Mallet-Style Putter Crown Alignment for Quiet-Eye Focus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mallet-style putters often distract the user's gaze away from the ball due to their larger shape, which can hinder performance by disrupting the quiet eye phenomenon, leading to mis-strikes during putting.
Innovation Solution
A mallet-style putter head with an alignment system featuring focus elements such as central lines, color variations, and anomalous characteristics on the crown to draw the eye to the ball, maintaining focus throughout the swing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mallet-style putter head is used to increase moment of inertia and forgiveness, then the putter becomes more forgiving on off-center hits, but the larger shape distracts the user's eyes from the ball
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color changes by incorporating focus elements with different colors (such as a red center dot, blue triangular lines, and white central line) on the crown of the putter head. These color variations create visual contrast that draws the user's eye to specific locations adjacent to the ball, counteracting the natural tendency for the eye to be drawn to the rear of the larger mallet-style putter head.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating visual attention elements at specific locations on the crown rather than distributing features uniformly. The alignment system places focus elements (central line, triangular dispersed lines, center dot) at the front portion of the crown adjacent to the ball, creating a localized visual anchor that directs eye focus to the task-relevant location while maintaining the overall mallet-style putter head design for forgiveness.
2Reliability
If the putter head size is increased to improve moment of inertia, then forgiveness is improved, but the quiet eye phenomenon is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by positioning the alignment system and focus elements on the crown before the putting stroke begins. The alignment system is designed to draw the eye to the correct location (adjacent to the ball) during the address position and pre-stroke phase, establishing proper focus before the stroke is initiated. This ensures the quiet eye phenomenon occurs at the appropriate moment, with the eye fixated on the ball or adjacent location before and during the stroke.
3Measurement precision
If alignment elements are added to draw the eye adjacent to the ball, then focus on the ball is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the alignment system into distinct, separate focus elements rather than using a single complex feature. The alignment system is segmented into multiple components: a central line element, triangular dispersed line series, a center dot, and optional auxiliary lines. Each element serves a specific function in directing eye focus, and they work together as a coordinated system. This segmentation allows for flexible design and manufacturing while achieving the desired eye-drawing effect.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of mallet-style putter-type golf club heads comprising a first color and an alignment system to draw a golfer's eye towards a particular desirable location are described herein. The alignment system includes a central line extending rearward from a top edge centerpoint toward the rear portion and comprising a second color different from the first color. The alignment system further includes a focus element having a first grouping of lines and a second grouping of lines each extending rearward parallel to the central line and comprising a base abutting a top edge. Each of the first grouping of lines and the second grouping of lines further comprise at least the second color, a color saturation that changes as the lines extend rearward from the top edge, and line lengths that decrease as the first grouping of lines and the second grouping of lines are distributed further from the central line. The alignment system's changes in color, color saturation, and line length provide means to draw the human eye into focus at a particular desirable location to minimize mis-strokes that would cause undesirable variance from the desired trajectory or roll path.