Golf club putter heads and golf putters including same

Abstract

Golf putter heads, gold putting kits, and golf putters including same are described. One putter head comprises a body having a putting face, a toe, a heel, a sole, and a crown, the sole and crown extending away from the face to an aft-mass, the body further having at least one substantially vertical wall extending from the crown to the sole and, with an internal surface of each of the face and the aft-mass, defining at least a port cavity and a starboard cavity. The port cavity opens to the port side of the body and the starboard cavity opens to the starboard side. The crown has an aiming feature on a top external surface thereof. The port and starboard cavities are non-ball-striking features, allowing golfers to pick up a pin flag stick, or another golf club, without stooping, a great benefit to golfers with bad backs and elderly golfers.

1 . A golf putter head comprising a body having a putting face, a toe, a heel, a sole, and a crown, the sole and crown each extending away from the putting face to an aft-mass, the body further having at least one substantially vertical wall extending from an internal surface of the crown to an internal surface of the sole and, with an internal surface of each of the face and the aft-mass, defining at least a port cavity and a starboard cavity, the port cavity opening to a port side of the body and the starboard cavity opening to a starboard side of the body; the crown having an aiming feature on a top external surface thereof. 
   
   
       2 . The golf putter head of  claim 1 , wherein the port cavity and starboard cavity have substantially equal volumes. 
   
   
       3 . The golf putter head of  claim 1 , wherein the body, when viewed in plan view, has a shape selected from substantially mallet-shaped and substantially triangular. 
   
   
       4 . The golf putter head of  claim 3 , wherein the body is substantially mallet-shaped, and the internal surface of the sole comprises a port portion and a starboard portion exposed by the crown portion curving inward toward a center of the body. 
   
   
       5 . The golf putter head of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one substantially vertical wall is a single wall centrally located in the body and extending substantially perpendicular to the putting face, the substantially vertical wall connecting with the face at a midpoint of the face, as indicated by the aiming feature. 
   
   
       6 . The golf putter head of  claim 5 , wherein the substantially vertical wall has a constant thickness. 
   
   
       7 . The golf putter head of  claim 5 , wherein the substantially vertical wall has non-constant thickness. 
   
   
       8 . The golf putter head of  claim 1  wherein the substantially vertical wall joins with the internal surface of the face in more than one joint. 
   
   
       9 . The golf putter head of  claim 1  wherein the face of the body has a recessed portion in which is placed an insert material. 
   
   
       10 . The golf putter head of  claim 9  wherein the body and the insert each comprise metal, which may be the same or different. 
   
   
       11 . The golf putter head of  claim 9  wherein the insert material is selected from natural and synthetic polymeric materials. 
   
   
       12 . A golf putting kit comprising:
 (a) a putter head attached to a shaft, the putter head comprising a body having a putting face, a toe, a heel, a sole, and a crown, the sole and crown each extending away from the putting face to an aft-mass, the body further having at least one substantially vertical wall extending from an internal surface of the crown to an internal surface of the sole and, with an internal surface of each of the face and the aft-mass, defining at least a port cavity and a starboard cavity, the port cavity opening to a port side of the body and the starboard cavity opening to a starboard side of the body; the crown having an aiming feature on a top external surface thereof, wherein the putter head face comprises a metal to which a magnetic material may adhere to;   (b) one or more putter face materials adapted to be adhered to the putter head face by magnetic force.   
   
   
       13 . The golf putting kit of  claim 12  comprising a pouch or bag and carried by the golfer in which are placed putter face materials not being used. 
   
   
       14 . The golf putting kit of  claim 12  comprising an article worn by the golfer and which may allow the putter face materials to be removably attached thereto by magnetic force. 
   
   
       15 . The golf putting kit of  claim 12  wherein each putter face material comprises indicia according to physical properties of the face material for ease of selection. 
   
   
       16 . The golf putting kit of  claim 12  wherein the face material has same shape as that of the putter face. 
   
   
       17 . The golf putting kit of  claim 12  wherein the face material has a shape smaller than the putter face. 
   
   
       18 . A golf putter club comprising a putter head attached to a gripped shaft, the putter head comprising a body having a putting face, a toe, a heel, a sole, and a crown, the sole and crown each extending away from the putting face to an aft-mass, the body further having at least one substantially vertical wall extending from an internal surface of the crown to an internal surface of the sole and, with an internal surface of each of the face and the aft-mass, defining at least a port cavity and a starboard cavity, the post cavity opening to a port side of the body and the starboard cavity opening to a starboard side of the body, the crown having an aiming feature on a top external surface thereof. 
   
   
       19 . The golf putter club of  claim 18  wherein the putter head face comprises a metal to which a magnetic material may adhere to. 
   
   
       20 . The golf putter club of  claim 18  wherein the face of the body has a recessed portion in which is placed an insert material.