This invention relates generally to golf putting aids and more particularly to simple and effective devices for increasing the accuracy of a golfer during the putting operation.
Putting is a very important part of the game of golf. Accurate putters are able to “read” the greens to determine conditions that will affect the roll of the golf ball toward the golf hole. Important conditions that affect the roll of the golf ball include the slope and topography of the path to the golf hole, the grass used on the putting surface, the condition of the grass (e.g. any bare spots), whether and in what direction the blades of grass are laying down, and whether and to what extent the grass is wet thus slowing down the roll of the golf ball. Other important aspects of putting include the distance to the hole and an estimate of how hard to strike the ball, and in what direction, given the conditions of the putt. For this later task, a golfer must correctly read the green to determine speed, topography, grain of the grass, moisture, etc. and determine where to aim, e.g. the initial direction where to start the ball rolling, not necessarily the golf hole but possibly left or right of the hole. The golfer must then align the putter so that the putter face is square to the initial putting direction. Finally, the golfer must execute the correct putting stroke whereby the putter travels parallel to the intended target (e.g. not coming from the outside or inside), the putter travels at the correct speed at impact, and the putter face is square at impact. The current invention assists with proper club alignment to accomplish this later task.
Given the low friction between the golf ball and the putter striking face, a struck golf ball generally travels perpendicular to the plane of the striking face of the club. It is therefore very important to line up the putter head with the golf ball with great precision so that the struck golf ball travels in the desired direction at the desired speed. Various methods have been developed to assist the golfer in lining up his putter with the golf ball including placing alignment marks on the top of the putter head directly behind the golf ball and marks or images in a structure behind the striking part of the club head. Not only are these methods getting more complicated, but are nearly impossible to retrofit onto an existing putter.
A need exists, therefore, for alternate means and structures that allow a golfer to align the club with marks placed on the golf ball itself where such means and structures may be retrofitted on to existing clubs.
A putting alignment apparatus is used with a golf club of a type having a club head with a striking face formed at a substantially vertical angle. The alignment apparatus comprises a vertical portion and a horizontal portion and may exist separately as an alignment device, or integrated within the putter itself. The vertical portion of the alignment apparatus is configured to be attached to the club head and sized to extend vertically above the height of a golf ball. The horizontal portion is coupled to an upper end of the vertical portion and sized to extend forwardly of and substantially perpendicular to a plane of the striking face when the putting alignment apparatus is attached to the club head. An alignment means, such as one or more aligned apertures or a slot, is formed in the horizontal portion so that it extends forwardly of the striking face, wherein a mark placed on the golf ball may be aligned with or within the aperture to facilitate alignment of the golf club with the golf ball in a direction of intended movement.
The putting alignment apparatus may include a structure that extends up and over a golf ball and includes alignment means structured to align with a mark made on the golf ball, wherein the alignment means is coupled to the head of the putter at a pivot axis parallel with a sole of the putter and/or the plane of the putting surface.
The invention further comprises a method for aligning a putter with a golf ball to improve putting accuracy. The method comprises placing a linear mark on a golf ball surface and placing the golf ball on a putting surface such that the linear mark points in the intended putting direction. A user then addresses the golf ball with a putter so that an alignment apparatus on the putter passes above and over the golf ball and the linear mark on the golf ball is aligned within an alignment structure, such as within a linear slot formed on the alignment apparatus. So aligned, the golf ball is then struck so that it moves in the intended putting direction.
When integrated within a golf club, the invention comprises a putter head having a forwardly directed striking face, an opposing putter back wall, and a bottom sole and further including an elongate shaft and a hosel affixing the putter head to the shaft. The integrated putter alignment apparatus in the club includes a vertical member attached to the putter back wall and extending upward a sufficient distance above the bottom sole of the putter to be higher than a golf ball to be struck by the putter. A horizontal member is attached to the vertical member at an upper end and extending forwardly of the striking face. An alignment structure, such as an aperture formed through the horizontal member, is aligned with a mark placed on the golf ball to be struck by the putter, wherein alignment of the mark with the structure or within the aperture from a point of view of a user of the putter facilitates alignment of the putter head with the golf ball so that the struck golf ball travels in an intended direction.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention that proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Putter 16 is fitted with an alignment bar 28 as constructed according to teachings of the invention and described further below. In generally use, the alignment bar 28 is coupled to the golf club head 18 so that it extends up and over the golf ball 14 and is aligned with an elongate mark 30 placed on the golf ball 14. The golf ball 14 is first placed on the putting surface 12 so that mark 30 is aligned with the intended direction of the travel 32 toward the golf cup or hole 34. The alignment bar 28 is then adjusted by methods and means that are described further below so that a site line 36 of the golfer 10 aligns a structure on the alignment bar with the mark 30 on the golf ball when the golfer is in his or her putting stance and addresses the golf ball. With the putter properly aligned with respect to the golf ball, the golf ball may be struck so that the ball moves in the intended putting direction 32. Whereas the intended putting directly is shown in
When the putter is correctly aligned and the ball correctly struck, the ball will start rolling toward the intended target with the desired speed and desired rotation. The ball should be only imparted an over spin, absent of any side spin. When the ball mark 30 is struck perpendicular to the mark—e.g. so that the alignment means is perpendicular to the striking face and lined up with the ball mark—then the ball rolls the mark line 30 end over end. A properly aligned and struck ball will result in the golfer only seeing the mark trace a single straight line as the ball rolls. If the line wobbles or the golfer cannot see the line, then this is an indication that the ball may have been struck incorrectly in which case corrective measures can be made before the next putt. But a well struck ball never changes its course as long as the putting surface is flat and has no effects from other variables such as grain of the grass or wind.
It is further understood that different golfers have different stances and methods for addressing the ball, and that while many position their heads so that their eyes are directly above the golf ball as shown in
Alignment means or structure of the apparatus 28 can include an aperture, such as elongate slot 44, formed in the horizontal portion 42 forwardly of the striking face 20. As shown in
Although such an alignment apparatus 28 can be integrated into a constructed putter (or other type of golf club), the apparatus can also be retrofitted onto an existing putter and preferably one with a generally vertical back wall 46. By way of example, and in no way intended to limit the applicability of the invention, the putter in
The vertical member 40 of the alignment apparatus is coupled to the back wall 46 of putter 16. In a preferred embodiment, two threaded holes or apertures 50, 52 are formed horizontally into the back wall 46 of the putter. Lower aperture 50 is in vertically alignment with upper aperture 52. The vertical member 40 includes a first aperture 54 formed through a terminal end of the vertical portion, and a second aperture 56 spaced from the first aperture 54 in a vertical direction an identical distance as between the apertures 50, 52 in the putter back wall 46. The second aperture 56 includes an arcuate slot for limiting a pivot angle of the putting alignment apparatus as explained further below.
The vertical member 40 of alignment apparatus 28 is coupled to the putter head 18 via two pins or screws, such as screws 58, 60. A lower terminal end of the vertical member 40 is affixed to the putter head 18 via screw 58. Screw 58 is arranged to pass through apertures 50, 54 to form a pivot axis 62 that is parallel to the putting surface 12 (which itself is intended to be parallel to the sole 64 of the putter) and located along the rear vertical wall 46 of the putter head 18 to be approximately at or above the ball center height P (where P is approximately equal to ½ G).
A second portion of the alignment apparatus 28 is affixed to the vertical wall 46 of the putter head 18 via second screw 60. Second screw 60 passes through the arcuate slot 56 formed in the vertical member 40 of the alignment apparatus 28 and threads into the upper aperture 52 formed in the putter head 18 vertical wall 46. In use, the second screw 60 is loosened so that the alignment apparatus 28 can be pivoted about pivot axis 62. Once the site line 36 is properly angled so that the golf ball mark 30 is properly aligned within the alignment slot 44 as viewed from the golfer's point of view, the second screw 60 is tightened to thus fix the angle for future use. Alternate embodiments are contemplated for moving the alignment apparatus with respect to the club, for instance a structure that slide between the heel and toe of the club so that the horizontal member 42 is offset with respect to the ball mark 30, but maintains the mark 30 within the slot 44 of the horizontal member as viewed from the golfer's perspective.
It is not necessary that the pivot attachment point 58 be lower on the alignment apparatus 28 vertical portion 40 than the moving attachment point 56. The attachment points 56, 58 can be switched and still have a similar effect. Furthermore, it is possible that a single pivot attachment point can be used without the second point, although this runs a further risk of loosening over time and changing the preset tilt angle of the alignment apparatus.
The putter head and various weights and structures can be formed of different materials to affect the putter head's center of mass. In one embodiment the putter head/blade 18 can be formed of a light carbon material whereas the weights formed on the tips of the weighted structures are formed of a heavier metal such as lead. The center of mass of the putter then moves forwardly of the striking face of the putter and within the alignment slot so that it centers along the ball mark. It is noted that to further facilitate movement of the center of mass forward, that the weighted lower lip 48 is removed from the putter head 18.
Alternate versions of the alignment means are contemplated. The alignment slot 44 on the horizontal member need not be a single aperture but can be several apertures formed along the axis of the horizontal member 42 of the alignment bar 28. The alignment means need not even include a slot or aperture, but rather include a straight edge that aligns with the mark on the ball and is pivotable in an axis parallel to the putting surface. Finally, it would be possible to include multiple alignment apparatus, such as on each side of the putter striking face 20—e.g. one on the toe, on in the middle, and one on the heel of the putter—which each align with different elements of the ball, the ball mark, or club face.
Having described and illustrated the principles of the invention in a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be apparent that the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. I claim all modifications and variation coming within the spirit and scope of the following claims.
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