JP2004223272A - Golf ball for practice - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a golf ball for practise, which can be used for improving accuracy of approaching and putting upon hitting a real golf ball by using the ball in practice of approaching and putting and by which a user can obtain ball hitting feeling similar to hitting a real golf ball. <P>SOLUTION: This golf ball for practice with a small diameter has a core part made of a heavy metal. The circumference of the core part is wrapped by rubber. The outside surface of the ball is coated by a coating material of a surface member or covered by a covering material. Mass and elasticity are taken into consideration to make the golf ball for practice have hitting feeling same as a real golf ball. When a user uses the ball to practice to accurately hit the ball toward a target by a club face of an approaching club or a putter, an image of the ball is memorized by the user to make the user have an image of a real golf ball larger than a real size. Thereby the user is able to accurately hit a ball by a club face to improve accuracy of approaching and putting. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

The present invention relates to a practice golf ball, and more particularly, to a practice golf ball suitable for practice of approach and putter.

To practice sports using balls, it is common to use balls that are smaller than those used in actual competitions. For example, for a soccer ball having a diameter of 22 cm, a mini ball having a diameter of 11 cm may be used (Non-Patent Document 1). A pachinko ball (metal ball) having a diameter of 11 mm has been proposed for putting practice in golf (Non-Patent Document 2). Further, Patent Documents describe a lightweight golf ball in which a weight made of a metal sphere such as lead is embedded (Patent Document 1), and an aluminum alloy in which a metal detector is embedded to enable automatic selection, for practice. A golf ball (Patent Literature 2) and a training ball (Patent Literature 3) that perform a very complicated and unusual rebound due to uneven distribution of the center of gravity are disclosed.

Training ball homepage http://www.koa-corporation.com/intro.htm Setsuo Takiya Hirotoshi Nomura, “7, Feeding the concentration of hitting with a core with pachinko balls” Practice of golf It's okay if you just do this. Microfilm of Japanese Utility Model Application No. 56-94609 (Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 58-1464) JP-A-3-70583 No. 3-9380

However, the mini-ball disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 is a miniature ball having the same weight as an actual soccer ball and a smaller diameter, so that the mass feeling received from the ball feels heavier than the actual soccer ball. Things. Therefore, soccer in which the ball is directly kicked by one's own foot may be used for practice, but in golf indirectly shot through a club or putter, such a ball may be used in the hands of the trainer. The transmitted feel at impact is quite different from the actual golf ball. The pachinko ball disclosed in Non-Patent Document 2 has a diameter of about 11 mm. The practice of putter is generally performed on natural or artificial turf, or even on carpet at home. For example, assume that a pachinko ball is placed on a floorboard. Here, if the floor is slightly inclined, the pachinko balls will roll, and if placed on natural grass or carpet, the pachinko balls will sink due to their weight and there is almost no part that can be hit with a putter. Golf practice using pachinko balls is extremely difficult in practice, even if it exists as an idea.

In the practice golf ball disclosed in Patent Literature 1, since the outer shape of the weight is about one-fourth of the entire outer shape, the hit by the shot is absorbed by a portion of the outer shell other than the weight, and the trainee is also a trainee. The hand does not transmit the feeling of mass or impact. In this regard, the situation is not different for the practice golf ball disclosed in Patent Document 2. Further, in the golf ball disclosed in Patent Literature 3, a complicated and unusual rebound rather confuses a practitioner trying to practice an approach or a putter, and does not practice. That is, in the ball according to the above-described conventional technology, a hit feeling indispensable for golf practice cannot be sufficiently obtained, and further, if the shot is accurate, the traveling direction of the ball is also accurate. Cannot have elements. This is the problem of the prior art.

In the present invention, a practice golf ball that can improve the accuracy of approach and putter when hitting an actual golf ball by using it for practice of approach and putter. It is an object of the present invention to provide a practice golf ball capable of obtaining the same shot feeling as when hitting.

In order to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, the inventor has conducted intensive research, and as a result, in order to learn an accurate shot, a ball having a smaller diameter than the actual external dimensions is used, and the small diameter ball is used. Recognizing that it is advisable to focus on nervous practice, we also found that it is effective for golf improvement to make the shot feel as close as possible to that of the actual ball. Was. The present invention has been made from this viewpoint. The details are explained in the section again.

The practice golf ball according to claim 1, comprising: a metal ball having a diameter of 15 to 28 mm; and a rubber covering portion having a thickness of 1 to 5 mm that covers the metal ball. It weighs about 15 to 40 g at 20 to 30 mm. The material of the covering portion may be natural rubber or synthetic rubber.

According to the practice golf ball of the first aspect, the golf ball has a smaller diameter than an actual golf ball, and the covering portion is made of rubber, so that the golf ball is deformed by hitting a club or a putter. This deformation cannot absorb the impact force because the thickness of the covering portion is limited. Therefore, most of the impact force is applied to the metal ball. The striking force applied to the metal ball causes a reaction to the club or the putter, which is transmitted to the hands of the trainee as a shot feeling. Since the practice golfer uses the practice golf ball having a sufficiently small diameter, the concentration of the practice golf ball is polished, and further, the player can have an appropriate feel at impact. Furthermore, since the deformation of the covering portion and the friction of the rubber surface are combined with each other, an appropriate spin can be given to the golf ball for training, particularly in approach practice using a club. The feel is transmitted to the hands of the practitioner. Furthermore, since the size of the practice golf ball is set to an extra dimension considering the sinking of the practice golf ball placed on the lawn or carpet, practical practice is possible regardless of whether it is outdoors or indoors. Becomes possible.

The practice golf ball according to claim 2 is the practice golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the covering portion is coated with a coating material as a surface member or covered with a cover material, and the durability of the surface is improved. It is characterized by enhanced characteristics.

According to the practice golf ball of the second aspect, in addition to the effect of the practice golf ball of the first aspect, the coefficient of friction of the outer peripheral surface of the covering portion can be appropriately adjusted. By reducing the friction coefficient, it is possible to moderately roll, especially when practicing putter.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the practice golf ball according to the first or second aspect, wherein the covering portion has a plurality of dimples. The size of the dimple may be freely set.

According to the practice golf ball of the third aspect, in addition to the effects of the golf ball of the first or second aspect, the presence of the dimple allows the practice to be performed at least in an appearance close to the actual ball. If necessary, it can also be used to adjust the coefficient of friction of the ball surface.

According to the practice golf ball of the fourth aspect, the practice golf ball according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the metal ball is made of a ferromagnetic material (for example, iron or a magnet). It is characterized by.

According to the practice golf ball of the fourth aspect, in addition to the effects of the practice golf ball of any one of the first to third aspects, by including a magnet in the practice target, the practice golf ball can be magnetized, That is, it can be made to adhere to the training target. If this suction is used, a cup-in state can be created in the target even without a cup, and the sense of distance of approach can be cultivated.

In order to describe the present invention in more detail, this will be described according to an embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to only those embodiments.

The practice golf ball of the present invention comprises a metal ball having a diameter of 15 to 28 mm and a rubber covering portion having a thickness of 1 to 5 mm covering the metal ball, and has a total weight of about 15 to 40 g, The overall diameter is 20 to 30 mm. The material of the metal sphere is not particularly limited and is a metal having a certain weight. Specifically, iron and an alloy of iron are preferably used. The material of the covering portion may be natural rubber or synthetic rubber, but it is preferable to use, for example, silicon rubber, fluorine rubber, urethane rubber, or the like as such a rubber. The thickness of the rubber can be appropriately selected from 1 mm to 5 mm, and the effect is not changed within the range. The practice golf ball of the present invention is obtained by placing a rubber material in a mold, placing a mild steel iron ball in the center, press-molding with a mold, and polishing and finishing the surface. , Can be manufactured. In order to improve the durability of the practice golf ball of the present invention, a paint finish may be applied as necessary. A known cover material such as a balata or an ionomer resin may be used as a cover material on the outer peripheral surface of the rubber. Further, a plurality of dimples may be formed in the covering portion. Although the size of the dimple is freely designed, it is preferable that the dimple has a size corresponding to the surface area and is in a state close to an actual ball in appearance.

<Example 1> An iron ball made of mild steel having a diameter of 15 mm was covered with silicon rubber having a thickness of 5 mm, the overall diameter was 25 mm, and the weight was about 20 g.
<Example 2> An iron ball made of mild steel having a diameter of 18 mm was covered with silicon rubber having a thickness of 1 mm, the total diameter was 20 mm, and the weight was about 24 g.
<Example 3> An iron ball made of mild steel having a diameter of 21 mm was covered with silicon rubber having a thickness of 2 mm, and the entire line was 25 mm in weight and about 40 g in weight.
<Example 4> A sphere made of an aluminum alloy (JIS AL2011) having a diameter of 21 mm was covered with silicon rubber having a thickness of 1 mm, the overall diameter was 23 mm, and the weight was about 15 g.
<Example 5> A ball made of an aluminum alloy (JIS AL2011) having a diameter of 28 mm was covered with silicon rubber having a thickness of 1 mm, the overall diameter was 30 mm, and the weight was about 34 g.
Example 6 The outer peripheral surface of Example 1 was finished with an acrylic paint.
<Example 7> The outer peripheral surface of Example 2 was finished with acrylic paint.
<Embodiment 8> The outer peripheral surface of the above-mentioned embodiment 3 was finished with acrylic paint.
<Embodiment 9> The outer peripheral surface of the embodiment 4 was finished with acrylic paint.
Example 10 The outer peripheral surface of Example 5 was finished with acrylic paint.
<Example 11> The outer peripheral surface of Example 1 was covered with a balata cover material.
<Example 12> The outer peripheral surface of Example 2 was covered with a balata cover material.
Example 13 The outer peripheral surface of Example 3 was covered with a balata cover material.
Example 14 The outer peripheral surface of Example 4 was covered with a balata cover material.
Example 15 The outer peripheral surface of Example 5 was covered with a balata cover material.

The left half of Table 1 shows an actual golf ball (about 43 mm in diameter, about 46 g in weight) and a practice of the present invention from a distance of about 4 m toward a target in order to confirm the effect of the practice golf ball of Example 1. This is an experimental result in which 10 golf balls (diameter: 25 mm, weight: about 20 g) of the practice golf ball of Example 1 were hit by an advanced player and a beginner by an approach club and a putter.

In this experiment, an actual golf ball (A) was hit first, then a practice golf ball (B) of Example 1 of the present invention was hit, and finally an actual golf ball (C) was hit again. For comparison, a urethane ball (D) having a diameter of 35 mm and a weight of about 2 g, which is a size between A and B, was hit, and then an actual ball (E) was hit. The results are shown in the right half of Table 1.
In Table 1, for example, the numerical value (10/8) is. Eight out of ten hits are nice shots and two are miss shots. Numerical values such as 80% outside the parentheses indicate that the impact rate (nice shot rate) in this case was 80%. However, regarding putting, the numerical value in parentheses indicates the rate of hitting the target (target touch rate).
The approach column indicates an approach performed by a club (eg, a 7-iron) other than the pitching wedge (P-wedge) and the sound wedge (S-wedge).

According to this experiment, when the practice golf ball (B) of Example 1 was used, both the impact rate and the target touch rate were improved, while the urethane ball (D) having a diameter of 35 mm was used for practice. When used, little effect was seen. In addition, according to the expert who conducted the experiment, regarding the training golf bow (B) of Example 1 of the present invention, the impression was that "there is a sense of impact, so the distance can be imagined and practice can be carried out."
As an impression of hitting the actual golf ball after hitting the practice golf ball of Example 1 of the present invention, an advanced player thought, "I hit the club face with the feeling that the ball looks so large and can be applied to a favorite place. Intermediate people said, "They looked big and gave me a sense of security and could hit cleanly." A beginner said, "I felt the ball was big and easy to hit."

From the experiment in Table 1, the effect of the golf ball of Example 1 of the present invention is more remarkable for a beginner, and the impact rate and the target touch rate are increased by 10% to 30%. He further emphasized that everyone, from beginners to advanced players, had a sense of security hitting golf balls. Intermediate and advanced players also saw a 10% to 20% improvement. With respect to the impact sensation of the practice golf ball of the present invention, an expert evaluated that the golf ball had the same shot feeling as an actual golf ball, and was highly effective as a golf practice effect.

Table 2 shows the effect of the practice golf balls of Examples 1 to 15 to the target from a distance of about 4 m toward the target. The results of an experiment in which an actual golf ball (diameter: 43 mm, weight: about 46 g) was hit after 10 practice golf balls of the present invention were hit by 10 balls each.

As a result of the experiment, the effects of the second, seventh and twelfth series and the fourth and ninth and fourteenth series are the highest, and then the first and second series of the first and sixth embodiments and the third and eighth and thirteenth series and the Examples 5, 10, and 15 were obtained.

The practice golf ball of the present invention has a diameter smaller than that of an actual golf ball, the core portion is heavily wrapped with rubber, and the mass and elasticity are taken into consideration, and the practice golf ball has a feeling of mass and shot feeling. It is. Since the trainee uses the small-diameter practice golf ball, his concentration is improved. Further, since the covering portion of the practice golf ball of the present invention is made of rubber, it is deformed by hitting a golf club or a putter. This deformation cannot absorb the impact force because the thickness of the covering portion is limited. Therefore, most of the impact force is applied to the metal ball. The striking force applied to the metal ball causes a reaction to the club or the putter, which is transmitted to the hands of the trainee as a shot feeling. Furthermore, since the deformation of the covering portion and the friction of the rubber surface are combined with each other, an appropriate spin can be given to the golf ball for training, particularly in approach practice using a club. The feel is transmitted to the hands of the trainer. Furthermore, since the dimensions of the practice golf ball are set to be too large considering the sinking of the practice golf ball placed on the lawn or carpet, practical practice regardless of the outdoor room Becomes possible.

It is well recognized that in golf, winning or losing or performance is not determined solely by physical factors, but rather by psychological factors such as memory and emotion. With the approach around the green, the pressure applied when trying to accurately hit the club face between the golf ball and the ground (grass) causes the hand to become stuck due to the psychological rigidity of the ips. The practice golf ball of the present invention can also be used to overcome this psychological factor. That is, by practicing with the practice golf ball of the present invention having a diameter smaller than that of an actual golf ball, the impact image of the practice under stress is hidden, and the foot-back effect (adjustment of motor behavior using sensory information) Thereby, approach and putting with an actual golf ball can be performed with easy consciousness.

In addition to Examples 1 to 15, a 13 mm diameter mild steel iron ball was covered with a 6 mm thick silicon rubber to give an overall diameter of 25 mm and a weight of about 12 g (Comparative Example-1), a diameter of 12 mm. The results of an experiment on the feel at impact are shown for an iron ball made of mild steel covered with 4 mm thick silicone rubber and having an overall diameter of 20 mm and a weight of about 9 g (Comparative Example-2).

◎は打球感と追随性あり ○は打球感有り △は打球感不十分 ×は打球感なし
この結果、比較例−１，２のボールは、実施例１から１５の練習用ゴルフボールに比べて、打球感が不十分であった。

◎ has a feeling of hitting with the ball ○ has a feeling of hitting the ball △ has an insufficient feeling of hitting the ball × does not have a feeling of hitting the ball As a result, the balls of Comparative Examples 1-2 are compared with the practice golf balls of Examples 1 to 15. And the shot feeling was insufficient.

Next, another golf ball for practice was tested for shot feeling.
<Comparative Example A> A commercially available practice ball having a diameter of about 43 mm, a weight of about 1 g, and made of styrofoam, which makes a crackling sound but has no shot feeling.

<Comparative Example B> The synthetic resin is light in feel at impact and hardly touches with a diameter of about 35 mm and a weight of about 2 g.

<Comparative Example C> An elastic ball having a diameter of about 25 mm and a weight of about 9 g, a diameter of about 20 mm and a weight of about 5 g. There is no sex.

<Comparative Example D> Marbles, diameter of about 17 mm, weight of about 7 g, material glass, and shot feeling were too good to leave the ball, and did not feel.

<Comparative Example E> A pachinko ball having a diameter of about 11 mm and a weight of about 5 g was made of iron.

◎は打球感と追随性あり ○は打球感有り △は打球感不十分 ×は打球感なし

◎ has a feeling of hitting and has a followability ○ has a feeling of hitting

Table 4 shows the results of confirming the shot feeling when each of Comparative Examples A to E was hit with a handicap of 12, 24, and 36 using an approach club and a putter. It can be seen that Comparative Examples A to E have almost no shot feeling and cannot respond to ball control necessary for practice in low-speed fields such as approach.

From the results of the above experiments, the range of the preferred embodiment of the practice golf ball of the present invention is as follows: the diameter of the metal ball as the core is 15 to 28 mm, the thickness of the rubber covering the metal ball is 1 to 5 mm, It was found that the overall diameter was 20 to 30 mm and the weight was 15 to 40 g.

Since the practice golf ball of the present invention has a smaller diameter than an actual golf ball, it can be used for practice to improve the approach and putter accuracy when the actual golf ball is hit. In addition, since there is a shot feeling, the training effect can be further enhanced. In particular, the practice golf ball of the present invention has the following characteristics with regard to shot feeling.
(1) By using a metal that is somewhat heavy as the core, a shot feeling similar to that of an actual golf ball can be obtained even though the ball is small.
(2) By making the outside light (rubber) and the inside heavy (metal), the coefficient of inertia (the magnitude of inertia of the rotating object. The amount of inertia is determined by the manner in which the mass of the object is distributed around the rotation axis. ) Is reduced and the spin rate is increased, so that the golf ball has the same shot feeling as an actual golf ball, even though the ball is small.
(3) Since the ball surface is softened with rubber, the ball is small, but the followability of the ball to the club face is good and easy to control.

Claims (4)

It comprises a metal ball having a diameter of 15 to 28 mm and a rubber covering portion having a thickness of 1 to 5 mm covering the metal ball, and has a total diameter of 20 to 30 mm and a weight of about 15 to 40 g. Practice golf ball. The practice golf ball according to claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the covering portion is covered with a surface member. The practice golf ball according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of dimples are formed in the covering portion. 4. The practice golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the metal sphere is made of a ferromagnetic material.