Universal putter

Abstract

A putter has an elongated head with a face along a long side of the head and an end surface along a short side of the head both for striking a ball. The shaft can be positioned to strike a ball with either the face or the end surface. The end surface may have a loft of 5 degrees or more. The shaft is held in each position such that it does not move appreciably while putting, but can be moved to another position by a golfer without tools. In some embodiments, all contact between the shaft and the head is made through one or more resilient, non-metallic materials such as rubber. In some embodiments, a ball on the end of the shaft is held in a cavity in the head by an annular nut. O-rings separate the ball from components fixed to the head and the nut can be tightened or loosened to adjust the friction provided by the O-rings.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A putter comprising, 
 a) an elongated head having a face for striking a ball along a long side of the head and an end surface for striking a ball along a short side of the head;    b) a shaft; and,    c) a connection between the shaft and the head which allows the shaft to be positioned (i) in a generally vertical plane generally parallel with the face and with a suitable lie for striking a ball with the face or (ii) in a generally vertical plane generally perpendicular to the face and with a suitable lie for striking a golf ball with the end surface.    
     
     
         2 . A putter according to  claim 1  further comprising a second end surface along another short side of the head and wherein the connection between the shaft and head further allows the shaft to be positioned in a generally vertical plane generally perpendicular to the face and with a suitable lie for striking a golf ball with the end surface.  
     
     
         3 . A putter according to  claim 1  wherein the shaft can be positioned with a suitable lie for either left or right handed golfers to strike a golf ball with the face.  
     
     
         4 . A putter according to  claim 1  wherein the shaft can be positioned with a suitable lie for either left or right handed golfers to strike a ball with the end surface.  
     
     
         5 . A putter according to  claim 1  wherein the end surface has a loft of 5 degrees or more.  
     
     
         6 . A putter according to  claim 1  wherein the end surface has a loft of 10 degrees or more.  
     
     
         7 . A putter according to  claim 2  wherein the face, the end surface and the second end surface each have a different loft.  
     
     
         8 . A putter according to  claim 2  wherein the end surface has a loft of between 5 and 15 degrees while the second end surface has a loft of between 15 degrees and 25 degrees.  
     
     
         9 . A putter according to  claim 1  wherein the shaft is held in each position such that it does not move appreciably while putting, but can be moved to another position by a golfer using their muscles alone, or without tools.  
     
     
         10 . A putter with a head and a shaft wherein the shaft is pivotably mounted in the head and wherein all contact between the shaft and the head is made through one or more resilient, non-metallic materials.  
     
     
         11 . A putter according to  claim 10  wherein the one or more materials are rubber.  
     
     
         12 . A putter according to  claim 10  wherein the shaft may pivot about two orthogonal axes.  
     
     
         13 . A putter comprising, 
 a) a head having a an upwards opening cavity;    b) a shaft having a ball on one end, the ball being inside of the cavity;    c) an annular ring in the top of the cavity to contain the ball in the cavity, the shaft exiting through a hole in the center of the ring; and,    d) an O-ring mounted in the cavity between the ball and the ring, 
 wherein the ring puts sufficient pressure on the O-ring to hold the ball with enough force that the head does not move appreciably during a put.  
   
     
     
         14 . The putter of  claim 13  wherein the ring is threaded into the cavity and can be turned to alter the pressure on the O-ring.  
     
     
         15 . The putter of  claim 13  wherein the force can be overcome by a golfer using their muscles alone.  
     
     
         16 . The putter of  claim 13  wherein the shaft abuts the ring when the shaft is set at a useful lie.  
     
     
         17 . The putter of  claim 16  having a plurality of rings which the golfer may chose from to select between different useful lies.  
     
     
         18 . The putter of  claim 13  wherein the bottom of the ball sits in an O-ring on the bottom of the cavity and the ball does not contact any components fixed to the head other than through an O-ring.  
     
     
         19 . The putter of  claim 13  wherein the bottom of the ball rests on a screw threaded upwards into the cavity from a sole of the head.  
     
     
         20 . The putter of  claim 19  having a feature of shape of the ball and a feature of shape of the screw such that the ball and screw may interact to fix the shaft at a useful lie but permit the shaft to rotate around a generally vertical axis through the ball.  
     
     
         21 . The putter of  claim 20  wherein the feature of shape of the screw is a flat surface and the feature of shape of the ball is a flat spot.  
     
     
         22 . The putter of  claim 21  wherein the screw can be positioned to releasably fix the shaft at the useful lie but wherein pressure on the shaft can rotate the ball so that the flat spot on the ball is moved off of the flat head of the screw.  
     
     
         23 . The putter of  claim 20  wherein the screw can be tightened to effectively lock the shaft in a single position.  
     
     
         24 . The putter of  claim 1  further comprising one more ball scoops in a side.