Golf putter heads, fitting heads, and putters

Abstract

Golf putter heads, golf fitting putter heads, golf putters, and golf fitting putters. The putter heads include a body that is one-piece, formed, and generally rectangular, having a base portion having a trailing edge, and a ball strike portion. The ball strike portion has a heal, a toe, a ball striking face, a length measured along the ball striking face from the heal to the toe, and a midpoint along the length. The body is divided into symmetrical halves measured from the midpoint to achieve balance of weight measured along the length of the ball strike portion, with the ball striking face having a loft angle varying from about 0 to about 1 degree +/−0.1 degree. The fitting heads include a slot in which weights and/or the hosel may be moved to adjust toe hang.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf putter head comprising:
 a) a body ( 2 ) that is one-piece, formed, and generally rectangular, the body having a base portion ( 4 ) having a trailing edge ( 6 ), and a ball strike portion ( 8 );   b) the ball strike portion having a toe ( 10 ), a heal ( 12 ), a ball striking face ( 14 ), a length (L 1 ) measured along the ball striking face from the heal to the toe, and a midpoint M along the length L 1 ;   c) the body ( 2 ) having a body width (L 2 ) measured from the ball striking face to the trailing edge ranging from about 1.0 inch to about 1.5 inches;   d) the ball strike portion ( 8 ) having a depth D measured from the ball striking face ( 14 ) to a back face ( 16 ) of the ball strike portion ( 8 ), the depth D being less than the body width (L 2 );   e) the body being divided into symmetrical halves ( 18 ,  20 ) measured from the midpoint M to achieve balance of weight measured along the length L 1  of the ball strike portion ( 8 );   f) the ball striking face ( 14 ) having a loft angle (α) varying from about 0 to about 1 degree +/−0.1 degree.   
     
     
         2 . The putter head of  claim 1 , wherein the body comprises one or more metals selected from stainless steels, carbon steels, and steel alloys, and combinations and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The putter head of  claim 2 , wherein the body comprises stainless steel selected from stainless steel types  304 ,  306 ,  316 ,  415 , and mixtures and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The putter head of  claim 1 , wherein the depth D ranges from about 0.4 to about 0.5 inch. 
     
     
         5 . The putter head of  claim 1 , wherein the loft angle (α) ranges from about 0 to about 0.5 degree. 
     
     
         6 . The putter head of  claim 1 , wherein the length (L 1 ) ranges from about 4 to about 5 inches. 
     
     
         7 . The putter head of  claim 1 , wherein the loft angle (α) and the balance are configured to provide the putter head to strike a golf ball and result in the golf ball skidding a skid length ranging from zero to less than 1 golf ball diameter. 
     
     
         8 . The putter head of  claim 1 , wherein the loft angle (α) and the balance are configured to provide the putter head to strike a golf ball and result in the golf ball having a ball roll profile essentially the same as a golf ball roll profile measured by a standardized putting analysis software (Quintic or other) using a camera taking photographs from 360 fps to 1070 fps. 
     
     
         9 . The putter head of  claim 1  wherein the putter head body further comprises right and left side weights ( 22 ,  24 ) attached to the top of the body, the left and right side weights independently weighing from about 350 to about 480 grams. 
     
     
         10 . The putter head of  claim 1  wherein the ball striking face ( 14 ) has a patterned surface ( 36 ) on at least a portion of the ball striking face. 
     
     
         11 . The putter head of  claim 1  further comprising a hosel hole ( 32 ,  34 ) for attachment of a hosel to the putter head, the hosel hole extending from a top surface of the ball strike portion. 
     
     
         12 . A golf putter comprising a shaft ( 26 ) attached directly to the base ( 2 ) of the putter head of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . A golf putter comprising a shaft attached to a hosel ( 28 ), the hosel attached to the base ( 2 ) of the putter head of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . A golf fitting putter head comprising:
 a) a body that is one-piece, formed, and generally rectangular, the body having a base portion having a trailing edge, and a ball strike portion;   b) the ball strike portion having a toe, a heal, a ball striking face, a length L 1  measured along the ball striking face from the heal to the toe, and a midpoint M along the length L 1 ;   c) the body having a body width L 2  measured from the ball striking face to the trailing edge ranging from about 1.0 inch to about 1.5 inches;   d) the ball strike portion having a depth D measured from the ball striking face to a back face of the ball strike portion, the depth D being less than the body width L 2 ;   e) the body being divided into symmetrical halves measured from the midpoint M to achieve balance of weight measured along the length L 1  of the ball strike portion;   f) the ball striking face having a loft angle varying from about 0 to about 1degree +/−0.1 degree;   g) the body having a through slot ( 50 ) extending from the base portion to the ball strike portion, the through slot having a length L 3  of about 90 percent of L 1 , and a width that is about 90 percent of D, the through slot adapted to receive a hosel ( 28 ) and a hosel bolt ( 44 ) that locks the hosel in a first position as desired and releases the hosel for adjusting position of the hosel parallel to the ball striking face to a second position where the bolt is again tightened, locking the hosel in the second position, the through slot adapted to receive one or more weights ( 46 ,  48 ) adjustable in position in the through slot parallel to the ball striking face by tightening and loosening one or more weight bolts ( 52 ).   
     
     
         15 . The golf fitting putter head of  claim 14 , wherein the depth D ranges from about 0.4 to about 0.5 inch, the loft angle (α) ranges from about 0 to about 0.5 degree, and the length (L 1 ) ranges from about 4 to about 5 inches. 
     
     
         16 . The golf fitting putter head of  claim 14  wherein the one or more weights ( 46 ,  48 ) independently weigh from about 10 to about 150 grams. 
     
     
         17 . The golf fitting putter head of  claim 14  further comprising a hosel portion ( 41 ) and lip ( 40 ) for attachment of the hosel bolt ( 44 ). 
     
     
         18 . The golf fitting putter head of  claim 14  wherein the one or more weights ( 46 ,  48 ) adjustable in position in the through slot have a shape that does not extend beyond a top of the body or a bottom of the body. 
     
     
         19 . The golf fitting putter head of  claim 14  consisting of a single weight ( 46 ). 
     
     
         20 . A golf fitting putter comprising a shaft ( 26 ) attached to the hosel ( 28 ) of  claim 14 , the hosel ( 28 ) having a hosel portion ( 41 ) threadingly engaging the hosel bolt ( 44 ), the hosel having a lip ( 40 ) that slidingly engages a top surface of body ( 2 ).