GB2217612A

GB2217612A - A putting mat

Info

Publication number: GB2217612A
Application number: GB8809816A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Brown Vallance
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-04-26
Filing date: 1988-04-26
Publication date: 1989-11-01
Also published as: GB8809816D0

Abstract

The invention provides a putting mat in the form of an elongate strip of fabric, which may be pile fabric, the surface of which simulates the friction effect of turf on a golf ball. The mat is marked with a "hole" location "a" and also with a series of scoring areas "b"1 "c" in the vicinity of the hole location. The score markings in the score areas are graded in accordance with the accuracy of a "put". <IMAGE>

Description

"A Putting Mat".

The invention relates to a mat which can be used to teach putting as practised in the game of golf. The mat can also be used for putting games or competitions and it is capable of use either indoors or out of doors, but it is thought more likely to be used indoors, particularly during hours of darkness or in inclement weather, such as would prevent practice or play on an actual golf course or putting green.

According to this invention a putting mat comprises an elongate strip of fabric, the surface of which is designed to simulate the friction effect of turf on a golf ball, there being marked on the mat a "hole" location and a series of scoring areas in the vicinity of the hole location, each of the scoring areas bearing a score number graded in accordace with the proximity to the hole location.

It is possible therefore to practice putting a golf ball on the mat and to calculate a score achieved by summating the individual scores achieved in a succession of practice strokes. The maximum score would be achieved by putting the ball into the hole location (or a small score area containing the hole location) on each stroke.

Preferably there are no score areas in front of the hole location, so that no score can be achieved by a short put - this is because a short put can never drop into the hole in real putting and therefore short putting is heavily penalised.

It is further preferred that the scores marked on the score areas decrease with distance to the side of or to the rear of the hole location. In the preferred arrangement, the score areas to the rear of and in line with the hole location are of substantially the same width as the hole location. That score location immediately to the rear of the hole location carries the highest score number; this is because a put which stops in this area would almost certainly have dropped into the hole in a real game of golf or putting. The score areas which lie to the rear of the highest score area but are still aligned with the hole location carry high marks, because a put which stops in these areas may have dropped into the hole in a real game of golf or putting.

According to another preferred feature of the invention the score areas are arranged in ranks, the first of which contains the hole location in its central area. Preferably the front and rear edges of at least the first rank are curved about an axis parallel with the centre of the hole location.

One or more tee locations is preferably also marked on the mat at some distance in front of the hole location. The mat may be made of pile fabric.

A putting mat in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a plan view of the mat.

As can be seen from the drawing, the mat is generally rectangular and elongate in shape and in this particular instance, it is 3835 millimetres long and 711 millimetres wide. A practice mat suitable for use indoors might be up to 6 metres in length. The mat is made from a strip of carpet or other pile fabric material, and the pile of the mat is selected so that its frictional resistance to a golf ball rolling over its surface, is as near as possible the same as the frictional resistance of a well maintained putting green. For example, the mat may comprise carpeting material having a pile of woollen yarn or synthetic fibre yarn, the pile being up to approximately 1 centimetre deep.

At a distance of approximately 1170 millimetres from the rear end, a hole location a is marked on the mat, and this location a, is of the same diameter as an actual hole in a golf course i.e. 108 millimetres.

It will be seen that the hole location a is placed centrally of the width of the putting mat. Three lateral bars d, e and f are marked on the mat, these being spaced respectively 1220; 1820 and 2440 millimetres in front of the hole location. These markings represent differents tees on the putting "green".

The area of the mat from the front edge of the hole location a, to the rear of the mat is divided in this instance into fifteen score areas b arranged in three ranks extending across the width of the mat, with five score areas in each rank. Thus, the hole location a, occupies the front end of the central score area b in the front of the three ranks. The score areas are generally rectangular with the length extending longitudinally of the mat, except that the front edges of the front and middle ranks and the rear edge of the middle rank are somewhat curved about an axis in front of the hole location and aligned with the centre of the hole location.Furthermore, it will be seen that the longitudinal edges dividing the score areas on each side of the central areas from the outer score areas are inclined, and this inclination is at an angle of 50 from the longitudinal centre line passing through the hole location taken about the position where that line passes through one of the tee markings. It will also be noted that the central file of score locations is only the same width as the diameter of the hole location, whereas the other score locations are somewhat wider.

Numerical scores c are printed on the mat, one in each of the small rectangular score areas b. The central front rank score area which contains the hole location a, has the score "8"; the score area in the middle rank immediately to the rear of that containing the hole location has the score "7"; the two score areas in the front rank on each side of the score area containing the hole location a have the indicated score "6"; the central score location in the rear rank and the two score areas of the middle rank one on each side of the central area have the score "5"; the two outer score areas in the front rank and the two score areas in the rear rank one on each side of the central score area bear the marking "3"; the two outer score areas of the middle rank bear the score indication "2"; whilst the two outer score areas in the rear rank have the indicated score "0".

In use, the mat is simply laid on a supporting surface, for example the floor covering of a room or hallway; the golf ball is placed on one of the tees d, e or f and it is played in the ordinary manner, in an attempt to put it on to the hole location a. When the ball comes to rest, it is possible to ascertain the score which has been achieved by the location of the ball in the rest position. Maximum score of 8 points is achieved if it rests on the hole location a, or if it rests in the score area marked with the numeral "8". If the ball rests short of the front rank of score areas, no score is achieved, so that short puts are heavily penalised. Puts which are either wide of the hole location laterally or overshoot it are penalised by a reduced score, graded so that the score achieved is inversely proportional to the distance from the hole location.Hence, higher scores are achieved by improving the direction and length of putting.

It will be appreciated that the mat can be used simply as a practice mat, or alternatively it can be used for games and competitions. In the form illustrated, the central score location in each of the ranks of holes is only equal in width to the diameter of the hole location a. This then gives a very realistic simulation of putting, because any ball which comes to rest in the score location marked with the number "8" would almost certainly have dropped into the hole on an actual putting green. Morevoer, there is a likelihood that even a ball which comes to rest in the central location of the middle rank of score locations would, in a real game, have dropped into the hole.

It is possible to further simulate a real putting green, by placing packing under certain parts of the mat, so that those parts become raised, giving rise to some undulation in the playing surface area of the mat.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A putting mat comprising an elongate strip of fabric, the surface of which is designed to simulate the friction effect of turf on a golf ball, there being marked on the mat a "hole" location and a series of scoring areas in the vicinity of the hole location, each of the scoring areas bearing a score number graded in accordance with the proximity to the hole location.

2. A putting mat as claimed in Claim 1, in which there are no score areas in front of the hole location.

3. A putting mat as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the scores marked on the score areas decrease with distance to the side of or to the rear of the hole location.

4. A putting mat as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, in which the score areas to the rear of and in line with the hole location are of substantially the same width as the hole location.

5. A putting mat as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, in which that score location immediately to the rear of the hole location carries the highest score number.

6. A putting mat as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, in which the score areas are arranged in ranks, the first of which contains the hole location in its central area.

7. A putting mat as claimed in Claim 6, in which the front and rear edges of at least the first rank are curved about an axis parallel with the centre of the hole location.

8. A putting mat as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7, in which one or more tee locations is also marked on the mat at some distance in front of the hole location.

9. A putting mat as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8, in which the mat is made of pile fabric.

10. A putting mat constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.