Abstract
A golf swing resistance device that secures to a golf club to provide increased aerodynamic drag during a golf swing. The device includes disk-shaped plates with a through-bore in the center of the plates. The plates are secured to the golf club by passing the grip end of the golf club through the through-bore of the plates. The plates align along the golf shaft of the golf club and abut against the golf club clubhead during a golf swing. Multiple plates can be stacked along the length of the golf shaft. The plates have a larger span (or diameter) than the golf shaft thereby increasing the cross-sectional area of the golf club and thus increasing the aerodynamic drag on the golf club during a golf swing. The plates can vary in size and quantity to provide variable amounts of aerodynamic drag.
Claims
1. A golf swing training device, for variably increasing the aerodynamic resistance of an associated golf club during a golf swing, comprising: a set of one or more plates adapted to be variably stackable and securable along the length of the shaft of the associated golf club to increase the aerodynamic resistance of the associated golf club, wherein each plate in the set includes a through-bore, the through-bore sized to be able to pass over the grip-end of the associated golf club for securing to the associated golf club, the through-bore sized to not be able to pass over the clubhead of the associated golf club, and wherein the size and shape of each plate in the set can be the same or different, the thickness dimension of one or more plates ranges between 2 inches and 20 inches, the span of one or more plates is greater than 4 inches.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein one or more plates are disk-shaped (circular-shaped).
3. The device of claim 1, wherein one or more plates are oval-shaped.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein one or more plates are geometrically-shape with three or more sides.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein the span of one or more plates is constant, tapered, or bulged along the thickness of the plates.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein one or more edges of one or more plates are squared or beveled.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein one or more faces of one or more plates are flat, rippled, or dimpled.
8. A golf swing training device, for variably increasing the aerodynamic resistance of an associated golf club during a golf swing, comprising: a set of one or more plates adapted to be variably stackable and securable along the length of the shaft of the associated golf club to increase the aerodynamic resistance of the associated golf club; and a set of one or more mechanisms adapted to be secured tightly to the shaft of the associated golf club to restrict the relative motion of the plates and the associated golf club, wherein each plate in the set includes a through-bore, the through-bore sized to be able to pass over the grip-end of the associated golf club for securing to the associated golf club, the through-bore sized to not be able to pass over the clubhead of the associated golf club, the through-bore adapted to not be able to pass over one or more of the mechanisms, and wherein the size and shape of each plate in the set can be the same or different, the thickness dimension of one or more plates ranges between 2 inches and 20 inches, the span of one or more plates is greater than 4 inches.
9. The device of claim 8, wherein one or more plates are disk-shaped (circular-shaped).
10. The device of claim 8, wherein one or more plates are oval-shaped.
11. The device of claim 8, wherein one or more plates are geometrically-shape with three or more sides.
12. The device of claim 8, wherein the span of one or more plates is constant, tapered, or bulged along the thickness of the plates.
13. The device of claim 8, wherein one or more edges of one or more plates are squared or beveled.
14. The device of claim 8, wherein one or more faces of one or more plates are flat, rippled, or dimpled.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical golf club.
[0028] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the device shown to include multiple disk-shaped plates of differing size.
[0029] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectioned view of an exemplary embodiment of the device shown to include a single disk-shaped plate.
[0030] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the device (shown to include a single disk-shaped plate) shown secured to a golf club.
[0031] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the device (shown to include multiple disk-shaped plates of differing size) shown secured to a golf club.
[0032] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the device shown to include multiple disk-shaped plated of differing sizes, and an exemplary embodiment of a stopper-mechanism above the device.
[0033] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a stopper-mechanism.
[0034] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the device (shown to include multiple disk-shaped plates of differing size) shown secured to a golf club, and an exemplary embodiment of a stopper-mechanism shown above the device secured to the golf club.
[0035] FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the device shown to include multiple disk-shaped plated of differing sizes, and an exemplary embodiment of a stopper-mechanism above the device and an exemplary embodiment of a stopper-mechanism below the device.
[0036] FIG. 10 is a side-profile view of an exemplary embodiment of the device (shown to include multiple disk-shaped plates of differing size) shown secured to a golf club, and an exemplary embodiment of a stopper-mechanism shown above the device secured to the golf club, and an exemplary embodiment of a separate stopper-mechanism shown below the device secured to the golf club.
[0037] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the device shown to include a single tapered plate.
[0038] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the device shown to include a single bulged plate.
[0039] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the device shown to include a single square-shaped plate.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0040] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 depicts a typical golf club 10 that the device (not shown) can be secured to. In FIG. 1, a golf club 10 is typically comprised of a clubhead 17, a shaft 15 secured into the clubhead 17, and a grip 13 secured onto the shaft 15. The clubhead 17 can be any type of club head including a driver club head, a woods club head, a hybrid club head, an irons club head, a wedge club head, or a putter club head. The clubhead 17 can be either right-handed (as shown) or left-handed.
[0041] Referring to FIG. 2, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown as the device 50. As shown, the device 50 includes disk-shaped plates 51, 55, 59 of differing size. The device 50 can include varying quantities and sizes of plates of different shapes. In FIG. 2, three differing size disk-shaped plates 51, 55, 59 are shown to be included in the device 50 as an example. Plate 51 includes a through-bore 91. Plate 55 includes a through-bore 95. Plate 59 includes a through-bore 99. The through-bores 91, 95, 99 are sized large enough to allow a conventional golf club grip (not shown) to pass through. The through-bores 91, 95, 99 are also sized small enough to not allow a conventional golf clubhead (not shown) to pass through.
[0042] FIG. 3 depicts the device 50 including a single disk-shaped plate 59. In FIG. 3, the cross-sectioned view of the disk-shaped plate 59 shows the through-bore 99 located in the center of the disk-shaped plate 59. The hatched region of the cross-sectioned view of the plate 59 illustrates the constant cross-sectional area of the plate 59 regardless of how it is rotated about the axis of the through-bore 99.
[0043] FIG. 4 depicts the device 50 secured onto a typical golf club 10. In FIG. 4, the device 50 is shown as an example to include a single disk-shaped plate 59. The disk-shape plate 59 is secured to the golf club 10 by sliding the golf club grip 13 through the through-bore 99 in the disk-shaped plate 59. The disk-shaped plate 59 abuts against the clubhead 17. As shown, when the device 50 is secured onto a typical golf club 10, the shaft 15 is located within the through-bore 99 of the disk-shaped plate 59.
[0044] FIG. 5 depicts the device 50 secured onto a typical golf club 10. In FIG. 5, the device 50 is shown as an example to include three disk-shaped plates 51, 55, 59 of differing sizes. The disk-shape plates 51, 55, 59 are secured to the golf club 10 by sliding the golf club grip 13 through the through-bores in the disk-shaped plates. As shown, the bottom located disk-shaped plate 59 abuts against the clubhead 17. The plate 55 abuts against plate 59. The plate 51 abuts against plate 55.
[0045] FIG. 6 depicts an exemplary embodiment of the device 50 and an exemplary embodiment of a stopper-mechanism 60 located above the device. In FIG. 6, the device 50 is shown as an example to include three disk-shaped plates 51, 55, 59 of differing sizes.
[0046] FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary stopper-mechanism 60. The exemplary stopper-mechanism 60 is preferably made from a flexible and compressible material such as a foam or a soft polymer. The stopper-mechanism 60 includes a slit 62 that is thinner than the diameter of a typical golf shaft (not shown). The slit 62 runs through the thickness of the stopper-mechanism 60. The slit 62 runs from the outer edge of the stopper-mechanism 60 towards the center of the stopper-mechanism 60. The stopper-mechanism 60 is secured onto a golf shaft (not shown) by pushing the golf shaft through the slit 62 until the golf shaft (not shown) reaches the center of the stopper-mechanism 60. The flexibility of the material that the stopper-mechanism 60 is made from allows for the thinner slit 62 to be elastically stretched over the wider golf shaft (not shown) and thus apply an elastic force to the golf shaft (not shown) that secures the stopper-mechanism 60 to the golf shaft (not shown).
[0047] FIG. 8 depicts the device 50 and a stopper-mechanism 60 secured onto a typical golf club 10. In FIG. 8, the device 50 is shown as an example to include three disk-shaped plates 51, 55, 59 of differing size. The stopper-mechanism 60 is secured tightly to the shaft 15 so that the device 50 will remain abutted against the clubhead 17 if the golf club 10 is held upside-down.
[0048] FIG. 9 depicts an exemplary embodiment of the device 50, an exemplary embodiment of a stopper-mechanism 60 located above the device, and an exemplary embodiment of a separate stopper-mechanism 70 located below the device. In FIG. 9, the device 50 is shown as an example to include three disk-shaped plates 51, 55, 59 of differing sizes.
[0049] FIG. 10 depicts the device 50 and stopper-mechanisms 60, 70 secured onto a typical golf club 10. In FIG. 10, the device 50 is shown as an example to include three disk-shaped plates 51, 55, 59 of differing size. The stopper-mechanism 60 is secured tightly to the shaft 15 above the device 50. The stopper-mechanism 60 is intended to prevent the device 50 from sliding down the shaft 15 and towards the grip 13 if the golf club 10 is held upside-down. The stopper-mechanism 70 is secured tightly to the shaft 15 below the device 50. The stopper-mechanism 70 is intended to prevent the device 50 from sliding down the shaft 15 and towards the clubhead 17 during a golf swing. The stopper-mechanism 70 is thus intended to allow a user to adjust the distance that the device 50 is from the grip 13.
[0050] FIG. 11 depicts the device 50 to include a single plate 121. In FIG. 11, the device 50 is shown as an example to include a single plate 121 with a span that tapers along its thickness. The plate 121 includes a through-bore 141.
[0051] FIG. 12 depicts the device 50 to include a single plate 125. In FIG. 12, the device 50 is shown as an example to include a single plate 125 with a span that bulges along its thickness. The plate 125 includes a through-bore 145.
[0052] FIG. 13 depicts the device 50 to include a single plate 129. In FIG. 13, the device 50 is shown as an example to include a single plate 129 with a four-sided geometric shape. The plate 129 includes a through-bore 149.
