AU710371B2

AU710371B2 - Golf aid

Info

Publication number: AU710371B2
Application number: AU39183/95A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Alan Fisher; Addy Fonseca
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-12-04
Filing date: 1995-12-04
Publication date: 1999-09-16
Anticipated expiration: 2015-12-04
Also published as: AU3918395A

Description

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This invention relates generally to golf training aids for improving a players game and relates in particular to a practice device for development of a correctly-controlled golf club swing in a planar arc known as pendulum swing for more accurate striking of the ball during putting.

S According to the invention there is provided a golf practice and training device for maintaining the head of a golf player in correct position and developing correct swing during putting, the device comprising a flat, fixed, mirrored base plate adapted to be placed upon and in contact with the ground and which has a non-reflective, eye-masking centering strip extending across a to centreline/targetline thereof, a pair of elongate guide members each having a flat inner face and being of mutually-adjustable spacing with respect to the inner face and being adapted to be adjustably mounted in parallel upon and to be upstanding from the base plate, the base plate having slots or apertures extending therethrough for passing fastening means therethrough and through IS the elongate guide members for releasably locking the guide members onto the base plate at a distance apart corresponding to minimal clearance between ends of a golf club putter head and the flat inner face of each of said guide members, and to guide the putter head between the guide members during a golf players pendulum swing when the putter head moves between the guide ZO members to strike a golf ball placed in alignment with the centering strip of the plate, at the correct impact angle during putting.

Preferably, the base plate is rectangular with a lateral dimension transverse to the centreline/target line which is greater than a longitudinal dimension parallel to the centreline and wherein each elongated guide member zS is locked onto the base plate parallel to its centreline and longitudinal dimension.

0o e 0o 0 0* S. S 55 S 5* @00500 0 Preferably, the guide members are a pair of angled or flanged rails and in one form have a thick base and a thin flange portion upstanding therefrom.

Preferably, the mirrored base plate is provided along one S longitudinal edge with equispaced scale markings parallel to and off-set with respect to the centreline/ target line and extending underneath the guide members when the guide members are clamped onto the base plate, said markings being used for varying the distance between the guide members to leave minimal clearance between the ends of the golf club putter head and the inner face of each guide member in accordance with different sizes and types of putter head.

More particularly and preferably, the mirrored base plate is provided with two pairs of laterally-extending slots with closed ends, the guide members being adapted to be adjustably mounted over the slots; each pair of slots is in lateral alignment and a guide member is adapted to be mounted over the slots and the slots of each pair are parallel and extend partway across the width of the mirrored base plate and are parallel to two opposite sides of the plate and are at right angles to the centreline/target line.

9".Preferably a slot of each pair is in alignment along a respective :o axis parallel to the centreline with a counterpart slot on the other side of the centering strip and a slot of each pair is also in alignment along a respective axis transverse to the centreline with a counterpart slot on the other side of the S. centering strip.

Preferably all slots have curved ends and parallel sides and are 2, off-set with respect to the centreline/target line of the mirrored base plate and are also off-set with respect to an axis of symmetry transverse to the centreline/target line of the mirrored base plate. More preferably all slots are Sof equal length.

2- Preferably, the bottom of each guide member is rebated for a distance equal to the transverse dimension of the mirrored base plate to maintain the guide members in correct lateral, parallel alignment when clamped onto the plate.

r A non-limiting example of a practical arrangement and preferred embodiment of the golf practice and training device of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a top isometric view of an assembled device of the invention.

1 O °Figure 2 is a bottom isometric view of he assembled device of the invention.

o •Figure 3 is an isometric view of a golf ball target device for use in S* *o conjunction with Figures 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawings there is shown an 1_1 -3adjustable device for maintaining a golf player's head in correct ball focus position during putting and developing a correct associated swing. The device comprises a rectangular, ground-contacting mirrored upper surface base plate 10 preferably of synthetic polymeric material and which has a laterally-extending and non-reflecting rectangular centre-indicating strip 11 opposite each end of which a golf ball is placed depending on left-hand or right-hand operation. The entire upper surface of the plate is a reflecting mirror except for the eye-masking center indicating strip whereby when a player is in correct golfputting, golf ball-address position this will be indicated by non-visibility of the eyes in the plate (no reflection in the mirror). The base plate is provided with two pairs of closed-ended parallel slots 12, 13, 14, 15 which completely through the plate, two slots of each pair of slots 12 and 13 or 14 and 15, for each respective flanged rail 16 or 17 are parallel and in lateral alignment and a slot 12 and 14 or 13 and 15 of each pair is in longitudinal alignment with a slot of the pair of slots for opposite rails, All slots are offset from both lateral and longitudinal centrelines of the plate 11. The flanged parallel rails 16 and 17 which may be made of metal such as aluminium extrusion or any suitable extruded rigid synthetic polymeric material are placed over 25 and extend laterally over the slots and extend for a distance beyond the side edges of the plate. The bottom or horizontal arm 16a and 17a respectively of each rail is provided with an aperture through which there is adapted to be passed an externally-threaded fastening member such as 1~ -4the thumb screws 16, 19 and 20, 21 respectively. The bottom of each of these screws is passed through an internally threaded anchorage member such as the threaded nuts 22, 23, 24 and 25 respectively (see Figure placed within a respective slot and the screws tightened to clamp the rails to the base plate. It will be noted that there is a longitudinal rebate 25 or 26 respectively, extending along the bottom of each rail recessed for a distance equal to the width of the plate in order to keep each rail "squared" with respect to the plate and in mutual parallel alignment.

The same effect could be achieved by moulding a corresponding slot of complementary shape to the rail on the top face of the plate. The plate is provided along one longitudinal edge on each side of the centering strip 11, with a raildistance apart setting scale 27 or 28 with equispaced markings to indicate rail spacing distances so that the width between the rails can be adjusted for different sizes and types of club heads as required so as to just clear the maximum dimension of the golf club head of a putting iron for example 110mm is indicated on the scale for the marking out from the centering strip. When a player is able to swing a golf club between the rails which are close set to the dimensions of a golf club head, and without touching the rails this indicates that the head is in the correct position and that the requisite degree of control of the swing in conformity to the single planar or correct arc of the pendulum stroke. The golf-club-head-spaced, parallel rails act when fixed on the plate 11 as a guide for a golf club head during putting.

rl Referring to Figure 3, there is shown a golf ball putting practice target which can be used in conjunction with the main device of this invention and for placement upon the grass of green of a golf course or carpet of the like in place of the hole of a golf green. The target is in the form of an open-ended loop and can be made of metal or plastic and which has an entrance part and a ball retaining part.

In use the device of Figure 1 and 2 is placed upon the ground on a golf green with the players feet at right angles to and in front of the nearest rail which extends to the left and right of a players feet when the player is standing in the correct golf ball address or focus position gripping a golf club and with head bent down until eyes are positioned or "focused" on the dark or non-reflective, eyemasking centering strip at which position the player can no longer see his/her eyes. The device can be used with or without a golf ball but when a golf ball is used for right-hand players it is placed at the left-hand side of the plate in line with the centering strip and for left-hand players the ball is placed at the right-hand side of the centering strip. The "pendulum" stroke is practiced with the head bent down and forward in correct position associated with swinging of the club and movment of the club 25 head wherein swinging movement of the arms is accompanied by a to-and-fro rocking movement of the shoulders while eyes are fixed on the centre strip.

The claims defining the invention are as follows: 1. A golf practice and training device for maintaining the head of a golf player in correct position and developing correct swing during putting, the device comprising a flat, fixed, mirrored base plate adapted to be placed upon and in contact with the ground and which has a non-reflective, eye-masking centering strip extending across a centreline/targetline thereof, a pair of elongate guide members each having a flat inner face and being of mutuallyadjustable spacing with respect to the inner face and being adapted to be adjustably mounted in parallel upon and to be upstanding from the base plate, the base plate having slots or apertures extending therethrough for passing fastening means therethrough and through the elongate guide members for i o .releasably locking the guide members onto the base plate at a distance apart corresponding to minimal clearance between ends of a golf club putter head °and the flat inner face of each of said guide members, and to guide the putter head between the guide members during a golf players pendulum swing when the putter head moves between the guide members to strike a golf ball placed in alignment with the centering strip of the plate, at the correct impact angle during putting.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the base plate is 0 rectangular with a lateral dimension transverse to the centreline/target line which is greater than a longitudinal dimension parallel to the centreline and wherein each elongated guide member is locked onto the base plate parallel to Sits centreline and longitudinal dimension.

0• 3. The device according to claim 1 wherein the guide members are a pair of angled or flanged rails.

4. The device according to any preceding claim wherein the guide members have a thick base and a thin flange portion upstanding therefrom.

The device according to any preceding claim wherein the mirrored

Claims

6. The device according to any preceding claim wherein the mirrored base plate is provided with two pairs of laterally-extending slots with closed ends, the guide members being adapted to be adjustably mounted over the slots.
7. The device according to claim 6 wherein each pair of slots is in lateral alignment and a guide member is adapted to be mounted over the slots.
8. The device according to claim 6 or 7 wherein the slots of each pair are parallel and extend partway across the width of the mirrored base plate and are parallel to two opposite sides of the plate and are at right angles to the centreline/target line.
9. The device according to any one of claims 1 and 6 to 8 wherein a slot of each pair is in alignment along a respective axis parallel to the centreline/targetline with a counterpart slot on the other side of the centreline/targetline. The device according to any one of claims 1 and 6 to 8 wherein a slot of each pair is in alignment along a respective axis transverse to the centreline with a counterpart slot on the other side of the centreline/targetline.
11. The device according to any one of claims 1 and 6 to 10 wherein all slots have curved ends and parallel sides.
12. The device according to any one of claims 1 and 6 to 11 wherein 8 all slots are off-set with respect to the centreline/target line of the mirrored base plate.
13. The device according to any one of claims 1 and 6 to 12 wherein all slots are off-set with respect to an axis of symmetry transverse to the centreline/target line of the mirrored base plate.
14. The device according to any one of claims 1 and 6 to 13 wherein all slots are of equal length. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein each guide member has a flat bottom which is rebated for a distance equal to the transverse dimension of the mirrored base plate to maintain the guide members in correct lateral, parallel alignment when clamped onto the plate.
16. A golf practice and training device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
17. A golf practice and training device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings. Dated this 21st day of July, 1999 ALAN FISHER And ADELBERT FONSECA By Our Patent Attorney: JOHN L.DAVIES CO 4 000 4 0 4 .4 0 0 4 0 4
44. 4 4** 0. 4 4+ 40 0 4c 44 0 ABSTRACT A golf practice and training device for maintaining a golf players head in correct golf ball focus position and for developing a golf players correct golf club swing during putting has a mirror base plate (10) placeable on the ground and a pair of rails (16,17) of adjustable mutual spacing are mounted in parallel across it; a centering strip (11> of non-reflecting material extends across the plate between the rails and parallel to them; two pairs of parallel slots (12,13 and 14,15), one pair per rail, extend through and partly across the plate and are offset to its longitudinal and lateral axes enabling rails (16,17) over- lying the plate (10) and extending beyond each side of it, to be secured to the plate (10) by four thumb screws (18, a. 19, 20, 21) one per slot and two per rail; each thumb screw is secured into a nut held in the bottom of the plate and within a slot; the bottom of each rail (16,17) is rebated the width of the plate (10) for correct parallel alignment and rails (16,17) are set a distance apart enabling the club head of a golf putting iron to be swung through the rail gap in a pendulum motion for correct ball-impact angle during putting of a ball placed at either end of the centering strip (11).