Golf club

SSay 5, 1925_O

1336,61®

J. T. MANNING GOLF CLUB Filed Nov. 22, 1924

<img file="US1536616A_D0001.tif" />

<img file="US1536616A_D0002.tif" />

Patented May 5, 1925. 1,536,616

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. MANNING, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS. \

CLUB.''

22, 1924. Serial No. 751,491.

golf ball. The presence of these grooves prevent any rolling movement of the golf ball over the- driving face and serve to hold the ball in a fixed position, relative to the 60 club while the club and ball are in engagement thus giving the ball an impetus in the direction in which the club is moving.

In order to give an understanding of. the invention I have illustrated in the drawings 65 a selected embodiment of my invention thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a golf 70 club embodying my invention;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are more or less diagrammatic views showing the manner in which my improved club operates.:

The invention is applicable to various ⁷⁵types of golf clubs such as drivers, brassies, spoons, putters, etc. I have, however, illustrated it as it would be applied to a driver and 1 indicates the head of the golf club which is provided with the· driving face 2 ⁸⁰and 3 indicates the: shank of the golf club to which the usual handle 4 is secured.

In accordance with my present invention the driving face 2 of the golf club is provided with a plurality of vertically-extend- ⁸⁵ing grooves 5, which are shaped to present a fluted or_: scalloped face. The grooves 5 are relatively shallow and have a transverse curvature which fits that of the golf ball. These grooves provide in effect pockets. ⁹⁰The ridges 6 where adjacent grooves meet are rounded slightly as shown.

The manner in which the club functions as compared with ail ordinary golf club is illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. In Fig. 2 an ⁹⁵ordinary: golf club 7 with a flat driving face 8 is shown. The golf ball is indicated at 9.

Fig. 2 is intended to illustrate the erroneous position of the golf club at the bottom ¹⁰⁰of the swing and when it strikes the golf ball which will cause a slice. In said Fig. 2 the line 10 indicates the direction in which the golf head is moving, and in which it is intended to drive the golf ball 9. Fig. 2 ¹⁰⁵shows the position of the club when the golfer strikes the ball with his hands in advance of the golf head. Under such conditions the striking face of the golf club stands at an angle to the line 10 and as a ¹¹⁰result the tendency is for the golf ball to be driven in the direction of the dotted line 11

GOLF

Application¹ filed November

Toollwliomitmayconcem:

Be it known that I, John T. Manning, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Brookline, county of Norfolk, State of 5 Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Golf Clubs, of which the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like 10 parts.

This invention relates to golf clubs and has for its object to provide a novel golf club which will tend to prevent the erroneous drives known as “ a slice ” or “ a pull ”.

“ Slicing ” a golf ball in making a drive is usually the result of the golfer having his hands in advance of the striking face of the club at the moment that the ball is struck. When this condition exists the srik20 ing face of the golf club is. situated at an angle to the direction in which the golf club is moving instead of at right angles thereto, as should be the case,, and this angular relation between the striking face of the golf 25 club and the direction in which the club is : moving, which results from having the hands in advance of the club head, tends to divert the ball from its intended course and causes the slice. Moreover-this angular re30 lation tends to cause the ball to roll over the driving face of the club in a direction away from the golfer during the interval of time that the club is in contact with the ball thus setting the ball to spinning, which results 35 in causing the ball to curve away from its intended course.

If, on the other hand, the golfer makes the swing in such a way that his hands are in the rear of the golf head, or, in other words, 40 if the golf head is in advance of the hands, at the time that the ball is struck the result will be a drive commonly referred to as a “ pull ”, that is, the ball will tend to be carried off from the intended course in a direc45 tion toward the golfer.

My invention has for one of its objects to provide an improved golf club which will . correct these tendencies and will enable the golfer to drive the ball in the direction in 50 which the golf club is moving when it strikes the ball even though the driving face of the golf club is not at right angles with this direction of movement. This object is provided for by making the driving face of the 55 golf club with vertical grooves which are of a size and shape to fit the curvature of the

1,536, βίβ £3 rather than in the direction of the correct line 12. This tendency is augmented by the fact that the golf ball 9 will tend to roll over the striking face 8 in a direction away from 5 the golfer during the “ follow through ” movement of the golf club and while the golf ball is in contact with said face. This action tends to set the golf ball spinning which will result in causing the ball to curve io away from its true line.

Fig. 3 illustrates the maimer in which my improved golf club corrects this error. If it be assumed that the golfer strikes a ball with his hands in advance of the golf head 15 as shown in full lines Fig. 3' the golf ball will immediately settle into one of the grooves 5 where it receives its real driving contact and where, it. will remain during, the “follow through” movement, as shown, in 20 dotted lines Fig. 3. Said ball will thus be prevented, from· rolling· over the striking face of the golf club and. will be held stationary with, reference to said face while: in contact therewith and until it leaves said ²⁵ face on its flight down the fairway. As a result the bald will be projected in the direction indicated by the dotted line 12 which is parallel to. the. line 1Θ indicating the direction in which the golf club, is moving..

^3υ If, when the golf club strikes the bald, said ball is caught squarely in one of the grooves 5 then the ball will have, no movement relative to the striking, face during the “follow through” movement.. If,, however, ⁸⁵ the ball is caught by the: golf club at a point between the- grooves: as shown in full lines Fig. 3 then the golf ball will immedately settle into the nearest adjacent groove: and will be held and remain there during the time ⁴⁰ that the: golf club; is in contact, with the ball as: above; described and with the result that the ball will, be driven in the direction in which the, golf club is, moving. A slice will thus, be prevented.

⁴⁵ On the other hand, if the ball is struck squarely on the center of one of the ridges 6 the same· effect may be produced as if the ball were struck: by an ordinary flat-faced club. If, however,, the ball is. struck, at a ⁵⁰ point either side of the center of the ridge by even a small amount the ball will, settle into the nearest groove a;s above described and be retained until the ball leaves the face of the club.

My improved golf club will correct or 55 prevent a “pull” in the same way as illustrated in Fig. 4. A pull results from striking the, ball with the golf head in advance of the hands which places the striking face at an inclination to the line 10 in which the eo golf, club is moving, as shown in Fig,.. 4.

With my improved golf club the ball 9 will, be caught by one- of the grooves 5 as shown in Fig. 4. as above described, and will be held! in the groove by the pressure, of the C5 swing during the: “carry through” movement and until the ball leaves the face of the club.. The· so-called, “follow through” movement tends to straighten out the drive and to: bring, the face of the golf club at 70 right angles, to., the direction of the hole but whether the club· is entirely straightened or not the tendency for a pull drive is overcome; by reason of the fact that the ball is held in one of the groovesand until it leaves 75 the face of the club.

While I have shown my invention as applied to a driver yet it. will be obvious that it is equally applicable to other golf clubs such as putters, spoons, or brassies, etc. so