Putter, putting stroke-selection system, and method

Abstract

A putting stroke-selection system (10) is provided comprising a putter (12) having putter head (14) and a putter shaft (16), and a referencing indicium (24) comprising a plurality of calibrated distance markers (28) which is engaged or engagable with the putter shaft (16). This allows for the user to quickly visualize how the horizontal distance to the putting target from the golf ball correlates with the visible vertical separation on the referencing indicium (24).

1 . A putter comprising:
 a putter head and a putter shaft; and   a referencing indicium engaged with the putter shaft;   the referencing indicium being provided directly on the putter shaft or the referencing indicium being provided on a putter attachment which is releasably engagable with the putter shaft;   the referencing indicium being positioned along the length of the putter shaft;   the referencing indicium comprising a plurality of calibrated distance markers which are uniformly separated for allowing a user to visually infer a distance between a golf ball and a putting target when the user is holding the putter in a vertical condition, to thus inform a putting stroke selection.   
     
     
         2 . A putter as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the putter attachment is provided as an elongate member having a securing means for engaging with the putter shaft. 
     
     
         3 . A putter as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the securing means comprises at least one of: a magnetic engagement element; a vice or clamp; or a fastener. 
     
     
         4 . A putter as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein an origin of the referencing indicium is provided at an in-use upper end thereof. 
     
     
         5 . A putter as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of calibrated distance markers is a plurality of colour coded distance markers. 
     
     
         6 . A method of determining a putting stroke, the method comprising the steps of:
 a] providing a putter as claimed in  claim 1 ;   b] a user standing at a predetermined distance from a golf ball to be struck, co-linearly with the golf ball and a putting target;   c] holding the putter so that the referencing indicium is aligned to the vertical distance between the golf ball and the putting target; and   d] using the referencing indicium, visually inferring the distance between the golf ball and the putting target in order to inform a putting stroke selection.   
     
     
         7 . A method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the predetermined distance in step b] is approximately 3 m. 
     
     
         8 . A putter stroke-selection system comprising:
 a putter as claimed in  claim 1 ; and   a stroke-length measurement tool having a stroke-length indicium thereon, the stroke-length indicium having a plurality of calibrated stroke-length markers thereon which correspond with the plurality of calibrated distance markers of the referencing indicium.   
     
     
         9 . A putting stroke-selection system as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein an origin of the stroke-length indicium is provided at a central portion of the stroke-length measurement tool. 
     
     
         10 . A putting stroke-selection system as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the stroke-length indicium comprises a backswing indicium portion and a follow-through indicium portion. 
     
     
         11 . A putting stroke-selection system as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the stroke-length measurement tool has a collapsible tool body. 
     
     
         12 . A putting stroke-selection system as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the stroke-length measurement tool comprises at least one hinge to allow the tool body to be folded into a collapsed state. 
     
     
         13 . A putting stroke-selection system as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of calibrated distance markers and plurality of calibrated stroke-length markers are provided as numerals on the referencing indicium and stroke-length indicium respectively. 
     
     
         14 . A method of determining a putting stroke, the method comprising the steps of:
 a] providing a putting stroke selection system as claimed in  claim 8 ;   b] a user standing at a predetermined distance from a golf ball to be struck, co-linearly with the golf ball and a putting target;   c] the user holding the putter so that the referencing indicium is aligned to the golf ball and the putting target in a vertical direction;   d] using the referencing indicium, determining a visible vertical separation between the golf ball and the putting target using the plurality of calibrated distance markers;   e] placing the stroke-length measurement tool next to the golf ball and aligned with the putting target; and   f] determining a putting stroke to use based on a correspondence between the plurality of calibrated stroke-length markers and the vertical visible separation determined using the plurality of calibrated distance markers.   
     
     
         15 . A method as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the predetermined distance in step b] is approximately 3 m. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . (canceled)