METHOD OF PUTTING AND A PUTTER
A method of putting a golf ball located on a putting green into a hole includes grasping a putter with at least one hand of a golfer and locating the putter at a first position such that the putter head is positioned proximate the golf ball and is at least four feet from the golfer. Furthermore, the method includes translating the putter head away from the golf ball to locate the putter at a second position, and orienting the shoulders of the golfer to be substantially perpendicular to the putter shaft in the second position. Additionally, the method includes translating the putter head towards the golf ball while the shoulders of the golfer face the hole, and instantaneously striking the golf ball with the putter head to cause the golf ball to develop a top spin and translate in a direction along a line of the putt towards the hole.
This invention relates to golfing, and more particularly, to a method of putting a golf ball to improve putting and a putter.
Putting may be one of the more difficult and important aspects of golf to master and constitutes a substantial portion of golf scores. Thus, golfers generally understand that putting is a skill that should be mastered in order to reduce golf scores and become overall better golfers. It is known that golfers should invest substantial time in putting practice to become good putters and golfers. However, most golfers simply do not have substantial amounts of time to invest in putting practice. Moreover, most golfers derive satisfaction from striking the golf ball because that is generally the most fascinating aspect of golf for them. Thus, most golfers are not interested in putting practice. Although most golfers are constrained by time or are not interested in putting practice, it is generally known that most golfers desire to improve their putting.
In many competitive games an object is thrown towards a target such that the body of the thrower is oriented to face the target when releasing the object. Moreover, in such games the object is released by the thrower at a point in front of his body. Such games include, but are not limited to, baseball, darts, horseshoes, pitching pennies and softball. For example, in baseball the pitcher faces home plate and releases the ball at a point in front of his body when throwing the baseball towards the catcher. Facing the target and releasing the object at a point in front of the body while throwing the object may facilitate hitting the target because the thrower is able to concentrate on throwing the object in the direction of the target. In golf, putting involves gently swinging the head of a putter across a golfer's body, from one side to another, to gently hit a golf ball in the direction of the hole located in the green. However, golfers generally do not face the hole and generally do not concentrate on gently hitting the golf ball into the hole while putting. Instead, golfers face the golf ball and concentrate on making contact with the golf ball while putting.
Some golfers have been known to develop nervous tension known as the yips while putting. Such golfers are generally not able to develop into good putters because the nervous tension negatively affects accurate putting. This nervous condition may be evidence that conventional styles of putting are not natural, or at a minimum are flawed. To counter the nervous tension, such golfers have been known to adopt many different putting styles. However, the different putting styles have not been known to offset the negative effects caused by nervous tension and also seem to be flawed due at least to the position of the golf ball.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONIn one aspect, a method of putting a golf ball located on a putting green into a hole located in the putting green is provided. The method includes grasping a putter with at least one hand of a golfer. The putter includes a putter shaft, a putter head, and a putter grip. The putter shaft includes a first end and a second end. The putter head is securely connected to the second end of the putter shaft and is substantially perpendicular to the putter shaft. The putter is grasped at the first end of the putter shaft. Moreover, the method includes locating the putter at a first position such that the putter head is positioned proximate the golf ball and is about four or five feet from the golfer, and the golf ball is located on the putting green away from the hole. Furthermore, the method includes executing a backstroke by translating the putter head away from the golf ball to locate the putter at a second position, and orienting the shoulders of the golfer to be substantially perpendicular to the putter shaft in the second position. The putter head is translated a distance away from the golf ball that is determined by the force estimated to be required for hitting the ball over the length of the putt. Additionally, the method includes translating the putter head towards the golf ball along a line of the putt while the shoulders of the golfer face the hole, and instantaneously striking the golf ball with the putter head to cause the golf ball to develop a top spin and translate in a direction along a line of the putt towards the hole.
In another aspect, a putter for putting a golf ball located on a putting green into a hole located in the putting green is provided. The putter includes a shaft including a plurality of shaft segments that are usable to adjust a length of the shaft. The shaft has a first shaft end and a second shaft end. Moreover, the putter includes a cylindrical head having a circular cross section, a first head end, a second head end, an outer surface, and a radial hole extending from the outer surface of the head to a center of the head. The radial hole is positioned intermediate the first head end and the second head end, and the shaft second end is inserted into the radial hole to securely connect the shaft second end to the head and to position the head substantially perpendicular to the shaft. The diameter of the putter head is determined such that a center of the putter head is configured to strike a golf ball at a distance above a center of the golf ball to cause the golf ball to develop a top spin and translate to the hole.
While putting, a golfer grasps the first shaft end such that the putter is located at a first position and the head is positioned proximate the golf ball about four or five feet from the golfer. The head is translated away from the golf ball to locate the putter at a second position, and the shoulders of the golfer are oriented to be substantially perpendicular to the shaft. The putter head is translated a distance away from the golf ball that is determined by the force estimated to be required for hitting the ball over the length of the putt. Moreover, the head is translated from the second position towards the golf ball while the shoulders of the golfer face the hole, to instantaneously strike the golf ball to cause the golf ball to develop a top spin and translate in a direction along a line of the putt towards the hole.
The outer surface 26 of the putter head 14 is smooth and may be polished or buffed to facilitate reducing friction that may develop with grass while putting. The diameter of the putter head 14 is two inches. Because the putter shaft 12 is forty-eight inches long and the putter head diameter is two inches, the overall length of the putter 10 is fifty inches. In other embodiments the diameter of the putter head 14 may be any dimension that facilitates putting as described herein. Although the putter head 14 has a circular cross section in the exemplary embodiment, it should be appreciated that in other embodiments the putter head 14 may have any cross section that facilitates putting a golf ball as described herein such as, but not limited to, an elliptical cross section. Moreover, although the putter head 14 is steel in the exemplary embodiment, it should be appreciated that in other embodiments the head 14 may be made from any material such as, but not limited to, graphite, wood, a composite of graphite and wood, a composite of steel and wood, and a composite of steel and graphite.
Although the radial hole 28 extends radially from the outer surface 26 toward the center 30 of the putter head 14 in the exemplary embodiment, it should be appreciated that in other embodiments the radial hole 28 may be configured to extend any distance into the putter head 14 including, but not limited to, diametrically through the head 14.
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Because the segments 34 are removably connectable, golfers may dismantle the putter 10 into the plurality of segments 34 and the putter head 14 to facilitate transporting the putter on vehicles such as, but not limited to, airplanes and automobiles. For example, when a golfer visiting Scotland from the United States desires to bring the putter 10 to Scotland for golfing, the golfer merely dismantles the putter 10 and includes the segments 34 and head 14 in luggage which is transported in an airplane.
In the exemplary method, the golfer 50 faces the hole 56 and aims the shaft 12 along the line of sight LS between the golf ball 52 and the hole 56. Because the golfer is facing the hole 56 while aiming the shaft 12 and locating the putter 10 in the first position, the front 58 of the golfer is positioned to be substantially perpendicular to the putter shaft 12. Consequently, the shoulders and hips of the golfer are also positioned to be substantially perpendicular to the putter shaft 12. In contrast to conventional putting techniques that require the putter head to be within about six inches of the golfer, in the exemplary method described herein the putter head 14 is positioned about four or five feet from the golfer when putting to facilitate providing improved putting.
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Although the golfer executes one backstroke before translating the putter head to strike the golf ball 52 in the exemplary method, it should be understood that in other methods the golfer may repeatedly execute the backstroke and translate the putter head 14 towards the golf ball 52 without actually striking the golf ball 52, prior to translating the head 14 and striking the golf ball 52.
It should be understood that in other embodiments the putter 10 may be used in a conventional style of putting. Specifically, the putter 10 may be used to putt golf balls by gently swinging the head 14 across the golfer's body, such that either the first head end 22 or second head end 24 hits the golf ball in the direction of the hole. Because the putter 10 may be used in such a conventional style of putting, the putter 10 itself as well as a method of using the putter 10, comply with the rules of golf established by the United States Golf Association.
In each embodiment, the above described putter and method of putting a golf ball facilitate improving putting by reducing the number of putts required to navigate a golf ball on a green into a hole. More specifically, while facing the hole a golfer causes a putter head to be translated towards a golf ball to instantaneously strike the golf ball at a contact point. By thus striking the golf ball, the putter head imparts a force to the golf ball that presses the golf ball into the green and causes the golf ball to develop a top spin and translate towards the hole. As a result, the number of puts required to navigate the golf ball into the hole is facilitated to be reduced and golfers have more time to work on other areas of their golf games that they may enjoy more than putting. Moreover, by virtue of facing the hole while putting golfers are able to better concentrate on putting the golf ball into the hole. Furthermore, the negative effects of nervous tension on putting are facilitated to be reduced. Accordingly, golfer performance and competitiveness are both facilitated to be enhanced.
Because golf scoring emphasizes putting, the above described putter and method of putting facilitates quickly achieving better scores based on more effective putting by allowing golfers to putt better without hours of practice.
While the invention has been described in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A putter for striking a golf ball, comprising
- (a) a longitudinal shaft having a first end and a second end; and
- (b) a cylindrical head connected with said second end of said shaft, said head containing a radial opening in an outer surface thereof intermediate the ends of said head, said opening receiving said second end of said shaft, said head having a diameter greater than the diameter of the golf ball, whereby when said head intermediate portion strikes the ball, a top spin is imparted on the ball and the ball is propelled toward a target.
2. A putter as defined in claim 1, wherein said shaft second end includes a projection having a diameter corresponding with the diameter of said opening in said head.
3. A putter as defined in claim 2, wherein said projection is connected within said opening via a friction fit.
4. A putter as defined in claim 2, wherein said projection is connected within said opening via an adhesive.
5. A putter as defined in claim 2, wherein said projection has an outer threaded surface and said opening has a threaded inner surface, whereby said head is removably connected with said shaft.
6. A putter as defined in claim 2, wherein said shaft comprises a plurality of shaft segments.
7. A putter as defined in claim 6, wherein said segments are removably connected in an end to end configuration, whereby the length of said shaft can be altered by adding and removing segments.
8. A putter as defined in claim 7, wherein each segment includes a first end containing a cavity and a second end including a fastening member, said cavity and said fastening member being arranged along an axis of said segment, said cavity of one of said segments receiving a fastening member of an adjacent segment to connect said adjacent segments.
9. A putter as defined in claim 8, wherein said fastening member and said cavity are connected via a friction fit.
10. A putter as defined in claim 8, wherein said fastening member has a threaded outer surface and said cavity has a threaded inner surface.
11. A putter as defined in claim 8, wherein said cavity includes annular protrusions adjacent to said first end and said fastening member comprises resilient protrusions, whereby when said fastening member protrusions of a first segment are inserted into said cavity of an adjacent segment, said fastening member protrusions are deflected inwardly around said cavity protrusions and then outwardly to engage a side wall of said cavity beyond said annular protrusions to connect said first and adjacent segments.
12. A putter as defined in claim 8, wherein said segments are hollow.
13. A method for putting a golf ball by a golfer with a putter, comprising the steps of
- (a) grasping one end of a shaft of the putter;
- (b) aligning the golfer's body so that the golfer's shoulders face a target with a golf ball between the target and the putter, the shoulders being generally perpendicular to the putter shaft;
- (c) positioning a head of the putter adjacent the golf ball;
- (d) translating the movement of the putter away from the golf ball along a line extended from a target line between the golf ball and the target; and
- (e) translating the movement of the putter toward the golf ball along said extended line and into said target line to strike the golf ball and propel it along the target line.
14. A method as defined in claim 13, where said translating movement of the putter away from the golf ball is determined in accordance with the distance between the golf ball and the target.
15. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein said golf ball is struck with an intermediate portion of said head.
16. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein said head has a cylindrical configuration and a diameter greater than the diameter of the golf ball, whereby a top spin is imparted on the golf ball when it is struck by the head.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 5, 2010
Publication Date: Apr 5, 2012
Inventor: Marc Dewey Arnette (Jacksonville, FL)
Application Number: 12/897,980
International Classification: A63B 53/04 (20060101);