1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a putter, i.e., a particular golf club designed for striking a golf ball toward a hole, particularly after the golfer has played the ball to the green, and is a relatively short distance from the hole.
2. Description of Background and Other Information
The head of such a putter includes a vertical hitting surface and an upper surface which is known to include reference indicia for centering the ball. Such reference indicia on the head can take the form of a symmetrical design with respect to an aiming axis, perpendicular to the hitting surface, directed both towards the center of the ball to be hit and towards the hole where the ball is intended to go.
Numerous reference indicia for centering of the ball have been proposed, the most popular including the provision of a circular diagram having the same diameter as the ball which is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,884,477 and 3,333,854; a spherical shape, likewise having a diameter like that of the ball, as disclosed, for example, in British Patent No. 181,185 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,798; or a cylindrical shape of the same diameter as the ball as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,172.
However, in all of these configurations in which a diagram is provided on the club or a raised portion of the club is provided which is similar to the ball, the eye of the golfer is naturally attracted towards the center of the representation instead of towards the point of impact, i.e., towards the location where the player will hit the ball with the head of the putter.