US2754125A - Putting guide - Google Patents

Description

J. W. ENGLER PUTTING GUIDE July 10, 1956 Filed July 23, 1953 INVENTOZR A TZg I Jafaz WE BY 6 United States Patent Ofice PUTTING GUIDE John W. Engler, Rock Island, Ill. Application July 23, 1953, Serial No. 369,811 2 Claims. (Cl. 273-192) This device relates to golfing equipment and more particularly to an improved putting guide, useful in the acquisition of a correct putting stroke.

Putting trainers currently in use do not provide an appropriate bearing surface which is both adapted to guide the golfers stroke on both forward and return swing, and permits a continuation of the stroke beyond the end of the guide.

It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to provide an improved putting trainer which shall serve as a guide during a substantial portion of the putting stroke and which shall, consequently, form a means of inducing a correct stroke for normal play.

Another object is to provide a putting guide which shall be adjustable to compensate for various lengths of putter blades.

Another object of the invention is to provide a putting guide which can be used by both right and left-handed golfers.

Another object is to provide a putting guide which shall not interfere with the normal putting stroke, but which shall instead serve to guide the club in an appro riate manner.

Yet another object is to provide a putting guide which is simple in construction and is economical to produce, in that it may be formed of plastic or other relatively sturdy but inexpensive material.

With these and various other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and operation which will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawings and claims appended hereto. In the drawings, which i1- lustrate an embodiment of the device and wherein like reference characters are used to designate like parts:

Figure l is a view in side elevation of one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the top of this embodiment; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the rear and end portion of the said embodiment illustrating the mode in which applicants guide plate is secured to his support member.

The putting guide seen in Figure 1 is referred to generally by the numeral 10. A support 12 is provided which in the preferred construction is L-shaped and has a base plate 14 and an upright 16 formed integrally therewith at the outer edge of said base plate 14. The upright portion 16 has formed therein guides or slots 18 of substantially rectangular cross section, which slots extend through the said upright portion 16 at a height sufficient to provide minimal leeway for a putting head 20. A guide plate 22 is also provided which is of substantially equal length with the support member 12, and which has projections 24 formed on one longitudinal edge 26 thereof. These projections 24 are of rectangular cross section complementary to that of the slots 18 in the support 12. The slots 18 and projections 24 together constitute a slide adapted to secure the guide plate 22 to the support mem- 2,754,125 Patented July 10, 1956 her 12 in substantially parallel relationship with the upright member 16 thereof.

Vertical guide slots 28 in the projections 24 are formed parallel with the side edges thereof and posts 30 are secured on the upper face 32 of the base plate 14, the guide slots 28 being adapted to receive the upper ends 31 of the posts 30. These upper ends 32 of the posts 30 are adapted to threadedly receive fastening means such as the clamps 34, whereby the projections 24 and guide plate 22 may be fastened to the support members 12 in proper relationship thereto.

The outer edge 36 of the guide plate 22 is preferably beveled inwardly at substantially a 15 angle to permit the shaft 38 of a putter to bear against the edge 36 at an angle which is conformable with proper golfing stance. The outer face 40 of the upright 16 constitutes another bearing surface for the front end of the putter club.

The support member 12 and guide plate 22 may be formed of plastic or other suitable material, and are preferably approximately one foot in length.

In actual operation, the putter head will be inserted beneath the guide plate 22 so that the end thereof will abut the bearing surface 40 of the upright portion 16, as aforesaid. The guide plate 22 may then be drawn outwardly from the upright portion 16 until the leading edge 26 thereof is brought into abutting relationship with the shaft 38. The clamps 34 are then tightened against the upper faces of the projections 24 so as to fasten the guide plate in the position thus obtained.

Since the lower surface 42 of the guide plate 22 will be a minimal distance above the head of the putter when the head is placed on the ground in the afore-mentioned relationship with the guide 10, the head of the club will be guided along a path which is substantially in the horizontal plane, during at least that portion of the stroke in which the club is in contact with the guide. However, no restriction on the rising of the head after it has passed the end of the guide is imposed. Thus, the use of a desirable horizontal stroke will be induced, without the imposition of artificial limitations on either the length or the concluding arc of the swing.

Similarly, the club will be constrained to follow a straight path as it passes along the bearing surfaces 26 and 40. Thus, it has been found that the best results are obtained by maintaining the putter head and shaft in the said abutting relationship during the entire back stroke. Preferably, therefore, the ball will be placed at approximately two inches from the right or left end of the guide 10, according to whether the golfer is right or left-handed.

The guide 10 can be placed on a rug, a putting block or other suitable surface and will tend to induce a correct putting stroke regardless of the size of putter used or the handedness of the golfer.

In the drawing and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Changes in form and in he proportion of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalents are contemplated, as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention as further defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A putting guide comprising a support member of substantially L-shaped longitudinal configuration having a base member and an upright member, said upright member having an outer face opposite said base member for a bearing surface for the front end of a putter, a guide plate disposed above said bearing surface forming another bearing surface for the shaft of such putter, projections on said guide plate extending to said upright member, means in said upright member of said support members for receiving said projections at a height suflicient to provide a minimal leeway for the head of such putter, and means for adjustably securing said projections and said guide plate in proper relationship to said upright member.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the outer edge of the guide plate is beveled inwardly at an angle so as to permit the shaft of such putter to bear against said guide plate at an angle conformable with a proper golfing stance.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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