Golf putter with a viewing port and a method of using the same

Abstract

A golf putter including a plurality of physical and visual aids for assisting the golfer to more consistently assume a good head and body position and to better putt a golf ball toward a remote hole. The putter head is provided with a viewing port and a first linear marking to aid in aligning the ball with a remote hole. Preferably the putter head includes a detachable flange that includes a substantially transparent insert which constitutes the viewing port. The putter head has a first linear marking thereon and the transparent insert has a second linear marking thereon. The first and second markings are alignable with a remote hole to ensure that the golf ball is putted in the correct direction toward the hole.

1 . A golf putter for putting golf balls, said golf putter comprising: 
 a shaft;    a handle disposed at a first end of the shaft;    a putter head disposed at a second end of the shaft, and wherein said putter head includes: 
 a front wall having a front face adapted to strike the golf ball; a rear face; an upper surface and a lower surface; and  
 a viewing port formed in the head between the upper and lower surfaces and rearwardly of the front wall.  
   
   
   
       2 . The golf putter as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the putter head includes a pair of spaced apart legs extending rearwardly away from the rear face of the front wall; and wherein said legs defining a gap therebetween and the gap constitutes the viewing port.  
   
   
       3 . The golf putter as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the front wall includes a first linear marking disposed on an upper surface thereof; said first linear marking being oriented substantially at right angles to the front face; and wherein said first linear marking is adapted to be lined up with a remote hole into which the golf ball is to be putted.  
   
   
       4 . The golf putter as defined in  claim 3 , wherein the first linear marking extends between the front face and rear face of the front wall.  
   
   
       5 . The golf putter as defined in  claim 3 , wherein the putter head further comprises: 
 a mounting area; and    a flange removably mountable to the mounting area; and wherein the viewing port is disposed in the flange.    
   
   
       6 . The golf putter as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the mounting area is provided on at least one of the front wall and legs of the putter head.  
   
   
       7 . The golf putter as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the flange includes an aperture therein and the viewing port comprises a substantially transparent insert that is receivable in the aperture in the flange.  
   
   
       8 . The golf putter as defined in  claim 7 , wherein the transparent insert has an upper and a lower surface; said flange further including a second linear marking on the upper surface of the insert; and wherein the second linear marking is substantially parallel to the first linear marking on the front wall of the putter head and is alignable therewith.  
   
   
       9 . The golf putter as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the first and second linear markings are disposed at different heights relative to each other.  
   
   
       10 . The golf putter as defined in  claim 8 , wherein each of the first and second linear markings comprises one of a groove, a ridge and a physical line marked upon the upper surface and insert respectively.  
   
   
       11 . A method of putting a golf ball into a remote hole, comprising: 
 positioning a putter head of a golf putter adjacent a ball to be  1   0  played;    standing behind the ball and viewing a remote golf hole through a viewing port in the putter head;    aligning a linear marking on the putter head with the center of the remote hole to determine a direction in which the ball is to be played;    positioning the head of the putter so that the aligned linear marking is centered through the ball;    hitting the ball in the determined direction.    
   
   
       12 . The method of putting a golf ball as defined in  claim 11 , further comprising the step of: 
 aligning a second linear marking formed on a transparent insert that includes the viewing port with the remote golf hole.    
   
   
       13 . The method of putting a golf ball as defined in  claim 12 , further comprising the step of: 
 taking a practice shot by passing the putter head over the top of the ball in the determined direction;    viewing the apparent travel of the ball through the viewing port in the putter head;    comparing the apparent travel of the ball with the second linear marking; and    adjusting the orientation of the putter head to align the direction of apparent travel of the ball with the determined direction prior to hitting the ball.