[Random-bits] Patent on Method of Putting: US Patent 5,616,089

[James Love]

The US PTO has changed its mind, much to my surprise, and I will be
participating in tomorrow's roundtable on business methods patents, at
least until I have to hurry off to the FCC to participate on the en banc
panel on the AOL/Time-Warner merger.

In reading John Thomas's September 1999 article, the Patenting of the
Liberal Professions, I found this cite to US Patent 5,616,089, Method of
putting, that was issued fittingly enough on April 1, 1997.  That
patent, which is real, has the following abstract:

http://164.195.100.11/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1='5616089'.WKU.&OS=PN/5616089&RS=PN/5616089

                 Abstract

A method of putting features the golfer's dominant hand so that the
golfer can improve control over putting speed and direction. The
golfer's non-dominant hand stabilizes the dominant hand and the
orientation of the putter blade, but does not otherwise substantially
interfere with the putting stroke. In particular, a right-handed golfer
grips the putter grip with their right hand in a conventional manner so
that the thumb on the right hand is placed straight down the top surface
of the putter grip. The golfer addresses the ball as if to stroke the
putter using only the right hand. Then, the golfer takes the left hand
and uses it to stabilize the right hand and the putter. To do this, the
golfer places their left hand over the interior wrist portion of the
right hand behind the thumb of the right hand with the middle finger of
the left hand resting on the styloid process of the right hand. The
golfer presses the ring finger and the little finger of their left hand
against the back of the right hand. The golfer also presses the palm of
the left hand against the putter grip and squeezes the right hand with
the left hand. The golfer then takes a full putting stroke with the
above described grip. 

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James Love, Director           | http://www.cptech.org
Consumer Project on Technology | mailto:love@cptech.org 
P.O. Box 19367                 | voice: 1.202.387.8030
Washington, DC 20036           | fax:   1.202.234.5176
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