Ground contact putter

Abstract

A ground-contact putter is disclosed, the putter having a putter head that is rested continuously on an underlying putting surface during the putting stroke. The putter head has two end portions that contact the underlying putting surface and a centrally disposed ball-striking portion that is elevated above the putting surface. The putter head is oriented so that the longitudinal axis through the center of the putter head is perpendicular to the ball-strike direction. The putter shaft can be attached to the putter head either perpendicularly or at an angle. The putter head can optionally comprise a core, ground-contact surfaces and ball-strike surfaces made of different materials.

1 . A ground-contact putter comprising: 
 an elongated shaft having first and second ends;    a handgrip on the first end of the elongated shaft;    a putter head secured to the second end of the elongated shaft and oriented substantially transversely to the shaft, the head having two spaced-apart end sections separated by an intermediate ball-strike section;    each end section comprising a ground-contact surface; and    the intermediate ball-strike section being elevated above the ground-contact surfaces of the two end sections and further comprising a ball-strike surface disposed at an elevation above the midpoint of a golf ball.    
     
     
         2 . The putter of  claim 1  wherein the end sections are substantially cylindrical.  
     
     
         3 . The putter of  claim 2  wherein the ground-contact surfaces are substantially cylindrical.  
     
     
         4 . The putter of  claim 1  wherein the ball-strike section is substantially cylindrical.  
     
     
         5 . The putter of  claim 3  wherein the ball-strike surface is substantially cylindrical.  
     
     
         6 . The putter of  claim 1  wherein the putter head comprises a core, and the core and ball-strike surface are made of different materials.  
     
     
         7 . The putter of  claim 1  wherein the ground-contact surfaces and the ball-strike surface are made of different materials.  
     
     
         8 . The putter of  claim 7  wherein the ground-contact surface is made of a slick polymer.  
     
     
         9 . The putter of  claim 1  wherein the ground-contact surface comprises a corrosion-resistant metal.  
     
     
         10 . The putter of  claim 1  wherein the shaft and the putter head each comprise a central longitudinal axis and wherein the shaft axis is perpendicular to the putter head axis and the two axes intersect in the center of the putter head.  
     
     
         11 . The putter of  claim 1  wherein the shaft and the putter head each comprise a central longitudinal axis and wherein the shaft axis is perpendicular to the putter head axis and crosses above the putter head axis.  
     
     
         12 . The putter of  claim 1  wherein the shaft and the putter head each comprise a central longitudinal axis and wherein the shaft axis is perpendicular to the putter head axis and crosses below the putter head axis.  
     
     
         13 . The putter of  claim 1  wherein the shaft and the putter head each comprise a central longitudinal axis and wherein the shaft axis slants from about 10 to about 20 degrees rearwardly from an axis vertical to the putter head axis.  
     
     
         14 . The putter of  claim 6  wherein at least a portion of the core is hollow.  
     
     
         15 . The putter of  claim 1  wherein the head comprises a polymeric material.  
     
     
         16 . The putter of  claim 1  wherein the end sections have a diameter greater than a golf ball diameter.  
     
     
         17 . The putter of  claim 1  wherein the ball-strike surface is disposed at least about {fraction (1/8)} inch higher than the midpoint of a golf ball.  
     
     
         18 . The putter of  claim 1  wherein the shaft comprises a central longitudinal axis and wherein, when the putter head is positioned with the ball-strike surface facing forwardly and the ground-contact surface facing downwardly, an angle ranging between about 30 and about 85 degrees is formed between the shaft axis and a substantially level putting surface underlying the putter head.  
     
     
         19 . The putter of  claim 18  wherein the angle ranges between about 30 and about 45 degrees.  
     
     
         20 . The putter of  claim 1  wherein the putter head is secured to the shaft by a means comprising threads.