Putter Head Retention Cavity for Ball Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional golf putters require strenuous physical activity for retrieving golf balls, leading to muscle strain and potential injury, especially for elderly golfers or those with health issues, as they need to continuously bend over or kneel to pick up the ball.
Innovation Solution
A golf putter with a retention cavity in the putter head that engages and retains the golf ball, reducing the need for bending or kneeling, and an alignment aid on the crown to assist in aligning the putter during a putting stroke.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional putter is used without a retention cavity, then the putter head structure remains simple, but the golfer must continuously bend over or kneel to retrieve the golf ball, causing muscle strain and potential injury
Solution Approach 1:
The putter head is segmented into functional zones: a retention cavity formed by a first arm and second arm extending from the body, creating a dedicated space for ball retrieval separate from the putting face area. This segmentation allows the putter to perform both putting and ball retrieval functions without requiring the golfer to bend or kneel.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention cavity is nested within the putter head structure, formed by arms extending from the body to create an enclosed space. The cavity acts as a hidden compartment that can hold the golf ball, allowing retrieval without external manipulation or bending by the golfer.
2Ease of operation
If the putter head presses onto the ball to secure it in the retention cavity, then ball retrieval becomes easier and reduces physical strain, but the cavity must be precisely formed to engage and retain the ball effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The retention cavity is pre-formed within the putter head structure during manufacturing, with the first and second arms extending from the body to create the enclosed space before use. This preliminary formation ensures the cavity is ready to receive and retain the golf ball when the putter head presses onto it during play.
3Reliability
If the retention cavity is formed by arms extending from the putter body, then the cavity can effectively engage and retain the golf ball, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex requiring precise formation of multiple arms and cavity surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The first arm and second arm are merged into a single integrated structure extending from the putter body, forming the retention cavity as one continuous feature rather than separate components. This merging simplifies manufacturing by reducing the number of separate forming operations needed while maintaining the cavity's ability to engage and retain the golf ball.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of a golf putter having a putter head attached to an elongated shaft with the putter head defining a retention cavity configured to engage and retain a golf ball therein are disclosed. The retention cavity is formed along the back region of the putter head and is configured to have a diameter that is slightly less than the diameter of a regulation sized golf ball such that the golf ball is retained therein when urged into the confines of the retention cavity by the putter head. The putter head further includes an alignment aid that cooperates with the retention cavity to assist in aligning the golf putter during a putting stroke.