1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to putters. More particularly, it relates to a putter characterized by an extraordinarily high moment of inertia.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Newton""s first law of motion states that an object in motion along a path of travel will continue to move along that path of travel unless an external force acts against it and that an object at rest remains at rest unless an external force acts against it. Inertia is the property of the object that resists a change in its motion or its state or rest.
Most golfers and even many golf putter manufacturers are unaware of the importance of inertia to the putting game. A putter has a low moment of inertia if a putt that misses the sweet spot causes rotation of the putter blade about the longitudinal axis of the golf club shaft, resulting in a putt that veers away from the intended path of travel. Such putter blades are typically light-in-weight (typically between 305 to 350 grams), made of a single material, and have a short heel-to-toe distance measurement. However, a putter blade can also have a low moment of inertia even if it is relatively heavy and has a relatively long toe-to-heel measurement.
Some inventors have noticed that the moment of inertia of a putter may be increased by adding weights to the outermost ends of the putter blade, ie., to the toe and heel of said blade. When a golfer misses the sweet spot when using one of these weighted putters, the putter is relatively forgiving in that the putt does not veer from the target as much as if a low inertia putter had been used.
One putter manufacturer claims in a website that its putters have a moment of inertia of about 9,000. Although such a putter provides a much higher moment of inertia than a conventional putter, it is still insufficient to provide a truly forgiving putter.
What is needed is a putter that provides a moment of inertia in the range of 12,000 to 28,000 grams per square centimeter (g/cm2). Such a putter would enable a golfer to strike the ball near or at the toe or heel of the putter with littler no loss of accuracy in the shot, i.e., every spot on such a putter would provide a sweet spot.
One possible approach would be to make a putter blade having a very long heel to toe distance measurement, and to attach very heavy weights to its outermost ends. Such a putter, however, would be impractical to use and unattractive to consumers. Moreover, the U.S. Golf Association (USGA) would not approve such a putter for tournament play. The challenge is to provide a putter having a super high moment of inertia that maintains its attractiveness and practicality and that is approved by the USGA for tournament play.
However, in view of the prior art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art how such a putter could be provided.
The longstanding but heretofore unfulfilled need for a putter having an extraordinarily high moment of inertia is now met by a new, useful, and nonobvious invention. The novel putter includes a putter blade having a substantially flat ball-striking surface and a main body disposed in trailing relation to the ball-striking surface. The main body has a first part formed of a first preselected material and a second part formed of a second preselected material.
The first part includes a central base having a blind bore formed therein. The blind bore is adapted to receive a golf club shaft. The first part further includes a first weight-holding means formed in a toe end thereof and a second weight-holding means formed in a heel end thereof.
The second part includes a first weight means that is securely mounted within the first weight-holding means and a second weight means that is securely mounted within the second weight-holding means. The first and second weight means are formed of the second preselected material and have a common preselected weight.
The second preselected material has a greater weight than the first preselected material. Accordingly, the putter has a moment of inertia that inhibits rotation of the putter blade about a longitudinal axis of the golf club shaft when the ball-striking surface strikes a golf ball, even if the point of impact is remote from the sweet spot of the putter blade.
The novel putter further includes a first interconnecting member disposed between the first weight-holding means and the center base and a second interconnecting member disposed between the second weight-holding means and the center base. The first interconnecting member and the second interconnecting member have a common depth. The first weight holding means and the second weight holding means have a common depth greater the common depth of the first and second interconnecting members. The center base has a depth greater than the common depth of the first and second interconnecting members but less than the common depth of the first and second weight holding members.
In a preferred embodiment, the first preselected material is aluminum and the second preselected material is copper. In another embodiment, the first preselected material is a high impact plastic and the second preselected material is titanium. Any other suitable materials may be used in any combination as the first and second materials, subject to the requirement that the weight of the second material must exceed the weight of the first.
The primary object of the invention is to provide a golf putter having a heretofore unobtainable moment of inertia in the range of 12,000-28,000 gm/cm2.
A closely related object is to attain the foregoing object with a putter that is attractive in appearance so that it will meet with consumer acceptance.
Another object is to attain the primary object with a putter that is approved by the USGA.
A more specific object is to advance the art of putters by providing a putter having a base formed of a relatively low density, low weight material and having mounting means at its outermost ends for holding a high density, heavy weight material.
These and other important objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become clear as this description proceeds.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the description set forth hereinafter and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.