DESCRIPTION

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the sector of sports equipment, with particular reference to the instruments used in golf for hitting the ball.

More specifically, it relates to an innovative golf club of the "putter" type, aimed at combining shot precision and stability by means of a new design putter head shape, comprising a series of functional structural steps, such as to amplify the aforesaid precision and sensitivity features.

As will be seen below, the golf club according to the finding is provided with features, allowing beginners to increase precision when executing the shot.

Background art

As is known, golf clubs are instruments used for hitting the golf ball, allowing the ball to cover the distance from the starting area to the finish area, i.e. the hole on the green.

In order to pursue such object, a certain number of clubs are used having different shapes, weights, sizes and a different value of the angle between the hitting face of the head and the vertical axis; each of said clubs is particularly suited and adapted to handle specific playing conditions.

A general schematic cataloguing of said clubs, divides them into three main categories, i.e. the woods, the irons and the putters, although today, all categories comprise the manufacturing of the head of the club in a metal material, while the rod, or shaft, can be made of a metal material or carbon fiber.

Then, there are the hybrid categories, which can be placed in an intermediate position between the main ones stated above.

In general, the woods are the most powerful clubs, mainly used for executing the starting shot by the hitter; they have the feature of having a much longer shaft than that of the irons and an optimized head shape for being used with the tee. They are thus called because once, the heads were made of this material; in fact, until the end of the '80s, the heads of the woods were made of different kinds of wood.

To provide more stability, an insole made of ABS or another plastic material was applied to the lower part of the head. Whereas, the heads of modern woods are built with titanium and carbon compounds, materials, making the club lighter and more rigid.

The irons have a rod with a decreasing length from n 3 to n 9 and an opening of the face of the club (loft), which varies from iron to iron to allow a higher and shorter trajectory with the irons having a greater number and lower and longer with those having a smaller number and therefore they are more suitable for precision shots or from more difficult areas.

Finally, putters are clubs with a loft, which is generally lower than 10 and they are designed for use on the green or immediately nearby; for this reason, in putters, the face of the club has a highly reduced loft (approximately 3-4 degrees of opening), which allows the ball, just hit, to overcome the initial friction of the grass and continue along the trajectory thereof by rolling. It is also useful to note that the latter type of club is used in 50% of the game, therefore, it is of fundamental importance.

There are substantially two types of putter: the blade putter and the more recently conceived mallet putter, which have a substantially different head shape, wider and semi-circular in shape for the mallet and with reduced dimensions in the direction of the width for the blade.

Tendent ally, the blade putter is more precise and more suitable for players with an elevated technique, having a head with reduced dimensions and forcing the player to focus his/her attention on the face to control the correct alignment with the target; on the contrary, the mallet putter is more balanced and offers a good compromise between sensitivity and precision, therefore, it is more suitable for players with little technique and who are poorly familiar with the shot, allowing controlling the alignment by means of references to the detriment of a reduced precision with respect to the blade.

Solution

It is the main task of the present finding to overcome the limits of the currently known types of putters, by providing an improved putter, which combines the precision typical of blade putters with the characteristic stability of mallet putters.

The need is to provide an innovative golf club, which allows increasing the precision of the shot regardless of the individual skills, considering the concentration needed for correctly executing the pendulum, as well as the emotionality linked to the requirement to send the ball into the hole.

This has been obtained by comprising a golf club of the putter type according to claim 1, the head shape of which has been specifically studied to allow the player to minimize, if not eliminate trajectory imprecisions due to slight movements during the execution of the shot.

The particular shape of the putter head according to the finding has been developed starting from a number of considerations on the natural position of the body with respect to the ball (or address) position, which forces the body to be kept forward and therefore, oscillate during the shot, which tends to tighten, or open the movement (pendulum).

Detailed description

A better understanding of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description and with reference to the accompanying figures, showing, by way of a non-limiting example, a preferred embodiment.

In the drawings: figure 1 is an isometric view of the golf club according to the invention; figure 2 is a rear view of the head and of a portion of the rod of the golf club according to the invention; figure 3 is a front view of the head and of a portion of the rod of the golf club according to the invention; figure 4, corresponding to fig. 3, shows a variant of the finding, wherein the head is provided with a removable insert.

The preferred embodiment according to the present invention derives both from studies carried out on the movement a player must make to hit the ball and on various considerations related to the known types of putters available on the market, which, as said, have features, which are strictly linked to the individual skills.

An embodiment of a golf club of the putter type is described herein. Such golf club of the putter type comprises a head 1 and a rod (shaft).The aforesaid head 1 is capital "P"-shaped and is provided with a distal portion and a proximal portion, with respect to the rod, wherein the distal portion is heavier and bulker than the proximal portion, and wherein the distal portion is semi-circular in shape or substantially semi-circular, culminating with a thicker part in the middle of the head (1).

According to an implementation option, the aforesaid distal portion is semi-circular in shape with a helical ramp culminating with a thicker and sturdier part in the middle of the head.

With reference to the figures, an embodiment of a golf club of the putter type is now described in further detail, comprising a head 1, a rod (or shaft) and a grip, (not shown).

The head 1 of the putter extends mainly along a longitudinal direction.

Along said longitudinal direction, in relation to the athlete's body, a proximal portion (or heel) and a distal portion (or toe) are identifiable with respect to the shaft.

Corresponding proximal 2 and distal 3 side faces of the putter head 1 are identified, defined in a transverse direction to said longitudinal direction.

The putter head 1 comprises a front face 4 of impact with the ball, extending longitudinally from said proximal side face 2 to said distal side face 3, and a rear face 5 opposite to said front face 4.

A sliding surface 6 adapted to slide parallel to the ground and an upper surface 7, onto which the shaft is coupled in the proximal portion are further identifiable in the putter head 1.

According to a particular feature of the finding, said rear face 5 comprises, at the proximal portion, a first surface 8, substantially parallel to said front face 4 and extending from said proximal side face 2 for a section equal to about half the length of the rear face 5 defined in the longitudinal direction.

The rear face 5 further has, in the distal portion, for the remaining section, a second curved surface 9 describing an arc of a circle profile in connection with said distal side surface 3.

Said curved surface 9 of the rear face 5 defines the shape of the distal portion of the head 1, which, seen from above, is substantially semi-circular in shape.

A substantially semi-circular "form" or "shape" is understood to mean a form or shape, which can have tolerances with respect to the described figure of the equation of a semicircle according to the plane geometry.

Advantageously, said substantially semi-circular distal portion 10 significantly increases the surface of contact with the ground, reducing possible sliding interruptions of the putter head 1 with respect to the ground and keeping the selected trajectory unaltered.

The plan shape of the putter head 1, thus described, is like a printed capital "P", and is visible, taking the shot position looking at the putter head 1 from the top.

For this reason, the putter will also be referred to as "P-putter" in the following description.

Advantageously, this head 1 shape allows combining the advantages of the blade putter and the mallet putter, having a balanced extended surface, typical of mallet putters, which provides stability during the shot, but without foregoing the trajectory precision of the blade putter.

With a further advantage, the golf club according to the finding, has a greater moment of inertia than traditional blade putters, ensuring a smaller rotation of the head 1 during the shot and therefore more precise shots.

With the characteristic geometry of the head 1 according to the finding, the distal portion of the putter head 1 is heavier and bulkier than the proximal portion and consequently, the barycenter of the head 1 will be moved towards the distal portion, a substantially semi-circular portion 10.

Therefore, the resulting unbalancing of the head 1 determines a moment, which would tend to bring the distal portion downwards and rotate backwards with respect to the proximal portion and to the point of insertion of the shaft.

Said rotation of the head 1 would bring the front face 4 of impact with the ball to become misaligned with respect to the optimal position, in which said front face 4 is perpendicular to the direction of the shot.

Furthermore, said rotation of the head 1 would bring the lower sliding surface 6 to become misaligned with respect to the optimal position, in which said lower surface remains parallel to the ground.

To prevent said rotation and ensure that the front face 4 of impact with the ball stays perpendicular to the direction of the shot and ensure that the lower surface 6 stays parallel to the ground, a necessary condition for the correct execution of the shot, after firmly gripping the golf club in the grip portion of the shaft, the athlete contrasts said rotation by means of the muscular force thereof.

Advantageously, the muscular contraction of the upper limbs determines an articular rigidity and prevents a laxity of the wrist joint during the pendulum movement.

Therefore, during the execution of the shot, the forearm, hand and club maintain the relative position in relation to one another and move like a single rigid body.

Advantageously, by opposing the weight force, a natural grip is also obtained, which does not allow involuntary movements of hands and wrists.

Advantageously, the grip of the golf club according to the finding allows having a greater control of the club during the pendulum, ensuring the correct hit of the ball in the middle of the front face 4 and, ultimately, obtaining the desired trajectory.

More advantageously, keeping the correct position of the head 1 is simplified, with the lower surface 6 of the putter parallel to the ground, and the front face 4 perpendicular to the direction of the shot during the impact with the ball, ensuring elevated shot precision.

More advantageously, the repeatability of the technical movement is considerably simplified in time.

Furthermore, the weight itself of the P-putter head 1 gives a feeling of stability during the execution, contributing to maintaining the position of the body and, therefore, the predetermined trajectory.

In a preferred embodiment, the substantially semi circular curved surface 9 of the rear face 5 connects to said distal side face 3 only close to the sliding surface 6, thus defining a helical ramp profile 11, which, from said distal side face 3, following the semi-circular shape of the curved surface 9, culminates in the middle of the putter head 1 at the upper surface 7.

According to this embodiment, the substantially semi-circular distal portion 10 of the club has a smaller thickness close to the distal side face 3, culminating with a deliberately thicker and sturdier portion (figure 3) in the middle of the head 1. Advantageously, the center of gravity is kept lower, increasing the control during the technical movement.

Further advantageously, the deliberately thicker and sturdier portion, is such as to confer a decisive impact and an immediate response to the touch of the ball, contributing to increasing the precision of the preset shot line (trajectory).

The putter head 1 according to the finding also has graphics 12 arranged for the benefit of the user on the upper surface 7.

Preferably, said graphics 12 are made in the semi circular distal portion 10, so as to follow the semi circular profile defined by the curved surface 9 of the rear face 5.

Preferably, the created graphics 12 are a broken semi-circular curved line, consisting of single segments 13 having an increasing thickness, going from the distal side face 3 towards the middle of the putter head 1.

Preferably, said single segments 13, are etched into the thickness of the substantially semi-circular distal portion 10.

Thus, said graphics 12 appear as a sort of "graduated scale".

Advantageously, said graphics 12 serve as a visual reference for the athlete, naturally accompanying the eye towards the point of impact, which contributes to further reducing the emotionality linked to the natural tension generated by the hit (putting).

More advantageously and as will be more apparent during the course of the reading of the present description, said graphics 12 serve as a system for calibrating the oscillation of the club during the pendulum movement as a function of the estimated force needed to send the ball into the hole.

In a preferred, but non-limiting embodiment, said graphics 12 culminate, in the middle of the head 1, with "V"-shaped patterns 14, the tops of which are directed along the direction of the shot.

Preferably, starting from the front face 4, going towards the rear face, said "V"-shaped patterns 14 consist of a first deliberately large and open "V", followed by a second thicker and more colorful "V", serving as a focal point, which are both aligned to focus and lead the eyes towards the point of impact.

Advantageously, during the pendulum movement, typical of the shot executed with the putter, it is possible to follow, with the eyes, such scale graduated by said "V"-shaped patterns 14 to a segment 13 or segment portion 13 and, as a function of the time taken to complete said visual operation, it is possible to produce oscillations having a different width, to each of which 1 a force imparted to the ball and a distance covered by the latter (fig.3) will correspond: in particular, the more the eye follows the narrowing graduated scale, the more the width of the shot increases, the greater the force imparted to the ball will be, and, ultimately, the distance covered by the latter.

With experience, during the loading of the shot (pendulum movement), following the graphics 12 from said "V"-shaped patterns 14 to a segment 13 or to a segment portion 13, the athlete will succeed in associating, with each segment 13 or segment portion 13, the relative force to be imparted to the ball and the relative distance covered by the ball.

Advantageously, in this way, for the following shots, after estimating the distance the ball must travel, the athlete will be sure that by following the graphics 12, during the loading of the shot, to the segment 13, or to the segment portion 13 which he/she knows to correspond to the strength to be imparted to cover said distance, he/she will succeed in executing an almost perfect shot.

More advantageously, the "V"-shaped patterns 14 thus obtained provide a further visual reference for the athlete, focusing his/her attention on the middle of the head 1 where there are the two consecutive "V"s, described above and ensuring, with further precision, impacting the ball in the middle portion of the front face 4.

Advantageously, the P-putter head 1 described thus far already allows having a natural balancing of the same putter, without requiring the addition of further weights to stabilize the shot, as is the case with traditional putters.

Said P-putter head 1 is preferably, but not exclusively, made of a metal material, preferably a non-magnetic or weakly non-magnetic material, preferably made of aluminum, by virtue of the properties of lightness and resistance thereof and, in view of the low specific weight, features, which make it preferable, as a material, to a steel, for example, which would be too heavy and, consequently, poorly usable for obtaining the head 1 according to the finding.

In a variant of the finding (Fig. 4) the P-putter head 1 is provided with a seat 15 for an insert 16, which is preferably removable, made of a different material than that of the head 1, and the seat 15 for the insert 16 is provided in the middle portion of the front face of impact with the ball.

Advantageously, the properties of the material, with which the insert 16 is made, are such as to amplify and dampen the dynamic response of the ball upon impact.

The shot (or putt) is made by means of a pendulum movement, which comprises the steps of loading (or backswing), release (or swing), impact with the ball and a final step (or followthrough), which terminates the technical movement.

A method for executing a putt by means of a golf club is described below according to the finding, comprising the steps of:

- approaching the golf ball positioning oneself at the side thereto according to the traditional, or preferred position (address step);

- choosing the shot direction and hypothesizing, on the basis of the estimated distance from the hole and the conformation of the ground, the strength to be imparted to the golf ball;

- positioning the front face 4 of the putter close to the ball along a direction perpendicular to the shot direction, so that the ball is aligned with the "V"- shaped patterns 14 of the graphics 12;

- fixing the eyes on said "V"-shaped patterns 14;

- executing the loading step of the shot by means of a pendulum movement, distancing the putter head 1 from the ball along the direction of the shot (backswing step);

- following with the eyes, during said shot loading step, the broken line of the graphics 12 from said "V"- shaped patterns 14 to the segment 13 or to the segment portion, which each user, by virtue of the experience gained from the previous shots, knows to correspond to a pendulum angle needed to impart the desired force to the ball to cover the estimated distance between the ball and the hole;

- after reaching said segment 13 or segment portion 13 with the eyes, executing the release step, making a pendulum movement in the opposite direction to the shot loading step (downswing step);

- hitting the ball in the middle of the front face close to the top of the "V"-shaped patterns 14, keeping the front face 4 perpendicular to the direction of the shot;

- completing the technical movement by continuing the pendulum movement, accompanying the ball towards the correct direction of the shot (followthrough step).

Advantageously, executing the shot as described, the semi-circular graphics 12 allow, during the loading step, following the line, broken by the "V"-shaped patterns 14, to the segment 13 or to the segment portion 13, without unnatural head 1 movements, which could negatively compromise, or influence the execution of the shot.

Clearly, a person skilled in the art will be able to make changes or adaptations to the present invention, without departing from the scope of the claims set forth hereinafter.

List of references

1. Head

2. proximal side face

3. distal side face

4. front face

5. rear face

6. lower sliding surface

7. upper surface

8. first surface

9. second curved surface

10. substantially semi-circular distal portion

11. helical ramp profile

12. graphics

13. single segments

14. "V"-shaped patterns

15. seat for the insert

16. insert