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Golf club head construction and method for improved target alignment

Golf club head construction and method for improved target alignment description/claims

The present invention generally relates to fitting a golf club to characteristics of a golfer, and more particularly to the fitting of a golf club head.

Modifying a golf club to accommodate characteristics of a golfer is well known. By way of example, and as described in US Patent Application US 2002/0069133 to Currie et al. for a system and method for fitting putters, it is well known that a proper fitting of a golf club to the physique and playing style of an individual golfer will enhance performance. Further, while putting appears to be a relatively simple process, it requires a precise alignment of putter surface angles including lie angle and loft angle, by way of example. Currie et al. discloses a system that enables a golfer to customize a putter for the golfer's own physique and playing style and presents a golfer with a variety of putters having different club head styles. Included in the variety of putters with different club head styles are those putters having a variety of shaft lengths. The golfer is instructed to grip the shaft and if the bottom of the putter head is not laying flat with respect to a substantially horizontal plane, the putter head or shaft is then bent to modify the lie angle and loft angle so that the lie angle of the putter head with respect to the shaft causes the putter head to lie substantially flat on the ground surface. Currie further teaches the bending of the hosel so that the loft angle of the face of the putter head can be increased or decreased in order to achieve the loft angle from vertical at that point in the stroke where the golfer strikes the ball with the putter producing the optimum roll of the golf ball. Even a change of a few tenths of a degree will affect the ability of a golfer to accurately strike a golf ball with the face of a putter to cause the golf ball to roll along a desired travel path on the putting green toward the cup.

As is further well known in the art, the putter is weighted to provide a particular feel desirable to the golfer. Generally, the variables that are addressed when evaluating the putting strike are the force with which the putter head hits the golf ball and the orientation of the face of the putter head. However, a putter that is not correctly fitted to the swing and stance characteristics of the golfer leads to difficulty for the golfer attempting to successfully complete a putt. The keys to an effective putting stroke are proper alignment and sound putting fundamentals. The putting posture of the golfer is extremely important because it affects the individual's ability to execute a proper and consistent stroke. Each individual has a natural stroke plane. The objective of putting is to keep the putter on this natural plane, striking the golf ball with the correct momentum. Because a golfer is required to stand to the side of the ball and target line, their stroke plane creates a slight, but unique arc with the target line. The unique angle of an individual's stroke plane is determined by their posture and hand position. The variance of stroke planes can be ten degrees or more from one individual to the next. In order to enhance the individual's ability to consistently execute their natural stroke plane, it is important to match the lie of the putter with the angle of the stroke plane. By way of example, Currie discloses a method of the present invention enables a golfer to obtain a putter with the matching lie angle to an individual's stroke plane at the point of purchase.

Unfortunately, golfers are not like a true pendulum support system. As the golfer strokes the putter head through their natural stroke plane to strike the golf ball and causes it to roll across the green towards the cup, several things can happen which will cause an intended path to differ from an actual path toward the target. The correct fitting of the putter to compensate for the swing and stance characteristics of the golfer will allow the golfer to properly aim at the target. As is well known, and as described by Currie, once a golfer has selected a club head style with which he or she feels most comfortable, the most important characteristics to fit a putter to the physique and playing style of an individual golfer are shaft length, lie angle, offset, loft angle, and total club weight. By customizing each of these characteristics to an individual golfer, a putter can be adjusted to suit an individual golfer's comfort and natural stroke plane. Otherwise, an individual golfer must adjust his or her body position to suit the putter, compromising comfort and stroke plane. A correct shaft length will allow the golfer to assume a comfortable posture, proper lie angle, and best achieve the natural stroke plane when moving the putter to cause the golf ball to follow the path desired across the putting green. A proper putter shaft length will allow the golfer to have a comfortable grip, a comfortable stance, and the ability to achieve the natural stroke plane when causing a golf ball to roll from a stationary position across a putting green into the cup. In general, accurate putting is all about assuring that all of the angles affecting the position of the face of the putter are proper as it strikes the golf ball.

The most basic of these angles is the lie angle, the angle between the putter head, generally measured along its sole, and the club shaft. There is a direct correlation between the shaft length of the putter and lie angle. One clearly affects the other. Typically, both shaft length and lie angle influence the posture of the golfer, how the golfer's arms hang when holding the putter, how the putter head sits with respect to the surface of the putting green, and most importantly the stroke plane of the putter. Those skilled in the art teach that the optimum lie angle of a putter head should compliment the natural stroke plane of an individual such that the putter head sits level or substantially parallel to a horizontal plane, the plane upon which the ball is moving. By way of continued example to the Currie reference, when a putter head sits level on the ground, the putter head will be in alignment with the travel path of the golf ball so that a force vector describing the momentum of the moving putter head will be in alignment with the desired travel path of the golf ball across the putting green toward the cup.

With reference to U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,662 to Blaisdell by way of further example, those skilled in the art teach that the lie angle should be adjusted so that the bottom of the putter head is sitting substantially flat with respect to a horizontal surface. It is well known that a putter head when caused to sit substantially parallel to a horizontal plane will increase the golfer's chances of hitting the golf ball in alignment with the center of mass of the putter head. Misalignment of the face of the putter head causes the golf ball to roll along a path over the putting green which will not cause the golf ball to fall into the cup. This misalignment of the face of the putter head is not done voluntarily by a golfer, but is typically due to characteristics of the golfer. Various club configurations such as use of a hosel offset or no offset can improve the ability of a golfer to visually align the face of the putter head so that the golf ball will roll along a desired path. Small changes in loft angle will change the entire look of a putter and the rolling characteristics of the golf ball. Recommended loft angles may range from three to four degrees. The optimum loft angle of the face of the putter is different for every golfer, and even a small change in the loft angle, just tenths of a degree, will have a dramatic effect on the way the golf ball rolls along the putting green.

As is well known, the problem remains as to how to enable a golfer to select and customize a putter which will improve the ability to successfully roll a golf ball across a putting green and into the cup. As disclosed in Currie and in US Patent Application Publication 2002/0020033 to Aoki et al, either before or after the golfer selects a putter, the proper alignment is determined based on the putting characteristics of the golfer. This can be achieved by observing several putts along a flat surface to a target approximately 10-12 feet away. As taught in the Aoki reference, a laser beam may be employed to determine an optimum alignment and compared to the alignment of the golfer. Adjustments may then be made by selecting various interchangeable components or elements of the golf club to correct to a desirable alignment. A bending tool may be used to bend the hosel so that the lie angle of the putter results in the bottom surface of the club head being substantially parallel to a horizontal plane. The shaft or shaft angle may be changed, as suggested by Aoki.

The present invention is directed to providing an effective alignment of a gold club face to a target based on characteristics of the user, and in particular to a golfer that prefers to use a toe up or heel up positioning of the club head.

The present invention is directed to golf clubs and construction of a golf club head having loft for use by a golfer placing the head in a heel up or toe up position. Unlike the teaching known in the art including correcting for alignment of a golf club by modifying the club face through a bending of the hosel or shaft, embodiments of the present invention correct for alignment by modifying the club face with respect to the sole of the golf club.

One embodiments of the invention may be described as a golf club head comprising a sole defined by a sole plane passing therethrough, the sole extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge thereof; and a club face defined by a face plane passing therethrough, the club face having a loft defined by an angle between the face plane to the sole plane, the club face further operable within a face angle defined by a position of the club face relative to an intended target line directed toward a target, the face angle defined within a face angle plane perpendicular to the face plane, wherein a square face angle has an intended target line aligned with the actual target line. In keeping with the teachings of the present invention, the golf club head is configured for an orientation of the face plane such that the intended target line is directed along the actual target line for a non-perpendicular angle between the sole plane and the face plane, and a preselected non-zero sole angle selected from sole angles within heel up and toe up orientations of the golf club head.

A method aspect of the invention may be described as a method of fabricating a golf club head for providing a desired alignment to a target. The method may comprise selecting a golf club head having a non-zero loft, the golf club head having a club face and a sole, wherein the sole is defined by a sole plane, and the club face is defined by a reference face plane, the club face further defined by a non-perpendicular angle measured between the reference face plane and the sole plane for providing the non-zero loft, providing a first club face orientation by positioning the sole, wherein the sole plane is parallel a ground plane defining a surface over which a golf ball is to be moved toward a target, aligning the reference face plane perpendicular to a target plane having an actual target line therein directed toward the target, providing a second club face orientation having a single non-zero sole angle selected from sole angles within heel up and toe up orientations of the golf club head, and forming the club face in the second club face orientation to be within a modified face plane that is parallel to the reference face plane when the golf club head is in the second club face orientation. Such a method provides the club face such that an intended target line is directed along the actual target line for the non-perpendicular angle between the sole plane and the face plane, and a golf club head with the loft providing a desired alignment to the target for a non-zero sole angle.

Embodiments of the invention are described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which;

FIGS. 1 and 2 are partial front and end views of a putter;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are partial diagrammatical end and top views of a putter head;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are partial diagrammatical end and top views, respectively, of a putter head and target;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are rear elevation views of a putter head illustrating toe up and heel up orientations, respectively;

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• Utility Patent

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