Variable length putter

Abstract

A chest putter or a belly putter construction includes a putter shaft having a bore formed in its proximal end that is adapted to slidingly receive a shaft extension. A friction fitting between the putter shaft and the shaft extension provides a temporary connection so that a prospective purchaser may try a plurality of shaft extensions of varying lengths in an effort to find a particular shaft extension which when combined with a putter shaft provides a proper length. When a desired length is found, an adhesive is employed to permanently bond the particular shaft extension to the putter shaft. The resulting chest or belly putter has a fixed length that complies with the rules of professional and amateur golf.

1 . A putter, comprising: 
 a putter head including a surface for striking a golf ball;    a putter shaft affixed to said putter head;    a bore of predetermined longitudinal extent formed in a proximal end of said putter shaft;    a shaft extension of predetermined length having a proximal end and a distal end;    said distal end of said shaft extension adapted to be releasably and slideably received within said bore;    said proximal end of said shaft extension adapted to abut a stomach of a golfer during a putting stroke;    said shaft extension and said putter shaft having a combined length that enables said golfer making said putting stroke to adopt a conventional putting posture when performing said putting stroke.    
     
     
         2 . The putter of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a gripping means attached to said putter shaft to facilitate performance of said putting stroke;    whereby said shaft extension is not gripped by said golfer during said putting stroke.    
     
     
         3 . The putter of  claim 2 , further comprising a cushioning means secured to said proximal end of said shaft extension; said cushioning means abutting said golfer”s stomach during said performance of said putting stroke.  
     
     
         4 . The putter of  claim 1 , wherein said distal free end of said shaft extension has a taper formed therein to facilitate sliding reception of said distal free end within said bore.  
     
     
         5 . The putter of  claim 1 , wherein said distal free end of said shaft extension is swaged to facilitate sliding reception of said distal free end within said bore.  
     
     
         6 . A putter assembly, comprising: 
 a putter head including a surface for striking a golf ball;    a putter shaft affixed to said putter head;    a bore of predetermined longitudinal extent formed in a proximal end of said putter shaft;    a plurality of shaft extensions of differing predetermined lengths, each of which has a proximal end and a distal end;    each distal end of each shaft extension being adapted to be releasably and slideably received within said bore;    a proximal end of a preselected shaft extension adapted to abut a stomach of a golfer during a putting stroke;    each shaft extension and said putter shaft having a combined length different from a combined length of said putter shaft and a different shaft extension so that golfers of differing height, weight, and girth are enabled to adopt a conventional putting posture when performing said putting stroke with a preselected combination of a shaft extension of predetermined length and said putter shaft.    
     
     
         7 . The putter of  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 a gripping means attached to said putter shaft to facilitate performance of said putting stroke;    whereby a shaft extension is not gripped by said golfer during said putting stroke.    
     
     
         8 . The putter of  claim 6 , further comprising a cushioning means secured to a proximal end of a preselected shaft extension; said cushioning means abutting said golfer”s stomach during said performance of said putting stroke.  
     
     
         9 . A method for making putters comprising: 
 providing a putter head;    providing a putter shaft and securing said putter shaft to said putter head;    forming a longitudinally-extending bore in a proximal end of said putter shaft;    providing a shaft extension of predetermined length;    adapting a distal free end of said shaft extension to be slidingly and releasably received within said bore;    permanently bonding said shaft extension to said putter shaft by applying an adhesive to said distal free end of said shaft extension and inserting said distal free end into said bore.    
     
     
         10 . A method for making putters comprising: 
 providing a putter head;    providing a putter shaft and securing said putter shaft to said putter head;    forming a longitudinally-extending bore in a proximal end of said putter shaft;    providing a plurality of shaft extensions of predetermined length; adapting a distal free end of each of said shaft extensions to be slidingly and releasably received within said bore;    successively inserting distal free ends of said shaft extensions into said bore until a particular shaft extension and putter shaft having a predetermined combined length is formed;    permanently bonding said particular shaft extension to said putter shaft by applying an adhesive to said distal free end of said particular shaft extension and inserting said distal free end into said bore.