EP0948378A1

EP0948378A1 - Improved striking means

Info

Publication number: EP0948378A1
Application number: EP97910524A
Authority: EP
Inventors: David Parkinson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-11-08
Filing date: 1997-10-28
Publication date: 1999-10-13
Also published as: GB2304592B; GB9623282D0; WO1998020941A1; JP2001505452A; AU4787497A; GB2304592A

Abstract

The invention describes a novel golf putter head comprising a cavity and fixedly secured therein a plurality of support means provided either horizontally or vertically, wherein said support means provide a selected axis for rotatable means such as balls, discs, rods, ball bearings or the like. Thus a strike face of a putter with rotationally movable parts, concentrically and coaxially threaded about a support, may be presented to a golf ball so as to provide a surface, which when caused to contact a golf ball, may promote said golf ball to travel in an accurate forward path of motion by absorbing the kinetic energy of forward motion in a rotational movement of the moveable parts of the strike face of a putter head.

Description

IMPROVED STRIKING MEANS

The invention relates to a device and a method for eliciting improved accuracy for directional forward movement of a projectile such as a ball, particularly but not exclusively, a golf ball, by means of a movable striking face of a striking means such as a golf putter head.

Many games, whether played indoors or as outdoor games comprise individual player(s) using specially designed sticks or clubs to propel a hard ball over a course or links. Typically, the object of such games, is to advance said ball around a course or links using a minimal number of strokes. Croquet, golf or pitch- and-putt are good examples of such games. For convenience only the invention will be described hereinafter with particular reference to the game of golf.

The golf ball itself is constructed of a rubber core enclosed in gutta-percha which is a whitish rubber substance derived from the coagulated milky latex of tropical trees. The pitted surface of modern golf balls acts to stabilise flight. Specifications for golf balls differ from country to country, the British governing body recommend a ball of 45.93 gms (1.62 oz) weight with a diameter of not less of 4.11 cm (1.62 inches).

A typical golf course comprises eighteen holes. The standard course is about 5900 to 6400 metres (about 6500 to 7000 yards); individual holes may vary in length from 90 to 550 metres (from 100 to 600 yards). At one end of each individual hole is a starting point, known as a tee. The tee is typically embedded in the ground. At the finishing end, a cup or cylindrical container (also called a hole) is marked by a flag atop a removable pole. The golf ball must be propelled into said cup/container/hole in order to complete play at each hole. The cavity in the green is usually lined with metal and/or plastic and is 10.8 cm (4.2 inches) in diameter, and at least 10 cm (4 inches) deep.

Commencing a round of golf, involves players beginning at a first tee, which is generally a level area of turf, that is slighted raised above the surrounding terrain. From here each player successively tries to drive a ball onto the fairway which is a carefully tended strip of grass approximately 27 to 90 metres (30 to 100 yards) wide on which the grass has been trimmed so as to provide a good playing surface for the ball. On either side of the fairway is the rough, which are areas covered with long untended grass, bushes, trees or the like and occasionally comprises obstacles such as sand filled bunkers, water hazards or the like. The purpose of said obstacles is to test the skill and judgement of a player's strokes.

At the far end of the fairway from the tee is the putting green, an area of closely cropped grass surrounding the hole. Golf course groundsmen regularly crop the putting green and great pride is taken by golf clubs in presenting and providing immaculate playing surfaces for members. The more prestigious the golf course the greater number of staff to attend to course maintenance. Municipal golf courses often do not receive the same level of meticulous attention as do private establishments or professional match play courses, and so the putting green grass length can vary considerably from venue to venue and consequently causing different effects for ball and player accordingly.

The smooth surface of the putting green is designed to facilitate the progress of a ball into the hole subsequent to the ball receiving a gentle tap or stroke known as a putt. Putting is often purported to be the most difficult aspect of the game and the stroke requiring the greatest degree of skill. The putt, is a specialised stroke used on the green, and generally at least two of said shots are required by competent players in order to hole a golf ball. It will be appreciated that those less skilled in the art of golf may require many more shots in order to achieve holing the ball.

Shots of various lengths are played with different clubs, according to the distance to be covered. A standard set of golf clubs, comprises fourteen, which is also the maximum number which may be carried in tournament play. Clubs are broadly divided into two main types: those with heads made of wood which are termed "woods"; and those with heads made of forged steel, usually chromium plated and are termed "irons". The shafts of both types are usually constructed of metal and sometimes fibre glass. "Woods" are generally numbered 1 to 5 and "irons" numbered 1 through to 9. The putter, an iron, has retained its name and is generally referred to specifically. It should be noted that there are a number of irons that are specific for certain conditions, such as sand wedge and/or pitching wedge.

Different clubs are selected in order to achieve distance, height or accurate placement of the ball. The angle at which the striking surface is set on a shaft of the club determines the trajectory of the ball. The putter is normally only used on the green itself or the immediate area of less smooth grass adjacent the green.

Many advanced and professional golfers possess numerous putters in their collection. This implies that individual requirements change from time to time, influenced in part by experience, age and physical abilities. In the furtherance of achieving improved and more accurate stroke play on the putting green the current invention has been devised. The golfer's desire for a putter providing improved putting accuracy and control is well documented by the number of patents directed to putter type clubs. The closest prior art discloses the use of putters having striking faces which are made from a different, generally more resilient, material than the body of the putter itself (which is typically made from a metal such as brass, steel or alumirtium or some other relatively rigid material for example graphite or a ceramic composite). However it should be noted that in each example of the prior art the strike face does not contain nor indeed is associated with movable parts.

The problem to be overcome, is that striking a golf ball on a putting green does not always result in a direct forward motion which is predictable. This phenomena is due to an element of back spin and misalignment effects caused partially by grass interference and rebounding and/or skidding of said golf ball upon strike. Impact of a traditional rigid putter head with a golf ball relies upon direct transfer of kinetic energy (supplied by the player in the swing) into forward rotational movement of a golf ball resting on a playing surface offering zero resistance, so as to illicit a predictable line of travel. This process is dependent on transferring the kinetic energy at exactly the correct spot (termed the "sweet-spot") from the putter head to the golf ball, and the playing surface offering zero resistance to a golf ball resting thereon. It should be noted that it is extremely rare, even for professional players, to meet the requirement of striking the "sweet-spot" accurately, additionally it is impossible for a grass surface to present an absolute zero resistance to a ball resting thereon.

The present invention presents a most elegant way of overcoming the difficulties associated with the prior art, and advantageously presents a device and a method for eliciting accurate forward directional movement of a golf ball upon strike in an inventive and novel way.

It is a further object of the invention to improve stick or club head performance for all player skill levels.

It is further object of the invention to reduce misaUgnment effects from a front strike face of a stick or club such as a putter relative to a golf ball.

It is a yet further object of the invention to reduce backspin and skidding of a ball on a course, by dampening and reducing the rebound of said ball.

It is a yet further object of the invention to provide a putter head that has the ability to absorb shear forces generated during deflection of a golf ball.

According to a first aspect of the invention the device comprises a stick or club adapted to make contact with a projectile so as to impart motion thereto, which stick or club comprises at least one striking face having at least one groove or channel or cavity provided therein, and further housed in said groove or channel or cavity at least one support means having additionally associated therewith or attached thereto at least one rotatable means, said rotatable means having a surface at least a part of which is flush with, or over flush with, a surface of the striking face.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention said groove or channel or cavity is sized and shaped so as to be accommodated within the confines of a striking face of a putter head.

In a yet further preferred embodiment of the invention said support means is provided horizontally or ideally vertically, or in other direction so as to provide an axis about which rotation of said rotatable means can occur. In a yet further preferred embodiment of the invention said support means is constructed of a material so as to be durable and impact resistant.

In a yet further preferred embodiment of the invention said support means is fixedly attached at both a first and second end to an inner surface of said groove or channel or cavity.

In a yet further prefeπ-ed embodiment of the invention there is provided a plurality of support means, in one instance horizontally/longitudinally positioned support means are positioned so as to be parallel to one another additionally in the instance of vertically positioned support means said support means are positioned so as to be adjacent a neighbouring support means.

In a yet further preferred embodiment of the invention said rotatable means comprises a plurality of discs and/or rods and/or beads and/or ball bearings and/or any other means that can present a rotatable construct about a specified and selected axis.

In a yet further preferred embodiment of the invention said rotatable means are impact resistant, resilient, and spaced in a manner so as to provide minimal space therebetween and/or thereabove and ideally are evenly spaced therebetween and/or thereabove

In a preferred embodiment of the invention said rotatable means are concentrically arranged.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a golf putter comprising a movable strike face comprising at least one support means housed within at least one groove or channel or cavity positioned in a putter head and furthermore associated or integral with said support means there is provided a plurality of rotatable means.

In a yet further preferred embodiment of the invention said support means is provided horizontally and/or vertically or indeed in any direction so as to provide an axis about which rotation of a rotatable means can occur.

In a yet further preferred embodiment of the invention said rotatable means comprise a plurality of discs/rods/beads/ball bearings or any other means that may provide a rotatable construct about at least one specified and selected axis.

In a third aspect of the invention there is provided a method of striking a projectile such as a ball so as to elicit a straight, predictable and accurate path subsequent to contact with a movable strike face head of a stick or club such as a putter, wherein said rotatable means upon contact with said projectile absorbs backspin and said rotatable means rotates about a given axis.

The invention as hereinbefore described will now be illustrated by way of example only, with reference to the Figures, wherein;

Figure 1 represents a diagrammatic illustration of a front elevation view of a golf putter head with a jointed shaft cut-off;

Figure 2 represents a diagrammatic illustration of a front elevation view of a golf putter head with an angled shaft cut-off;

Figure 3 represents a diagrammatic illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention of a front elevation view of a golf putter head, exposing a movable striking face comprising longitudinally arranged/threaded spheres;

Figure 4 represents a diagrammatic illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention of a front elevation view of a golf putter head, exposing a movable striking face comprising longitudinally arranged/threaded discs;

Figure 5 represents a diagrammatic illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention of a side sectional view of horizontally arranged/threaded spheres;

Figure 6 represents a diagrammatic illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention of a side sectional view of horizontally arranged/threaded discs;

Figure 7 represents a diagrammatic illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention of a front elevation view of a golf putter head, exposing a movable striking face comprising longitudinally aιτanged/threaded cylindrical rods;

Figure 8 represents a diagrammatic illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention of a front elevation view of a golf putter head, exposing a movable striking face comprising horizontally aιτanged/threaded cylindrical rods;

Figures 9A to C represents a diagrammatic illustration of a sequence of events comprising striking a golf ball, causing forward directional travel of said golf ball and further illustrating absorption of kinetic energy by rotational movement by a movable strike face of a putter head.

Referring now to Figure 1 which represents a diagrammatic illustration of a front perspective view of a golf putter head with a jointed shaft cut off, there is shown a heel portion 3 A of a striking face 2, a toe portion 3B of a striking face 2, an outer perimeter 4 of a striking face 2 and a cavity/groove/channel 5. Associated or integral with golf putter head 1 is a straight shaft of a putter handle 6A in which a joint 7 provides connection to an angled shaft portion 6B.

Referring now to Figure 2 which represents a diagrammatic illustration of a front perspective view of a golf putter head with an angled shaft cut-off, there is shown a heel portion 3A of a strike surface 2, a toe portion 3B, an outer perimeter 4 of a strike surface 2, a cavity /groove/channel 5 and associated with or attached to putter head 1 is an angled shaft handle 8. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention relates to any construction of a putter and that the essence of the invention resides in the novel feature of a movable strike face, additionally in all subsequent diagrammatic representations straight shaft handle 6A is represented centrally associated with or attached to putter head 1 it will be appreciated that, according to the specific construction of the putter it may be in any position along a top surface 4B of putter head 1.

Referring to Figure 3 which represents a diagrammatic illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention of a front perspective view of a golf putter head, exposing a movable stiiking face comprising longitudinally arranged/threaded spheres, there is shown a straight shaft handle 6A, an outer perimeter casing 4 of strike surface 2, a curved lower surface 9 of outer perimeter 4, a plurality of spheres 10 concentrically threaded about shaft 11 which is fixedly attached at either end 12A and 12B to an inner surface 4A of outer perimeter casing 4.

Referring to Figure 4 which represents a diagrammatic illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention of a front perspective view of a golf putter head, exposing a movable striking face comprising longitudinally arranged/threaded discs, there is shown shaft 11 which is fixedly attached to an inner surface 4A of groove/cavity/channel 5 at positions 12A, 12B, 13 A and 13B. Discs 14 are concentrically threaded about shaft 11 in a coaxial manner.

Referring now to Figure 5 which represents a diagrammatic illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention of a side sectional view of horizontally arranged/threaded spheres, there is shown, a rear surface 15, of cavity/groove/channel 5, a sphere 10 concentrically and coaxially threaded about shaft 11 which is fixedly attached to an inner surface 4 A of perimeter 4 via attachment points 12 A and 12B. Additionally a rear space 16 of cavity/groove channel 5 is provided with sufficient space so as to accommodate rotation of sphere 10 therein.

Referring now to Figure 6 which represents a diagrammatic illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention of a side sectional view of a horizontally arranged/threaded discs, there is shown a rear space 16 of cavity/groove/channel 5 and a plurality of discs 14 concentrically and coaxially threaded about shaft 11 which is fixedly attached to an inner surface 4A of strike face 4 via points 12A and 12B. In the preferred embodiment depicted in Figure 6 there is shown two rows of discs but it will be understood by those skilled in the art to represent one embodiment of the invention and that the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited to specific numbers of rows or rotatable means attached thereto.

Referring now to Figure 7 which represents a diagrammatic illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention of a front perspective view of a golf putter head exposing a movable striking face, comprising longitudinally arranged/threaded cylindrical rods, there is shown within cavity/groove/channel 5 of outer perimeter 4 concentrically threaded coaxially arranged elongate cylinder rods 17 and threaded therethrough by shaft 11 which is fixedly attached via points 18A and 18B.

Referring now to Figure 8 which represents a diagrammatic illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention of a front perspective view of a golf putter head exposing a movable striking face comprising horizontally arranged/threaded cylindrical rods, there is shown a plurality of rods/cylinders 19. Attached to an inner surface 4A of outer perimeter 4 via attachment points 12A and 12B, are a plurality of shafts 11 which are threaded through rods/cylinders 19.

Referring now to Figure 9, A to C, which represents a diagrammatic illustration of a sequence of events comprising striking a golf ball, causing forward directional travel of said golf ball and further illustrating absorption of kinetic energy by rotational movement on a movable stiike face of a putter head, there is shown a golf ball 20 and golf putter stiike face 2 comprising a plurality of spheres 10 concentrically and coaxially orientated about shaft 11 which is fixedly attached to an inner surface 4A of outer perimeter 4 via attachment points 18A and 18B. Movement of said putter head in the direction of X to XI (Figure 9B), so as to strike golf ball 20 in a rear position 20A, results in forward movement of said golf ball along direction Y (Figure 9C) and rotational movement of strike spheres 21A-D in a rotational/directional motion as indicated by arrows 22A-D.

The aforedescribed embodiments of the invention presented in Figures 1-9 are not intended to limit the scope of the invention but merely to exemplify particular embodiments of the invention and illustrate the means by which a movable stiike face of a putter may be presented to a golf ball and in which concentrically coaxially threaded rotatable means provide a surface which when caused to contact a golf ball may promote said golf ball to travel in an accurate forward path of motion.

The invention as hereinbefore described and the method of striking a golf ball, therefore represents a novel and inventive means of providing accurate forward motion of a golf ball on a putting green principally by absorbing backspin movement and hence energy in rotational movement of a rotatable means provided in a striking face of a putter. The invention therefore provides a most elegant and inventive means of improving putting play for players of all levels of skill.

Claims

1. A device comprising a stick or club adapted to make contact with a projectile so as to impart motion thereto, which stick or club comprises at least one striking face having at least one groove or channel or cavity provided therein, and further housed in said groove or channel or cavity at least one support means having additionally associated therewith or attached thereto at least one rotatable means, said rotatable means having a surface at least a part of which is flush with, or over flush with, a surface of the striking face.

2. A device according to Claim 1 wherein said groove or channel or cavity is sized and shaped so as to be accommodated within the confines of a striking face of a putter head.

3. A device according to any Claims 1 or 2 wherein said support means is suitably positioned so as to provide a selected axis about which rotation of said rotatable means can occur.

4. A device according to Claims 1 or 2 wherein said support means is provided horizontally or vertically so as to provide an axis about which rotation of said rotatable means can occur.

5. A device according to any preceding claim wherein said support means is constructed of a material so as to be durable and impact resistant.

6. A device according to any preceding claim wherein said support means is fixedly attached at both a first and a second end thereof.

7. A device according to Claim 6 wherein said support means is fixedly attached to an inner surface of said groove or channel or cavity.

8. A device according to any preceding claim wherein a plurality of support means are provided.

9. A device according to Claim 8 wherein said support means are suitably positioned so as to be parallel to one another.

10. A device according to Claim 8 wherein said support means are positioned horizontally or vertically so as to be adjacent a neighbouring support means.

11. A device according to any preceding claim wherein said rotatable means comprise a plurality of discs and/or rods and/or beads and/or ball bearings and/or any other means that can present a rotatable construct.

12. A device according to any preceding claim wherein said rotatable means is/are positioned about a specified and selected axis.

13. A device according to any preceding claim wherein said rotatable means are impact resistant and resilient.

14. A device according to any preceding claim wherein said rotatable means are spaced in a manner so as to provide minimal space therebetween and/or thereabove.

15. A device according to Claim 14 wherein said rotatable means are evenly spaced therebetween and/or thereabove.

16. A device according to any preceding claims wherein said rotatable means are concentrically arranged.

17. A device according to any preceding claim wherein said stick or club comprises a golf putter including a strike face according to any preceding claim.

18. A method for striking a projectile such as a ball so as to elicit a straight, predictable or accurate path of travel using a device, according to any proceeding claim comprising;

i) contacting a projectile with a moveable strike face head of a stick or club such as a putter, which head includes at least one rotatable means housed in a groove or channel or cavity provided in said strike face; and

ii) causing said rotatable means to rotate upon suitable contact with said projectile; whereby

iii) said rotatable means absorbs backspin upon said contact and thus provides for said straight, predictable or accurate path of travel.