Patent Application
20200139212
The invention relates to golf putters with improved tactile and auditory vibration feedback transmission that resonates to the hands and ears of the player. More specifically, the invention relates to a golf putter grip which may be adjustably connected to conventional or new putters to tune and optimize tactile and auditory vibration feedback transmission to the hands and ears of the player.
An important element of any golfer's round is putting. In putting, feedback received by the player includes tactile and auditory feedback which is transmitted through the club head, shaft, and grip to the player's hands and ears.
A golf club has a “sweet spot” on the face of the head. Striking the ball on the “sweet spot” facilitates distance and direction control. When a ball is struck at the “sweet spot”, minimal torque is imparted to the club. In addition, when a ball is struck by a putter, the golfer is provided sensory feedback in the form of a distinct feel and sound. Valuable feedback for determining the proper putterhead velocity for a given length putt is gained through vibration felt in a player's hands and ears during prior putts of various lengths and slopes. Through repetitious putting and the resultant sensory feedback, a player develops muscle memory which facilitates improved distance and direction control.
The Rules of the United States Golf Association, the governing body for the sport, do not permit adaptations to golf equipment which allow sophisticated feedback devices such as lasers, electronics, internal gyros, and the like, which could be exploited to ease or improve the use of a club. Thus, a player must sense or obtain feedback from his manipulation of the golf club largely through his natural senses of sight, hearing and feel without the aid of electronics.
The Rules of the United States Golf Association also do not permit modifications to golf equipment during a round.
Conventional putter grips generally provide a vibration transmission barrier between the putter shaft and the player's hands reducing or eliminating the vital vibrational feedback needed for distance control, or to let a golfer he or she is missing the “sweet spot” of the putterhead.
Therefore, the prior art methods and devices are simply ineffective to provide a player with improved tactile and auditory vibration feedback. The prior art methods and devices are also ineffective to provide a player with a golf putter that may be adjustably connected to conventional or new putters and tuned to provide optimized tactile and auditory vibration feedback transmission to the hands and ears of the player.
There remains a need for a golf putter that provides improved tactile and auditory vibration feedback transmission that resonates to the hands and ears of the player. There is also a need for a golf putter that may be adjustably connected to conventional or new putters and tuned to provide optimized tactile and auditory vibration feedback transmission to the hands and ears of the player.
It is therefore an objective of this invention to provide a golf putter that provides improved tactile and auditory vibration feedback transmission that resonates to the hands and ears of the player.
Another object is to provide a golf putter that may be adjustably connected to conventional or new putters.
Still another object is to provide a golf putter that may tuned to provide optimized tactile and auditory vibration feedback transmission to the hands and ears of the player.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a golf putter that provides improved tactile and auditory vibration feedback transmission that resonates to the hands and ears of the player that is simple to use, easy to manufacture, and inexpensive.
These together with other objects of the present invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the present invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the present invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention and alternative embodiments.
In a preferred embodiment, an adjustable grip for a golf putter held by a user's hand is provided. The putter comprises a head for impacting a golf ball and a shaft coupling the head to the grip. The improvement comprises a hollow grip for providing a handhold. A plurality of set screws adjustably connects the hollow grip to the shaft. Vibrational energy is coupled from the shaft through the set screws into the hollow grip. The hollow grip is generally tubular and has a portion between the set screws adapted for contact with distal portions of the user's hands. The hollow grip is made of hard resonant material so that vibrational energy coupled from the shaft through the set screws into the hollow grip causes vibrational ringing of the grip. As a result, tactile and auditory vibration feedback transmission relating to the nature of impact of the golf putter with the golf ball resonates to the hands and ears of the player. The position of the adjustable grip on the shaft may be selectively changed to provide optimized tactile and auditory vibration feedback transmission to the hands and ears of the player by loosening the set screws and translating the adjustable grip along the length of the shaft in either direction before tightening the set screws to affix the adjustable grip to the shaft. In a method of use, through grip adjustments, tightening and loosening of the set screws, repetitious putting, and the resultant sensory feedback, a player tunes the putter to optimize the tactile and auditory vibration feedback which facilitates improved distance and direction control.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the invention.
Before explaining the preferred embodiment and alternative embodiments of the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction, to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings, or to the methods described therein. The present invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the present invention in any way.
While this present invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings and will be described in detail herein, a preferred embodiment, with like parts designated by like reference numerals and with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the claims to the illustrated preferred embodiment.
Reference is made to
In the preferred embodiment shown in
In the preferred embodiment, an adjustable grip 50 comprising a generally hollow tube having a diameter larger than the diameter of a conventional putter grip 40 is provided, as shown in
As shown in
In a method of use, as shown in
In
In
In the preferred embodiment, the threaded taps 52 and set screws 54 are radially-spaced to provide opposing forces on the adjustable grip 50 and shaft 20 to facilitate vibration transmission to the player's hands.
In the preferred embodiment, adjustable grip 50 is constructed of aluminum and has its outer surface 56 knurled, machined, roughened, or otherwise constructed to enhance friction and grip with the player's hand, although it should be readily understood by those skilled in the art that other suitable materials of construction and surfaces within the Rules of the United States Golf Association may be employed, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
It has come to be appreciated that the adjustable grip 50 made of hard resonant material and having a diameter larger than the diameter of a conventional putter grip 40 provides an improved sense of feel compared to conventional putters of smaller diameter and softer grip material.
In an another method of use, as shown in
Hence, while the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment and alternative embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended that the invention be limited to those embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed.
As to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention, same should be apparent from the above disclosure, and accordingly no further discussion relevant to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention shall be provided.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum proportions for the elements of the invention, and variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered illustrative of only the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact method, construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
