Golf club

Abstract

A golf putter has a head and a shaft affixed to the head, the head having a front face for striking a ball and a rear face and is constructed and designed to assist the golfer in aligning the putter for propelling the ball to be putted in the desired direction. The head comprises a central section with a front face, the central section extending from proximate the head's front face towards the head's rear face and tapering rearward outwardly in width in plan, and a pair of side sections flanking sides of the central section, the side sections each having a front face adjacent the front face of the central section and being of a tapering configuration along the sides of the central section. The central sections and the side sections are oppositely transparent or opaque, allowing them to be visually distinguished from each other and providing visual cues for aligning the putter.

1 . A golf putter, comprising a head and a shaft affixed to the head, the head having a front face for striking a ball and a rear face, the head comprising a central section with a front face, the central section extending from proximate the head's front face towards the head's rear face and tapering rearward outwardly in width in plan, and a pair of side sections flanking sides of the central section, the side sections each having a front face adjacent the front face of the central section, the side sections being of a tapering configuration along the sides of the central section, the central section being opaque or transparent, and when opaque the side sections are transparent and when transparent the side sections are opaque. 
     
     
         2 . The putter of  claim 1  wherein the front faces of the central section and the side sections together form the front face of the head. 
     
     
         3 . The putter of  claim 1  wherein the central section is opaque. 
     
     
         4 . The putter of  claim 1 , wherein the shaft is affixed to the central section. 
     
     
         5 . The putter of  claim 2 , wherein the width of the front face of the central section is between 1/16 inch and approximately 1.6 inches. 
     
     
         6 . The putter of  claim 2  wherein the central section extends from the front face of the head to the rear face of the head, the central section rear face being at least twice the width of the central section front face. 
     
     
         7 . The putter of  claim 5 , wherein the central section is chosen from metal, polymers, glass and composites. 
     
     
         8 . The putter of  claim 5 , wherein the central section is a polymer, glass or composite, the central section further including a metallic insert at a forward end forming the front face of the central section, the insert having a thickness of at least 1/16 inch. 
     
     
         9 . The putter of  claim 8  wherein the metal insert comprises no more than 25 percent of a total mass of the central section. 
     
     
         10 . The putter of  claim 3  wherein the side sections are chosen from the group consisting of glass and polymers. 
     
     
         11 . The putter of  claim 1  wherein a bottom face of each side section tapers upward towards a corresponding side of the head. 
     
     
         12 . The putter of  claim 1  wherein the central section has a bottom surface with a forward portion extending horizontally and side portions tapering upward towards an adjacent side of the head. 
     
     
         13 . The putter of  claim 1  further comprising a metallic layer extending across the front faces of the central section and the side sections, a front face of the layer forming the front face of the head. 
     
     
         14 . The putter of  claim 13  wherein the metallic layer has a thickness of at least 1/16 inch. 
     
     
         15 . A golf putter, comprising a head and a shaft affixed to the head, the head having means for facilitating aiming and directing a golf ball in a desired direction when struck by a front face of the head, said means comprising a tapering in plan central section bounded by a pair of side sections, front faces of the central and side sections together forming the putter front face, the central section being opaque or transparent, and when opaque the side sections are transparent and when transparent the side sections being opaque. 
     
     
         13 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The putter of  claim 15 , wherein the front faces of the side sections extend completely across a width of the head, the central section being transparent with a forward end thereof being positioned rearwardly of the side section front faces. 
     
     
         17 . The putter of  claim 16 , further comprising a metallic layer extending across the front faces of the side sections, a front face of the layer forming the front face of the head. 
     
     
         18 . The putter of  claim 17  wherein the shaft is mounted to one of the side sections. 
     
     
         19 . The putter of  claim 18  wherein a main axis of the shaft intersects with a lateral centerline of the head at a bottom surface of the head. 
     
     
         20 . The putter of  claim 17 , wherein the metallic layer includes a portion of a density different from the density of a remainder of the insert. 
     
     
         21 . The putter of  claim 20  wherein the portion forms a part of the front face of the layer.