion 2 has a ball striking face 4, a bulbous toe body portion 5, a central body portion 6, and a bulbous heel body portion 7, and is ideally a thin section with respect to the trailing edge body portion 3. In one preferred embodiment, the ball striking face 4 is comprised of a polymer insert in the putter head 1.

A surface 8 on the underside of the leading edge body portion 2 and the trailing edge body portion 3 have a central concave recess—with a concave recess 9 on the top surface of the leading edge body portion 2 and the trailing edge body portion 3. These central concave recesses are within the central body portion 6, and formed as a result of the toe body portions, central body portions and heel body portions of the trailing edge body portion 3 and leading edge body portion 2. They are ideally aligned with the perfect central striking point on the striking face 4.

A portion of the top surface of the leading edge body portion 2 of the putter head has an area 20 designed to receive a golf putter shaft 21 shown for illustrative purposes in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. In an alternative embodiment of the putter head, a portion of the top surface of the trailing edge body portion 3 of the putter head 1 has an area designed to receive a golf putter shaft 21.

The lower surfaces of the leading edge body portion 2 and trailing edge body portion 3, either side of the lower concave recess 8 have a flat surface 30, parallel with the putting surface at address and extending from the ball striking face 4 towards the rear of the putter head 1.

The rear of the trailing edge body portion 3 has a ridged step 31 along the top surface, parallel with the top surface of the leading edge body portion 2.

The drawings show one preferred embodiment of the invention, but variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as described above.

Claims

1- The design for a golf putter head as shown and described comprising:

a putter having a striking face, front body portion and rear body portion and specifically;

2- The golf putter of claim 1 wherein:

the putter head has a central concave recess in the top and bottom surfaces of the front body portion and rear body portion

3- The golf putter of claim 1 wherein:

the bottom surfaces of the front body portion and rear body portion are flat acid parallel with the putting surface

4- The golf putter of claim 1 wherein:

the rear of the trailing edge body portion has a ridged step along the top surface, parallel with the top surface of the leading edge body portion.