Patent Application
20100062870
The present invention relates to a golf club, and more particularly to a golf club having one or more alignment markings that assist a golfer in a proper positioning of the club before a golf swing.
A golfer may be unable to achieve a desired game level due to a poor setup position before swinging the club. With proper setup, a golfer can create power and control the direction of a swing. A golfer's ability to address the ball properly, that is, to have the golf club (including irons, woods, drivers and putters) impact the ball with proper position and alignment, is often a distinguishing feature between a skilled and a relatively unskilled golfer.
In order to assist a golfer in finding a proper setup position, golf clubs have been developed that include visual indicia of a desired direction of contact position between club head and ball. Such visual indicia include markings disposed on the upper surface of the club head, for example, one or more lines that are perpendicular to the striking face of the club head, or one or more grooves or notches that also are perpendicular to the striking face of the club head. Other golf clubs have been developed that include combinations of lines on the club head and on the shaft, or combinations of lines on the club head and on the ball, which must be aligned to achieve a proper club position. Examples of these types of golf clubs are described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,631,594 to Redman; U.S. Pat. No. 4,128,244 to Duclos; U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,990 to Weeks; U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,556 to Condon; U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,851 to Lucetti; U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,625 to Jackson; U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,401 to Torkos; U.S. Pat. No. 6,551,195 to Byrne et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,998 to Miller; U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,796,911 and 7,048,639, both to Grace; U.S. Pat. No. 7,066,829 to Lister; U.S. Pat. No. D404,450 to Weeks; and U.S. Pat. Nos. D502,233, D502,234, and D502,236, all to Grace.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,564,990 and D404,450, both to Weeks, illustrate a putter having an alignment indicator on the upper surface of the club head that includes two lines that are parallel to the striking face and that include a center marking disposed therebetween. Such an arrangement requires a positioning of the golf shaft between parallel lines that may be too laborious for a golfer that is intent on concentrating on other aspects of the game.
Golf clubs having hosels also are known and have become increasingly popular. A hosel operates as a connector between the head and the shaft of the golf club and can influence balance, feel and power of the club. Some modern hosels are designed to place as little mass as possible over the top portion of the club head, especially in open top head designs, causing a lowering of the center of gravity of the club. Examples of golf clubs having hosels and also having alignment indicia are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,992 to McCallister; U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,654 to Solheim; U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,919 to Johnson; U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,610 to Ahn et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,422,949 to Byrne et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,817,953 to Farmer. One drawback of known hosel designs is a twisting of the hosel during a club swing and also during the subsequent impact with the ball, causing a loss of accuracy of the shot.
To obviate such drawbacks, club designs have been developed, in which the lower end of the hosel is coupled to the club head within a cavity in a central position on the upper portion of the club head, such that the point of impact with the golf ball is disposed directly in front of the point of attachment of the shaft with the club head. Indicia may be disposed on the club head perpendicularly to the striking face, in order to assist the golfer in finding the most desirable direction of impact with the ball. This club design causes the impact force applied to the striking face to travel up the shaft, giving the golfer a more sensitive feel for the stroke. In variants of this design, the lower end of the hosel is recessed into the club as closely as possible to the center of gravity of the club head, so to reduce the torque applied to the golf club at the time of impact with the ball. Examples of these types of golf clubs are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,042,405 to Solheim; U.S. Pat. No. 6,350,208 to Ford; U.S. Pat. No. 7,086,957 to Solheim et al.; and in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2007/0093313 to Johnson and 2007/0117646 to Solari. Unfortunately, this club design also reduces the moment of inertia of the golf club by reducing the imaginary lever arm between the end of the hosel and the center of gravity of the head, which causes a corresponding reduction in the energy transferred from the golf club to the ball.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide a golf club having visual indicia that enable a golfer to optimize setup at the time of the stroke, such that the striking face will travel along an optimized direction of travel and with an optimized inclination with respect to the ground.
It is also desired to provide a golf club that maximizes the precision of the shot by minimizing the torque exerted on the club head at the time of impact with the ball.
The present invention relates to a golf club having one or more alignment or set-up markings that assist a golfer in finding a desired setup position before addressing the ball, and that further assist the golfer in attaining such a desired setup position consistently. These alignment or set-up markings preferably are positioned on the upper surface of the club head, most preferably in the proximity of the heel end. A golf club constructed according to the principles of the present invention may be configured in a variety of shapes, for example, as a putter, iron, driver or wood.
In one embodiment, a golf club includes a shaft, a club head having an upper surface, a lower surface, opposite toe and heel ends, and a striking face disposed therebetween. The golf club further includes a hosel coupling the upper surface of the club head to the shaft. One or more alignment markings are disposed on the upper surface of the club head in a direction substantially parallel to the striking face, and are preferably positioned between the hosel and the heel end. For example, two parallel alignment markings may be imprinted on the upper surface of the club head, and a proper line of sight would then be attained by a golfer standing over a ball to be struck when the shaft is seen by the golfer as substantially parallel to the one of the alignment marking and as obscuring the other alignment marking.
The hosel includes a lower portion extending forwardly of the striking face and an upper portion shaped to receive the end of the shaft. Further, the hosel may be formed integrally with the club head, or club head and hosel may be separate components that are assembled together. In one embodiment, the lower portion of the hosel extends forwardly of the striking face in a direction substantially perpendicular to the striking face, while the upper portion of the hosel extends upwardly of the lower portion and is shaped as a socket receiving the lower end of the shaft.
The club head may have a plurality of configurations. In one embodiment, the club head includes a front member formed by the striking face and by a rail extending rearwardly of the striking face from the toe end to the heel end; a rear member parallel to the front member, which is U-shaped with upwardly extending outer portions and a recessed central portion; and a middle member interposed between the front member and the rear member, which is also U-shaped with upwardly extending outer portions and a recessed central portion. The central portions of the middle and rear members are juxtaposed one to the other to form an essentially continuous channel.
The outer portions of the middle member may have ends that are channel shaped and that are inclined downwardly in the direction of the central portion, while the outer portions of the rear member may be rounded and inclined also downwardly in the direction of the central portion.
In a preferred embodiment, the lower portion of the hosel extends forwardly of the striking face from a recess, which is defined by a depression in the rail of the front member near the heel end.
When more than one alignment marking is present, the alignment markings on the club head may be configured as lines of different lengths and/or different widths, as circular or elliptical segments also of equal or different lengths and/or widths, or as combinations thereof. Further, such alignment markings may be of different colors, for example, white and red.
Further, the alignment markings may be painted or etched on the upper surface of the golf club, or may be shaped as grooves sculpted on the upper surface. When there are two parallel alignment markings, the first and the second markings may be disposed adjacently to the striking face and spaced apart at a distance less than a diameter of the shaft.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated from review of the following detailed description of the invention, along with the accompanying figures in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be explained in detail with reference to the following figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout:
It will be recognized that some or all of the figures are schematic representations for purposes of illustration and do not necessarily depict the actual relative sizes or locations of the elements shown.
In the following paragraphs, the present invention will be described in detail by way of example with reference to the drawings. Throughout this description, the preferred embodiment and examples shown should be considered as exemplars, rather than as limitations on the present invention. As used herein, the “present invention” refers to any one of the embodiments of the invention described herein, and any equivalents. Reference to various feature(s) of the “present invention” throughout this document does not mean that all claimed embodiments or methods must include the referenced feature(s).
Referring first to
Shaft 12, club head 14 and hosel 16 may be produced from a variety of materials. For example, shaft 10, club head 14 and hosel 16 may be made of steel, but some or all of the components of golf club 10 may also be manufactured from other metallic or nonmetallic materials. To cite just one example, a carbon composite material may be employed when the ability to drive the ball to longer distances is of greater concern than the accuracy of the shot.
Club head 14 is defined by a lower surface 18 (often identified as the “sole” in the golf trade), an upper surface 20, a toe end 22, and a heel end 24, which collectively delimit a front face 26 (often identified as the “striking face” in the golf trade) and a rear face 28 opposite to front face 26. Club head 14 may be shaped like an essentially oblong block with rounded edges, or may include one or more cavities in the upper portion that cause the center of gravity of club head 14 to be situated in a lower position. Further, striking face 26 may be inclined at an angle (often identified as the “loft” in the golf trade) with respect to the vertical axis of club head 14, and maybe polished to a smooth finish or carry grooves or ridges in a variety of patterns that are known in the art.
In the illustrated embodiment, club head 14 is composed of a front member 30, which defines the front portion of club head 14; a rear member 32, which is parallel to front member 30 and defines the rear portion of club head 14; and a middle member 34, which is interposed between front member 30 and rear member 32.
Front member 30 includes front face 26, which is the surface of impact of golf club 10 with a ball, and further includes a rail 36, which extends rearwardly of front face 26 from toe end 22 to heel end 24. Hosel 16 is coupled to club head 14 in a depression or recess 38, which is carved within rail 36 in the proximity of heel end 24, as described in greater detail hereinbelow.
Middle member 34 is generally U-shaped, with opposing and parallel arms 40 and 42 and with a connecting central portion 44 that extends between arms 40 and 42, so to define a central cavity within club head 14. Arms 40 and 42 have free ends, which are identified respectively with reference numerals 46 and 48 and which are shaped like channels or grooves inclined downwardly toward connecting portion 44. Middle member 34 generally has a lower height than front member 30, and rail 36 may wrap around middle member 34, as shown in
Rear member 32 is also generally U-shaped, with opposing and parallel arms 50 and 52. A connecting central portion 54 extends between arms 50 and 52 and defines a central cavity within club head 14 that is a continuation of central connecting portion 44, such that central connecting portions 44 and 54jointly provide a channel within club head 14 that extends rearwardly from rail 36 in an essentially perpendicular direction.
Free ends 56 and 58 are rounded and inclined downwardly toward connecting portion 54, with profiles different from groove-shaped ends 46 and 48, and generally have a lower height than ends 46 and 48 of middle member 34.
The above described configuration of club head 14 provides for a weight balancing between toe end 22 and heel end 24, thereby increasing the moment of inertia of club head 14 and resistance to twisting of club head 14 when the ball is struck off the “sweet spot” of striking face 26. Additionally, the channel defined by connecting portions 44 and 54 provides a visual guide to the golfer for aiming in the direction of the ball.
Hosel 16 couples shaft 12 to club head 14 and, in the illustrated embodiment, extends outwardly and forwardly of front face 26. As shown in greater detail in
Hosel 16 may be integrally formed with club head 14, that is, club head 14 and hosel 16 may be a single piece, or hosel 16 may be a component that is separate from club head 14 and that is joined to club head 14 using a secondary operation, for example, by adhesive bonding, by welding, by coupling with one or more fasteners such screws, or, if plastic materials are employed, by co-molding or insert molding. When hosel 16 is provided as a separate component joined with club head 16 through a secondary operation, lower portion 60 may be configured to optimize such secondary operation, for example, may include an appendage that penetrates within club head 14 between front member 30 and middle member 34, increasing contact surfaces and/or mechanical interference between lower portion 60 of hosel 16 and club head 14.
Lower portion 60 is housed at least partly inside depression 38 and preferably extends perpendicularly or nearly perpendicularly from depression 38 in a forward direction, that is, toward the point of impact with the golf ball, causing upper portion 62 also to be disposed forwardly of front face 26. In particular, lower portion 60 may extend horizontally from depression 60, or may extend first diagonally (upwardly and outwardly) in the outermost area of lower portion 60, and then horizontally in the area of lower portion 60 that is joined to upper portion 62. This design configuration provides for an improved stroke precision, because by having hosel 16 disposed within depression 38, the distance between the centers of gravity of hosel 16 and club head 14 is reduced and any twisting of club head 14 during ball impact is correspondingly reduced. Stroke precision is further increased by having lower portion 60 act prevalently in tensile mode, while previous hosel designs that are S-shaped become subject to torsional stresses during ball impact, reducing stroke accuracy and also the transmission of energy to the ball because of the energy losses caused by the twisting of the club head. Disposing upper portion 62 in a forward position with respect to front face 26 also causes the longitudinal axis of shaft 12 to intersect a horizontal axis passing through the center of gravity of club head 14 before front face 26, providing an imaginary lever arm that increases the moment of inertia of golf club 10.
In addition, while the embodiment depicted in
The previously described examples include two parallel markings, either of which may be provided as a solid marking or alternatively as a plurality of markings disposed along an imaginary line parallel to front face 26. Still with reference to
More or fewer than two separate markings also may be employed.
In the examples of
The markings described hereinbefore are disposed in the proximity of heel end 24 and, in the embodiments of
In particular,
With continuing reference now to the embodiment depicted in
Alternatively, first and second markings 64 and 66 may be disposed at a distance one form the other that is equal or slightly larger than the diameter of shaft 12, so that a golfer having a proper setup will see shaft 12 as disposed between first and second markings 64 and 66 and parallel to those markings.
First and second markings 64 and 66, and any of the other markings described herein, may be painted or etched on club head 14, or may be configured as grooves sculpted on upper surface 20 of club head 14. Such grooves may be painted or not.
For a prompter detection of the relative positions of first and second markings 64 and 66, these markings may be of different sizes and colors, as described hereinabove. For example, first marking 64 may be longer and wider than second marking 66, providing for an easier alignment with shaft 12, and first marking 64 also may be white while second marking 66 may be red.
Club head 14 may also include additional indicia adapted to assist a golfer in achieving a proper impact with the ball. For example, a groove or notch may be carved on upper surface 20 of club head 14 perpendicularly to striking face 26 and in a position corresponding to the center of gravity of club head 14. Alternatively, a plurality of markings maybe positioned on upper surface 20 angularly to striking face 26 to form an arrowhead pattern and to indicate both the center of gravity of club head 14 and a direction of impact against the ball.
A method of use of a golf club according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow. The described method, for the sake of brevity, will relate to the use of the putter illustrated in
While preparing to address a ball, the golfer will initially position his body by standing over the ball and by putting club head 14 on the ground just behind the ball. The golfer should stand far enough away, so that she can reach the ball with putter 10 comfortably and without a feeling of stretching out. Club head 10 should be held square with the ball.
The golfer will then adjust the position of club 10 by properly aligning shaft 12 along her line of sight with first and second markings 64 and 66. When first and second markings 40 and 42 are spaced apart at a distance that is less than the diameter of shaft 12, the golfer will align shaft 12 such that first marking 64 will be visible as parallel and adjacent to shaft 12 and as disposed on the opposite side of shaft 12 in relation to the ball, while second marking 66 will be obscured by shaft 12, in the arrangement shown in
Instead, if the golfer can see both first marking 64 and second marking 66 as shown in
Alternatively, when first and second marking 64 and 66 are spaced apart at a distance equal or larger than the diameter of shaft 12, the golfer will achieve a proper posture by aligning shaft 12 in a parallel position between first and second markings 64 and 66.
By achieving a proper setup, head and body misalignment of the golfer are reduced, generating a more square and consistent stroke and reducing player fatigue. The body of the golfer also will be induced to develop a more natural swing arc, improving the quality of the stroke and the enjoyment of the game.
Thus, it is seen that a golf club having alignment markings is provided. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be practiced by other than the above-described embodiments, which are presented in this description for purposes of illustration and not of limitation. The description and examples set forth in this specification and associated drawings only set forth embodiment(s) of the present invention. The specification and drawings are not intended to limit the exclusionary scope of this patent document. Many designs other than the above-described embodiments will fall within the literal and/or legal scope of the following claims, and the present invention is limited only by the claims that follow. It is noted that various equivalents for the particular embodiments discussed in this description may practice the invention as well.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/094,749, filed Sep. 5, 2008, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61094749 | Sep 2008 | US |
