Putter

Abstract

To provide a putter which has high direct advance property of a hit ball without requiring large costs.SOLUTION: A putter comprises a shaft part 1, a grip part 2, and a head part 3. The shaft part 1 has: a hollow shaft main body part 11; a columnar body 12 which is stored in the shaft main body part 11, and is bent when hitting a ball; a first support member 13 which is stored between an inner peripheral face of an upper end of the shaft main body part 11 and an outer peripheral face of an upper end of the columnar body 12, and supports the upper end of the columnar body 12; and a second support member 14 which is stored between an inner peripheral face of a lower end of the shaft main body part 11 and an outer peripheral face of a lower end of the columnar body 12, and supports the lower end of the columnar body 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to putters. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional putter has the following characteristics (see Patent Document 1). A putter head including a shaft portion and a hosel portion to which the shaft portion is connected, a face surface for striking a ball, and a head portion connected to a back side of the face surface, the head portion being linearly symmetrical with respect to an imaginary orthogonal line which is substantially orthogonal to the face surface and passes through substantially the center of the face surface, The top surface of the head portion is provided with an arc of a circle having a predetermined radius, the center of the circle being on the virtual orthogonal line on the ball-hitting direction side, and the arc of the circle is composed of a first arc passing through the toe-side end and heel-side end of the face surface, and a second arc that is concentric with the first arc and has a longer radius than the first arc. The head portion and the back head portion not including the face surface are integral, or can be configured so as to be separable into a front head portion including the face surface and a back head portion not including the face surface with the second arc as a boundary surface. The front head portion and the back head portion are connected together so that the upper end line of the toe-side side surface and the upper end line of the heel-side side surface are straight lines in a plan view, and the extension lines of the upper end line of the toe-side side surface and the upper end line of the heel-side side surface on the ball-hitting direction side intersect with each spot on the virtual orthogonal line when viewed in a plan view. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7159520 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The putter of Patent Document 1 has a large head and a complex shape in order to send the ball straight toward the spot, which causes a problem of high manufacturing costs.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the invention is to provide a putter that can hit the ball in a straight line without incurring high manufacturing costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention described in claim 1 provides a putter comprising a shaft portion, a grip portion covering an outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion, and a head portion connected to a lower end of the shaft portion, wherein the shaft portion has a hollow shaft main body portion, a cylindrical body housed within the shaft main body and bent when a ball is hit, a first support member housed between the inner peripheral surface of the upper end of the shaft main body and the outer peripheral surface of the upper end of the cylindrical body and supporting the upper end of the cylindrical body, and a second support member housed between the inner peripheral surface of the lower end of the shaft main body and the outer peripheral surface of the lower end of the cylindrical body and supporting the lower end of the cylindrical body.

[0007] The invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that, in the putter of the invention described in claim 1, it further comprises a weight attached to the middle portion of the columnar body to increase the deflection of the middle portion of the columnar body.

[0008] The invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that, in the putter of the invention described in claim 1, the weight of the first support member is greater than the weight of the second support member in accordance with the weight of the head portion.

[0009] The invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that, in the putter of the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 3, the front-to-rear dimension of the head portion is approximately 1 / 5 to 1 / 3 of the dimension from the tip of the toe of the head portion to the rear end of the heel of the head portion. Effect of the Invention

[0010] It is possible to provide a putter that hits a ball in a straight line without incurring large manufacturing costs. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cutaway view of a putter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cutaway cross-sectional view of the upper end of the putter of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged cutaway cross-sectional view of the lower end of the putter of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a columnar body housed in the shaft main body, and a first support member and a second support member attached to the columnar body. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a columnar body housed in the shaft body, and a first support member, a second support member, and a weight attached to the columnar body. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing a partial cross section of the shaft portion, where FIG. 6(a) shows the state before the head portion hits the ball, and FIG. 6(b) shows the state at the moment the head portion hits the ball. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, a putter according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a shaft portion 1, a grip portion 2 that covers the upper end of the shaft portion 1, and a head portion 3 that is connected to the lower end of the shaft portion 1.

[0013] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the shaft portion 1 has a hollow shaft main body portion 11, a columnar body 12 housed within the shaft main body portion 11, a first support member 13 that supports the upper end of the columnar body 12 so that it does not move within the shaft main body portion 11, and a second support member 14 that supports the lower end of the columnar body 12 so that it does not move within the shaft portion 11.

[0014] The shaft body 11 is cylindrical and made of steel or carbon.

[0015] The cross-sectional shape of the columnar body 12 is circular. The cross-sectional shape of the columnar body 12 is not limited to circular and may be rectangular, hexagonal, etc. The columnar body 12 is made of brass, but the material of the columnar body 12 may be a metal other than brass, or a material other than a metal (carbon fiber, etc.).

[0016] The first support member 13 is housed between the inner circumferential surface of the upper end of the shaft body 11 and the outer circumferential surface of the upper end of the columnar body 12 . The second support member 14 is housed between the inner circumferential surface of the lower end of the shaft body 11 and the outer circumferential surface of the lower end of the columnar body 12 . The first support member 13 and the second support member 14 are each cylindrical. The first support member 13 and the second support member 14 are each made of rubber, but may be made of metal. The first support member 13 and the second support member 14 each have a central hole into which the columnar body 12 is inserted. The outer diameter of the first support member 13 and the outer diameter of the second support member 14 are equal, and the length of the first support member 13 and the length of the second support member 14 are also equal. Since the outer peripheral surface of the middle portion of the columnar body 12 (the portion other than the upper and lower ends of the columnar body 12) and the inner peripheral surface of the middle portion of the shaft main body 11 are not in contact with each other, a space is formed between the first support member 13 and the second support member 14.

[0017] Grip portion 2 is cylindrical and made of rubber. The upper end of grip portion 2 is closed and the lower end of grip portion 2 is open. The inner diameter of grip portion 2 is constant, but the outer diameter of grip portion 2 gradually decreases from the upper end to the lower end of grip portion 2 (see Figures 1 and 2).

[0018] The head portion 3 is made of metal (for example, an aluminum alloy, etc.). The head portion 3 has a head main body portion 31, a shaft receiving portion 32 that receives the lower end of the shaft portion 1, and a connecting portion 33 that connects the head main body portion 31 and the shaft receiving portion 32. The head main body portion 31, the shaft receiving portion 32, and the connecting portion 33 are connected integrally. This head portion 3 is a so-called pin type, and has a smaller dimension L1 in the front-rear direction BF of the head portion 3 shown in FIG. 1 and a smaller weight than so-called mallet type or neo-mallet type head portions. The shape of the head body 31 of the head portion 3 in a plan view is rectangular. The dimension of the short side of the rectangle (dimension L1 in the front-to-rear direction BF of the head portion 3) is approximately 1 / 4 of the dimension L2 from the tip 31a of the toe of the head body 31 of the head portion 3 to the rear end 31b of the heel of the head body 31 (see Figs. 1 and 3).

[0019] To assemble the putter of this embodiment, first, the upper ends of the columns 12 are press-fitted into the central hole of the first support member 13, and the lower ends of the columns 12 are press-fitted into the central hole of the second support member . Thereafter, the columnar body 12 is inserted into the shaft body 11, the second support member 14 is press-fitted into the lower end of the shaft body 11, and the first support member 13 is press-fitted into the upper end of the shaft body 11. As a result, both ends of the columnar body 12 in the shaft body 11 are supported so as not to move in the radial direction of the shaft portion 1, and the shaft portion 1 is completed. The outer peripheral surface of the middle portion of the columnar body 12 is not in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the shaft body 11, and a space is formed between the first support member 13 and the second support member 14, so that the middle portion of the columnar body 12 bends when the ball is hit with the putter. Next, the upper end of the shaft portion 1 is inserted into the open end of the grip portion 2 , and the shaft portion 1 is pushed into the grip portion 2 until the upper end of the shaft portion 1 abuts against the closed end of the grip portion 2 . Finally, the lower end of the shaft portion 3 is inserted into the shaft receiving portion 32 of the head portion 3 and fixed in place. As a result, the shaft portion 1 and the head portion 3 are integrally connected. In this manner, the assembly of the putter is completed.

[0020] In this embodiment, before the putter head 3 hits the ball, the shaft body 11 and the columnar body 12 are almost parallel (see FIG. 6(a)). At the moment the putter head 3 hits the ball, the head 3 collides with the ball, slowing down the moving speed of the head 3 and the shaft body 11 of the shaft 1, but inertia acts on the middle part of the columnar body 12, so that the middle part of the columnar body 12 tries to move further in the direction of travel. As a result, the columnar body 12 bends (see FIG. 6(b)), and the moment of inertia is transmitted to the shaft body 11 and the head 3 via the first support member 13 and the second support member 14, acting as a force to push the ball. As a result, the ball rolls straight toward the spot (a mark used to check whether the player is correctly positioned in the target direction when addressing the ball) (straightness of the hit ball). In FIG. 6(b), the bending of the columnar body 12 is emphasized for ease of explanation. This putter also helps with long putts because the ball rolls well even with a compact swing.

[0021] In this embodiment, there is no need to enlarge the head portion 3 or complicate its shape in order to improve the straightness of the hit ball, so a putter that enables the ball to be hit straight can be provided without incurring high manufacturing costs.

[0022] In addition, since the head portion 3 can be made smaller and its shape simplified, it becomes easier to control the face surface of the head portion 3 and it becomes easier to get a sense of distance by imagining rolling the ball with the hand, making use of the sensibilities of the putter user.

[0023] Next, a first modified example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0024] The same reference numerals are used for the parts common to the above-mentioned embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted. Only the main differences from the above-mentioned embodiment will be described below. Except for the following differences, the first modified example has the same configuration as the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0025] 5, in the first modified example, not only is a first support member 13 attached to the upper end of the columnar body 12 and a second support member 14 attached to the lower end of the columnar body 12, but also a weight 15 is attached to the middle part of the columnar body 12 to increase the deflection of the middle part of the columnar body 12. Metal (such as stainless steel) may be used as the material for the weight 15. The weight 15 is cylindrical and has a central hole into which the columnar body 12 is inserted. Since the outer diameter of weight 15 is smaller than the outer diameters of first support member 13 and second support member 14 , a space is formed between the outer circumferential surface of weight 15 and the inner circumferential surface of the middle part of shaft body 11 . According to this first modified example, since the weight 15 is attached to the middle portion of the columnar body 12, the moment of inertia of the columnar body 12 becomes large, and the straightness of the hit ball is improved.

[0026] In the above-described embodiment and modified examples, the first support member 13 and the second support member 14 are equal in outer diameter and length, and are also equal in material, rubber, but as a second modified example, the first support member 13 may be made of a metal (e.g., stainless steel, etc.) and the length of the first support member 13 (the weight of the first support member 13) may be determined according to the weight of the head portion 3, thereby using the first support member 13 as a counterweight (not shown). According to this second modified example, it is not necessary to use a dedicated counterweight, and the number of parts and assembly steps can be reduced, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0027] In the above-mentioned embodiments and modified examples, the dimension L1 in the front-to-back direction BF of the head main body 31 of the head portion 3 is approximately 1 / 4 of the dimension L2 from the tip 31a of the toe of the head main body 31 of the head portion 3 to the rear end 31b of the heel of the head main body 31. However, if the dimension L1 in the front-to-back direction of the head main body 31 of the head portion 3 is approximately 1 / 5 to 1 / 3 of the dimension L2 from the tip 31a of the toe of the head main body 31 of the head portion 3 to the rear end 31b of the heel of the head main body 31, as in the above-mentioned embodiments and modified examples, it becomes easier to control the face surface of the head portion 3 and it becomes easier to get a sense of distance by imagining rolling the ball with your hand, making use of the sensitivity of the putter user. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 1 Shaft section 11 Shaft body 12 Column 13 First support member 14 Second support member 15 Weight 2 Grip section 3 Head section 31 Head body 32 Shaft receiving part 33 Connecting part 31a Head section, head body section, toe tip 31b Rear end of heel of head body of head L1: Front-rear dimension of head body L2: The dimension from the tip of the toe of the head body to the rear end of the heel of the head body BF Head unit front-rear direction of head body

Claims

1. A putter comprising a shaft portion, a grip portion covering an outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion, and a head portion connected to a lower end portion of the shaft portion, The shaft portion is A hollow shaft body portion; a columnar body that is housed in the shaft body and bends when the ball is hit; a first support member that is accommodated between an inner circumferential surface of an upper end portion of the shaft main body and an outer circumferential surface of an upper end portion of the columnar body and supports the upper end portion of the columnar body; a second support member that is accommodated between an inner peripheral surface of a lower end of the shaft main body and an outer peripheral surface of a lower end of the columnar body and supports the lower end of the columnar body; A putter comprising:

2. The rod-shaped member further includes a weight attached to the middle portion of the rod-shaped member to increase the deflection of the middle portion of the rod-shaped member.

2. The putter of claim 1 .

3. The weight of the first support member is greater than the weight of the second support member in accordance with the weight of the head portion.

2. The putter of claim 1 .

4. The dimension of the head portion in the front-to-rear direction is approximately 1 / 5 to 1 / 3 of the dimension from the tip of the toe of the head portion to the rear end of the heel of the head portion.

4. The putter according to claim 1, wherein the putter is a flat putter.

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