GB2253357A

GB2253357A - Golf swing training apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2253357A
Application number: GB9204602A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alexander Tait
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-03-06
Filing date: 1992-03-04
Publication date: 1992-09-09
Anticipated expiration: 2012-03-04
Also published as: GB2253357B; GB9204602D0; GB9104708D0

Abstract

A golf training apparatus has a pair of circular swing guides (1, 2) pivotally connected together and arranged so that with one of the guides (2) in its normal position of use as a guide, the other (1) acts as a ground-engaging support, and vice versa. The apparatus may include adjustable-length stays (5, 6) to hold the guides in a desired relative orientation. <IMAGE>

Description

GOLF SWING TRAINING APPARATUS The present invention relates to a golf swing training apparatus of the general kind having a support for resting on the ground and a golf club swing guide mounted on the support and arranged to guide a golf club engaged therewith in a desired swing path.

An apparatus of this general kind is known in which a swing guide is attached to a frame which rests on the ground and can be adjusted within limits to adapt it to a particular user. Because users of the apparatus vary widely in the height, it is found that a single swing guide is often insufficient to cater for the requirements of a wide range of users and it has been proposed to provide an additional swing guide removably attachable to the first guide and adjustable with the latter in order to provide an alternative range of swing paths so as to allow different sizes of golfer to use the apparatus.

Such an arrangement is relatively complex and consequently expensive to produce and it is an object of the invention to provide an improved and simplified apparatus of the aforesaid general kind having alternative golf swing guides.

According to the invention, a golf swing training apparatus of the aforesaid general kind has a pair of golf swing guides connected together and arranged so that, with one of the guides in its normal position of use as a guide, the other acts as a ground-engaging support, and vice-versa.

In one convenient arrangement, each swing guide is at least partially of arcuate form and preferably circular, the respective radii of curvature of the guides being different.

Typically, the guides are pivotally interconnected, conveniently by at least one pivotal connector assembly to permit relative pivotal movement of the swing guides about an axis extending parallel to the planes of the arcs defined by the guides to permit their relative inclinations to be varied. A support member conveniently extends between the guides to interconnect the guides at locations thereon generally opposed to that of the pivotal connector assembly, said support member being of adjustable length to accommodate said relative pivotal movement.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of the golf swing training apparatus of the invention; Figure 2 is a front elevation of the device of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a side view, to an enlarged scale, of the device of Figures 1 and 2 illustrating certain portions in greater detail.

Referring to the drawings, the golf swing training apparatus illustrated therein has a pair of circular golf swing guides 1, 2 typically made from hard plastics material, hinged together on their peripheries by two angularly spaced connector assemblies 3, 4, the guide 1 being of smaller diameter than the guide 2. The guides and 2 are further interconnected, at locations on their peripheries generally opposite to the connector assemblies 3, 4, by stays 5, 6 of adjustable length, each of which is pivotally secured to the guide 2 by a respective connector 7, 8 and to the ring 1 by a further respective connector 9, 10.

The connectors 7-10 are generally similar, each having arcuate saddle 11 secured, as by rivetting for example, to the outer surface of one of the rings.

Projecting from each of the saddles 11 is a hollow spigot 12 into which is press-fitted or secured a hinge component 13 which projects from the socket to form a hinge connection with other components forming parts of the stays 5, 6 and the connector assemblies 3, 4, as will be described hereafter in more detail. The connector assembly 4, with which the assembly 3 is identical, can be more clearly discerned from Figure 3, and will be seen to include a pair of connectors 3A, 4A each having a saddle 11 and socket 12 similar to the connectors 7-10.

A curved element 14 typically of tubular form is inserted at one of its ends into the socket 12 on the ring 2 and firmly held in position by a screw device 12A, or other suitable means. The other end of the curved element 14 is inserted into a socket of a hinge part 15 which is pivotally connected by way of a pin 16 or other suitable means to the hinge component 13 of the connector 4A.The saddles 11 of the connectors 3A, 4A are arranged on the ring 1 such that the axis of the corresponding socket 11, preferably passing through the pivot 16 and the tubular centre of the tube 1, is inclined relative to the plane of the ring 1 at angle A of between 700 and 800 and advantageously at 74in. Similarly, the same axis of the socket 12 secured to the ring 2 is inclined to the plane of the ring 2 at an angle B within the aforesaid range and advantageously at 74+0 The chosen specific values for these angles are found to facilitate assembly of the rings during manufacture. As can be seen from Figure 2, the sockets diverge slightly upwardly when viewed from the front of the apparatus.

The stays 5, 6 are identical, each having an outer tube 18 within which is slidably mounted an inner member 19, typically also in the form of a tube, the member 19 having an end portion bent away from the longitudinal direction of the remainder so that the stay as a whole is generally L-shaped with the shorter leg of the L pivotally connected to the ring 2 by the pin 16 of the connector 7, 8 and the remote end of the stay connected to the ring 1 by the corresponding pins 16 of the connector 9, 10. The inner tube 19 has a series of spaced through holes 20 which, together with a pin 21 traversing the diameter of the outer tube enable the length of the stay to be adjusted by arranging for different holes 20 to cooperate with the pin 21.

In order to set up the apparatus for use, and assuming that it is decided to use the swing guide 2, the user stands within the guide 1, presently acting as the base of the apparatus, and the angle of the guide 2 is set to provide the desired swing path. This is accomplished by disconnecting the pins 21 and pivoting the guide 2 about the pivot pins 16 of the connector assemblies 3, 4 until it is disposed at the correct angle relative to the ring 1. During this process, the length of the stays 5, 6 will have increased or decreased, depending upon the direction of pivoting of the guide 2 and, once the desired orientation of this guide has been achieved, the stays are locked once again by re-insertion of the pins 21 through the registering holes in the inner and outer members 19, 18.

In the event that the guide 2 is of too large a diameter for the particular user concerned, the smaller diameter guide 1 may simply be brought into use by inverting the apparatus so that the guide 2 then assumes the role of the base and the guide 1 is presented for use. The inclination of this guide relative to the base may be adjusted in the manner described above for the guide 2.

It will be understood that the pivot connector assemblies 3, 4 and stays 5, 6 may take any alternative convenient form. For example, the pivots 16 may be swivel joints, such as ball joints, instead of the simple pins illustrated. The pin and hole arrangement setting the length of the stays may be replaced by clamps arranged to hold the components of the stays releasably in desired relative positions.

It will be seen that the invention provides a golf swing training apparatus which, because of the interchangeability of the swing guides to provide the alternative functions of supporting base and guide, is significantly simpler in both construction and operation than some conventional guides.

Claims

1. A golf swing training apparatus comprises a pair of golf swing guides connected together and arranged so that, with one of the guides in its normal position of the use as a guide, the other acts as a ground-engaging support, and vice versa.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein each swing guide is at least partially of arcuate form.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein each swing guide is circular.

4. Apparatus according to Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the respective radii of curvature of the arcuate swing guides are different.

5. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guides are pivotally interconnected to permit relative movement thereof about an axis extending parallel to the planes of the arcs defined by the guides to permit their relative inclinations to be varied.

6. Apparatus according to Claim 5, wherein the guides are pivotally interconnected by at least one pivotal connector assembly.

7. Apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein each connector assembly includes a saddle secured to the outer surface of a guide and having a projecting socket which receives a complementary spigot of a connector adapted to form a pivotal connection with a similar connector.

8. Apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein each socket of the connector assemblies forming the pivotal connection between the guides is arranged to extend at an angle of between 700-800 to the plane of the arc defined by the guide upon which the socket is carried.

9. Apparatus according to Claim 8, wherein the angle of each socket is 74T -

10. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guides are interconnected at locations thereon generally opposed to those of the pivotal connector assemblies by at least one support member of adjustable length.

11. A golf swing training apparatus, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.