Adjustable putter

#The invention relates to an adjustable golf club construction. More particularly, the invention is related to a putter with adjustable loft and weighting.

#The design of putters is typically viewed as a pursuit of an aesthetically pleasing club that promotes a golfer's confidence in his or her stroke. As such, many putters have been designed irrespective of the mechanics inherent in the putting swing. Furthermore, many putters lack a design that accounts for an individual golfer's characteristics and characteristic playing style (i.e., stance, grip, etc.).

#The lack of attention to technical details in many putter designs results in clubs that are not aimed or balanced properly. Such technical considerations, for example, include heel and toe weight distribution, location of the putter head's center of gravity or “sweet spot,” putter length, shaft flexibility, grip, head weight and total club weight, loft, and lie. Because the USGA Rules of Golf permit significant latitude in the design of putters, i.e., the shaft, neck or socket of a putter may be fixed at any point in the head, many putter designs are possible. And, because significant deviation in the intended path of a putt can be experienced for even slightly off-center hits, careful attention to these design factors can result in a putter that is more likely to perform well in use. Moreover, an adjustable putter design may permit the variation of one or more of the aforementioned design considerations to more closely suit the needs of a given user.

#Preferred features of the present invention are disclosed in the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, and wherein:

#FIG. 1 shows a top view of a putter head according to the present invention with back weighting;

#FIG. 2 shows a back view of a face member for a putter head according to the present invention with a cavity therein;

#Referring to FIGS. 1-10, the putter construction according to the present development is shown. Putter head 20 includes a face member 22, a body member 24, and a back weight member 26, each of which are secured together as will be discussed. A shaft bore 28 is provided for attachment of putter head 20 to a club shaft.

#As shown in FIGS. 2-4, face member 22 has a generally flat ball-striking front portion 30 and a back portion 32. A recessed region or back cavity 34 is formed in back portion 32, and preferably has a generally cylindrical contour. A pair of recessed wing portions 36 are formed at opposite ends of back cavity 34, creating a keyway that preferably has a depth less than the maximum depth of back cavity 34. A hole 40 is formed in each wing portion 36 for receiving a threaded fastener. Preferably, back cavity 34 is substantially symmetric about line ALI, which is also generally parallel to the ground.

#Turning to FIGS. 5-6, in one embodiment of the present invention, an insert 42 is provided for coupling body member 24 to face member 22. Insert 42 includes a central, generally cylindrical projecting portion 44, along with a base portion 46 which creates a keyed portion that is adapted to be received within wing portions 36 of back cavity 34 of face member 22. A generally cylindrical, tapered portion 45 is also provided, and serves as a further keyed region for aiding in insertion of insert member 42 into body member 24. More particularly, the overall longitudinal geometry of insert 42 is cylindrical, such that it can rotate in at least one plane or direction within body member 24 as will be described shortly. Base portion 46 includes a pair of holes 50, which preferably include recessed portions 51 so that the head of a screw or other fastener may be recessed therein.