Mini-face putter with grooves

Abstract

A golf putter head having a vertically rounded face and one or more grooves or projections. In some embodiments the putter head ( 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610 ) has an elongate flat blade (16, 116, 216, 616) for contacting a golf ball ( 30 ). The elongate flat blade ( 16, 116 ) is of narrow thickness and has grooves or projections in the front edge. Further provided are golf putter heads ( 310 ) having a rounded front edge ( 313 ) with grooves or projections. The grooves of either type of putter can optionally have linear inserts within the grooves to provide the projections or the projections can be an integral part of the front edge of the putter heads ( 16, 116, 310 ). The golf putter heads ( 10, 110, 310 ) can have weights which can be secured in slots on the bottom of the putter heads to allow for various weighting configurations. The putter heads ( 10, 110, 310 ) have contact areas ( 34 A, 34 B) between the front edge ( 16, 116, 310 ) when it strikes a golf ball ( 30 ) which is linear, of narrow width and horizontal in orientation.

1 . In a golf putter head with a curved front edge used for striking a golf ball in an essentially linear contact area horizontal to the ground when putting and an opposed back edge, a length defined between a toe edge which extends from the curved front edge to the back edge of the blade and an opposed heel edge, and a thickness defined between a top side bordered by the edges and an opposed bottom side, the improvement which comprises one or more grooves on the curved front edge at least adjacent to a ball contact portion of the head defined by two or more ridges between the grooves, wherein the front edge is curved vertically such that the front edge strikes the golf ball on a small contact area upon no more than two of the ridges.  
   
   
       2 . The putter head of  claim 1  wherein the front edge is curved vertically with a radius of curvature less than a radius of the golf ball.  
   
   
       3 . The putter head of  claim 1  wherein the front edge has three grooves.  
   
   
       4 . The putter head of  claim 1  wherein the one or more grooves are parallel and extend along the length of the front edge from toe edge to heel edge, so as to be horizontal to the ground when putting.  
   
   
       5 . The putter head of  claim 1  wherein the front edge used for striking a golf ball is provided as an interchangeable face.  
   
   
       6 . The putter head of  claim 1  wherein the one or more grooves have a width of no more than 0.06 inches, a depth of no more than 0.04 inches, and a width to spacing ratio of at least 1:1.  
   
   
       7 . The putter head of  claim 1  wherein the one or more grooves have a width of 0.06 inches, a depth of 0.04 inches and are separated by 0.07 inches.  
   
   
       8 . The putter head of  claim 1  wherein the putter face has a radius of 0.5 to 0.75 inches.  
   
   
       9 . The putter head of  claim 8 , wherein the grooves have a 0.06 inch width with a 0.06 inch space between the grooves, a depth which does not exceed 0.04 inches, and wherein the ridges are without sharp edges.  
   
   
       10 . The putter head of  claim 1  wherein the thickness of the front edge of the putter head is less than about 0.25 inch (6.4 mm).  
   
   
       11 . The putter head of  claim 1  wherein the thickness of the putter head varies from the front edge to the back edge.  
   
   
       12 . In a golf putter head with a front edge used for striking a golf ball in an essentially linear contact area horizontal to the ground when putting and an opposed back edge, a length defined between a toe edge extending from the front edge to the back edge of the blade and an opposed heel edge, and a thickness defined between a top side bordered by the edges and an opposed bottom side, the improvement which comprises one or more projections on the curved front edge at least adjacent to a ball contact portion of the head, wherein the front edge is curved vertically such that the front edge strikes the golf ball on a small contact area upon no more than two of the projections.  
   
   
       13 . The putter head of  claim 12  wherein the curved front edge is curved vertically with a radius of curvature less than a radius of the golf ball.  
   
   
       14 . The putter head of  claim 12  wherein the curved front edge has three projections.  
   
   
       15 . The putter head of  claim 12  wherein the one or more projections are parallel and extend along the length of the front edge from toe edge to heel edge, so as to be horizontal to the ground when putting.  
   
   
       16 . The putter head of  claim 12  wherein the curved front edge used for striking a golf ball is provided as an interchangeable face.  
   
   
       17 . The putter head of  claim 12  wherein the one or more projections have a width of 0.06 inches and are separated by 0.07 inches.  
   
   
       18 . The putter head of  claim 12  wherein the putter face has a radius of 0.5 to 0.75 inches.  
   
   
       19 . The putter head of  claim 18 , wherein the projections have a 0.06 inch width and have a 0.06 inch space between the ridges.  
   
   
       20 . The putter head of  claim 12  wherein the thickness of the front edge of the putter head is less than about 0.25 inch (6.4 mm).  
   
   
       21 . The putter head of  claim 12  wherein the thickness of the putter head varies from the front edge to the back edge.  
   
   
       22 . The putter head of  claim 12  wherein the projections are parallel to one another and are horizontally oriented.  
   
   
       23 . The putter head of  claim 12  wherein the projections are disposed perpendicularly to a tangent of the face of the putter head.  
   
   
       24 . A golf putter having a shaft with a grip at a proximal end and a head at a distal end of the shaft for contacting a golf ball on the ground during putting of the golf ball, the improvement in the head which comprises: 
 an elongate flat blade having opposed ends, with a top side and a bottom side, and a first linear edge extending therebetween, wherein the top side of the blade is mounted on the distal end of the shaft and the first linear edge acts as a striking face for the golf ball and strikes the golf ball in an essentially linear contact area horizontal to the ground, wherein the striking face is curved vertically with one or more grooves at least adjacent to a ball contact portion of the striking face.    
   
   
       25 . A golf putter having a shaft with a grip at a proximal end and a head at a distal end of the shaft for contacting a golf ball on the ground during putting of the golf ball, the improvement in the head which comprises: 
 (a) an elongate flat blade having opposed ends, with a top side and a bottom side, and a first linear edge extending therebetween, wherein the top side of the blade is mounted on the distal end of the shaft and the first linear edge acts as a striking face for the golf ball and strikes the golf ball in an essentially linear contact area horizontal to the ground, wherein the striking face is curved vertically with one or more grooves at least adjacent to a ball contact portion of the striking face; and    (b) a runner provided on the bottom side of the blade wherein during putting, the runner acts to space the bottom side of the blade from the ground.