Games using tangible projectile – Golf – Club or club support
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-15
2004-07-27
Passaniti, Sebastiano (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Golf
Club or club support
C473S330000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06767293
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a golf putter and a method of putting. More particularly, the putter according to the present invention is specifically designed for use with a modified putting style wherein the golfer reaches across the hole and uses the putter in a pulling motion in directing the ball towards the hole. The putting method according to the present invention complies with current rules of golf as promulgated by the Royal and Ancient Golf Association as well as the United States Golf Association
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In an effort to improve the putting performance of golfers, prior golf club putters have been provided with a variety of head and shaft constructions and arrangements. In that the putt is perhaps the single most difficult yet important shot in golf, the selection of these components which match the golfer both physically and mentally is important. Approximately one half of the allotted strokes on any given golf course in order to achieve an even par round are putts.
Before a player can even stroke the ball on a putting surface of a green, the player must visually examine the contour of the putting surface and judge its effect on the path of the ball rolling toward the hole from the current position of the ball. Other characteristics of the putting surface or other factors can also have a significant effect on the path of a put already stroked and rolling towards the hole. In this regard, given the various putting strokes utilized by individuals, it is necessary to design a putter construction which can not only be utilized by various players having various putting strokes, but also by a single player who may have a varying putting stroke depending upon the length of the putt.
As noted above, golf courses are designed and standards for scoring are set based on the assumption that a player will be able to hit the ball onto the putting surface in two strokes less than par for each hole. Once the ball is on the putting surface, the player is allowed two putts to stroke the ball into the hole in order to play the hole at even par. Thus, an 18-hole course is designed to allow 36 putts in a round of golf played at even par. Accordingly, a premium is placed on making a second putt when a first putt of a longer distance not falling in the hole, settles relatively close to the hole and within a distance of less than two feet. Many a golf tournaments are won and lost by the players ability to make short and what may appear to be relatively simple putts. However, as one of the most recent major golf tournaments will attest, making putts of this distance is not a guarantee.
As noted hereinabove, in an effort to improve the putting performance of golfers, prior golf club putters have been provided with a variety of head and shaft constructions and arrangements. One such putter has an elongated cylindrical head with a conventional straight shaft attached to the head and in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the head. Further, putters such as those similar to that illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,342 include an elongated head and a shaft having a shank and an offset portion adjacent its lower end which is connected to the elongated head at a point immediately adjacent the center of the head between the proposed ends thereof. In accordance with that disclosed in such patent, the point at which the offset portion of the shaft is connected to the head is also offset transversely from the longitudinal axis of the head so that it lies between this axis and the back of the head. This is presumed to provide the player with a better view of the ball and putter head when putting. However, it is not possible to utilize this putter in carrying out the putting stroke in accordance with the present invention as will be discussed in greater detail hereinbelow.
Numerous putter designs similar to that discussed hereinabove have been developed over the years. Many of these putters having various materials from which the putter head is made. These materials may add to or take away from the overall weight of the putter in order to provide a better feel to the user. Various materials are illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,310, where the head includes a rounded striking surface wherein the heal and toe portions are of a greater weight than the central portion. Additionally, putter heads may take on a variety of configurations which reduce the frictional component of the putter or improve the balance and feel of the putter with respect to the user.
A noted contemporary instructor on putting, Dave Pells, has studied the effects of misalignment relative to a target line due to the putters swing path, the putter face and the optimum hitting location on the putter surface each of which effect the ultimate putting success. As noted in U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,832, Mr. Pell's has found that all three types of misalignment caused significant error in the putting stroke and thus decrease the chance of the ball going into the hole. However, it is clear that misalignment of the putter face with respect to a line-of-putt causes the largest deviation from the players intended path of any particular putt. In order to reduce the possibility of misalignment of the putter face, path and hitting location, Mr. Pells' recommends that the players' putting stroke start with the optimum hitting location on the putting face immediately adjacent the ball and that the stroke travel along a path aligned with the target line with the face remaining perpendicular to the target line for the entire stroke. However, when a player swings the putter around the spine only, such a stroke often times does not result. In effect, the putter path corresponds to the target line at only one point at its arc and the face is perpendicular to the target line at only one point in its arc and those two points do not necessarily coincide. Thus, to execute a stroke in a path along a target line and with a square putter face while using a traditional putting stance and stroke requires a complex combination of multi-access rotational movements. Executing such a multi-access stroke in a manner that accomplishes the primary and complex task of causing the ball to roll smoothly along a precise path at a precise speed renders the most difficult and important stroke even more difficult.
Some of the most common practice aids and drills in golf are designed purely to enable players to engrain this complex, cumbersome multi-axis putting stroke into their muscle memory. Other players simply concentrate on swinging the putter around only their spine and training themselves to hit the ball at the precise moment in time when the putter path, face and hitting location are correctly aligned with the target line. Thus, both wildly adopted approaches to executing the traditional putter stroke suffer from disadvantages that interfere with the ultimate goal, putting the ball into the hole.
As will become clear from the following detailed description, the present invention is directed to a putter and a method of putting very short putts, i.e., within one to two feet of the hole. During such short puts, the alignment of the putter face perpendicular to the putting line is critical in that a very small degree of deviation from this perpendicular will result on the putt either falling to the left or right of the hole rather than being directly on line. With putts of ten feet or more, such alignment while critical is not the sole essence of the putt in that speed and the surface of the green will aid in directing the ball towards the hole. Moreover, a golfer who performs a putting stroke on a twenty or more foot putt with the ball coming to rest within a few inches of the hole would be quite satisfied with the putt; however, a golfer having a one to two foot putt which passes the hole only ¼″ outside the rim of the hole clearly would not be satisfied. Accordingly, it is imperative on such putts that the putting face remain perpendicularly oriented with respect to the line of
Kall Ronald I.
Pechter Martin
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Passaniti Sebastiano
Studebaker Donald R.
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