Putting alignment training device

Abstract

A putting alignment training device that is securable to an upper torso of a user, having an elongated shoulder board, an adjustable harness that is secured to the shoulder board and configured to secure the training device to a front side of the upper torso, a frontal board, an adjustable connector that secures the frontal board to the shoulder board, a grid board including a grid formed by a plurality of horizontal lines and a plurality of vertical lines wherein one of the plurality of horizontal lines and the plurality of vertical lines are parallel to the shoulder board.

Claims

1. A putting alignment training device that is securable to a front side of an upper torso of a user, comprising: an elongated shoulder board having a longitudinal center axis; an adjustable harness that is secured to the elongated shoulder board and configured to secure the training device to the front side of the upper torso; a connector; a grid board secured to the elongated shoulder board by the connector, the grid board including a grid formed by at least one horizontal line; wherein one of the at least one horizontal line is parallel to the longitudinal center axis of the shoulder board.

2. The putting alignment training device of claim 1, wherein the grid board is comprised of a transparent material.

3. The putting alignment training device of claim 2, wherein the at least one horizontal line further comprises a plurality of horizontal lines, each horizontal line being parallel to the longitudinal center axis of the shoulder board.

4. The putting alignment training device of claim 3, wherein the grid further comprises a plurality of vertical lines, each vertical line being transverse to the horizontal lines.

5. The putting alignment training device of claim 2, wherein the grid board is secured to the elongated shoulder board in a fixed position.

6. The putting alignment training device of claim 2, wherein the connector further comprises an adjustable connector having a pivot axis that is parallel to the longitudinal center axis of the elongated shoulder board so that the grid board is rotatable with respect to the elongated shoulder board about the pivot axis.

7. The putting alignment training device of claim 2, wherein the grid board is movable between a first axial position and a second axial position with respect to the longitudinal center axis of the elongated shoulder board.

8. A putting alignment training device that is securable to a front side of an upper torso of a user, comprising: an elongated shoulder board having a first mortise and a longitudinal center axis; a connector having a first tenon that is slidably received in the first mortise of the elongated shoulder board; a grid board, the grid board including at least one horizontal line, the grid board being secured to the elongated shoulder board; wherein the at least one horizontal line is parallel to the longitudinal center axis of the shoulder board.

9. The putting alignment device of claim 8, further comprising an adjustable harness that is secured to the elongated shoulder board and configured to secure the training device to the front side of the upper torso.

10. The putting alignment training device of claim 8, wherein the grid board is comprised of a transparent material.

11. The putting alignment training device of claim 10, further comprising: a stabilizer bar including a second mortise, wherein the connector further includes a second tenon that is slidably received in the second mortise of the stabilizer bar, and the grid board is secured to the stabilizer bar.

12. The putting alignment training device of claim 8, wherein the at least one horizontal line further comprises a plurality of horizontal lines, each horizontal line being parallel to the longitudinal center axis of the shoulder board.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not, all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, this invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements.

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shoulder harness in accordance with an embodiment of present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an adjustable grid embodiment of a putting alignment training device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

(4) FIG. 3 is a side view of an adjustable connector in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

(5) FIG. 4 is a front view of the adjustable connector shown in FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 is a side view of the putting alignment training device shown in FIG. 2, positioned on a golfer;

(7) FIG. 6 is a front view of the golfer and the putting alignment training device shown in FIG. 5;

(8) FIG. 7 is a back view of the golfer and the putting alignment training device shown in FIG. 5;

(9) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a fixed grid embodiment of a putting alignment training device in accordance with the present invention;

(10) FIG. 9 is an alternate embodiment of a putting alignment training device in accordance with the present invention;

(11) FIG. 10 is a schematic depiction of the putting alignment training device shown in FIG. 9;

(12) FIG. 11 is an alternate embodiment of a putting alignment training device in accordance with the present invention;

(13) FIG. 12 is a schematic depiction of the putting alignment training device shown in FIG. 11;

(14) FIG. 13 is a perspective side view of an alternate embodiment of a putting alignment training device in accordance with the present invention;

(15) FIG. 14 is a perspective opposite side view of the putting alignment training device shown in FIG. 13;

(16) FIG. 15 is a schematic of the putting alignment training device shown in FIGS. 13 and 14;

(17) FIG. 16 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a putting alignment training device in accordance with the present invention;

(18) FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a putting alignment training device in accordance with the present invention; and

(19) FIGS. 18A-18C are various perspective views of the components of the putting alignment training device shown in FIG. 17.

(20) Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent same or analogous features or elements of the invention according to the disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(21) Reference will now be made to presently preferred embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit thereof. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used on another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

(22) As used herein, terms referring to a direction or a position relative to the orientation of the golfer and training device, such as but not limited to “vertical,” “horizontal,” “upper,” “lower,” “above,” or “below,” refer to directions and relative positions with respect to the golfer's orientation in his normal intended position, as indicated in the Figures herein. Thus, for instance, the terms “vertical” and “upper” refer to the vertical direction and relative upper position in the perspectives of the Figures and should be understood in that context.

(23) Further, the term “or” as used in this disclosure and the appended claims is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from the context, the phrase “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, the phrase “X employs A or B” is satisfied by any of the following instances: X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from the context to be directed to a singular form. Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms take at least the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context dictates otherwise. The meanings identified below do not necessarily limit the terms, but merely provided illustrative examples for the terms. The meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” may include plural references, and the meaning of “in” may include “in” and “on.” The phrase “in one embodiment,” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may.

(24) Reference will now be made to presently preferred embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit thereof. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used on another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

(25) The present disclosure is related to putting alignment used in golf training to improve putting skills by improving a golfer's ability to properly line up a putt prior to actually attempting the putt. For example, as discussed in greater detail below, embodiments include devices worn on the body that include a transparent grid, or lasers that cast laser lines or dots on the putting surface. By aligning these lines with a line from the golf ball to the hole, the golfer's body is simultaneously lined up correctly, that is with shoulders, hips, knees, and feet parallel to the line from the ball to the hole.

(26) Embodiments of putting alignment training devices in accordance with the present disclosure fall into two broad categories, those involving a grid, of which there are four, and those involving lasers, of which there are three. One embodiment is described as an adjustable grid embodiment (FIG. 2), and three embodiments include fixed grids and are described as a fixed grid embodiment (FIG. 8), a fixed grid embodiment with continuous connectors (FIG. 16), and an assembly grid embodiment (FIG. 17). The laser embodiments are described as a line lasers embodiment (FIG. 9), a pointer laser embodiment (FIG. 11), and a dual line laser embodiment (FIG. 13), dual meaning emitting both a horizontal and vertical beam at the same time.

(27) Referring now to the Figures, a first embodiment of a putting alignment training device, more specifically, the adjustable grid embodiment 106, is described. The adjustable grid embodiment 106 includes a harness 100, as best seen in FIG. 1, a shoulder board 105 as best seen in FIG. 2, with the attachment to the body of a user shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7.

(28) The purpose of the harness 100 is to attach the shoulder board 105 to the front of the golfer's shoulders. The harness 100 preferably includes a strap 101 that encircles the shoulders of the golfer with a connector strap 102 and pad 103 at the back. Adjustable shoulder straps 104 and a plastic locking component 107 allow the golfer to tighten the straps as necessary to cause the shoulder board 105 to rest firmly against the front of his shoulders. Preferred material of the harness 100 is synthetic cloth, but other materials may be used. The shoulder board 105 is preferably constructed so that length is slightly wider than the golfer's shoulders. Therefore, the shoulder board 105 may be produced in varying sizes as needed, such as long, medium, and short. Preferred material of the shoulder board 105 is wood, but other materials such as plastics may be used. Construction of the harness 100 and shoulder board 105 is similar for all the embodiments discussed in greater detail below, with the exception of the assembly grid embodiment 143 (FIG. 17) so this construction will not be repeated where it would be repetitive. Also, where operation of one embodiment is the same as that of another embodiment it will not be repeated, but simply referred to as the same to avoid unnecessary repetition.

(29) Referring specifically to FIG. 2, the adjustable grid embodiment 106 includes an adjustable connector 110, connected to a shoulder board 105 by an L bracket 108 and nuts and bolts 109. The connector 110 is further detailed in FIG. 3, a side view, and FIG. 4, a view facing the golfer. The connector 110 connects the shoulder board 100 to the frontal board 115. The connector 110 consists of a first part 111 attached to the shoulder board 105, a second part 112 attached to the frontal board 115, and a rotating component in the middle. The rotating component consists of a rotating cylindrical component 113 and a set screw 114. The rotation is around an axis that is parallel to the shoulder board 105 and frontal board 115 and runs through the center of the cylindrical component 113. Preferred material of the connector 110 is plastic, but other materials, such as metals, may be used. The preferred material of the L brackets 108 is metal, but other materials may be used, such as plastics. The purpose of the adjustable feature of the connector is to allow golfers with different heights, or body positions each takes when taking his normal stance prior to putting, to adjust the frontal board 115 so that the lines of the grid 117, or the laser lines 123 and 137 as will be explained later with regard to alternate embodiments, are in the golfer's sight without altering the golfer's normal stance.

(30) Attached to the frontal board 115 by nuts and bolts 109 are two extender boards 116. Preferred material of the extender boards is wood, but other materials, such as plastics, may be used. The purpose of the extender boards 116 is to extend the rectangular transparent component, which is referred to as the grid 117, further away from the golfer's eyes so that lines on the grid 117 are distinct and not blurred. Preferred material of the frontal board 115 is wood, but other materials, such as plastics, may be used. The grid 117 is attached to the extender boards 116 by L brackets 108 and nuts and bolts 109. The grid 117 includes horizontal grid lines 118 and optional vertical grid lines 119 thereon. The horizontal lines 118 are parallel to the shoulder board 105 and since the grid 117 is connected to the shoulder board 105, any rotation of the shoulders will rotate the grid at the same time, meaning the shoulder board 105 and horizontal lines 118 of the grid 117 remain parallel. Horizontal lines 118 on the grid 117 may be many, few, or only one. As noted above, vertical lines 119 are optional and may be many, few or none. The grid 117 can be produced with varying lengths and widths. The greater the length of the grid 117, the longer the line of sight from the golfer's eyes to the hole 129 (FIG. 5), and hence the longer the putt that may be practiced. Additional holes may be placed in the grid 117 to allow for lateral movement by removing the nuts and bolts 109, which may be optional wing nuts 109, and then reattaching the grid 117, thus allowing for longer putts to be practiced. Preferred material of the grid 117 is polycarbonate, but other transparent materials may be used.

(31) Referring now to FIGS. 5 through 7, the use of the adjustable grid embodiment 106 is described. First, the golfer dons the shoulder harness 100. Next, the golfer inserts both ends of the shoulder board inside the harness 100 at the front of his body, centers the embodiment 106 between the shoulders, and tightens the straps 104. It should be noted that centering the embodiment 106 on the body is preferable because it is balanced, but the embodiment can be off-centered to the left for a right-handed golfer or to the right for a left-handed golfer, so as to extend the ability of the golfer to see further down the line to the target hole 129. Next, the golfer takes his normal stance and normal grip on the putter 141 and centers the putter face 126 midway between his feet, with weight evenly distributed on both feet. The golfer then adjusts the frontal board 115 using the adjustable connector 110 so that one horizontal line 118 of the grid 117 will line up on the line from ball to the hole 129, and he then tightens the set screw 114. Grips and stances of golfers vary widely, so no attempt will be made to discuss any one in particular. However, regardless of the golfer's grip or stance, the principles outlined in this invention apply. For example, by using the invention to line up the entire body parallel to the line from the ball to the hole and set the putter face perpendicular to this line, proper alignment is achieved. After adjusting the connector 110 and setting the set screw 114, the golfer lines up one parallel line from the middle of the ball 128 to middle of hole 129 by rotating the shoulders and, using different parallel lines of the grid 117, lines up the tips of his toes parallel to this line.

(32) It should be noted that during the alignment process the whole body is involved, that is, the rotation of the shoulders around an axis running through the middle of the torso from shoulders to waist, causes the torso, hips, and knees to also rotate so that the whole body is aligned. However, preferably, during the stroke there is no movement of the body from the waist down, and the shoulders rotate the arms, wrists, and hands, which stay fixed during the stroke. As well, the head preferably stays down and does not move from side to side or up and down. As well, the rotation of the shoulders should be accomplished with slight rotation of the torso, also around the axis referred to above. These stroke issues are provided here for information only, but this invention does not make claims as to stroke methods. FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 show different views of the adjustable grid embodiment 106 on the golfer at address, when the alignment process takes place. As explained previously, the shoulder board 105 and harness 100 are common to all the disclosed embodiments. The attachment to the body as shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 is the same for all the disclosed embodiments. Therefore, to avoid repetition, these aspects of the drawings are not described repeatedly when not necessary, and the drawings which ensue reflect only those aspects unique to each embodiment. After aligning the entire body as described above, and as will be described in other embodiments to be described, the golfer may first practice with the device attached to the body in order to attain total body proper muscle control and then practice without the device to help insure that this control has been attained. After this, golfer may test his skills on the course without the device to determine if further practice is warranted with or without the device.

(33) Referring now to FIG. 8, the construction of the fixed grid embodiment 120 is shown. The L brackets 108 are attached to the shoulder board 105 by fasteners, such as, but not limited to, nuts and bolts 109. Attached to these L brackets 108, by nuts and bolts, are two extender boards 116. Attached to these extender boards 116, by nuts and bolts 109, are two L brackets 108. Attached to these two L brackets 108 is a grid 117, constructed similarly to that described in the adjustable grid embodiment 106. Preferred materials of these components are the same as described previously for the adjustable grid embodiment 106.

(34) Now that the fixed grid embodiment 120 construction has been explained we can describe how the invention works using the fixed grid embodiment 120. The operation is the same as the adjustable grid embodiment 106, with the only difference being that there is no adjustable feature. Therefore, the golfer needs to bend slightly at the waist to line up the line from ball 128 to hole 129 prior to making the previously described shoulder rotation.

(35) Referring now to FIG. 16, the construction of the fixed grid embodiment with a continuous connector 154 is described. Attached to the shoulder board 105, by nuts and bolts, is a continuous connector 142 with zig-zag shape. This shape allows the grid 117 to be down and away from the golfer. Attached to the continuous connector 142, by nuts and bolts, is a stabilizer bar 155 and the grid 117. The stabilizer bar 155 includes multiple holes, that in concert with holes in the grid 117, provide stability to the grid 117 if it is moved laterally by removing and reattaching nuts and bolts 109 with optional wing nuts 109. The fixed grid embodiment with continuous connector 154 works similarly to the fixed grid embodiment 120 which is described previously.

(36) Referring now to FIGS. 17 and 18, the assembly embodiment 143 is described. Preferably, the assembly embodiment 143 can be assembled or disassembled without nuts and bolts. Preferably, all materials of the assembly embodiment 143, with the exception of the grid 151, are some form of plastic, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or similar materials. The shoulder board 144 of the assembly embodiment 143 is attached to the connector 147 by inserting the connector tenon 146 into the shoulder board mortise 145. The connector 147 is attached at the other end to the stabilizer bar 149 by inserting the connector tenon 148 into the stabilizer bar mortise 150. The grid 151 is attached to the stabilizer bar 149 by snapping on of the holes in the grid to projections 152 on the stabilizer bar 149. There are multiple projections on the stabilizer bar 149 and multiple holes in the grid 151 so that that the grid 151 can be easily moved laterally by unsnapping the grid 151, moving the grid 151, and snapping the grid 151 back on the projections 152 to allow for longer putts. Also, on the connector is a flap 153 that is used to hold the grid 151 in place. The assembly grid embodiment 143 works similarly to the fixed grid embodiment with a continuous connector 154.

(37) Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, the single line laser embodiment 121 is described. Preferably, the shoulder board 100, adjustable connector 110. and frontal board 115 of the single line laser embodiment 121 are constructed similarly to those described above with regard to the adjustable grid embodiment 106, with the exception that the frontal board 115 will preferably be of a longer length. Preferably, three magnets 122 are attached to the frontal board 115 by adhesive. The preferred configuration of the magnets 122 is a round disc, but other configurations may be used. As shown in FIG. 9, two magnets 122 are near the ends of the frontal board 115 and one magnet 122 is in the center. Attached to the magnets 122 are single line lasers 123. If the lasers are made of a material is magnetic, such as plastic, a thin metal strip 124 is attached to the lasers. This embodiment allows the lasers to be rotated. As can be seen in FIG. 9 and the schematic of FIG. 10, the lasers 123 are pointed such that the two lasers at the ends of the frontal board 115 are directed so that the horizontal beam 125 of one is focused on the ball and the horizontal beam 125 of the other is focused on the hole 129. The center laser 123 is pointed perpendicular to these horizontal line beams 125 such that its beam 125 is focused on the putter face 126.

(38) The single line laser embodiment 121 works the same as the previously discussed embodiments utilizing grids with the exception that instead of using grid lines 118 and 119 to align the golfer's body and the putter, the laser lines 125 are used. Because there is only a single laser line rather than multiple horizontal lines on a grid 117, the golfer will need to bend at the waist to line up his feet and then unbend to line up the line from ball to hole prior to rotating the shoulders as necessary.

(39) The pointer lasers embodiment 126 is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. Construction of this embodiment is the same as the single line lasers embodiment 121, with the exception that instead of three magnets 122, there are two magnets, and instead of three line lasers 123, there are two pointer lasers 131 attached to the magnets. The pointer lasers 131 can be of different materials, but if not magnetic, as most are not, then a metal clip 132 can be attached to each pointer laser 131. As shown, one laser 131 is pointed at the center of the ball 128 and one at the center of the hole 129. The pointer laser embodiment 130 works in the same manner as the single line laser embodiment 121, with the exception that instead of lining up the shoulder and feet with horizontal lines of the grid 117, the shoulders 128 are rotated so that one laser dot 157 hits the center of the ball 128 and one hits the center of the hole 129. The golfer's feet are lined up by bending at the waist to affix the laser dots 157 to the tips of the toes.

(40) As shown in FIGS. 13, 14, and 15, the dual line laser embodiment 133 attaches directly to the shoulder board 105. The dual line laser embodiment 133 works in the same manner as the two previously discussed laser embodiments with the exception that the laser simultaneously emits both a horizontal beam 137 and a vertical beam 138 to meet in crosshairs on the putting surface. The horizontal beam 137 is used to line up the feet and shoulders of the golfer to the line from the ball 128 to the hole 129, and the vertical beam 138 is used to line up the putter face 126.

(41) While one or more preferred embodiments of the invention are described above, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit thereof. It is intended that the present invention cover such modifications and variations as come within the scope and spirit of the appended claims and their equivalents.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

(42) 100 Shoulder Harness 101 Harness Strap 102 Harness Connector Strap 103 Harness Pad 104 Adjustable Shoulder Straps 105 Shoulder Board 106 Adjustable Grid Embodiment 107 Plastic Locking Component 108 L Bracket 109 Nuts and Bolts with Optional Wing Nuts 110 Adjustable Connector 111 Shoulder Board Connector Component 112 Frontal Board Connector Component 113 Cylindrical Part 114 Adjustable connector Set Screw 115 Frontal Board 116 Extender Board 117 Grid 118 Horizontal Grid Lines 119 Vertical Grid Lines 120 Fixed Grid Embodiment 121 Single Line Lasers Embodiment 122 Magnet 123 Single Line Laser 124 Thin Metal Plate 125 Line Laser Beam 126 Putter Face 127 Putter head 128 Ball 129 Hole 130 Pointer Lasers Embodiment 131 Pointer Laser 132 Metal Clip 133 Dual line Lasers Embodiment 134 Dual Line Laser 135 On/off Button 136 Mode Selector 137 Dual Line Laser Horizontal Beam 138 Dual Line Laser Vertical Beam 139 Dual Laser L Bracket 140 Dual Laser Set Screw 142 Continuous Connector 143 Assembly Grid Embodiment 144 Assembly Shoulder Board 145 Shoulder Board Mortise 146 Connector Tenon that Attaches to Shoulder Board Mortise 147 Assembly Connector 148 Connector Tenon that Attaches to Stabilizer Bar Mortise 149 Assembly Stabilizer Bar 150 Stabilizer Bar Mortise 151 Assembly Grid 152 Assembly Projections 153 Assembly Flap 154 Fixed Grid Embodiment with Continuous Connector 155 Stabilizer Bar