APPARATUS AND METHOD OF INDICATING A STANCE FOR A GOLFER

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for indicating a golf stance. The apparatus includes foot markers configured to provide an indication of where on the ground the golfer should place his feet and a reference grid arranged on the ground in a predetermined relationship relative to the foot markers, the reference grid including a plurality of points arranged in labelled rows and columns, thereby to identify each point in the reference grid. The apparatus has a golf club attachment including an attachment formation for attachment to a shaft of a golf club and an aiming aperture or reticule, wherein the golfer is able to align his eye with one of the points on the reference grid using or through the aiming aperture. The apparatus further has a ball marker and a support stand which supports the ball marker at an elevated position above the ground where the ball is intended to be placed, wherein the golfer is able to align his eye with the ball when placed on the ground using the ball marker. In use, (1) placement of the golfer's feet, (2) alignment of the golfer's eye (and accordingly head) with one of the points on the grid and the golf club using the aiming aperture, and (3) aligning the golfer's eye (and accordingly head) with the ball using the ball marker causes a desired or predictable stance of the golfer.

Claims

1. An apparatus for indicating a golf stance, the apparatus including: foot markers configured to provide an indication of where on the ground the golfer should place his feet; a reference grid arranged on the ground in a predetermined relationship relative to the foot markers, the reference grid including a plurality of points arranged in labelled rows and columns, thereby to identify each point in the reference grid; a golf club attachment including: an attachment formation for attachment to a shaft of a golf club; and an aiming aperture or reticule, wherein the golfer is able to align his eye with one of the points on the reference grid using or through the aiming aperture; a ball marker; and a support stand which supports the ball marker at an elevated position above the ground where the ball is intended to be placed, wherein the golfer is able to align his eye with the ball when placed on the ground using the ball marker; wherein (1) placement of the golfer's feet, (2) alignment of the golfer's eye (and accordingly head) with one of the points on the grid and the golf club using the aiming aperture, and (3) aligning the golfer's eye (and accordingly head) with the ball using the ball marker causes a desired or predictable stance of the golfer.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the foot markers are a pair of foot markers and are provided by two guided members attached to a base unit; the base unit defines a guide track; and the guided members are displaceable within, or relative to, the base unit.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the base is configured to be arranged in a predetermined orientation relative to the reference grid and the base unit has measurements or graduations thereon.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the foot markers are provided by a single marked member which is configured to be arranged at a predefined orientation relative to the reference grid and which includes numbered or coloured markings to indicate absolute or relative foot position.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the points of the reference grid are dots and the reference grid is labelled with colour; for example.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the points in the reference grid are labelled with indicia based on rows and/or columns.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the reference grid includes at least one upstanding wall provided at a side which is intended to be between the reference grid and the golf ball, wherein the wall includes a target marking.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, which includes reference guide marker configured to align the reference grid with the support stand.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the support stand is inverted L shaped and includes an upright post having a free end for engaging the ground.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, which includes a cantilever arm connected to the upright post and in which the ball marker is supported at a free end of the cantilever arm.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, in which the ball marker is displaceable relative to the support post in one or more of the following ways: the cantilever arm and/or the upright post is extendible; and/or the cantilever arm is pivotable and/or swivelable relative to the upright post.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the support stand include a stroke guide element which projects forwardly in a direction of the stroke and/or rearwardly in a direction of a backswing.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, which includes an angular indicator to indicate an angular relationship between the support stand and the reference grid.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the golf club attachment formation is in the form of a clip, which can be attached and removed by hand, and which is held frictionally in place when attached to the club.

15. A stance recreating unit which includes: the apparatus as claimed in claim 1; and a plurality of light beam generators configured to generate light beams, wherein the plurality of light beam generators are adjustably mounted relative to the support stand such that the light beams can be directed towards one or more of the following locations on the ground: a foot location or feet locations; an item on the reference grid position; and/or a ball position.

16. A method of indicating a golf stance, the method including: providing foot markers configured to indicate where on the ground a golfer should place his feet; providing a reference grid arranged on the ground in a predetermined relationship relative to the foot markers, the reference grid including a plurality of points arranged in labelled rows and columns, thereby to identify each point in the reference grid; attaching a golf club attachment, using its attachment formation, to a shaft of a golf club, the golf club attachment having an aiming aperture or reticule, wherein the golfer is able to align his eye with one of the points on the reference grid using or through the aiming aperture; supporting a ball marker, by means of a support stand, at an elevated position above the ground where the ball is intended to be placed, wherein the golfer is able to align his eye with the ball when placed on the ground using the ball marker; wherein (1) placement of the golfer's feet, (2) alignment of the golfer's eye (and accordingly head) with one of the points on the grid and the golf club using the aiming aperture, and (3) aligning the golfer's eye (and accordingly head) with the ball using the ball marker causes a desired or predictable stance of the golfer.

17. A method of calculating custom settings for a golfer based on the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the method including: receiving a measurement relating to a characteristic of the golfer; receiving an indication of predefined reference settings to be used for the golfer; determining a conversion factor based on a relationship between the measurement of the characteristic of the golfer and a corresponding predefined characteristic associated with the predefined reference settings; and adjusting the reference settings by the conversion factor thereby to generate the custom settings for the golfer.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, in which: the characteristic is golfer height; the conversion factor is (golfer height/reference height of predefined reference settings); and adjusting includes multiplying or dividing the reference settings by the conversation factor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0062] The disclosure will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

[0063] In the drawings:

[0064] FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional schematic view of an apparatus for indicating a stance for a golfer, in accordance with the disclosure;

[0065] FIG. 2 shows a three-dimensional view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 with more markings and measurement devices included;

[0066] FIG. 3 shows a top view of a golf club attachment forming part of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

[0067] FIG. 4 shows a top view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 in use;

[0068] FIG. 5 shows a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 in use;

[0069] FIG. 6 shows a side view of a stance recreating unit, as an alternative to the apparatus of FIG. 5, in use;

[0070] FIG. 7 shows a three-dimensional schematic view of another embodiment of a stance recreating unit, in accordance with the disclosure;

[0071] FIG. 8 shows a sectional view of the stance recreating unit of FIG. 7;

[0072] FIG. 9 shows a three-dimensional schematic view of a further embodiment of an apparatus for indicating a stance for a golfer, in accordance with the disclosure;

[0073] FIG. 10 shows a top view of the apparatus of FIG. 9;

[0074] FIG. 11 shows a top view of the apparatus of FIG. 9 in use;

[0075] FIG. 12 shows a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 9 in use; and

[0076] FIG. 13 shows a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 9 in use for recreating a stance.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENT

[0077] The following description of an example embodiment of the disclosure is provided as an enabling teaching of the disclosure. Those skilled in the relevant art will recognise that changes can be made to the example embodiment described, while still attaining the beneficial results of the present disclosure. It will also be apparent that some of the desired benefits of the present disclosure can be attained by selecting some of the features of the example embodiment without utilising other features. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will recognise that modifications and adaptations to the example embodiment are possible and can even be desirable in certain circumstances and are a part of the present disclosure. Thus, the following description of the example embodiment is provided as illustrative of the principles of the present disclosure and not a limitation thereof.

[0078] FIG. 1 illustrates an apparatus 100 for indicating a stance for a golfer, in accordance with the disclosure. In this embodiment, the apparatus comprises a plurality of related but physically disconnected parts 101, 120, 140. The apparatus 100 includes a foot marker part 101 which comprises a base unit 102. The base unit 102 is elongate and composed of two parts joined by a hinge 104. The two-part design permits the base unit 102 to be folded for easy storage (and the hinge 104 may also serve to mark a centre point of the base unit 102).

[0079] The base unit 102 defines a pair of guide tracks or slots 106, one at side end thereof. The guide tracks 106 are linear and accommodate respective foot markers 108, 110. The foot markers 108, 110 (in the form of guided members) are confined to the tracks 106 by locating parts 112 which serve to engage the foot markers 108, 110 frictionally with the base unit 102. Accordingly, the foot markers 108, 110 may independently be slid along the tracks 106 or rotated about the locating parts 112 by hand; however, the foot markers 108, 110 will not move a rotate by themselves (e.g., under gravity) as the frictional connection from the locating parts 112 prevents free movement.

[0080] The base unit 102 has an angular indicator 114 in line with the hinge 104. The angular indicator 114 is configured to indicate a relative angle between the base unit 102 and the grid unit 120 (see FIG. 2). Components of the foot marker part 101 may be of wood, plastic, metal, etc.

[0081] The grid unit 120 comprises a rigid planar sheet 122 which, in this example, is rectangular and of a plastic material. A reference grid 124 is provided (e.g., printed) on the sheet 122. The reference grid 124 is square and provided on a side of the sheet 122, taking up just over half of available surface area. A remaining part of the sheet 122 is blank.

[0082] The reference grid 124 comprises a matrix of points. In this example, the reference grid has 13×13 points, with adjacent points spaced 1 cm apart, the reference grid 124 thus being 12 cm×12 cm big. Indicia 126 are provided on a side and top of the reference grid 124 and can be used to uniquely identify a specific point. The points (whether rows and/or columns) may be colour coded but this would not be apparent in black and white drawings, so the grid 124 is described with reference to indicia in the form of numbers (0 . . . 13) on the right to identify rows and letters (A . . . M) on the top to identify columns, in similar fashion to an Excel™ spreadsheet. Any given points may be identified by a combination of a number and letter—a point somewhere in the middle may be F6.

[0083] The grid unit 120 has an upstanding wall 128 which is provided at a side which is intended to be between the reference grid 124 and a striking area (where a golf ball will be placed). The wall 128 may include a target marking (e.g., a red line) which can be aligned with the base unit 102 and also which may then indicate a stroke direction.

[0084] The apparatus 100 further includes a support stand 140 with a ball marker 152 supported thereby at an elevated position. The support stand 140 has an upright post 142 together with an arm or crosspiece 144 supported cantilever fashion from the upright post 142. The support stand 140 thus has an L-shaped profile.

[0085] The arm 144 is mounted to the post 142 by means of a joint 146 which may allow for various degrees of movement, e.g., tilting and swivelling. A level indicator 148 is provided atop the joint 146 to provide an indication of how level the support frame 140 is. The support frame 140 has a spike 150 at a lower end of the post 142 to permit the support frame 140 to be mounted (e.g., spiked into) the ground (which typically has an upper layer of grass).

[0086] A ball marker 152 is supported at a free, extended end of the arm 144. The ball marker 152 is a small sphere, in this example, about half the size of a golf ball. Optionally, the ball marker 152 defines a transverse aperture therein to accommodate a stroke guide element 154. The ball marker 152 is also swivelably mounted to the arm 144 so that it can turn about a longitudinal axis of the arm 144 thereby to rotate the stroke guide element 154. Alternatively, the stroke guide element 154 may be withdrawn and removed from the ball marker 152, if not wanted or needed.

[0087] FIG. 2 shows an apparatus 200 based on the apparatus 100 of FIG. 100 but includes further markings (which were omitted from FIG. 1 to accentuate the structure of the parts 101, 120, 140) and also includes further measuring devices used in the initial setup of, and in fine adjustment of, the apparatus 100.

[0088] The base unit 102 includes measurements or graduations (like those on a ruler) on both sides (top and bottom) of the tracks 106. If the foot markers 108, 110 were only permitted or intended always to be perpendicular to the base unit 102, then measurements would only be needed on one side. However, where a foot marker 108, 110 is included (as in the case of the right foot marker 110 in FIG. 2), then the measurements on both sides of the base unit 102 are used to measure (1) the position and (2) the degree of inclination.

[0089] The grid unit 120 can be aligned or inclined relative to the base unit 102 using a guide line 202 provided by a waxed cotton piece of string 202 anchored at each end by pegs 204. The string 202 is aligned with a marking running through the sheet 122 and then the angle is measured by the angular indicator 114. For no inclination, the grid unit 120 is adjusted so that the string 202 coincides with the central 0° mark (or 90° mark, depending on labelling convention) in the angular indicator 114. Instead, it can be tilted or inclined to either side, e.g., 10° one way or the other.

[0090] The grid unit 120 is spaced a defined distance from the support frame 140 by means of a tape measure 206. The tape measure 206 could include a recess for being mounted to the wall 128, if desired, for added stability.

[0091] The support frame 140 also has an angular indicator 208, which is removable, which is used to indicate an angular alignment between the arm 144 (and hence the ball marker 152) and the grid unit 120.

[0092] FIG. 3 illustrates a golf club attachment 300 which includes a rectangular body 302 having a golf club attachment 304 at one end and an aiming aperture 306 at the other. The attachment 304 is in the form of a clip 304 for frictional engagement with a standard size shaft of the golf club. The clip 304 permits the attachment 300 to be clipped and released by hand but is strong enough that the attachment 300 does not shift or slip when taking a stroke or playing a shot. The clip 304 may include attachment means, like a screw or bolt, effectively turning it into a clamp.

[0093] The body 302 defines an aperture 306 in the other end which functions as a viewing aperture or even a reticule to aim at a point through the aperture 306 (see further below). Optionally, the attachment 300 also has a level indicator like a spirit level 308 which can be used to indicate whether or not the attachment 300 has been evenly or levelly mounted to the golf club.

[0094] FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of an example setup. The foot marker part 101, grid unit 120, and the support stand 140 have been laid out on the ground. In this simple example, they are all aligned (that is, not angularly offset). More complex stances, like fades or draws, or lofts or punts, might have different relative orientations of the parts 101, 120, 140.

[0095] The golfer 400 arranges his feet 402 within the foot markers 108, 110 or, instead, moves the foot markers 108, 110 to a position where his feet 402 are comfortable. He places the ball 406 beneath the ball marker 152. The golfer 400 may try various positions, angles, foot locations, stances, etc., until he feels comfortable or as directed by a swing coach.

[0096] FIG. 5 illustrates further features which are important for using the apparatus 100. The golfer 400 aligns his eye 500 through the aperture 306 of the attachment 300 and one point on the reference grid 124, as indicated by line 502. Without moving his head, the golfer 400 also aligns his eye 500 with the ball marker 152 and the ball 406, as indicated by line 504. (A head of the club 404 will usually be at ground level adjacent the ball 406 but is illustrated as slightly lifted to reveal the ball 406 more clearly.) This alignment (including lines 502, 504) controls the major factors which dictate the overall stance of the golfer 400: foot position, club position, head position, and ball position. By controlling these major factors, other factors not directly controlled (e.g., shoulder position or spine angle) also adjust to fit into the stance.

[0097] The golfer 400 may swing and take his shot or, instead, reposition. The reference grid 124 allows for course or fine adjustment, with nearby/adjacent points being for fine adjustment and further away points being for courser adjustment. This process may be repeated iteratively, until a desired position is found. This desired position may be dictated by one or more of how the position feels to the golfer 400, the resultant quality of the shot he plays from that position, or feedback from a coach. Once a desired position is attained, the golfer 400 (or assistant/coach) makes a note of the settings associated with that position.

[0098] Then, for his next shot with his desired stance, the golfer 400 may recreate the stance precisely. While the setup of the apparatus 100 remains the same (as it will during the same practice session), the golfer 400 just realigns his eye 500 with the aperture and the chosen point (e.g., B4) on the reference grid 124 and with the ball 406 (lines 502, 504).

[0099] However, while repeating the stance within the same practice session is advantageous, repeating the stance from one practice session to another is also important and is enabled by the apparatus 100. By recreating the various settings, like, spacing and inclination of the foot markers 108, 110 relative to the base unit 102, spacing and inclination of the grid unit 120 relative to the base unit 102, and spacing and inclination of the support stand 140 relative to the grid unit 120, the apparatus 100 can be setup with precise repeatability.

[0100] Then, when addressing the ball 406, the golfer 400 again aligns his eye 500 with the same point (e.g., B4) on the reference grid 124 through the aperture 306 adjacent his club 404, and he aligns the ball 406 using the ball marker 152 (line 504). His stance and posture will thus be recreated. He can then practise. The importance of repetition is well known in mastering an art or discipline, and the apparatus 100 provides a means for precise repeatability. In summary, the apparatus 100 provides a means for fine-tuning to create or develop a preferred stance based on plural influential measurements/metrics and then also provides a means to repeat the stance, once perfected.

[0101] The apparatus 100 can be provided in a kit (not illustrated), e.g., including a carry case, for ease of transport and storage.

[0102] By way of development, and as illustrated in FIG. 6, the apparatus 100 can include, or can have as an adjunct, a stance recreating unit 600. The stance recreating unit 600 includes a rail 602 positioned atop the upright post 142. The rail 602 carries a series (four, in this case) of light emitters in the form of laser diodes 604 or simply “lasers” 604. Each laser 604 is configured to emit a laser beam which can project a spot onto the ground. The lasers 604 are displaceably mounted to the beam 602 via a joint, e.g., via a ball-and-socket joint, such that they are independently displaceable relative to the beam and relative to each other. The beam 602 could be an attachment (e.g., a bolt-on attachment) to the existing support stand 140 or could be a standalone apparatus.

[0103] Initially, the stance recreating unit 600 is setup such that the lasers 604 project laser beams 606 point to specific locations. This is achieved by manipulating the lasers 604 by hand. The joints are sufficiently rigid so that the lasers 604 will not move on their own under gravity, or when knocked or jarred lightly; only firm hand pressure will move them. There may even be a locking arrangement (e.g., screw or bolt) to lock them in place, once set. As there are four lasers 604, there are four laser beams 606. The lasers 604 are manipulated such that the laser beams 606 point to four specific locations: [0104] right foot marker (e.g., toe tip of right foot); [0105] left foot marker (e.g., toe tip of left foot); [0106] ball marker (where ball should be placed); and [0107] reference grid indicator (directed at the identified point on the reference grid, e.g., B4).

[0108] Once the stance recreating unit 600 has been configured correctly, the foot marker part 101 and grid unit 120 may be removed and need not be used again merely for recreating the stance. They may be used again if adjustment to the stance is desired/required.

[0109] FIGS. 7-8 illustrate another example embodiment of a stance recreating unit 700 in accordance with the disclosure. The unit 700 comprises an elongate base member 702 which houses a telescopically extendible arm 706. The telescopic arm 706 is laterally extendible or retractable. The base member 702 also has a pair of legs 704 which project downwardly to engage the ground. The legs 704 may include spikes or feet (not illustrated) at their lower ends.

[0110] The unit 700 has the upright post 142 which is at least outwardly similar to that of the unit 600 of FIG. 6, together with the arm 144 which supports the ball marker 152 and the stroke guide element 154. The post 142 supports a modified crosspiece 708 comprising a series (five, in this example, one for each laser 604) of hollow cases or case segments interspaced by spacers. The crosspiece 708 has five mounting formations 710 for mounting five lasers 604 thereon.

[0111] Each of the five lasers 604 generates a laser beam, respectively designated 606.1 . . . 606.5. The laser beams 606.1 . . . 606.5 are intended to be directed as follows: [0112] beam 606.1: tip of left foot; [0113] beam 606.2: tip of right foot; [0114] beam 606.3: centre point (e.g., of golfer 400 or between feet 402); [0115] beam 606.4: a designated point on the reference grid 124; and [0116] beam 606.5: position where the golf ball 406 should be placed on the ground.

[0117] FIG. 8 illustrates an axial sectional view through the post 142 and one of the lasers 604. The post 142 has a rigid tubular sleeve 802 which both provides support to the crosspiece 708 above and defines an inner cavity for accommodating a series of batteries 804 (three 1.5 V AAA batteries in series, in this example). The post 142 has an opening, e.g., revealed by unscrewing the post 142 from the crosspiece 708, to reveal the inner cavity for access to (e.g., for replacing) the batteries 804.

[0118] A negative connector 806 is provided below the battery cavity and connectable to a negative terminal of the lowermost battery 804. The sleeve 802 is metal (e.g., aluminium or steel) so is conductive and serves as a negative conductor which is electrically connected to the negative connector 806.

[0119] The crosspiece 708 is connected (e.g., screwed) to a top of the post 142 and, in turn, the mounting formations 710 are connected (e.g., screwed) to spaced apart locations of the crosspiece 708. The crosspiece 708 and mounting formations 710 are also of metal and continue to serve as the negative conductor. A positive conductor 810 in the form of an insulated wire 810 extends upwardly through the mounting formation 710.

[0120] The laser 604 has a case 814 (again, of metal) to enclose and house various electronic components and to physically mount the laser 604 to the mounting formation 710. The mounting formation 710 provides relative displaceability between the sleeve 802 and the case 814. The case 814 houses a circuit board 816 which drives a laser diode 818. A negative conductor 812 connects the case 814 (and hence the negative terminal of the batteries 804) to an appropriate negative power supply point (V.sup.−) on the circuit board 816, while the positive conductor 810 connects the positive terminal of the batteries 804) to an appropriate positive power supply point (V.sup.+) on the circuit board 816. Accordingly, all five lasers 604 are driven by a single bank of batteries 804 in the sleeve 802.

[0121] In use, the base member 702 is placed down so that the legs 704 engage the ground. The telescopic arm 706 is extended to a desired extent and can be adjusted, even finely adjusted, by extending or retracting the telescopic arm 706 after placing the base member 702. The lasers 604 are then directed to their desired orientations so that the laser beams 606.1 . . . 606.5 point to their pre-defined locations. The lasers 604 are displaceable (as mentioned above) but are relatively stiff, meaning that they can be swivelled and tilted with medium or firm hand-applied force but will not be accidentally displaced by touching them lightly or brushing against them.

[0122] Further, a usual application of the apparatus 100 is to recreate other stances (e.g., reference stances, a famous person's stance, etc.). For example, reference measurements may be provided for one or more neutral stances. Multiple reference stances may be provided, e.g., for driving, chipping, and putting. Corrective or specialised stances may be provided based on generally accepted characteristics. Providing a stance may refer to providing the measurements of the apparatus 100 which can be used to recreate that stance.

[0123] However, this may work for some golfers 400, but not for others, as physical factors like height can influence the measurements of the stance; a tall person would not be expected to have an identical stance (with identical measurements) to a short person. The Applicant has noted that one factor, namely height, seems to influence the stance measurements significantly more than any other factor.

[0124] Accordingly, a method is provided for calculating custom measurements or settings for the golfer 400, based on reference settings. The golfer 400 starts by selecting a stance. The could be a neutral reference stance for driving. Instead, it could be a stance used by a famous person (like Tiger Woods) which he wishes to replicate. Then, the golfer provides a measurement related to his height (e.g., his actual height, like 1.82 meters). A height associated with the reference measurements is obtained (e.g., 1.75 meters) and then a conversion factor is determined, e.g., by relating the actual height of the golfer to the reference height, which would be 1.83/17.5=1.0457 . . . . The reference measurements could then be increased by a factor of 1.0457 to make them suitable for the golfer 400.

[0125] This method may be computer-implemented. The method may therefore include providing a user interface to a person (e.g., the golfer 400 or his coach) via which the person (1) inputs a measurement relating to a characteristic (e.g., height) of the golfer and selects predefined reference settings to be used for the golfer (e.g., standard chipping stance). A computer system (e.g., a web server) may be configured to calculate the conversion factor and apply it to the reference settings, thereby to generate the custom settings for golfer. The disclosure therefore extends to a computer system configured to perform this method and a computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program which, when implemented, performs this method.

[0126] FIGS. 9-13 illustrate a further embodiment of an apparatus 900 for indicating a stance for a golfer, in accordance with the disclosure. While the principle may be the same or similar to that of the embodiments disclosed in FIGS. 1-8, some of the design choices may differ.

[0127] Referring to FIGS. 9-10, the apparatus 900 includes a marked member 902 which provides foot markers and a spacing member 914. The apparatus 900 has a support stand 940 but instead of it being freestanding, its attached to a support base 972.

[0128] The support base 972 is in the form of an elongate member like a metal bar. It has a pair of feet 974 projecting downwardly therefrom—the feet 974 support the support base 972 so that it will not fall over, wobble, shift, etc. In a different implementation, the feet 974 are in the form of spikes which can be pushed into softer ground or grass, also to maintain the support base 972 in its desired position.

[0129] The support base 972 has a socket 976 at one end thereof for accommodating the support stand 940. More specifically, the socket 976 accommodates an upright post 942 which in turn supports a cantilever arm 944 with a ball marker 952 at a free end thereof. The arm 944 is supported by the post 942 by means of a swivel connection 945 so that the arm 944 can be displaced left or right to position the ball marker 952 as desired. A stroke guide element 954 is clipped transversely onto the arm 952.

[0130] If desired, a ball proxy (not illustrated) can be provided to take the place of the golf ball 406 while the apparatus 900 is being configured. This is so that the apparatus 900 can be adjusted and set—particularly the arrangement of the golf ball marker 952—before the golf ball 406 is actually present. The ball proxy may be in the form of a round disc.

[0131] An end of the spacing member 914 is in the form of a thinner raised finger 916. A lower end of the post 942 defines an aperture 943 which accommodates the finger 916, thereby to locate the spacing member 914 relative to the support stand 940. The spacing member 914 defines measurements or markings thereon, to provide an indication of a distance from the support stand 940.

[0132] The apparatus 900 has a reference grid 924 (which may be visually similar or identical to that of the previous embodiment). The reference grid 924 is provided on a planar sheet 922 and comprises a matrix of indicia 926 thereon. The indicia 926 are coloured dots and are also labelled by row and column. The sheet 922 defines a small aperture 928 therein through which a dot on the underlying spacing member 928 can be viewed. This aperture 928 allows a precise repeatable positioning of the reference grid 924 along the spacing member 914.

[0133] An underside of the sheet 922 defines a channel or groove (not illustrated) to accommodate a section of the spacing member. This ensures that the reference grid 924 is orientated perpendicularly relative to the spacing member 914 and allows sliding of the grid 924 linearly along the spacing member 914 for easy repositioning.

[0134] The marked member 902 simply rests on top of the spacing member 914. The marked member may include a channel or locating formations (not illustrated) on an underside thereof. The marked member 902 defines a series of colour-coded and marked sections to identify predeterminable spacings. The marked member 902 could also be inclined slightly relative to the spacing member 914 instead of being strictly transverse thereto.

[0135] The apparatus 900 is provided with lasers 964 (see FIG. 13 below). Each laser 964 is mounted on a flexible arm and batteries (e.g., 3×AAA batteries) are accommodated inside the post 942 for powering all four laser 964.

[0136] FIG. 11 shows the golfer 400 taking his stance using the apparatus 900, which is similar to FIG. 4. The golf club attachment 930 has been reduced in size somewhat but still performs the same function.

[0137] FIG. 12 illustrates the apparatus 900 in use, and this corresponds to FIG. 5. Importantly, the same principle applies:

[0138] (1) the golfer's feet 402 are positioned and located by means of the marked member 902;

[0139] (2) the golfer's eye 500, the club attachment 930, and a chosen point on the reference grid 924 are aligned; and

[0140] (3) the golfer's eye 500, the ball marker 952, and the ball 406 are aligned.

[0141] With reference to FIG. 13, as before, the apparatus 900 is provided with lasers 964 to help recreate a previously created stance. The lasers 964 are manipulated by bending the flexible arms until they point at the desired spots, and the golfer 400 then uses these spots to recreate his stance.