Golf putter

A golf putter having a shaft with a clubhead at one end gripping means adjacent the other end which comprises:

• an elongated shaft having upper and lower gripping means thereon and a primary longitudinal axis;
• a clubhead connected to said elongated shaft, said clubhead having a rear surface, a sole portion, a ball-striking surface substantially perpendicular to said sole portion, and a vertical axis;
• a neck portion integral with and extending from said rear surface and connecting said elongated shaft to said clubhead, the attachment of said neck portion to said rear surface being at a single location;
• said vertical axis being perpendicular to said sole portion and lying within an axis plane which is perpendicular to said ball-striking surface;
• said ball-striking surface lying in a striking plane disposed at an angle of 4 degrees with respect to said primary longitudinal axis;
• said primary longitudinal axis being divergent from said axis plane by 10 degrees;
• said clubhead has its center of gravity in said axis plane and said ball-striking surface is elongated in a direction perpendicular to said axis plane;
• said center of gravity is behind said ball-striking surface and said ball-striking surface is forward of the point of connection of said neck portion to said shaft;
• and
• said upper and lower gripping means are disposed on a single grip member having distinct grip portions, the upper grip portion including an exterior finger-orienting ridge pointed in a direction generally perpendicular to said axis plane, the lower grip portion including a substantially flat exterior surface disposed in a plane generally perpendicular to said axis plane.

A clubhead for use with a modified croquet-style putter which comprises:

• a substantially flat ball-striking surface having an outer end and an inner end;
• a top surface;
• a rear surface;
• a sole portion extending between said ball-striking surface and said rear surface and being substantially perpendicular to said ball-striking surface;
• a vertical axis perpendicular to said sole portion and lying within said ball-striking surface;
• a neck portion integrally connected to said rear surface and having a free end extending upwardly therefrom;
• and
• said neck portion being sent into a suitable configuration such that when said free end is joined to a straight shaft, the primary longitudinal axis of said straight shaft diverges from said vertical axis by at least 10 degrees and is disposed at an angle with respect to said ball-striking surface of from 1 degree to 8 degrees and said primary longitudinal axis intersects the top surface at a location between said ball-striking surface and said rear surface and between said vertical axis and said outer end.

A golf putter for putting in a modified croquet style which comprises:

• an elongated shaft having upper and lower gripping means thereon and a primary longitudinal axis;
• a clubhead having a rear surface, a ball-striking surface, a sole portion between said rear surface and said ball-striking surface, a top surface between said rear surface and said ball-striking surface and a vertical axis which is substantially coincident with the centerline of said ball-striking surface;
• a neck portion integral with and extending from said rear surface of said clubhead and connecting said clubhead to said elongated shaft, said neck portion being contoured so as to orient said elongated shaft such that said primary longitudinal axis intersects the top surface of said clubhead at a location behind said ball-striking surface and between said vertical axis and the outermost end of said clubhead;
• said vertical axis being perpendicular to said sole portion and lying within an axis plane which is perpendicular to said ball-striking surface;
• said ball-striking surface lying in a striking plane disposed at an angle of from 1 degree to 8 degrees with respect to said primary longitudinal axis;
• and
• said primary longitudinal axis being divergent from said axis plane by at least 10 degrees.