Twist putter face

Abstract

A golf putter club head is provided having a front face having a heel side and a toe side. The front face has a toe side vertical orientation corresponding to a vertical stance of the front face at the toe side, and the toe side vertical orientation has a first angle relative to a baseline vertical orientation of the face. The front face also has a heel side vertical orientation corresponding to a vertical stance of the front face at the heel side, and the heel side vertical orientation has a second angle relative to the baseline vertical orientation of the face. The first angle is smaller than the second angle, such that the second angle generates more loft than the first angle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf putter club head comprising:
 a front face having a heel side and a toe side;   a toe side vertical orientation corresponding to a vertical stance of the front face at the toe side, the toe side vertical orientation having a first angle relative to a baseline vertical orientation of the face;   a heel side vertical orientation corresponding to a vertical stance of the front face at the heel side, the heel side vertical orientation having a second angle relative to the baseline vertical orientation of the face;   wherein the first angle is smaller than the second angle, such that the second angle generates more loft than the first angle.   
     
     
         2 . The golf putter club head of  claim 1 , wherein the first angle is negative and the second angle is positive. 
     
     
         3 . The golf putter club head of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first angle and the second angle are less than two degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The golf putter club head of  claim 1 , wherein the vertical stance of the front face at the toe side corresponds to a median slope of the front face at the toe side, and wherein the vertical stance of the front face at the heel side corresponds to a median slope of the front face at the heel side. 
     
     
         5 . The golf putter club head of  claim 1  further comprising a center vertical orientation corresponding to a vertical stance of the front face at a location between and substantially equidistant from the toe side and the heel side and having a third angle relative to the baseline vertical orientation between the first angle and the second angle. 
     
     
         6 . The golf putter club head of  claim 5 , wherein the center vertical orientation substantially corresponds to the baseline vertical orientation of the face. 
     
     
         7 . The golf putter club head of  claim 5 , wherein the front face comprises a continuous twist from the toe side to the heel side, the continuous twist passing through the location of the center vertical orientation. 
     
     
         8 . The golf putter club head of  claim 1  further comprising a loft curve forming a roll about a horizontal axis extending from the toe side to the heel side. 
     
     
         9 . The golf putter club head of  claim 8 , wherein the loft curve is continuously variable. 
     
     
         10 . The golf putter club head of  claim 8  further comprising at least one of a bulge about a vertical axis or a rocker curve about a horizontal axis extending substantially perpendicular from the front face. 
     
     
         11 . The golf putter club head of  claim 10 , further comprising a sole defined by a front to back arcuate curvature. 
     
     
         12 . The golf putter club head of  claim 9 , wherein the roll has a profile defined relative to a central tangent, and wherein a tangent to the roll profile increases or decreases exponentially at distances farther from the central tangent. 
     
     
         13 . The golf putter club head of  claim 12 , wherein the roll profile is divided into horizontal zones, and wherein the central tangent is a tangent at a central zone, and wherein zones above the central tangent increase loft by subsequently adding lower order of magnitude changes, and wherein zones below the central tangent decrease loft by subsequently subtracting higher order of magnitude changes. 
     
     
         14 . The golf putter club head of  claim 13  wherein changes relative to the central tangent are defined by adding or subtracting terms each comprising a root number raised to an exponential power. 
     
     
         15 . The golf putter club head of  claim 14  wherein the horizontal zones are five horizontal zones, and wherein:
 an upper middle zone directly above the central zone has a tangent defined by the central tangent added to the root number raised to the first power; 
 a top zone above the upper middle zone has a tangent defined by the central tangent added to the root number raised to the first power and the root number raised to the zeroth power; 
 a lower middle zone directly below the central zone has a tangent defined by the central tangent reduced by the root number raised to the second power; and 
 a bottom zone below the lower middle zone has a tangent defined by the central tangent reduced by the root number raised to the second power and further reduced by the root number raised to the third power. 
 
     
     
         16 . The golf putter club head of  claim 15 , wherein the root number is approximately 1.6. 
     
     
         17 . The golf putter club head of  claim 13  further comprising a hosel or neck having a central axis defining an axial direction of a shaft, wherein the central tangent defines an angle relative to a plane defined by extending the central axis in the direction of the horizontal axis of 1-5 degrees. 
     
     
         18 . The golf putter club head of  claim 1 , further comprising a top surface having a substantially straight topline leading edge corresponding to an instantaneous horizontal tangent to the face at a location between the toe side and the heel side. 
     
     
         19 . The golf putter club head of  claim 18  further comprising a chamfer extending from the topline leading edge to the front face and extending from the toe side to the heel side, wherein a width of the chamfer is larger on the toe side than on the heel side. 
     
     
         20 . The golf putter club head of  claim 19 , wherein the chamber extends from the topline leading edge to the front face at a constant angle relative to the top surface, and wherein the width is in a direction of the constant angle. 
     
     
         21 . The golf putter club head of  claim 18  further comprising a chamfer extending from the top surface leading edge to the front face and extending from the toe side to the heel side, wherein a width of the chamfer is larger between the toe side and the heel side than at ether the toe side or the heel side. 
     
     
         22 . The golf putter club head of  claim 1  further comprising a top center mark identifying a horizontal location of a neutral segment of the face. 
     
     
         23 . The golf putter club head of  claim 1  further comprising a top toe bias mark at an offset location wherein a face angle will present itself perpendicular to the target line, assuming approximately a 1-5 degree positive angle of attack, for a head tracking square to the path on a typical inclined plane of approximately 69-72 degree lie angle. 
     
     
         24 . The golf putter club head of  claim 1 , wherein the front face is a removable face mounted on a mounting surface, and wherein the mounting surface is substantially planar. 
     
     
         25 . The golf putter club head of  claim 24 , wherein the mounting surface has a vertical orientation substantially perpendicular to a bottom surface of the club head.