GB2135587A

GB2135587A - Practice net for golf ball driving

Info

Publication number: GB2135587A
Application number: GB08304514A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Eric Wood
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-02-18
Filing date: 1983-02-18
Publication date: 1984-09-05
Also published as: GB8304514D0

Abstract

A practice net for golf ball driving comprises side screens 11, 12 spanned by an end screen 13. The end screen 13 is divided widthways into pockets 31, 32, 33 by upright panels of flexible resilient material. To use the apparatus, a golfer stands on a driving mat 34 and drives a golf ball toward the end screen 13. If he drives straight, his ball will enter the centre pocket 31. If he slices or hooks the shot, his ball will enter one of the pockets 32 or 33 or possibly even hit the end screen without entering a pocket. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Practice net for golf ball driving The invention relates to a practice net for golf ball driving, and the term "net" is used generically in its familiar sense in this context to indicate an apparatus which may or may not have literally meshed nets forming its screens.

One example of an already-known form of such apparatus is the cricket practice net. Nets for practising golf ball driving are also known, but they consist solely of sidescreens between which the golfer stands, and an end screen against which he drives his ball. There is nothing to give an indication of which way the ball has flown, i.e. whether it has been hooked, sliced, or straight-driven.

According to the present invention, a practice net for golf ball driving also comprises sidescreens spanned by an end screen, but is characterised by the features that the end screen is divided widthways into pockets and that at least one pocket occupies a central region of the end screen and is formed to retain temporarily any ball driven into it.

Thus the golfer can see whether he has hooked, sliced or straight-driven his ball.

The or each pocket may conveniently comprise a channel running up and down the end screen.

Advantageously the or each such channel extends substantially the full height of the screen, although it is conceivable, and is entirely within the scope of the invention, that the or each pocket could extend down from the top of the screen and not reach the bottom of the screen, as any ball driven into the pocket should invariably have risen a fair distance from the ground by the time it hits the end screen.

The central pocket, and optionally the or any remaining pocket, may have a front lip to prevent the ball, once caught, from running out of it. Such pocket may alternatively or additionally be so sized as to grip the ball when the ball is driven into it.

The pocketed region of the end screen may be a mesh which is so sized as to grip any golf ball driven into it. The individual meshes could then constitute the required pockets without any channelling of the end screen. If the mesh holds the balls, the golfer will then be able to see the height he is achieving as well as the direction in which he is driving.

Preferably the bottom region, at least, of the end screen slopes towards the floor on which the net, in use, stands, so as to cant the pocketed balls towards the front of the pocket and/or to return unpocketed balls automatically towards the golfer.

One practice net embodying the invention is shown by way of example, in the accompanying drawings.

It will now be described with reference to those drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows the net in perspective; and Figures 2, 3 and 4 are part-views showing modifications to the end screen of the net of Figure 1.

The practice net illustrated is basically a light tubular metal framed structure with side screens 11, 12 spanned by an end screen 13. Framework members 14 to 17 define a rectangular floorstanding frame some seven-and-a-half feet long by six feet wide. Uprights 18, 19 are pinned and braced at 21, 22 respectively and are spanned by a cross bar 23 to define a rectangular opening some four-and-a-half feet high and rising at right angles from the floor-standing framework.

Extensions 24, 25 each project approximately two feet from the upright supporting ends of respective floor-standing frame members 14, 15.

Triangular sidescreens 26, 27 are removably clipped to and supported by each pair of tubular members 14,18 and 15, They extend beyond the uprights 18, 19 and are clipped to the ends of the extension tubes 24, 25.

The triangular sidescreens 26, 27 may be made of the synthetic plastics mesh sold under the trade mark NETLON but they could alternatively be transluscent synthetic plastics sheets or even non-flexible sheeting.

The end screen 13 is rectangular, and is made of material similar to that of the triangular sidescreens 26, 26. It is clipped along its top edge to the cross bar 23, and stitched to the end edges of each of the sidescreens 26, 27 so that it runs at an angle to the floor on which the framework 14 to 1 7 stands.

The bottom region 28 of the end screen 1 3 is stitched to the inside surfaces of the end portions of each of the triangular sidescreens 26, 27 and is also stitched to the frame member 1 6. Thus this bottom region 28 of the end screen slopes towards the floor.

A lip 29, again flexible resilient material like the screens 26, 27, 28, runs across the front edge of the end screen bottom region 28.

The end screen 1 3 is divided widthways into pockets 31, 32, 33 by upright triangular panels of flexible resilient material which are stitched to the end screen 1 3 and end screen bottom region 28 and are also stitched individually to the lip 29.

Each of these pockets thus defined is of unvarying and identical width and is more than large enough to allow a golf ball to enter it.

To use the illustrated practice net a golfer stands on a flat rubber driving mat 34 which is clipped releasably to the frame tube member 17.

He tees his ball, and drives towards the end screen 1 3. If he drives straight, his ball will enter the centre pocket 31. If he slices or hooks, his ball will enter one of the pockets 32 or 33 or (if he drives particularly badly) will hit the end screen 1 3 without entering any of the pockets.

In any event, the ball will drop down on to the end scree bottom region 28 and will then be canted automatically towards the front of the end screen bottom region. The lip 29 will then retain each ball until the golfer is ready to retrieve it.

In Figure 2, the pockets are so sized that they automatically grip any ball driven into them, and hold it at the height at which it entered the pocket. In Figure 3, there are no vertical divisions defining the pockets, but the pocketed end screen is constituted by a mesh whose individuai openings are so sized that any ball driven against the mesh will lodge in and be held by the openings. In each case, the golfer can then see the height at which he is consistently driving.

In Figure 4, tension springs 35 join each opposite end of the end screen 1 3 to the uprights 1 8, 1 9 respectively. The top edge of the end screen is not otherwise joined to the cross bar 23.

Each time a ball is driven against the end screen 13, the tension springs expand, and the amount by which they do so can be recorded on a spring balance or other means giving a proportional indication of the strength at which the ball was driven.

For easy storage, the net illustrated in Figure 1 could fold. For example, the braces 21, 22 could be unpinned and removed to allow the uprights 18, 1 9 to fold against the member 16 after the cross bar 23 has been unpinned from them. The flexible sheeting 26, 27 would automatically fold with the uprights 18, and the end screen 13 need only be unclipped from the cross bar 23 to fold over about the member 16 and on top of (or beneath) the sidescreens 26, 27. The net would then be folded down into a substantially oneplane structure which could be stored against a wall until next needed.

There are two great advantages of the net described and illustrated. First, it is small enough to enable anyone to practice in little more room than it takes literally to swing a golf club, whereas conventional practice "nets" are very large. The one described and illustrated could be used indoors, whereas a conventional net could not, except in a large hall.

Second, the illustrated net enables the golfer to keep his eye on the ball at the moment of impact, because he does not have to look up to see which way it has flown. It is essential that the golfer should keep his eye on the ball as he strikes it if he is to achieve a good drive. With known nets, the golfer must follow the flight of the ball to see which way it has flown, and this produces inevitably a tendency to iift his head at the moment of impact when he should have his eyes fixed firmly on the ball.

If plastics sheeting is used for the screening of the net, it could of course be heat-welded instead of or as well as being stitiched. In another modification, the rubber mat specifically described and illustrated might be better replaced with a fibrous mat, as this would enable a golf tee to be stuck through the mat. Further modifications include the possibilities of a coinoperated gate which normally pivots down about the cross bar 23 to mask the end screen and pockets, but which can be pivoted up out of the way and held there once a coin is inserted. The gate would drop automatically at the end of the pre-paid interval once a warning bell had sounded. The apparatus could fold about its frame hinge points, rather than having to be unplugged, and the method of indicating the strength of shot could vary: for example, a row of lights could automatically be actuated once the end screen had been hit, and some or all the lights could be brought on according to the strength of shot.

Further modifications are within the scope of the invention and will become apparent to the skilled addressee of this specification.

Claims

1. A practice net for golf ball driving comprising a pair of sidescreens, an end screen spanning the end of the sidescreens remote from the user, the end screen being provided with at least one pocket, the or at least one of the pockets occupying a central region of the end screen and being formed to retain temporarily any ball driven into it.

2. A net as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the or each pocket comprises a channel running up and down the end screen.

3. A net as claimed in claim 2, wherein the or each channel extends substantially the full height of the end screen.

4. A net as claimed in claim 2, wherein the or each pocket extends downwardly from the top of the screen but does not reach the bottom of the screen.

5. A net as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one pocket is provided with a front lip to prevent the ball, once caught, from leaving that pocket.

6. A net as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bottom region of the end screen slopes towards the floor on which the net, in use, stands, so as to cant the pocketed balls towards the front of the pocket and/or to return unpocketed balls automatically towards the golfer.

7. A net as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one pocket is so sized as to grip the ball when the ball is driven into it.

8. A net as claimed in claim 7, wherein the pocketed region of the end screen may be a mesh which is so sized as to grip any golf ball driven into it.

9. A practice net for golf ball driving substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.