Golf putter with dual-friction curved-face

Abstract

A golf putter with a dual-friction curved face including a shaft having a grip provided at its upper end, and a putter head connected to the lower end of the shaft and having a putter face convexly curved so as to substantially correct directional error in putting, the golf putter wherein the putter face has a radius of curvature of approximately 400 mm to approximately 900 mm so as to maximize a direction error correcting effect, the shaft which is the rotation center of the putter head is positioned approximately 5 mm to approximately 20 mm in rear of the foremost part of the putter face so as to substantially correct the directional error, and the putter face has a dual-friction structure in which friction resistance differs in a heel-to-toe direction and in a vertical direction to decrease directional error due to inaccurate putting strokes and to increase top spin to a golf ball. In the golf putter with a dual-friction curved face, directional error can be corrected so as to putt in an intended target direction, by employing a low friction material as a putter face material and making the putter face convexly curved, even when a putting stroke direction does not coincide with the target direction or the putter face of a putter head is not perpendicular to the target direction due to a golfer's inaccurate putting posture, habits, or strain.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A golf putter with a dual-friction curved face including a shaft having a grip provided at its upper end, and a putter head connected to the lower end of the shaft and having a putter face convexly curved so as to substantially correct directional error in putting, the golf putter wherein the putter face has a radius of curvature so as to maximize a direction error correcting effect, the shaft which is the rotation center of the putter head is positioned in rear of the foremost part of the putter face so as to substantially correct the directional error, and the putter face has a dual-friction structure in which friction resistance differs in a heel-to-toe direction and in a vertical direction to decrease directional error due to inaccurate putting strokes and to increase top spin to a golf ball.  
     
     
         2 . The golf putter according to  claim 1 , wherein the putter face is made of a low friction material having a friction coefficient of 0.3 or less with respect to a golf ball, and has a plurality of micro-grooves extending in a heel-to-toe direction along the putter face so as to increase friction resistance in a vertical direction.  
     
     
         3 . The golf putter according to  claim 2 , wherein the putter face is made of an iron (Fe) based material, and is surface-processed to have an arithmetic average roughness of 5 μm or less.  
     
     
         4 . The golf putter according to  claim 2 , wherein the putter face is plated with at least one material selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum, nickel and chrome to have an arithmetic average roughness of 5 μm or less.  
     
     
         5 . The golf putter according to  claim 2 , wherein the low friction material includes molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ), diamond, graphite, Teflon, acrylic polymer, silicon-based materials, wax or other petroleum derivatives, plastic and water based lubricants and composite materials thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The golf putter according to  claim 2 , wherein the low friction material is carbon, nitrogen or boron which is high-temperature penetrated into the putter face.  
     
     
         7 . The golf putter according to  claim 2 , wherein the putter face is formed by directly coating the low friction material on the entire front surface of the putter head or inserting the low friction material in the form of an insert into a portion of the front surface of the putter head.