Unidirectional putting method and kit

Abstract

A unidirectional putting method that eliminates the traditional backstroke and all the difficulties it introduces. The method includes placing a putter in a setback position behind the golf ball so that a portion of a putter face is substantially perpendicular to a target line, wherein the setback position establishes a setback distance from the portion of the golf ball nearest the putter face to a point on the putter face, and accelerating the putter from rest at the setback position to an impact velocity at the point that the putter face touches the golf ball within a period of time, and maintaining a portion of the putter face substantially perpendicular to the target line extension. The method places the putter in the setback position and the stroke only consists for motion toward the golf ball and the impact position.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A unidirectional putting method comprising the steps of:
 a) identifying a target line ( 110 ) representing the desired path of a golf ball ( 100 ) in the first 12 inches after impact;   b) identifying a target line extension ( 112 ) on the opposite side of the golf ball ( 100 ) wherein the target line extension ( 112 ) is parallel to, and inline with, the target line ( 110 );   c) placing a putter ( 200 ) in a setback position ( 300 ) behind the golf ball ( 100 ) so that a portion of a putter face ( 240 ) is substantially perpendicular to the target line extension ( 112 ), wherein the setback position ( 300 ) establishes a setback distance ( 310 ) from the portion of the golf ball ( 100 ) nearest the putter face ( 240 ) to a point on the putter face ( 240 ) through which a vertical plane from the target line extension ( 112 ) passes and is nearest a portion of the golf ball ( 100 ); and   d) accelerating the putter face ( 240 ) from rest at the setback position ( 300 ) to an impact velocity at the point that the putter face ( 240 ) touches the golf ball ( 100 ) within a period of time, and maintaining a portion of the putter face ( 240 ) substantially perpendicular to the target line extension ( 112 ).   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein (a) the step of placing the putter ( 200 ) in the setback position ( 300 ) includes holding a lowest point on the putter ( 200 ) at a setback elevation ( 340 ), and (b) the step of accelerating the putter face ( 240 ) to impact with the golf ball ( 100 ) results in the lowest point on the putter ( 200 ) at an impact elevation ( 410 ) when the putter ( 200 ) impacts the golf ball ( 100 ), wherein the setback elevation ( 340 ) is less than the impact elevation ( 410 ). 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the setback elevation ( 340 ) is zero with the lowest point on the putter ( 200 ) resting on the playing surface, and the impact elevation ( 410 ) is greater than zero. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the impact elevation ( 410 ) is within 0.84 inches of the setback elevation ( 340 ). 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of accelerating the putter face ( 240 ) from rest at the setback position ( 300 ) to the impact velocity at the point that the putter face ( 240 ) touches the golf ball ( 100 ) is performed at a substantially constant acceleration. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further including the steps of:
 a) establishing a reference setback distance ( 320 ) to achieve a reference roll-out distance ( 322 ) for a playing surface by moving the putter ( 200 ) from the reference setback distance ( 320 ) through impact with the golf ball ( 100 ) in a reference period of time, and identifying the distance that the golf balled ( 100 ) rolled to establish the reference roll-out distance ( 322 );   b) identifying a target roll-out distance ( 330 ), within an identification variance, to a cup;   c) establishing an adjusted setback distance ( 332 ) by comparing the target roll-out distance ( 330 ) to the reference roll-out distance ( 322 ) and increasing or decreasing the reference setback distance ( 320 ) to achieve the target roll-out distance ( 330 ), within a target variance, by moving the putter ( 200 ) from the adjusted setback distance ( 322 ) through impact with the golf ball ( 100 ) in a target period of time.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the target period of time varies by no more than a period variance from the reference period of time. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the period variance is less than 0.1 seconds. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the period variance is less than 0.05 seconds. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , further including the step of utilizing a dimension of the putter ( 200 ) to establish the reference setback distance ( 320 ). 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the dimension of the putter ( 200 ) is used to establish the reference setback distance ( 320 ) is a front-to-back dimension ( 250 ). 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the dimension of the putter ( 200 ) is used to establish the reference setback distance ( 320 ) is a heel-to-toe dimension ( 260 ). 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the putter ( 200 ) includes a plurality of measurement indicia ( 270 ) and further including the step of utilizing the plurality of measurement indicia ( 270 ) to establish the reference setback distance ( 320 ). 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the step of establishing a reference roll-out distance ( 322 ) includes:
 a) locating a substantially flat region of the playing surface;   b) establishing a first reference roll-out distance by placing the putter ( 200 ) behind the golf ball ( 100 ) separated by the reference setback distance ( 320 ) and moving the putter ( 200 ) from the reference setback distance ( 320 ) through impact with the golf ball ( 100 ) in the reference period of time and measuring the distance that the golf balled ( 100 ) rolled to establish the first reference roll-out distance;   c) establishing a second reference roll-out distance in a direction opposite the first reference roll-out distance by placing the putter ( 200 ) behind the golf ball ( 100 ) separated by the reference setback distance ( 320 ) and moving the putter ( 200 ) from the reference setback distance ( 320 ) through impact with the golf ball ( 100 ) in the reference period, plus or minus a period variance, and measuring the distance that the golf balled ( 100 ) rolled to establish the second reference roll-out distance; and   d) determining the reference roll-out distance by averaging the first reference roll-out distance and the second reference roll-out distance.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the period variance is less than 0.1 seconds. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the period variance is less than 0.05 seconds. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the period of time is 0.2 seconds to 0.5 seconds. 
     
     
         18 . A unidirectional putting method comprising the steps of:
 a) identifying a target line ( 110 ) representing the desired path of a golf ball ( 100 ) in the first 12 inches after impact;   b) placing a putter ( 200 ) in a setback position ( 300 ) behind the golf ball ( 100 ) so that a portion of a putter face ( 240 ) is substantially perpendicular to the target line ( 110 ), wherein the setback position ( 300 ) establishes a setback distance ( 310 ) from the portion of the golf ball ( 100 ) nearest the putter face ( 240 ) to a point on the putter face ( 240 ), and a lowest point on the putter ( 200 ) at a setback elevation ( 340 ); and   d) accelerating the putter face ( 240 ) from rest at the setback position ( 300 ) to an impact velocity at the point that the putter face ( 240 ) touches the golf ball ( 100 ), with the lowest point on the putter ( 200 ) at an impact elevation ( 410 ), within a period of time of 0.2 seconds to 0.5 seconds, and maintaining a portion of the putter face ( 240 ) substantially perpendicular to the target line ( 110 );   e) wherein the setback elevation ( 340 ) is less than the impact elevation ( 410 ), and the impact elevation ( 410 ) is within 0.84 inches of the setback elevation ( 340 ).   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further including the steps of:
 a) establishing a reference setback distance ( 320 ) to achieve a reference roll-out distance ( 322 ) for a playing surface by moving the putter ( 200 ) from the reference setback distance ( 320 ) through impact with the golf ball ( 100 ) in a reference period of time, and identifying the distance that the golf balled ( 100 ) rolled to establish the reference roll-out distance ( 322 );   b) identifying a target roll-out distance ( 330 ), within an identification variance, to a cup;   c) establishing an adjusted setback distance ( 332 ) by comparing the target roll-out distance ( 330 ) to the reference roll-out distance ( 322 ) and increasing or decreasing the reference setback distance ( 320 ) to achieve the target roll-out distance ( 330 ), within a target variance, by moving the putter ( 200 ) from the adjusted setback distance ( 322 ) through impact with the golf ball ( 100 ) in a target period of time, wherein the target period of time varies by no more than a period variance from the reference period of time, and the period variance is less than 0.05 seconds.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 6 , further including the step of utilizing a dimension of the putter ( 200 ) to establish the reference setback distance ( 320 ), wherein the dimension of the putter ( 200 ) is used to establish the reference setback distance ( 320 ) is a front-to-back dimension ( 250 ).