GOLF CLUB SWING ARC IMPACT LOCATION TRAINING SYSTEM

Abstract

A golf club swing arc impact location training system that helps the user to determine the ideal deepest point of his or her swing in relation to the location of the ball being hit. A rigid rectangular frame is topped by an elastic panel that can be deformed when the user swings and hits a golf ball attached to a tether assembly fixed to the edge of the rectangular frame. An array of photodiodes mounted on the inner surface of the frame senses the location of the depressed elastic panel as the ball is hit and sends the results to a digital display mounted on the top surface of the frame.

Claims

1. A golf club swing arc impact location training system comprising: an essentially cuboid golfer stand assembly comprising a golfer stand frame for a golfer to stand on while using the golf club swing arc impact training system, wherein the golfer stand assembly further comprises a mat simulating a golf course surface; an essentially hollow cuboid golfer swing practice assembly comprising: a frame enclosing a hollow space comprised of a base, a top, two short frame members, a first long frame member, and a second long frame member, the two short frame members perpendicularly attached to the long frame members; the top comprising an elastic mat panel member simulating a golf course surface, the elastic mat panel member anchored into and held taught between the tops of the two short frame members; a rotating golf ball tether assembly disposed on top of the first long frame member; a sensor rectangular array composed of plurality of photo-diode sensors disposed on first long frame member face facing the hollow space; a data acquisition apparatus, a data processing apparatus, and a power supply, disposed within the first long frame member; a golf ball tethered to the rotating golf ball tether assembly; a digital camera disposed on top of the second long frame member, facing the first long frame member; and a data display disposed on top of the first long frame member, enabled to display data acquired from photo-diode sensors of the sensor rectangular array and from the digital camera.

2. The golf club swing arc impact location training system of claim 1, wherein the elastic mat panel member elasticity allows the elastic panel surface to deflect when struck by force exerted by a golf club, wherein furthermore the elasticity of the elastic mat panel member causes the elastic mat panel member to return to its pre-strike shape.

3. The golf club swing arc impact location training system of claim 1, wherein the rotating ball tether assembly comprises four anchor pins, a tether arm attached to a rotating tether, the rotating tether relocatably disposed on the top surface of the first long frame member, wherein furthermore the first long frame member comprises a plurality of apertures for accommodating the rotating ball tether assembly in a location most suitable for a golfer using the golf club arc impact training system.

4. The golf club swing arc impact location training system of claim 3 wherein the rotating tether assembly comprises a stator and a rotor, the rotor and the stator further comprising a plurality of magnets, wherein the magnets cause the tethered golf ball to return to the location it was at just before being struck by force exerted by a golf club.

5. The golf club swing arc impact location training system of claim 3 wherein the rotating tether assembly comprises a stepper motor, the stepper motor comprising a stator and a rotor, the stepper motor causing the rotor to return the tethered golf ball to the location it was at just before being struck by force exerted by a golf club.

6. A method of training a golfer with visual feedback depicting the deepest deflection point of an elastic mat panel member deflection of the golfer swing using a golf swing club arc impact training system, the elastic mat panel member deflected when a tethered ball being struck by force exerted by a golf club and providing the golfer with impact related visual feedback, the method comprising steps of: (a) the golfer hitting the tethered ball disposed on the elastic mat panel member by swinging a golf club, the golf club swing arc impact location training system comprising a photo-diode array sensing a deflection of the elastic mat panel member, causing the deflection to be displayed on a data display disposed on top of the first long frame member via a data acquisition apparatus and a data processing apparatus; and (b) the golfer hitting the tethered ball disposed on the elastic mat panel member by swinging a golf club having a head, the digital camera capturing an image of an angle of the club golf club head about to hit the tethered ball, the golf club arc impact training system data acquisition apparatus and the data processing apparatus analyzing the captured image and displaying it on the data display via the via data acquisition apparatus and the data processing apparatus.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the instant invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the instant embodiments may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the instant invention.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the embodiment.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the embodiment practice assembly.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the embodiment practice assembly with the elastic panel removed.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a perspective section view of the embodiment practice assembly.

[0015] FIG. 5 is a perspective section view of the embodiment practice assembly with the elastic panel being deflected.

[0016] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the embodiment practice assembly showing the club capture camera.

[0017] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the ball rotating header assembly about to be inserted into the frame of the golf practice assembly.

[0018] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the golf ball rotating header assembly inserted into sockets on the frame.

[0019] FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the golf ball rotating header assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure, or manner.

[0021] Referring now to FIG. 1 we see a perspective view of the embodiment 100. A user stands on a golfer stand having a mat golf course simulating top surface of which is elevated to be level with the practice assembly 4 top surface. The practice assembly includes electronic sensing and displaying means to determine the deepest point of the user's swing. A golf ball 8 is tethered by arm 10 to a rotating assembly 8 so that the ball 12 resides in the central portion of the elastic panel 24 located a small distance below it. A rigid frame 14 holds an elastic panel 24 taught like a drum. The sensing and displaying means of the instant embodiment comprise a display 34 to show the user how well he or she matched the ideal deepest point location of the club swing, which is slightly in front of the ball when hitting on a fairway and slightly behind the ball when hitting out of a sand trap. Additional sensing and displaying means of the instant embodiment are shown in FIGS. 2 through 7.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the electronic practice assembly 4. Ball 12 is located in the center of elastic panel 24. The ball automatically ends up in the central position by use of magnets in the rotating assembly 8. Display 24 shows the arc 50 of the user's swing in relation to the ball 52. The result of sensing the location of the deepest point of the swing is displayed as a graphic symbol or a word such as good 54.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the practice assembly 4 with the elastic top panel removed showing a hollow portion 15 formed by the sides of the rectangular frame 14. A plurality of photo-diode sensors 16, a component of the sensing and displaying means, are set to monitor the deflection of the elastic panel 24 as the club head presses down on the elastic panel 24 during the swing. The pressing down of the elastic panel 24 equates to a divot that is formed on the golf green when playing under standard conditions. Ideally, the deepest point of the divot should be approximately one inch in front of the ball during the arc of the swing. The front of the ball is defined as the area located in the space between the ball and the forward direction of the flight of the ball. This location of the deepest point of the swing aids in hitting the ball further and straighter than when not struck at the ideal location. Golfers routinely spend much time and money with golf coaches and training equipment on perfecting an ideal swing but are generally not trained to cause the deepest point of the swing to be in the correct location in relation to the ball.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a side section view of the electronic practice assembly showing the elastic mat 24 in the flat position.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a side section view of the electronic practice assembly showing the elastic mat 24 in a deformed position as the club head bears down on the mat 24 during a golf swing. The plurality of photodiodes 16 sense the deformation 17, a data processing unit will translate the sensed deformation electronic data into a graphic picture shown on display 34. The data processing unit such as data acquisition electronic hardware, a microprocessor or a microcontroller, and battery power supply not shown, are located within the hollow portion of the rigid frame 14 interprets the information sent to it by the photodiodes 16 and sends corresponding signals to display 34.

[0026] FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of the electronic practice assembly with the rotating ball assembly removed from sockets 22. The legs 20 of the rotating assembly can be inserted into the left side of the sockets 22, or the middle or the right side of the sockets 22. This allows the user to practice for fairway ball hitting in which the deepest point of the swing should be in front of the ball, or a sand trap condition where the deepest point of the swing should be slightly behind the ball.

[0027] FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view of the electronic practice assembly where the rotating assembly 8 is located so that the ball is behind the deepest point of the swing if the direction of the ball is moving toward the left of the ball 12

[0028] FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the rotating assembly 8 cap 44 includes a downward facing screw 45 that penetrates an aperture in tether central member 42. The tether member 42 is inserted into bearing member 40 and all are held in place by screw 45. A magnet located on the side of tether central member 42 is drawn to a magnet located in the side wall of bearing member 40 causing the ball 8 to stop at the central location over the elastic mat 24 after it stops rotating after the ball has been hit. Alternately, the shaft of a stepper motor can function as the axle about which the tether central member 42 is attached. The stepper motor can sense the location of the tether arm 10 and a microprocessor can cause the stepper motor to brake when the tether arm 10 is in the correct position to land the ball 8 at the center of the elastic panel 24.

[0029] It is to be understood that the sensing and displaying means of the golf club swing arc can be also implemented by other electronic means or other photosensors not comprising photodiodes.

[0030] While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Definitions

[0031] In the claims, the word comprising does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps then those listed in a claim. Furthermore, the terms a or an, as used herein, are defined as one, or more than one. Also, the use of introductory phrases such as at least one and one or more in the claims should not be construed to imply that the introduction of another claim element by the indefinite articles a or an limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim element to inventions containing only one such element, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases one or more or at least one and indefinite articles such as a or an. The same holds true for the use of definite articles. Unless stated otherwise, terms such as first and second are arbitrarily used to distinguish between the elements such terms describe. Thus, these terms are not necessarily intended to indicate temporal or other prioritization of such elements. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

[0032] In the claims, the word up, unless described otherwise, has its ordinary meaning of upward from the ground or surface; conversely, the word down, unless described otherwise, has its ordinary meaning of toward or to the ground, floor, or bottom.

[0033] In the claims, the expressions deepest point and bottom, unless described otherwise, have its ordinary meaning of the deepest point of the golf club swing, typically the location of the club hitting the golf course surface.

[0034] In the claims, the word top, unless described otherwise, has its ordinary meaning of being the highest, i.e., vertically furthest from the ground, floor, or bottom.