US20060040761A1

US20060040761A1 - Scale mark mat for putting practice

Info

Publication number: US20060040761A1
Application number: US11/155,177
Authority: US
Inventors: Sam-Kyu Shin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-08-23
Filing date: 2005-06-17
Publication date: 2006-02-23

Abstract

The present invention relates to a rectangle mat for putting practice. The mat includes a cylindrical stopper, an imitative hole cup mark thereon, and a putting line straightly drawn along the center on the mat and divided by the square scales for eye measurement. According to the present invention, three requisites of putt for hitting the golf ball to the intended direction and distance; a) the putter is swung straight along the putting line; b) the golf ball is stroked with the putter face square to the putting line; and c) the backswing length is accurately determined according to the condition of the putt; are practiced by; first, numerating and calculating the backswing length for the putt by the number of the scales, second, by objectifying and determining the backswing spot and throughswing spot on the putting line, then, by putting straight from the backswing spot to the throughswing spot for one second by the seesaw movement of the shoulders, keeping and stopping the putter face square to the putting line at each of the two spots. And the putting techniques are checked and improved by observing the speed and trajectory of the ball passing the imitative hole cup mark.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Utility Model Application No. 20-2004-0024001 filed on Aug. 23, 2004 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to golf practice apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to a putting practice mat for improving putting techniques in the room.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Golf is a game in which players hit a ball from the teeing-off ground into the hole on the green through a fairway with three types of golf clubs; the Wood, the Iron, and the Putter. It has been a highly popular sports game.
One round of a golf game consists of 18 holes, and the par strokes are 72 for the 18 holes. Almost half the strokes in a round of golf are likely to be putts, and accordingly, the putting stroke is very important in a golf game.
Generally, a putting skill involves following two factors.
First, it depends on the ability to determine the initial speed and the direction for the golf ball to roll when you putt.
The greens in the golf courses have various slopes in various directions, which break, accelerate or decelerate the stroked balls. In addition, various factors such as length and kind of the turf, weather conditions, and optical illusion caused by surroundings affect adversely in determining the direction and speed of the golf ball. Furthermore, the direction of the grain of the green and a horizontally extended slope can cause the direction of the golf ball to be curved. As described, assessing the green is very difficult.
However, while playing a game of golf, you may not measure the green conditions by tools according to the golf rules, and it can only be studied by yourself with your own experience and senses. Accordingly, you may improve the ability to assess the green conditions only through your actual experience on the green.
Secondly, you must have the ability to stroke the golf ball accurately to an intended direction at an intended initial speed.
No matter how accurately you assess the green conditions, if you don't actually hit the ball to the intended direction at the intended speed like a robot without delicate errors, the putt will fail. Accordingly, you should improve your putting techniques to be sufficiently proficient in the putting stroke.
For the purpose of hitting the golf ball in the intended direction at the intended speed, an arc trajectory putting method that swings a putter by rotating the shoulders perpendicularly to the spine and with the feeling of the hands has conventionally been used because it has been regarded as the most effective way to putt the golf ball. However, the putting by the arc trajectory is a little inconsistent as mentioned later, and when basing on such feelings of the hands which can be ambiguous and subjective, putting cannot be finely controlled, and therefore the putting is usually not so consistent nor repeatable.
A straight putting method is for swinging a putter head straight, when viewed from above the ball, like a pendulum by seesaw movement of the shoulders. In this method, three requisites for the putt with the intended direction and speed can be objectified for further successful performance of the putting stroke. Here, to objectify means to present something perceptible or manifest externally by putting a vague idea into words, that is to say, to define and characterize the ambiguous and subjective feels into observable criteria (aims) such as straight target line, square clubface at start and finish of the putt, or calculated length of swing that is uninfluenced by feeling, guess, or personal prejudice so that anyone can follow.
Hence if the three requisites for the putt are objectified as below so as to precisely define the aims and the putting is performed according to the defined aims, the putting stroke can become more stable and accurate, and a success rate of the putting stroke will further be increased.
The first requisite is to straightly swing the putter along a putting line when viewed from above the ball.
When a putting trajectory is in the shape of an arc, the hands or arms will manipulate the putt unconsciously to compensate the centrifugal force of the putter head at the time hitting the ball, and therefore, the arc trajectory of the swing is unstable and the length of the swing is inaccurately controlled. Furthermore, an opening and closing of a putter face is caused. As a result, the accuracy of the direction of the ball is reduced at the time of impact. In contrary to the arc trajectory, the length of the swing may be accurately controlled and the putter face may also remain square to the putting line at the time of the impact if you align the lineup line of the ball to the target point and you swing the putter head straight along an imaginary putting line extended backward and forward from the lineup line of the golf ball.
Accordingly, in order to objectify a straight trajectory of the putting stroke, the swing should be performed straight, when viewed from above the ball, from the determined backswing spot to the throughswing spot after determining the backswing spot and throughswing spot on the imaginary putting line.
The second requisite is to maintain the putter face in a square position to the putting line at the time of the impact.
At the time of the impact, the ball is hit in a direction square to the putter face, and therefore the putter face should remain in a square position to the putting line in order to send the ball in the intended direction. However, according to the conventional arc trajectory putting method, putting stroke is apt to become unstable because it is difficult to manipulate the putter face to be precisely square at the time of the impact with the feeling of the hands. Whereas, the putter face may naturally be square at the time of the impact when the putter face is maintained in a square position to the putting line both at the backswing spot and at the throughswing spot.
Accordingly, a square impact motion can be objectified by maintaining the putter face to be square both at the backswing spot and at the throughswing spot while putting the ball.
The third requisite is to accurately control a backswing length of the putting stroke according to a desired travel distance of the ball.
There are various methods for controlling strength of the impact. The impact strength may be controlled by controlling the length of swing time based on the feeling of the hands without having to change the swing length, or by controlling the swing length based on his biorhythm without changing the swing time. In addition, the both methods may be combined to control the impact strength. Typically, the traveling distance of the ball is regulated by controlling the impact strength based on the feeling of the hands, and the stroking time is controlled based on the biorhythm.
However, it is suggested that the time of one second be adopted as a fixed standard rather than the biorhythm because the biorhythm tends to vary. In addition, the putting stroke based on feeling of the hands is not consistent nor repeatable since it is difficult to precisely control the impact strength. However, when the putting stroke is performed for one second with controlled length of the swing, the putting becomes more consistent and repeatable, since the traveling distance of the ball may be precisely and accurately controlled by precisely controlling the backswing length (and the same length of the throughswing) while swinging for exactly one second, because the backswing length on the straight putting line determines the impact strength, the impact strength determines the ball's speed, and the ball's speed is in proportion to the traveling distance of the ball.
Accordingly, the impact strength can be controlled and objectified by evaluating the amplitude, that is, the length of the backswing of the putt in numerical value employing the System of Scales Coefficient later mentioned.
The posture and putting motion should be changed as follow to suffice the objectified three requisites of the putt. As to the putting posture, the upper body is bended, knees are straight, hips are pulled back, arms, elbows, and wrists are fixed on the shoulders, so that the putter may not become loose while swinging.
The stance, knees, hips, shoulders, and eyes are parallel with the target line.
In this posture, the body is in a fixed position except the shoulders, and the swing is performed by the shoulders without any help from the arms or hands.
For a stable swing, only the shoulders should preferably be used in swinging the putter. When the wrists, hands, and/or fingers are used together with the shoulders, the putting stroke may fail because power become unbalanced and unexpected motion can be resulted. It is difficult to control the backswing length when the backswing length is controlled by the feeling of the hands. Specifically, it is more difficult to concurrently control the backswing length and the direction of the ball.
For the backswing and throughswing, the shoulders should rise and fall vertically, when viewed from aside, by the seesaw movement of the shoulders, to move the putter straightly along the putting line and to maintain the putter face square to the putting line.
If the elbows and shoulders move back and forth while swinging, the shoulders and body will be twisted in such manner that the putter is pulled inward and thereby leaving the putting line, and the putter face will not remain square to the putting line because of the opening and closing of the putter face.
In addition, in order to maintain the straight movement and the square position of the putter, a pentagon formed by the shoulders, arms, elbows, and hands should be firm during the stroke.
The putting speed should be gradually and gently increased because an abrupt change in the putting speed decreases the success rate of the putting.
It is also required that the lengths of backswing and throughswing are equal to each other, and the ball is hit solidly.
The above three requisites for the putt may be exercised in a room from time to time.
Various putting practice apparatuses have been introduced as follows: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,672,974 and 6,837,802 for practicing the putting posture and handling; U.S. Pat. No. 6,699,141 for practicing putting and swinging; U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,669,572 and 6,672,971 for providing a simulated green to help a golfer practice putting; and U.S. design Patent No. 486,199 for providing a mat for measuring the golf ball's speed. However, there isn't any thing adequate to practice the objectified three requisites of putt.
For example, there isn't any mat that has the putting line straight to the hole mark along the center on the mat, and that has the square scale marks that divide the putting line by the interval of the actual size of golf ball. If the putting line on the mat is not equally divided, it is difficult to learn definitely the sense of the backswing length. More specifically, it is impossible to utilize the system of evaluating of the backswing length in numerical value (number of scales) that is later described in detail.
Even if the putting line has the scales, if it is divided in centimeters and inches which are normal units for measuring the error rate of an eye measurement is increased as compared with the scales of the actual size of the golf ball when putting in a actual green.
The conventional of putting practice mats have been made to emphasize the practice of putting the ball into the hole cup, so it is not suitable for practicing long or medium distance putting. But this mat has a cylindrical stopper and the putting line 3.3 m long that enable to practice the putts of not only 3 m and in, the crucial distance of putt for lowering the scores, but also over 3 m. And, in the real putting situation on a green, most of the putts break due to the complex conditions of the green, and therefore the putting stroke is performed by determining the imaginary target on the intended putting line to putt straight to and aligning the lineup line of the ball to it. Therefore, putting practice should provide an ability to cope with such situation. But every part of the straight putting line of this mat points to the target mark, saving you the trouble of aligning the line-up line of your ball toward the target mark by just placing the ball centrally on the lineup line every time you practice. However, the conventional putting practice mat does not provide a function for such situation.
In addition, the conventional of putting practice mat does not provide means to check whether the putter face is square to the putting line while addressing and swinging the putter, and therefore it has been difficult to find and correct the errors in keeping square putter face. But the square scale marks of this mat enable you to see if your clubface is aligned square to the target line at address, at the back swing spot, and at the throughswing spot during the stroke.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a scale marks mat for practicing putting techniques for the three requisites of the putt.
The present invention discloses a putting line that is over 10 feet long and straightly drawn in the center on the rectangular mat and that is divided by scale marks so as to evaluate the swing length in numerical value of the number of the scales; an imitative hole cup mark marked at an end of the putting line on the rectangular mat; and a stopper formed by rolling the end of the mat around a cylindrical object or a pipe to stop the stroked balls.
In addition, the rectangular mat is non-woven fabric with turfy effect.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view for representing a configuration of a mat according an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows a detailed diagram of scales in the mat shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 shows a fragmentary plan view of a golf ball having a lineup line for indicating a direction to a target line.
FIG. 4 shows a diagram for representing an imitative hole cup mark on the mat shown in FIG. 1
FIG. 5 shows a perspective view for exemplifying the mat being rolled in order to be stored.
FIG. 6 shows a side view for describing how the speed of golf ball is reduced by a stopper.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view for representing a configuration of a mat according to an exemplary embodiment. An end of the mat 2 forms a stopper 4 by rolling the end of the mat around a cylindrical object (or a pipe). A putting line 6 is drawn along the center of the mat 2, and scale marks 10 for eye measurement are drawn perpendicular to the putting line 6 while equally dividing the putting line 6. An imitative hole cup mark 8 is drawn at an end of the putting line 6.
The length of the putting line 6 is 3.3 m which is calculated by adding 3 m required for a substantial practice to increase a success rate of putting to 0.3 m for allowing a backswing margin. A space of 0.5 m is provided between the stopper 4 and the imitative hole cup mark 8 so that a stroked golf ball may not bounce back to the imitative hole cup mark 8, and therefore the golf ball may be spread around the stopper 4.
The width of the mat 2 is 40 cm which is a width for placing toes at a side of the mat 2 without standing thereon, and accordingly you may be accustomed with a putting stance parallel to the putting line 6. In addition, a blank is provided between the putting line 6 and the putting stance, and therefore the putting practice may be also performed on that blank as mentioned later. The putting practice may be performed with equal convenience for a left-handed golfer on the opposite side of the mat 2 because the putting line 6 is drawn along the center of the mat 2.
The mat 2 is sheet-shaped and formed with a non-woven fabric of about 5-10 mm thickness having turfy effect on its surface. The backside of the mat 2 is coated with a polyethylene layer so that the putting line may be maintained to be straight.
FIG. 2 shows a detailed diagram for representing the putting line 6 and the scale marks 10, where the scale marks 10 are drawn by lines extended perpendicular to the putting line 6. Therefore a golfer may check if the putter face maintains to be square to the putting line 6 while swinging the putter.
Each interval between the scale marks 10 is formed corresponding to a diameter (42.67 mm) of a golf ball B, which approximately equals an increase of a backswing length required for putting the golf ball B by one more footstep in a normal horizontal green, because the golf ball B is the only thing for the unit of eye measurement in the actual green.
Accordingly, the backswing length is accurately controlled without depending on your senses because the backswing length is evaluated in the unit of the golf ball size, calculating how many times an expected backswing length is greater than the diameter of the golf ball by using the scale marks. In addition, when the backswing is accustomed by using the mat according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it can further be accurately controlled to half a golf ball size and even smaller.
A length L of a scale mark is 108 mm so that it is easily distinguished whether the putter face is square to the putting line, and the scale marks 10 will look like a lane elongated toward the imitative hole cup mark 8.
Widths of the putting line 6 and the scale marks 10 are as narrow as about 2 mm. The lineup line 12 of the golf ball B shown in FIG. 3 is aligned toward a target point in the actual green (a logo that may be regarded as the lineup line 12 is usually drawn on a golf ball, and if not, you may draw a lineup line on the ball). However, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the center of the golf ball B may be put on the putting line 6, and then the golf ball B is putted along the putting line 6 without cumbersomely aligning the lineup line 12 toward the target point. In addition, it is easily observed whether the center line of the putter is deviated from the putting line 6 and the putter face is deviated from the scale marks 10, so that a golfer may immediately notice that the putter face is not square to the center line of the ball.
The imitative hole cup mark 8 is flatly marked on the mat 2 as shown in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 4, the imitative hole cup mark 8 of 108 mm diameter, a medium circle 14 of a 42.67 mm diameter (equal to the diameter of the golf ball), and a small circle 16 of a 10 mm diameter are concentrically drawn so that accuracy of the putting may be easily confirmed by observing trajectory and speed of the golf ball B. The triple circles may be drawn in different colors.
The imitative hole cup mark 8 is for helping a golfer being accustomed to a real hole cup size. When the stroked golf ball B passes on the medium circle 14, it will be regarded as if the golf ball B fells into the hole.
For practices of putting, the medium circle 14 may be regarded as the target point when the golf ball B is putted from the far right side of the mat 2, and the small circle 16 may be regarded as the target point when the golf ball B is putted from near the left side of the mat 2 which is close to the hole cup mark 8.
The stopper 4 is formed by rolling the end of the mat 2 the cylindrical object 18 (or a pipe). A diameter of the stopper is approximately three times of the diameter of the golf ball B, and a length thereof is equal to the width (i.e. 40 cm) of the mat 2.
According to the configuration, the mat 2 is conveniently used and stored because it may simply be rolled or unrolled with the cylindrical object 18 as shown in FIG. 5. Therefore, after the usage, it may simply be rolled up and stored.
In addition, the mat 2 may be neatly and easily taken good care of its sides as FIG. 5 because the length of the cylindrical object 18 is equal to the width (40 cm) of the mat 2.
A diameter of the rolled stopper 4 for preventing the stroked ball from being escaped from the mat 2 is established to be greater than the diameter of the golf ball B as illustrated by an arrow in FIG. 6 (2.5 times through 3 times the diameter of the golf ball is appropriate). Accordingly, the ball collided with the stopper 4 rebounds to the ground (i.e. toward a bottom side of the mat 2) because of a contact angle formed by a diameter difference of the stopper 4 and the golf ball B. Therefore, a rebounding distance becomes short. In addition, a rotating direction of the golf ball B is reversed when the ball hits the stopper 4, thereby further shortening the rebounding distance. Moreover, since the mat 2 rolled about twice around the cylindrical object (or a pipe) 18 functions as a buffer, the stroked golf ball B does not travel far from the stopper 4. As a result, the previous stroked balls do not hinder subsequent putting.
You may effectively practice objectifying the three requisites of the putt by using the mat of the above configuration according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
While the lineup line or the logo of the ball should be aligned toward a target point on the actual green, the center of the golf ball B may be simply aligned on the putting line 6 without cumbersomely aligning the lineup line 12 toward the target point according to an embodiment of the present invention. The stance is set with its center in front of the scale mark at a desired distance from the hole cup mark 8, and the back of the golf ball B is placed thereon. You align the center line of the putter on the putting line 6, so that the putter face is aligned to be square to the putting line 6. (While playing a real game, you should align the center line of the putter straight to the lineup line of the ball 12.)
For the backswing, the backswing length is firstly calculated, and then a backswing spot at the rear of the ball and a throughswing spot at in front of the ball are determined on the putting line 6 (in an actual game, on an imaginary putting line extending backward and forward from the lineup line of the ball) by looking sideways without moving the head, wherein the backswing spot is backward from the ball by a distance corresponding to a backswing length calculated with a number of the scales, and the throughswing spot is forward from the ball by the same length as the backswing length. Then, the backswing is performed straight along the putting line 6, and stopped at the backswing spot. At this time, the golfer checks whether the putter face is square to the scale marks 10.
It is important to perform the backswing by the seesaw movement of the shoulders. In the seesaw movement of the shoulders for the backswing, the left shoulder is vertically lowered, when viewed from aside, to push back the left palm and the putter head straight along the target line, and concurrently, the right shoulder is vertically raised to square the clubface. A swing trajectory may be incurved and the putter face is opened if the shoulders or the upper body are twisted a bit.
At the backswing spot, after reconfirming the predetermined throughswing spot with the eyes looking sideways and without moving the head, you should hit the golf ball with the putter head moving straight along the putting line 6 from the backswing spot toward the throughswing spot, and then stop swinging at the predetermined throughswing spot with the putter face being square to the putting line 6. In this case also, the swing should be performed only by the seesaw movement of the shoulders without twisting the body or shoulders. In such a seesaw movement of the shoulders for hitting the ball, the right shoulder is vertically lowered to push forward the right palm and the putter head straight along the target line, and concurrently, the left shoulder is vertically raised to square the clubface.
Regardless of whether the swing is small or large, the putting should be performed for one second.
To adjust the swing tempo, you should swing through 4 steps for 4 seconds (1 second for confirming the backswing spot, 1 second for the backswing and check, 1 second for confirming the throughswing spot, and 1 second for the hit-through and check, breathing out in (for 1 second), out in, out in, out in, and counting tick-tack, tick-tack for 4 seconds).
After the putting stroke is finished, you should keep your head still for a moment without looking at the stroked golf ball B.
The backswing length required for the expected speed (or, an expected traveling distance) of the golf ball B is calculated by the “System of Scale Coefficient” using the scales according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In the System of Scale Coefficient, the backswing length is determined by two factors: a required traveling distance of the golf ball; and the condition of the green. The distance and green condition are respectively numerated by a number of footsteps and a scale coefficient. Then the number of scales representing the backswing length is calculated by multiplying the two factors without depending on the sense of the golfer. That is, the ball is not putted based on the sense but putted based on the numerically calculated backswing length. The System of Scale Coefficient is as follow.
Firstly, the required traveling distance of the golf ball is measured by the number of your normal footsteps while observing the conditions of the green.
Secondly, the conditions of the green are assessed and numerated by the scale coefficient. Your personal coefficient is required to be measured beforehand. Here, the personal coefficient means the increase of the backswing length required for further sending the golf ball by one more footstep, and it is obtained by dividing the number of the scale marks of the backswing spot by the number of the footsteps that the golf ball travels. For example, when the golf ball travels 12 footsteps by a backswing of 10 the scale marks, the personal coefficient is 0.8(10÷12=0.8).
The measured personal coefficient should be adjusted according to the actual green condition, based on your experience of prior adjustments of the scale coefficient. That is, types and lengths of the turf, weather condition, a grain of the green, a slope and direction (i.e. upgrade or downgrade) of the green are assessed and then the scale coefficient is adjusted based thereon. For example, the green coefficient is reduced (e.g. down to 0.4) when the ball is expected to run faster, i.e. when the speed of the ball should be reduced. In contrary therewith, when the golf ball is expected to run slower, i.e. when the speed of the ball should be increased, the green coefficient is increased to a required degree.
Finally, the number of the required backswing scales is calculated.
A formula for calculating the number of the required backswing scales is “the number of footsteps×the adjusted scale coefficient=the number of the required backswing scales.” For example, assuming that a distance to a hole is 12 footsteps and the green coefficient is 0.9, the number of the required backswing scales is approximately 11 (more precisely, 10.8 scales). However, when the slope of the green is an upward slope and the golf ball is required to be hit harder, an experiential value (e.g. 0.3) is added to the personal coefficient. Accordingly, the adjusted green coefficient is calculated to be 1.2, so that the number of the required backswing scale becomes 12×1.2=14.4 (approximately 14.5) that is higher by 3.5 scales than in a normal condition.
Accordingly, the putting may be performed by a backswing of the number of the calculated scales (i.e. a multiple of the golf ball size).

The calculation of the scales is performed by mental arithmetic, by llowing “scale coefficient table,” or by using a small electronic calculator.

[Scale coefficient table]

Scale coefficient

	1.0	0.1	0.2	0.3	0.4	0.5	0.6	0.7	0.8	0.9	0.05

Footstep 20	20.0	2.0	4.0	6.0	8.0	10.0	12.0	14.0	16.0	18.0	1.0
10	10.0	1.0	2.0	3.0	4.0	5.0	6.0	7.0	8.0	9.0	0.5
1	1.0	0.1	0.2	0.3	0.4	0.5	0.6	0.7	0.8	0.9	0.1
2	2.0	0.2	0.4	0.6	0.8	1.0	1.2	1.4	1.6	1.8	0.1
3	3.0	0.3	0.6	0.9	1.2	1.5	1.8	2.1	2.4	2.7	0.2
4	4.0	0.4	0.8	1.2	1.6	2.0	2.4	2.8	3.2	3.6	0.2
5	5.0	0.5	1.0	1.5	2.0	2.5	3.0	3.5	4.0	4.5	0.3
6	6.0	0.6	1.2	1.8	2.4	3.0	3.6	4.2	4.8	5.4	0.3
7	7.0	0.7	1.4	2.1	2.8	3.5	4.2	4.9	5.6	6.3	0.4
8	8.0	0.8	1.6	2.4	3.2	4.0	4.8	5.6	6.4	7.2	0.4
9	9.0	0.9	1.8	2.7	3.6	4.5	5.4	6.3	7.2	8.1	0.5
0.5	0.5	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.4	0.5	ignore

The measurement by using the table will hereinafter be described.
1. When the number of footsteps (e.g. 14.5 footsteps) and the scale coefficient (e.g. 1.25) are determined, the number of the backswing scales is calculated as the sum of values calculated for respective digits of the scale coefficient. The number of the scale below the first decimal place is discarded in the calculation.
a. A value corresponding to a first decimal number (0.2) of the scale coefficient (1.25) is calculated. At this time, among numbers arranged in a column of 0.2 scale coefficient, the numbers in rows of respective digits of the number of the footsteps (10 footsteps, 4 footsteps, and 0.5 footsteps) are selectively added, and therefore the value of 2.9 is obtained by a sum of 2.0, 0.8, and 0.1.
b. A value corresponding to a 1.0 of the scale coefficient (1.25) is the number of the footsteps (14.5). When the first digit number is 2.0, the value would be doubled, i.e. to 29.0.
c. A value corresponding to the second decimal (0.05) of the scale coefficient (1.25) is a value (0.7) obtained by dividing a one-tenth of the number of the footsteps (originally 1.45 but truncated to 1.4) in half.
d. A value obtained by adding the values of a, b, and c is the number of the scales of the backswing, i.e. 18.1 is obtained from 2.9+14.5+0.7.
2. The value 0.05 of the coefficient is rarely used only when a further detailed calculation is required.
Various practices may be performed according to the exemplary mat of the present invention.
1. Putting within 3 m (10 ft) (The first phase)
The putting stroke within 3 m is crucial for lowering your scores because one more putt is required when the putting stroke is not successfully performed.
A putting practice within 3 m may be performed while placing the golf ball in various distances (e.g. several footsteps or several footsteps and a half) from the imitative hole cup on the putting line 6.
Take the small circle 16 as your imaginary target point to putt to, as the lines of the putt on the green are mostly curved and there are rare chances of aiming directly to the hole. And you better send your ball past the target half a footstep longer.
Firstly, the scale coefficient of the mat is predetermined, because the speed of the golf ball on the mat 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention has its own speed. The golf ball is placed at the various distances (e.g. several footsteps or several footsteps and a half) from the imitative hole cup mark 8 on the putting line 6, the number of the backswing scales is calculated by multiplying the number of the footsteps (in more detail, with half a footstep added thereto) by the scale coefficient of the mat, and the putting stroke is practiced by the calculated number of the backswing scales. In order to roll on the golf ball more accurately, the putting stroke is practiced with a precision of a half scale or a first digit below the decimal point of the scale.
The direction of the putt is checked by observing the trajectory of the golf ball B, and the speed is checked by checking how far the golf ball B passes the imitative hole cup mark 8. When the golf ball runs too fast in a real game, the ball may bounce out from the hole after dropping thereinto.
2. Putting over 3 m (The second phase)
The putting stroke over 3 m is for approaching the golf ball closely to the hole or directly dropping the golf ball into the hole at the first putt in a middle or a long distance.
The putting practice of the middle or the long distance over 3 m may be performed by the various backswing lengths. The golf ball B is placed on the right side of the putting line 6 while leaving a sufficient space for backswing, and the small circle 16 of the hole cup mark 8 is regarded as the imaginary target point.
Because most of the putts on an actual green break due to the various conditions of the green, an imaginary target point is firstly set and the golf ball is putted to pass the imaginary target point, by the backswing length determined according to the adjusted scale coefficient and the putting distance. Accordingly, during the practice, the number of footsteps for the middle or long distance practice is determined first, the backswing length is calculated by multiplying the scale coefficient of the mat by the number of the footsteps you want to practice, and the backswing is performed with the calculated backswing length so that the golf ball B passes the target point and hits the stopper 4.
The putting stroke is practiced with various backswing lengths. At this time, the direction is checked by the golf ball's trajectory toward the middle circle 14, and the distance is estimated by the golf ball's speed at a time that the golf ball passes the target point.
3. Putting practice on the blank of the mat 2 (The third phase)
This putting practice on the blank of the mat 2 is a preliminary practice to cope with various situations in a game on the actual green where you should just imagine your putting line and the scale marks on it. In this case, an imaginary putting line and scale marks are set while placing the golf ball B on the blank of the mat 2 rather than on the putting line 6. This putting practice is for mastering a putting technique with aligning the logo or the lineup line 12 of the golf ball with an imaginary target point, setting the imaginary scale marks and putting line extended backward and forward from the center line of the ball, and determining the backswing spot and throughswing spot.
First, the golf ball B is placed on any point you want to practice on the blank of the mat 2.
The logo or the lineup line 12 of the golf ball is aligned with the small circle 16, the center line of the putter face is aligned straight with the logo or lineup line of the ball, and then the imaginary putting line and scale marks are set. Then the putting practice is performed in the same way as in the practice of putting within 3 m and over 3 m.
As described above, the present invention has following advantages. Using the putting line 6 and the scale marks 10, you may learn to accurately putt the golf ball to a desired direction by checking and revising your motion of swinging while straightly moving the putter along the putting line and keeping the putter face square to the putting line. By using the new System of Scale Coefficient by which the backswing length is numerated and calculated by the number of the scales, you may improve the accuracy of the putting distance. And so, these advanced putting techniques for both the intended direction and distance of the putt bring you the better result which has not been expected in the prior art when playing a real game.
While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A scale mark mat for putting practice comprising:

a rectangular mat having a stopper formed by rolling an end of the mat around a cylindrical object or a pipe;

a putting line straightly drawn by a predetermined length along the center of the rectangular mat and equally divided by scale marks for eye measurement; and

an imitative hole cup mark marked at an end of the putting line on the surface of the rectangular mat.

2. The scale mark mat of claim 1, wherein the imitative hole cup mark comprises a medium circle of a golf ball size, and a small circle smaller than the medium circle; and

a circle of the imitative hole cup mark, the medium circle, and the small circle which are piled concentrically are drawn in different colors.

3. The scale mark mat of claim 1, wherein a length of the scale mark corresponds to a diameter of a hole cup, an interval of the scale marks corresponds to a diameter of a golf ball, and small scales having a length corresponding to the diameter of the golf ball are drawn between the scale marks.

4. The scale mark mat of claim 1, wherein the rectangular mat comprises non-woven fabric having a surface with turfy effect, and the backside of the mat is coated with a polyethylene layer so that the putting line is maintained straight.

5. The scale mark mat of claim 1, wherein the diameter of the cylindrical object or the pipe is three times of the diameter of the golf ball, and the length of the cylindrical object or the pipe is equal to the width of the mat.