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Golf club head with alignment system

Golf club head with alignment system description/claims

This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/711,112, filed on Feb. 27, 2007, now pending, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/258,077, filed on Oct. 26, 2005, now pending, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/637,530 filed on Aug. 11, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,022,030. All of these documents are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a golf club head. In particular, the present invention relates to a golf club head having two body members, one of which being camouflaged. More particularly, the present invention relates to a golf club head having two body members of differing color. More particularly, the present invention relates to a golf club head having a color alignment system comprising at least two colored panels wherein viewing the panels in is proper parallel and spatial alignment in the address position indicates a third color.

2. Description of the Related Art

There are many styles of putters, including blades, mallets, heel-toe weighted, and T-line putters. Different types of putters provide different advantages. For example, increasing the club head moment of inertia (MOI) and moving the center of gravity away from the strike face can increase the forgiveness and accuracy of putters. Heel-toe weighted putters also increase the MOI to provide forgiveness on off-center hits.

However, some of these putter designs produce large putter club heads. While these designs have improved putter performance, they have largely ignored aesthetic considerations. An extended club body may have the deleterious effect of distracting the user. This is particularly undesirable in golf, since golf is a very “mental” sport.

Putters are also known in the art to incorporate alignment devices to aid in the user's accuracy. Many use a line or combination of lines, shapes or semi-circles inscribed onto the putter head or a body member attached to the putter head. However, while these devices may aid the user in properly placing the putter head in open or closed position relative to the ball, they do not provide confirmation about the proper spatial or planar orientation of the putter head in toe up/toe down alignment in the address position relative to the ball. While new golfers may demonstrate proper open/closed alignment in the address position with the club head relative to the golf ball, they often struggle with toe up/toe down alignment wherein the toe up causes the ball to slice or go left, and toe down cause the ball to hook or go right.

Thus, what is needed is an improved golf club head that allows for technical improvements but that does not distract the golfer during use.

More particularly, a technical improvement that indicates more precise planar and spatial alignment of the putter head in toe up/toe down alignment in the address position relative to the golf ball. No other putters use an alignment system comprising, for example, colored, transparent panels to indicate an additional color to more precisely confirm that the putter is lined up in proper toe up/toe down alignment in the address position, thereby enhancing the precise placement of the putter head relative to the golf ball and the surface beneath the putter head.

The golf club head of the present invention solves the deficiencies identified above. The golf club head of the present invention has a first body member and a second body member. The second body member can be integral with the first body member, or it can be independent of and coupled to the first body member. The first body member has a strike face, which may be either integral with the first body member or independent of and coupled to the first body member. The second body member extends away from the first body member in a direction opposite the strike face. A weight member may be coupled to the second body member, or the second body member may have a greater specific gravity than the first body member. The golf club preferably is a putter.

The second body member is preferably camouflaged. This may be done by making the top portion of the second body member a darker color than the top portion of the first body member. The second body member top portion is preferably substantially black, and the first body member top portion is preferably substantially grey. This color differentiation, or means of concealment, makes the club head appear smaller than it actually is.

The first body member top portion is preferably a first color having an L* value of approximately 35 to approximately 100. The second body member top portion is preferably a second color having an L* value of approximately 2 to approximately 35. The first color L* value is more preferably approximately 40 to approximately 60, and still more preferably approximately 45. The second color L* value is more preferably approximately 20 to approximately 30, and still more preferably approximately 25. Alternatively, the first L* value is preferably approximately one-and-a-quarter to two times the second L* value, and more preferably approximately one-and-a-half times the second L* value.

The first body member top portion has a first area and the second body member top portion has a second area, the first and second areas combining to form a total top area for the club head. The first area comprises approximately 20% to approximately 80% of the total top area, and the second area comprises approximately 20% to approximately 80% of the total top area. More preferably, the first area comprises approximately two-thirds of the total top area and the second area comprises approximately one-third of the total top area.

The first area has a first depth and the second area has a second depth, the depths measured in the face-to-rear direction. The second depth is preferably approximately one-half to approximately two times the first depth. More preferably, the second depth is approximately two-thirds times the first depth.

The golf club head has a width, measured in the toe-to-heel direction. The first depth is preferably approximately one-half to approximately one times the width, and more preferably approximately two-thirds times the width. The first depth plus the second depth is approximately one-half to one times the width, and more preferably approximately three-quarters to approximately one times the width.

The golf club head has a center of gravity. The center of gravity is preferably located a distance of approximately one inch to approximately five inches back from the strike face. More preferably, the center of gravity is located a distance of approximately two inches to approximately four inches back from the strike face. Still more preferably, the center of gravity is located a distance of approximately three-and-three-quarters inches back from the strike face.

The golf club head has a MOI measured about a substantially vertical axis passing through the center of gravity when the golf club head is on a substantially horizontal surface. The MOI is preferably approximately 4000 g·cm2 to approximately 6000 g·cm2, and is more preferably approximately 4750 g·cm2 to 5250 g·cm2.

The golf club head has a MOI measured about an axis passing through the center of gravity that is substantially horizontal and perpendicular to the strike face when the golf club head is on a substantially horizontal surface. The MOI is preferably approximately 2500 g·cm2 to approximately 4500 g·cm2, and is more preferably approximately 2800 g·cm2 to 3500 g·cm2.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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