GB2281038A - Golfing practice aid - Google Patents

Abstract

The golfing practice aid 1 is triangular shaped and lays flat on the ground, with slots 2 cut into the peak to insert marker cards 3 to use with different golf clubs. The marker cards 3 are moved from slot 2 to slot 2 to extend the golf swing. There are symbols 4 showing where to position the feet and symbols 4 showing ball positions for different shots. There is a swivel plate 20 attached to the base 1 which can be turned either towards or away from the player to give a different swing plane for the golf club to follow. In a modification the markers may be permanently pivotally attached to the base and in a further modification electronic detecting means may be provided to monitor the club movement. <IMAGE>

Description

GOLFING PRACTICE AID This invention relates to a golfing practice aid. The popularity of golf continues to increase throughout the world and almost everyone who plays, continually strive to improve their game in order both to gain extra enjoyment and to achieve a higher degree of expertise. Such skills as are needed relate mainly to driving the ball in the right direction over long distances and putting the ball over short distances resulting in the ball stopping close to or preferably dropping into the played hole.

There are however no definitive set of rules governing how each particular shot should be played and this is not surprising when it is realised that the golf clubs used are of different lengths and weights, ground and weather conditions are variable and the players themselves are of different height, build, muscular strength, agility and suppleness of body and bone structure. What is important however is the recognition by the individual of his or her own body feel and reactions when correctly striking a ball and preferably a means whereby the body position in relation to the ball, the swing and follow through of the club can be re-created either on a golf course, in their own back garden or anywhere golf balls can be struck meaningfully and safely.

According to the present invention there is provided a Golfing Practice Aid designed to give both right and left handed players a means of practicing, remembering and thus improving their swing when driving a golf ball over long distances and additionally a means of practicing, remembering and thus improving putting the ball correctly over short distances. The aid comprises of a base which may be in the form of a metal or plastic bar or angle section typically 1 metre in length and 30 - 40mm height in which transverse slots are cut at predetermined intervals and into which can be slotted a number of markers which take the form of coloured plastic or metal plates or cards which are essentially easily seen against a background of grass, as the aid will normally be placed on the ground when in use although it may be used indoors.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 Shows a plan view of the Golfing Practice Aid in relation to the players feet when the aid is used for driving practice.

Figure 2 Shows in perspective the Golfing Practice Aid in position and set up for driving with a Number 5 iron, the base being an angle section.

Figure 3 Shows in perspective the Golfing Practice Aid in position and set up for putting, the base being a hollow bar, inside of which the markers can be stored.

Figure 4 Shows a face view of one of the markers.

Figure 5 Shows an alternative scheme whereby 'flip-over' hinged markers are incorporated into the base.

Figure 6 Shows an aid which incorporates electronic proximity sensors to detect the trajectory of the golf club as it approaches the ball, strikes it and follows through afterwards.

Figure 7 Shows a plan view of a Golfing Practice Aid which incorporates a double ended rotatable pointer.

Referring to the drawings the Golfing Practice Aid comprises a base 1 which may be in the form of a metal or plastics material angled section as shown in Figure 2 or a metal or plastics material hollow bar as shown in Figure 3. Slots 2 are cut into the base 1 to accomodate in various positions marker plates or cards 3 which are constructed from metal or plastics material. Symbols, words or abbreviations 4 are marked onto the base 1 to correspond with the position of the players feet when driving the ball, the position of the ball when placed in line with the players left eye, right eye and nose and the various golf clubs which may be used in the game. The base 1 shown in Figure 3 incorporates a removable plastic end cap 5 and a fixed plastic or metal sealing piece 6 which closes off the base 1 so that the markers 3 may be stored inside the base 1 when the aid is not being used.Figure 4 shows a full face view of one of the markers 3 designed for use with an angle section base 1 as shown in Figure 2.

Typically the markers 3 will be 120 - 160mm wide, 30 - 60mm deep and 1 - 2mm thick.

Referring to Figure 1, the base 1 is marked out longitudinally into two sections these being referred to as the front half and the back half.

The two sections are thus called in relation to the swing of the golf club which is drawn backwards before striking the ball, known as the 'takeaway' and then forwards to both contact the ball and 'follow on' or 'follow through' after the point of contact with the ball. The front half has just two slots 2 into which the markers 3 are placed when the aid is to be used for driving practice. These two markers then show the minimum separation distance for the players feet. Thus the base 1 is placed on the ground in line with the direction which the ball will be struck and the ball is then placed a few inches away from the base 1 in line with one of three symbols 4 marked onto the base which represent the ball lining up with the players left eye, nose and right eye.The player then stands with his or her feet in line with the two minimum feet separation markers 3 such that the players head will be in line with the ball. A third marker 3 is then placed into the appropiate slot in the back half of the base referred to as the 'take away' mark, to correspond with the length of the club selected for the practice shot. Each slot 2 will be marked with the type of club it refers to, which will generate the widest possible arc for that club. The slot 2 corresponding to the sand wedge which is the shortest club used in golf, is therefore closest to the front half of the base 1 and the slot 2 corresponding to the driver which is the longest club used in golf, is the furthest from the front half of the base 1.In total there will be ten slots 2 in the back half of the base 1 each corresponding to a different type of golf club making up an overall of twelve total including the minimum distance foot marker slots 2 in the front half. The spacing between the club marker slots 2 is calculated from such factors as the length of the club, average radius of the swing etc. Typically the ten 'take away' marker slots 2 will be 4 cms apart.

With the three markers in position and the ball placed adjacent to one of the three symbols marked on the front half of the base, a player stands with his or her feet in line with the minimum feet separation markers slotted into the front half of the base and then practices swinging the club onto the ball from the 'take away' position with the club head in line with the third marker in the back half of the aid. The plane of the swing over this distance is the most important part of the overall swing,for the club head must traverse as near as possible parallel with the ground, dipping to contact the ground just before the ball is struck in certain cases where a high degree of lift or spin is required. On a golf course this will cause the club to gouge out a divot of earth.After this short swing has been practised sufficiently the club is then taken further backwards from the third marker to the half-backswing position where the club is parallel to the ground and practice shots again are made. Full swing shots can follow provided that in the foregoing pratice swings the essential feel of the body and club over the distance between the back 'take away' marker and striking the ball are both felt and remembered, this being referred to as 'muscle memory'.

No hard and fast rule applies to the exact position of the ball but practise is recommended with each of the three positions for the ball as marked by symbols onto the base to enable the player to best judge his or her preference for ball position in relation to the club being used.

However simple the aid may appear to be, in essence it works effectively because it enables good driving shots to be reproduced by marking the position of the players feet, the ball and the club thus enabling the feel of the body to be remembered when a good stroke is made. Furthermore the aid can be carried and used on any golf course when practising at any time because it is lightweight and easily slipped into a golf bag. The aid may be further simplified by making the minimum foot separation markers as symbols marked or engraved onto the base, but this would prevent blind persons from using the aid as they feel the markers by using their feet and golf clubs.

The aid is used for putting practise by placing the ball in line with the centre slot in the back half of the base. A marker can be used to identify this position. A second marker is fitted three slots away from the centre marker towards the front half of the base and a third marker fitted three slots away on the opposite side of the centre marker towards the back half of the base.

A right handed player then stands with his or her left foot in line with the ball and their head directly above the ball. The ball is struck by taking the club back to the backward marker and bringing it forward to contact the ball and onwards to the forward marker. This 'follow through' after the ball is struck is essential in achieving good putting skills.

A left handed player will stand with their right foot in line with the ball and their head directly above the ball. The ball is then struck in exactly the same manner as by right handed players.

The markers described are in the form of metal or plastic plates or cards but many other form of markers may be used. For example an array of 'flip over' markers each being attached permanently by means of a hinge running the full length of the base provided this is an angle section. Thus the markers cannot be mislaid and either left handed or right handed players can set the markers they require simply by 'flipping' the appropriate ones over the bar onto the side facing the player. Other types of markers may be attached by means of plugging into holes drilled in the bar, or attached by magnetic means. Other methods such as sliding covers which reveal marks can be used, for just as with 'flip over' markers there is merit in the markers being permanently attached to the base. Such arrangements however may make the aid unsuitable for use by blind players.

In a further embodiment of the invention Figure 7 shows a plan view of the Golfing Practice Aid which incorporates a rotatable double-ended pointer 20 in the form of a metal or plastic bar, which is pivoted centrally (not shown) from the underside of the base 1 midway between the minimum distance feet marker slots 2. The angle of the pointer 20 can be set by the player prior to practising different swing planes with the golf club such as are used when the ball has to be struck so as to spin in flight in order to curve to the left or the right, which necessitates the ball being struck at an angle to the aid. Such actions are referred to as 'fading' and 'drawing' the ball.

Figure 5 shows a further embodiment of the invention in which the angled section base 1 is fitted with a number of clips 7 and a central rod 8 which forms a hinge mechanism for a number of 'flip over' hinged markers 3 each being capable of being 'flipped over' to one or other outward facing sides of the base 1. Such an arrangement will ensure that the markers cannot be lost and setting of such 'flip over' markers 3 is both simple and speedy.

The centre of the three 'flip over' markers 3 as shown in Figure 5 has been 'flipped over' to the rear face of the base 1.

The Golfing Practice Aid is essentially a simple lightweight device which can be carried easily by any golfer. However it may well have applications on golf driving ranges and practice areas where more facilities built into the aid may be desirable. For example when driving the ball the height of the club from the ground whilst travelling between the backward marker and contacting the ball could be measured by using proximity detectors coupled to high speed electronic units, such data being displayed or recorded. Audible and/or visual signals could be incorporated to indicate the degree of correctness or otherwise of the swing, or the deviation from centre line of the stroke. The use of a laser beam could be particularly useful for measuring such parameters.In a well developed system the unit could both indicate the players faults and the necessary steps needed to overcome these as well as being capable of memorising a perfect stroke and making comparisons with those of lesser merit.

In a further embodiment of the invention Figure 6 shows a Golfing Practice Aid into which electronic sensing devices are incorporated. The assembly comprises a flat base board 9 onto which is secured a hollow bar 10 which houses a plurality of high speed electronic proximity transmission devices 11 such as photoelectric devices, lasers or the like which transmit signals to a plurality of detectors (not shown) in the hollow section bar 12 on the opposite side of the base board 9 and in line with the transmission devices housed in the bar 10. The beam from the electronic proximity transmission devices 11 may scan upwards and downwards to detect the height of the club being used above the playing surface.Such beams may be individually modulated such that no one transmitter will interfere with another, nor its signal be confused with any signal received by any other than the correct detector located in the hollow section bar 12. The data received, displayed or recorded from the sensors may not only be in terms of the height of the club above the playing surface but also any variance off-centre of the line of the club as it approaches the ball so as to determine if the ball will travel straight or to the left or to the right.

As previously stated such data may be analysed by an associated electronic processor to compare the stroke of the player with previous strokes or to that of an expert and additionally provide data to the player on means whereby his or her play may be improved with further practice.

Markers are provided (not shown) which emerge from slots 15 in the hollow bar 10 either by mechanical means such as pulling the edge of the marker, or electrically by means of electro-mechanical mechanisms incorporated into the bar 10. Power supplies, function and data wiring to the unit are shown as a single cable 16 emerging from the hollow bar 10.

The data processor display and recording units are not shown as these may be located some distance from the Golfing Practice Aid.

The playing surface comprises of artificial turf 13 which is attached permanently to the upper face of a playing board 14 which is fixed by means of clips (not shown) to the baseboard 9. Different playing surface boards 14 may be used each one having a different texture and thickness of artificial turf 13 attached permanently to its surface. Thus a variety of conditions for play can be provided and the playing surface can be speedily changed if part of the artificial turf 13 becomes damaged.

When in use the player stands outside of the aid with their feet aligned with the minimum separation symbols 18 which are marked onto the hollow bar 12. The ball is then placed onto the artificial turf 13 on the playing surface board 14 in one of three positions marked by the symbols 17 which are marked onto the hollow bar 10 corresponding to the ball lining up with the left eye, nose and right eye of the player. Rubber or foam plastic buffers 19 are fitted to the backward ends of the hollow bars 10 and 12 to absorb impact should the player accidentally hit either bar with a practice shot.

Any of the variations of the Golfing Practice Aid thus far described can be manufactured in separate pieces one being specifically for driving practice whilst the other would be used solely for putting practice, essentially one would comprise the front half of the aid whilst the second would comprise of the back half. Means may be incorporated if necessary to couple the two halves together.

Claims (11)

1. A Golfing Practice Aid designed to help players of different abilities

to drive golf balls correctly by means of reproducing the feel or muscle memory of the players body when such strokes are seen to be played correctly, which comprises an angled section base having a plurality of slots into which markers may be placed to indicate the minimum separation of the players feet when driving the ball, the ball position to correspond to being directly in line with the players right eye, left eye or nose and the distance that individual golf clubs should be drawn backwards on the 'take away' prior to practicing a stroke, and then following through correctly after the ball is struck, such positions being related to the ten different lengths of club used.

2. A Golfing Practice Aid as described in Feature 1 which incorporates means using markers placed in slots in the base which enable a player to practice putting shots between marked positions on the base in order to ensure the player moves the club backwards the correct distance and then follows through correctly after the ball is struck.

3. A Golfing Practice Aid as described in Features 1 and 2 in which the base may be of angle section or in the form of a hollow bar inside of which the markers may be stored.

4. A Golfing Practice Aid as described in Features 1 and 2 which is lightweight and easily transported in a golf bag together with the players golf clubs.

5. A Golfing Practice Aid as described in Features 1 and 2 in which the markers are permanently attached to the base, for example by using hinged 'flip over' markers, thus ensuring the markers do not become mislaid or lost.

6. A Golfing Practice Aid as described in Features 1 and 2 in which the base and markers made be of metal or plastics material.

7. A Golfing Practice Aid as described in Features 1 and 2 in which electronic means is provided to detect, display and record the relative height of the bottom of the club from the playing surface by means of transmitters and receivers being a plurality of photoelectric devices, lasers or the like mounted longitudinally either side of the area onto which the golf ball will be placed and then played.

8. A Golfing Practice Aid as described in Features 1, 2 and 7 in which the line of the club can be measured or recorded in order to indicate to the player if the ball will travel straight or to the left or right.

9. A Golfing Practice Aid as described in Features 1, 2 and 7 in which the playing surface comprises of artificial turf the texture and thickness of which can be varied.

10. A Golfing Practice Aid as described in Features 1, 2, 7 and 8 in which the markers can be withdrawn from and retracted into one of the longitudinal supports which house the electronic sensors, either mechanically or by electro/mechanical means.

11. A Golfing Practice Aid as described in Features 1 and 2 in which is incorporated a double ended pointer to indicate different swing planes.