Golf Club With Off-Axis Grip

Abstract

A golf club such as a putter is disclosed where the club is self-balancing, providing a torque about its shaft axis to cause the face of the club to remain substantially square through a swing of the club; and in some aspects, the club can have a forward or a rearward lean, or an off-axis grip handle.

1 . A self-balancing golf club, comprising:
 a club head having a club face configured to make contact with a golf ball;   said club head further comprising a center of mass having a location at a point around which a distribution of mass of the club head is balanced;   a shaft having a shaft length and defining a shaft center axis;   said shaft connected to said club head at a connection point;   said shaft further defining a lie angle with respect to said club head; and   wherein said shaft length, said center of mass location, and said lie angle are respectively configured to generate a torque about said center axis so as to keep said club face square to an arc of motion of said club head during swing of said golf putter.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club of  claim 1 , said shaft further comprising a forward lean with respect to said club head. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club of  claim 1 , said shaft further comprising a rearward lean with respect to said club head. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein said club head and shaft connection point is proximal to a first end of said shaft and said shaft further comprises a grip proximal to a second end of said shaft, wherein said grip comprises a grip center axis, the grip further comprising a channel configured to receive said shaft therein and having a channel center axis, and wherein said grip center axis and said channel center axis are not parallel to one another. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club of  claim 4 , configured and arranged such that said shaft is secured within said grip channel wherein the shaft center axis is parallel to the channel center axis but the shaft center axis is angled relative to said grip center axis and the shaft center axis is not parallel to the grip center axis. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club of  claim 4 , wherein said grip has a circular grip cross section with respect to the grip center axis such that a first axis in said grip cross section and a second axis in said grip cross section are perpendicular to one another and have a same dimension as one another. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club of  claim 4 , wherein said grip has an elliptical cross section with respect to the grip center axis such that a first axis in said grip cross section and a second axis in said grip cross section are perpendicular to one another but have different dimensions from one another. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club of  claim 4 , wherein the shaft center axis and the channel center axis are parallel to one another but the grip center axis is at an angle with respect to said shaft and grip center axes. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club of  claim 4 , wherein said grip has a cross section perpendicular to the grip center axis and wherein said grip cross section comprises at least one flat side. 
     
     
         10 . A self-balancing golf club comprising:
 a shaft connected to a grip at a first end of said shaft and to a club head at a second end of said shaft;   said club head comprising a center of mass having a location at a point around which a distribution of mass of the club head is balanced;   said shaft having a shaft length and connected to said club head at a connection point;   said shaft defining a lie angle with respect to said club head;   wherein said first end of the shaft is disposed in a channel in said grip and at an angle with respect to said grip such that a central axis of said shaft is not parallel to a central axis of said grip;   wherein said channel runs within said grip and is dimensioned to secure said grip to said shaft thereby transferring a force on said grip into a corresponding force on said club head through said shaft; and   wherein said shaft length, said center of mass location, and said lie angle are respectively configured to generate a torque about said center axis so as to keep said club face square to an arc of motion of said club head during swing of said golf putter.