GB2095564A

GB2095564A - A golf practising device

Info

Publication number: GB2095564A
Application number: GB8124935A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-03-26
Filing date: 1981-08-14
Publication date: 1982-10-06
Also published as: AU7365381A

Abstract

A golf practising device has a support plate (10) on which the golfer stands and a substrate plate (17) movable in a lateral extension of the support plate (10). The substrate plate (17) is connected to the support plate (10) by an elasticated cord (21). The golfer making a practice shot strikes a ball on the substrate plate (17) which moves relative to the support plate (10) against the bias of the cord (21). The substrate plate (17) consists of a stimulated grass material and a resilient material so that the movement of the substrate plate (17) simulates the taking of a divot of turf out of a fairway. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A golf practising device This invention relates to a golf practising device for example to enable golfers to practice approach shots to- greens.

Hitherto when a golfer was practising a chip shot or an approach shot to a green it was often necessary for him to take a divot of turf or plurality of divots on the approach fairway to the green, or on a practise fairway or an expanse of grass near his home to impart the desired back spin to the ball. This procedure was found to be relatively disadvantageous in that it frequently destroyed turf and in some cases sufficient turf was not available for a prolonged practise period.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a golf practising device which alleviates this problem and which is of simple construction and inexpensive to obtain.

The golf practising device of the invention includes: a stationary support; a movable substrate for a golf ball; and interconnecting means operatively associated with the stationary support and the movable substrate whereby said substrate may be moved relative to said support on contact of of the golf ball with a golf club.

Preferably the interconnecting means is biasing means whereby the movable substrate may be moved from an inoperative position to an operative position against the influence of the biasing means but is caused to move back to the inoperative position under the influence of the biasing means on contact of the golf ball with the golf club.

The stationary support may be of any suitable type but suitably includes a fixed platform or plate which preferably has substantially the same height as the movable substrate. The fixed support plate may therefore be utilized as a suitable location for the feet of the golfer when he is playing his shot. Preferably a top surface of the support plate may be covered with imitation grass or other suitable resilient or absorbent material.

The moveable substrate is suitably a plate which may be covered with a layer of resilient or absorbent material such as a bottom layer of foam or sponge material and a top layer of grass like material or a carpet like material simulating grass such as nylon or other synthetic material.

Suitably the movable substrate plate is slidably movable relative to the support plate and to this end the movable substrate plate may be slidably mounted on a lateral extension of the support plate. In this context the movable substrate plate may have slide flanges slidably mounted on tracks associated with the lateral extension.

The biasing means may be of any suitable type and suitably includes a resilient member such as an elastic cord fixed to the support plate at one end and fixed to the substrate plate at the other end. This arrangement may be reversable to enable the golf practising device of the invention to be suitable for right hand and left hand golfers.

Preferably the substrate plate is releasably mounted to the lateral extension of the support plate.

Reference will now be made to a preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in the attached drawings wherein; Figure 1 is a sectional view of a golf practising device constructed in accordance with the invention through the ends of the movable substrate plate; Figure 2 is a perspective of the golf practising device shown in Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 2 along line Ill-Ill; and Figure 4 is 3 sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 2 along line IV-IV.

In the drawings the golf practising device includes fixed or stationary support plate 10 having upper layer of simulated grass material 11. The support plate 10 is supported on peripheral supports 1 2 and is provided with a lateral extension 1 3 releasably secured thereto by screws 14. Lateral extension 1 3 has upright side flanges 1 5 and a pair of opposed guide tracks 16.

There is also included a substrate 1 7 for supporting a golf ball and having a bottom layer of resilient material 1 8 and a top layer 1 9 of simulated grass material. Substrate plate 1 7 also has side flanges 20 which engage with tracks 1 6 as shown in Fig. 3.

Plate 1 7 is releasable from lateral extension 1 3 whenever required and there is included an elasticated cord 21 interconnecting plates 10 and 17 as shown in Fig. 2. Cord 21 is releasably attached to lugs 22 and 23 and additional similar lugs (not shown) may be provided on the opposite side of the device to enable plate 1 7 to move in a reverse direction to that shown in Fig. 1 when required when cord 21 is transferred to the opposite side of the device and attached to the additional lugs.

In operation when a golfer stands on plate 10 and swings his club 24 in the direction shown in Fig. 1 by the arrow the club 24 on contact with the golf ball (not shown) resting on plate 1 7 causes the plate to move outwardly relative to plate 10 as shown. However such movement is against the natural bias of cord 21 and this causes plate 17 to move to the original or inoperative position shown in Fig. 2 from the operative position shown in Fig. 1.

The resilience of layer 1 8 allows for the club 24 to make a downward and forward movement and this action simulates the taking of a divot of turf out of a fairway.

The device of the invention will also be found to assist in a golfer's swing by facilitating him to have a straight follow-through.

Claims

1. A golf practising device including; a stationary support, a movable substrate for a golf ball; and interconnecting means operatively associated with the stationary support and the movable substrate whereby said substrate may be moved relative to said support on contact of the golf ball with a golf club.

2. A golf practising device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the interconnecting means is biasing means whereby said substrate may be moved from an inoperative position to an operative position against the influence of the biasing means but is caused to move back to the inoperative position under the influence of the biasing means on contact of the golf ball with the golf club.

3. A golf practising device as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 wherein the movable substrate is a movable plate having a layer of resilient material which is slidably movable relative to the stationary support which is a support plate providing a suitable location for the feet of the golfer.

4. A golf practising device as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the movable plate has opposed slide members mounted on guide tracks associated with a lateral extension of said support plate.

5. A golf practising device as claimed in any one of the claims 2 to 4 wherein the biasing means is a resilient member such as an elastic cord interconnecting the movable substrate and the stationary support along mutually adjacent edges.

6. A golf practising device as claimed in Claim 3, 4 or 5 wherein the movable plate has an upper layer of simulated grass material overlaying the layer of resilient material.

7. A golf practising device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.