Vintage Gillespie Golf Club Putter, Croquet Style
Vintage Gillespie Golf Club Putter, Croquet Style
Reduced from £750 to £600
Gillespie Duplex Pendulum Putter.
An exceptionally rare pendulum putter, croquet-style putter. The flat oak shaft is fitted with two brass face plates, one either side. The handle stamped in gilt "Gillespie Pendulum Putter, world patents pending" also on the handle faintly stamped "Made in Eire". The putter was used by placing your two thumbs side by side on the front of the handle and swinging the putter croquet fashion, pendulum-fashion between the legs. This patent proved so successful in its day that it was eventually banned by the R & A rulings against croquet-style putters in 1909 and 1910.
There were no rules governing clubs until 1908 which allowed the club makers free reign. At the end of the 1908 rules introduced the first regulations on form and make of clubs "A club comprised 'a plain shaft and a head which does not contain any mechanical contrivance, such as springs". The 1910 amendment had the additional statement about centre-shafted putters, "....it also regards as illegal the use of such clubs as those of the mallet-head type, or such clubs as have the neck so bent as to produce a similar effect."
Note that in this decision the Committee were of the opinion that a vertical croquet-style putting stroke was not allowable. It wasn't until 1968 that the standing astride the line style of putting (i.e. a croquet stroke) was actually made illegal.
Dimensions:
1900-1949
Circa 1920's - 30's
Oak & brass
Ireland
Gillespie Duplex Pendulum Putter
Excellent condition
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![](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://sportantiques.co.uk/golf/clubs/vintage-gillespie-golf-club-putter-croquet-style&media=https://seek-unique-co.s3.amazonaws.com/sportantiques-64hFGwj3-uEHU73t22/stock/64147ed62348b_3_28410.jpg&description=Reduced from £750 to £600Gillespie Duplex Pendulum Putter.An exceptionally rare pendulum putter, croquet-style putter. The flat oak shaft is fitted with two brass face plates, one either side. The handle stamped in gilt "Gillespie Pendulum Putter, world patents pending" also on the handle faintly stamped "Made in Eire". The putter was used by placing your two thumbs side by side on the front of the handle and swinging the putter croquet fashion, pendulum-fashion between the legs. This patent proved so successful in its day that it was eventually banned by the R & A rulings against croquet-style putters in 1909 and 1910.There were no rules governing clubs until 1908 which allowed the club makers free reign. At the end of the 1908 rules introduced the first regulations on form and make of clubs "A club comprised 'a plain shaft and a head which does not contain any mechanical contrivance, such as springs". The 1910 amendment had the additional statement about centre-shafted putters, "....it also regards as illegal the use of such clubs as those of the mallet-head type, or such clubs as have the neck so bent as to produce a similar effect."Note that in this decision the Committee were of the opinion that a vertical croquet-style putting stroke was not allowable. It wasn't until 1968 that the standing astride the line style of putting (i.e. a croquet stroke) was actually made illegal.){kind=link}