US20120058836A1 - Golf club and method for use to improve golf game - Google Patents
Golf club and method for use to improve golf game Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20120058836A1 US20120058836A1 US13/195,253 US201113195253A US2012058836A1 US 20120058836 A1 US20120058836 A1 US 20120058836A1 US 201113195253 A US201113195253 A US 201113195253A US 2012058836 A1 US2012058836 A1 US 2012058836A1
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- Prior art keywords
- ball
- cavity
- golf club
- opening
- head
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B69/00—Training appliances or apparatus for special sports
- A63B69/36—Training appliances or apparatus for special sports for golf
- A63B69/3623—Training appliances or apparatus for special sports for golf for driving
- A63B69/3632—Clubs or attachments on clubs, e.g. for measuring, aligning
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B69/00—Training appliances or apparatus for special sports
- A63B69/36—Training appliances or apparatus for special sports for golf
- A63B69/3617—Striking surfaces with impact indicating means, e.g. markers
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B2209/00—Characteristics of used materials
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B60/00—Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
- A63B60/54—Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like with means for damping vibrations
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to a golf club, and more specifically to a golf driver, that may be used to assist a golfer in developing the skill of maintaining their eyes on the ball during the swing, referred to sometimes herein as eye contact, as well as developing consistency in their swing.
- the present invention also relates to a method for practicing swinging of a golf club and in particular for practicing the golf driving stroke in order to develop the necessary hand/eye coordination to better drive the golf ball during a game of golf.
- the present invention also relates generally to a new construction of a golf club that may be used to learn the golf driving stroke, and more particularly by golfers to practice or improve their golf driving stroke by concentrating or focusing on their swing.
- the present invention is one such apparatus that improves on existing apparatus and enables a golfer to practice or improve their golf game, and specifically, eye contact.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a new method for practicing swinging a driver for golf.
- a golf club in accordance with the invention that may achieve one or both of these objects includes a head having a front, ball-striking surface and a cavity arranged to retain therein a ball.
- the front surface includes an opening communicating with the cavity and arranged apart from peripheral edges of the front face such that an annular portion of the front face surrounds the opening.
- the head is constructed without structure in front of the opening such that when the golf club is swung against a ball, passage of the ball through the opening into the cavity is used to evaluate the swinging of the golf club. Capture of the ball is considered to be an appropriate stroke whereas contact of the ball with the annular portion of the front face is considered an imprecise stroke.
- the cavity is configured to prevent movement of the ball therefrom after capture during the swing, i.e., at least until the golfer manually retrieves the ball from the cavity or otherwise manipulates the golf club to release the ball from the cavity.
- the head also preferably includes one or more channels leading from the cavity to a rear face and/or to a side face to allow flow of air from the cavity during the swing and thereby aid in passage of the ball into the cavity.
- the opening is positioned on the front face in a sweet spot of the head determined based on, for example, dimensions of the head. Also, the opening preferably has a size larger than a cross-sectional size of the ball so that exact alignment of the opening with the ball is not required in order to capture the ball in the cavity.
- the golf club may be used in combination with any type, size of ball, e.g., with a ball made substantially entirely of a soft material.
- a method for practicing swinging of a golf club in accordance with the invention includes providing a golf club as described above, placing a ball on a support, then swinging the golf club while attempting to capture the ball in the cavity, and evaluating the swing of the golf club based on whether the ball was captured in the cavity or not. Parameters of a subsequent swing may be adjusted based on the evaluation of the swing when the ball is not captured in the cavity.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lower portion of a first embodiment of a golf club including a head in accordance with the invention.
- FIG. 2 is a front view of the golf club head shown in FIG. 1 with a ball therein.
- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3 - 3 in FIG. 2 .
- FIG. 4 is a front view of a second embodiment of a golf club head in accordance with the invention.
- FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5 - 5 in FIG. 4 .
- FIG. 6 is a front view of a third embodiment of a golf club head in accordance with the invention.
- FIG. 7 is a top view of the golf club shown in FIG. 6 .
- FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view through a fourth embodiment of a golf club in accordance with the invention.
- FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view through a fifth embodiment of a golf club in accordance with the invention.
- FIG. 10 is a front view of a sixth embodiment of a golf club head in accordance with the invention.
- FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 11 - 11 in FIG. 10 .
- FIGS. 12 and 13 are front views of collars that may be used to reduce the size of the opening in the golf clubs in accordance with the invention.
- FIGS. 1-13 generally illustrate a golf driver or part thereof.
- a golf driver is illustrated and described as an example of a golf club to which the invention is applicable, the invention is equally applicable to other types of golf clubs, including but not limited to irons.
- FIG. 1 shows a head 10 of a golf driver 8 having a front, ball-striking face 12 with an opening 14 in an interior area, i.e., the opening is apart from peripheral edges of the front face 12 .
- an annular portion of the front face 12 surrounds the opening 14 .
- the opening 14 leads to a cavity 16 that is substantially closed from behind, i.e., it is closed to the extent that it does not allow a golf ball that can enter the opening 14 to pass out of the cavity 16 rearward during the swing.
- the opening 14 is situated in the “sweet spot” of the head 10 , i.e., that spot that when striking the ball, provides the optimum drive.
- channels 18 are formed between the side face 20 and/or rear face of the head 10 to allow air to pass from the cavity 16 to the outside (as best seen in FIG. 3 ).
- the number and shape of the channels 18 is not material to the invention, and thus can be a single channel or a plurality of channels, and the channels 18 can be designed based on the size and shape of the head 10 .
- the intended purpose of the channels 18 is to prevent an air pressure build-up in the cavity 16 during a swinging movement of the golf club 8 which could adversely affect the swing because the pressure build-up would exert a force against retention of the ball 24 in the cavity 16 .
- the golf driver 8 includes other components standard or known for inclusion in a golf driver, e.g., a shaft 22 , only part of which is shown and a grip (not shown) arranged at the upper end region of the shaft 22 .
- the head 10 is preferably dimensioned to be larger than a conventional golf driver head, i.e., oversized.
- Opening 14 is dimensioned relative to a ball 24 to be used with the golf driver 10 , see FIG. 2 . Opening 14 may therefore have the same cross-sectional size as or be slightly larger than the cross-sectional size of the conventional golf ball, but may also be used in combination with a specifically sized golf ball having a larger or small diameter than a conventional golf ball.
- the ball 24 may be made of a soft material. In this manner, if the golfer swings the driver 8 and the annular portion of the front face 12 is brought into contact with the ball 24 , the ball 24 is propelled forward but is unlikely to damage property.
- Use of the ball 24 made of soft material is not, however, limited to indoors and/or in a home setting and may be used anywhere the golfer desires.
- the golfer prepares the ball 24 by placing it on a support, for example, a tee, and then after clearing sufficient area in which to swing the driver 8 , the golfer swings the driver 8 and tries to capture the ball 24 in the cavity 16 by swinging with such precision that the opening 14 is brought into alignment with the ball 24 allowing the ball 24 to pass through the opening 14 into the cavity 16 . If the golfer does not swing precisely, then the annular portion of the front face 12 of the head 10 will strike the ball 24 and propel the ball 24 forward.
- a support for example, a tee
- the larger the opening 14 relative to the diameter or cross-sectional size or area of the ball 24 the easier it will be for the golfer to capture the ball 24 .
- Capture of the ball 24 in the cavity 16 is aided by the presence of the channels 18 because air trapped in the cavity 16 during the swing flows out of the cavity 16 through the channels 18 and thus does not prevent retention of the ball 24 in the cavity 16 (as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 ).
- the opening 14 is in the sweet spot, capturing the ball 24 in the cavity 16 will indicate that the golfer has optimally swung the driver 8 , which is particularly important if the golfer is using the apparatus to improve their eye contact.
- the apparatus is extremely useful to enable a golfer to develop their hand-eye coordination because they can keep their head down and focus on the ball 24 while swinging the driver 8 , and swing while attempting to capture the ball 24 in the cavity 16 .
- the golfer can continue to practice with the apparatus until they can continuously capture the ball 24 in the cavity 16 and thereby improve their hand/eye coordination which could be converted to a better golf drive stroke during an actual round of golf and the golfer would swing and improve the likelihood of the sweet spot on the front face of an actual golf driver striking the ball.
- the driver 8 may be used to teach the skill of maintaining the golfer's eyes on the ball 24 during the swing. Such skills, i.e., concentration, eye contact and focus, are difficult to learn, especially for beginner golfers.
- a golfer can develop proper form for their swing by training their brain to capture the ball 24 in the cavity 16 , and not focus on watching the ball after impact. Anticipation of the shot is also removed since, ideally, the ball 24 will be captured in the cavity 16 .
- the driver 8 to strike the ball 24 in the sweet spot and thereby capture the ball 24 in the cavity 16 , the golfer should see an improvement in their golf game.
- Yet another advantage of the use of the driver 8 is that golfer can develop their swing consistency by practicing use of the driver 8 until the ball 24 is consistently and repeatedly captured in the cavity 16 .
- FIGS. 4 and 5 another embodiment of a driver in accordance with the invention is designated generally as 30 and includes a mechanism to enable easy removal of the ball 24 from the cavity 16 by enhancing access to the cavity 16 .
- the cavity accessing mechanism comprises a pair of fold-out doors 32 connected via hinges or pivot pins 34 to the body 36 of the driver 30 , in a manner for connection well-known to those skilled in the art.
- Fold-out doors 32 are small doors that, in combination, do not extend across the entire opening 14 . Fold-out doors 32 are not situated in front of the opening 14 because they do not impede ingress of a ball 24 through the opening 14 into the cavity 16 .
- fold-out doors are shaped, e.g., with the curvature as shown, to enable the ball 24 to easily pass through the opening 14 into the cavity 16 .
- the hinge or pivot pins 34 are configured to enable the fold-out doors 32 to pivot or swing outward thereby increasing access to the cavity 16 and the ball 24 when present therein after use of the driver 30 .
- the cavity accessing mechanism comprises a flip door 42 connected via one or more hinges or pivot pins 44 to a body 46 of the driver 40 , in a manner for connection well-known to those skilled in the art.
- Flip door 42 is arranged at the top of the driver 40 , see FIG. 7 , and flips up to enable release of the ball when present in the cavity 16 after use of the driver 40 .
- the flip door 42 may be configured to flip inward into the cavity 16 to eject the ball 24 therefrom.
- FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of yet another embodiment of a golf driver in accordance with the invention which is designated generally as 50 and is very similar to golf driver 8 shown in FIGS. 1-3 with the exception that instead of a closed cavity 16 , the cavity is open at the rear and thus forms a through channel 52 having an opening 54 in the front face 12 of the driver 50 and another opening 56 in the rear or side face 20 of the driver 50 .
- opening 54 is larger than opening 56 but the relative size of the openings is not critical to the invention and the openings 54 , 56 may be the same size or opening 56 larger than opening 54 .
- Both openings 54 , 56 should be at least as large as the diameter of the golf ball 16 to be sued with driver 50 to enable the golf ball 24 to pass through the opening 54 into the channel 52 and out of the channel 52 through opening 56 .
- the golfer would swing the driver 50 and ideally, momentarily capture the ball 24 in the channel 52 , but during the continuation of the stroke, the ball 24 would exit from the channel 52 through opening 56 .
- channels 18 are not required because the air in front of the ball 24 would simply pass through the opening 56 .
- FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a golf driver in accordance with the invention which is designated generally as 60 and is very similar to golf driver 8 shown in FIGS. 1-3 with the exception of a ball removal mechanism.
- the ball removal mechanism comprises a pin 62 that is movably fixed to a body of the driver 60 , in a manner known to those in the movable pin art.
- the pin 62 extends through a channel 64 in the body of the driver 60 and ideally is positioned so that it will be behind the ball 24 when the ball is present in the cavity 16 . As such, pushing the pin 62 inward causes the ball 24 to be ejected from the cavity 16 .
- Pin 62 includes a head 66 that is dimensioned to prevent its passage through the channel 64 and a shaft 68 that moves within the channel 64 .
- the length of the shaft 68 determines the extent to which the head 66 of the pin 62 will project beyond the side or rear face 20 of the driver 60 .
- Pin 62 may be pushed or urged rearward to the position shown in FIG. 9 during the swing and/or by the entry of the ball 24 into the cavity 16 . Then, to remove the ball 24 from the cavity 16 , the golfer presses the pin 62 inward, in the direction of arrow A, causing ejection of the ball 24 from the cavity 16 .
- the invention encompasses generally a depressible pin that may be moved to one position prior to or during the swing when the ball is not present in the cavity and after the ball is present in the cavity as a result of the swing, the pin is moved to another position in which the pin itself or a member connected thereto exerts force against the ball 24 to eject it from the cavity 16 .
- the ball removal mechanism comprises a finger groove 72 opening from the front face 12 of the driver 70 to position proximate or at the rear of the cavity 16 (see FIG. 11 ).
- the finger groove 72 is dimensioned to enable the golfer to stick their finger through the finger groove 72 to reach the rear of the cavity 16 and exert an outward force against the ball 24 from the rear to thereby cause removal of the ball 24 from the cavity 16 .
- FIGS. 12 and 13 show two different collars 74 , 76 that are designed for insertion into the cavity 16 of any of the embodiments of the golf driver described above to the extent possible.
- Collars 74 , 76 when placed into the cavity 16 , serve to reduce the size of the opening 14 through which the ball can pass.
- Each collar 74 , 76 has the same outer dimensions and includes an opening 78 , 80 , respectively, that is the same as or larger than the diameter of the ball 24 to enable the ball 24 to pass therethrough.
- the size of the openings 78 , 80 varies from one collar to the next. That is, there may be any number of collars, more than the two as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 , with each having a different size interior opening.
- a golfer may decide to start using driver 8 without a collar in the cavity to provide the largest size opening 14 . Then, as the golfer advances and improves their hand/eye coordination using the driver 8 , they would insert a collar having the largest interior opening, e.g., collar 74 . This makes it a little more difficult to capture the ball 24 in the cavity 16 . Retention of the collar 74 in the cavity 16 is provided, for example, by sizing the outer dimension of the collar 74 to fit snugly into the cavity 16 . Other means for retaining the collar 74 in the cavity 16 may also be provided and are considered to be part of the invention.
- a set of collars 74 , 76 would be manufactured, with each having substantially the same outer dimensions but each with a different size opening.
- the collars may be marked to indicate the size of the opening to thereby enable a golfer to sequentially reduce the size of the opening as their use of the driver 8 , and hand/eye coordination, improves.
- a foam that traps the ball and absorbs shock from constant use.
- the foam may be any type of shock-absorbing foam known to those skilled in the art, including, but not limited to, polyurethane foam (any one of the several hundred formulations), silica gel, bioflex hybrid foam, polyethylene cell foam and military foam.
- the foam may be present in the cavity 16 or define the cavity 16 itself.
- the cavities of these golf clubs are invariably covered by a plate when the golf club is used, with the plate having a particular structure to improve the use of the golf club.
- the golf driver 8 in accordance with the invention does not include any structure that covers the opening 14 in the front face 12 , nor are any mechanisms provided to enable attachment of a plate or other such structure to cover the opening or interpose material between the front of the head 8 and the cavity 16 .
- prior art golf clubs exist that have cavities that open to a face other than the front face, such as those that have a cavity in the bottom or rear face designed to enable a golf ball to be picked up upon a specific handling of the golf club. These cavities are intentionally designed not to have any impact on the golfer's swing. As such, these golf clubs cannot teach the invention wherein a cavity is provided with the intent to capture a golf ball during a swing with the capture of the golf ball being indicative of a proper or accurate swing.
- the embodiments of the invention described above thereby provide a new golf driver that can be used to develop eye contact as well as a new method for practicing swinging a driver for golf.
- the driver is adaptive, when used with the collars, in that it can be adjusted based on the golfer's skill level.
Abstract
Golf club includes a head having a front, ball-striking surface and a cavity arranged to removably retain therein a ball. The front surface includes an opening communicating with the cavity and arranged apart from peripheral edges of the front face such that an annular portion of the front face surrounds the opening. The head is constructed without structure in front of the opening such that when the golf club is swung against a ball, passage of the ball through the opening into the cavity is used to evaluate the swinging of the golf club. The head may include one or more channels leading from the cavity to a rear face and/or to a side face to allow flow of air from the cavity during the swing. A ball removal mechanism may be incorporated into the head to facilitate removal of the ball from the cavity.
Description
- This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/379,593 filed Sep. 2, 2010, incorporated by reference herein.
- The present invention relates generally to a golf club, and more specifically to a golf driver, that may be used to assist a golfer in developing the skill of maintaining their eyes on the ball during the swing, referred to sometimes herein as eye contact, as well as developing consistency in their swing.
- The present invention also relates to a method for practicing swinging of a golf club and in particular for practicing the golf driving stroke in order to develop the necessary hand/eye coordination to better drive the golf ball during a game of golf.
- The present invention also relates generally to a new construction of a golf club that may be used to learn the golf driving stroke, and more particularly by golfers to practice or improve their golf driving stroke by concentrating or focusing on their swing.
- There are numerous apparatus that enable a golfer to practice swinging a golf club in order to improve their swing, whether driving with a golf driver or putting with a golf putter. However, there is ongoing development of new apparatus that address drawbacks of existing apparatus.
- The present invention is one such apparatus that improves on existing apparatus and enables a golfer to practice or improve their golf game, and specifically, eye contact.
- It is an object of the present invention to provide a new golf club that can be used to develop eye contact.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a new method for practicing swinging a driver for golf.
- A golf club in accordance with the invention that may achieve one or both of these objects includes a head having a front, ball-striking surface and a cavity arranged to retain therein a ball. The front surface includes an opening communicating with the cavity and arranged apart from peripheral edges of the front face such that an annular portion of the front face surrounds the opening. The head is constructed without structure in front of the opening such that when the golf club is swung against a ball, passage of the ball through the opening into the cavity is used to evaluate the swinging of the golf club. Capture of the ball is considered to be an appropriate stroke whereas contact of the ball with the annular portion of the front face is considered an imprecise stroke. The cavity is configured to prevent movement of the ball therefrom after capture during the swing, i.e., at least until the golfer manually retrieves the ball from the cavity or otherwise manipulates the golf club to release the ball from the cavity. The head also preferably includes one or more channels leading from the cavity to a rear face and/or to a side face to allow flow of air from the cavity during the swing and thereby aid in passage of the ball into the cavity.
- In one embodiment, the opening is positioned on the front face in a sweet spot of the head determined based on, for example, dimensions of the head. Also, the opening preferably has a size larger than a cross-sectional size of the ball so that exact alignment of the opening with the ball is not required in order to capture the ball in the cavity. The golf club may be used in combination with any type, size of ball, e.g., with a ball made substantially entirely of a soft material.
- A method for practicing swinging of a golf club in accordance with the invention includes providing a golf club as described above, placing a ball on a support, then swinging the golf club while attempting to capture the ball in the cavity, and evaluating the swing of the golf club based on whether the ball was captured in the cavity or not. Parameters of a subsequent swing may be adjusted based on the evaluation of the swing when the ball is not captured in the cavity.
- The above-mentioned objects and other objects of the present invention are attained in accordance with the golf club of the present invention and method for its use which are described hereinafter.
- The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals identify like elements.
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FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lower portion of a first embodiment of a golf club including a head in accordance with the invention. -
FIG. 2 is a front view of the golf club head shown inFIG. 1 with a ball therein. -
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 inFIG. 2 . -
FIG. 4 is a front view of a second embodiment of a golf club head in accordance with the invention. -
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 inFIG. 4 . -
FIG. 6 is a front view of a third embodiment of a golf club head in accordance with the invention. -
FIG. 7 is a top view of the golf club shown inFIG. 6 . -
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view through a fourth embodiment of a golf club in accordance with the invention. -
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view through a fifth embodiment of a golf club in accordance with the invention. -
FIG. 10 is a front view of a sixth embodiment of a golf club head in accordance with the invention. -
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 11-11 inFIG. 10 . -
FIGS. 12 and 13 are front views of collars that may be used to reduce the size of the opening in the golf clubs in accordance with the invention. - Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements, the invention constitutes a novel construction of a golf club that may be used to improve golfing skills, including hand/eye coordination, and
FIGS. 1-13 generally illustrate a golf driver or part thereof. Although a golf driver is illustrated and described as an example of a golf club to which the invention is applicable, the invention is equally applicable to other types of golf clubs, including but not limited to irons. -
FIG. 1 shows ahead 10 of agolf driver 8 having a front, ball-striking face 12 with anopening 14 in an interior area, i.e., the opening is apart from peripheral edges of thefront face 12. As such, an annular portion of thefront face 12 surrounds theopening 14. The opening 14 leads to acavity 16 that is substantially closed from behind, i.e., it is closed to the extent that it does not allow a golf ball that can enter theopening 14 to pass out of thecavity 16 rearward during the swing. Preferably, theopening 14 is situated in the “sweet spot” of thehead 10, i.e., that spot that when striking the ball, provides the optimum drive. - However,
channels 18 are formed between theside face 20 and/or rear face of thehead 10 to allow air to pass from thecavity 16 to the outside (as best seen inFIG. 3 ). The number and shape of thechannels 18 is not material to the invention, and thus can be a single channel or a plurality of channels, and thechannels 18 can be designed based on the size and shape of thehead 10. The intended purpose of thechannels 18 is to prevent an air pressure build-up in thecavity 16 during a swinging movement of thegolf club 8 which could adversely affect the swing because the pressure build-up would exert a force against retention of theball 24 in thecavity 16. - In addition to the
head 10, thegolf driver 8 includes other components standard or known for inclusion in a golf driver, e.g., ashaft 22, only part of which is shown and a grip (not shown) arranged at the upper end region of theshaft 22. - The
head 10 is preferably dimensioned to be larger than a conventional golf driver head, i.e., oversized. -
Opening 14 is dimensioned relative to aball 24 to be used with thegolf driver 10, seeFIG. 2 .Opening 14 may therefore have the same cross-sectional size as or be slightly larger than the cross-sectional size of the conventional golf ball, but may also be used in combination with a specifically sized golf ball having a larger or small diameter than a conventional golf ball. - Moreover, to enable use of a training apparatus that comprises the
golf driver 8 and aball 24 indoors and/or in a home setting, theball 24 may be made of a soft material. In this manner, if the golfer swings thedriver 8 and the annular portion of thefront face 12 is brought into contact with theball 24, theball 24 is propelled forward but is unlikely to damage property. Use of theball 24 made of soft material is not, however, limited to indoors and/or in a home setting and may be used anywhere the golfer desires. - In an exemplifying use of the apparatus, the golfer prepares the
ball 24 by placing it on a support, for example, a tee, and then after clearing sufficient area in which to swing thedriver 8, the golfer swings thedriver 8 and tries to capture theball 24 in thecavity 16 by swinging with such precision that theopening 14 is brought into alignment with theball 24 allowing theball 24 to pass through theopening 14 into thecavity 16. If the golfer does not swing precisely, then the annular portion of thefront face 12 of thehead 10 will strike theball 24 and propel theball 24 forward. - Obviously, the larger the opening 14 relative to the diameter or cross-sectional size or area of the
ball 24, the easier it will be for the golfer to capture theball 24. Capture of theball 24 in thecavity 16 is aided by the presence of thechannels 18 because air trapped in thecavity 16 during the swing flows out of thecavity 16 through thechannels 18 and thus does not prevent retention of theball 24 in the cavity 16 (as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3 ). - Furthermore, if the
opening 14 is in the sweet spot, capturing theball 24 in thecavity 16 will indicate that the golfer has optimally swung thedriver 8, which is particularly important if the golfer is using the apparatus to improve their eye contact. - Indeed, the apparatus is extremely useful to enable a golfer to develop their hand-eye coordination because they can keep their head down and focus on the
ball 24 while swinging thedriver 8, and swing while attempting to capture theball 24 in thecavity 16. The golfer can continue to practice with the apparatus until they can continuously capture theball 24 in thecavity 16 and thereby improve their hand/eye coordination which could be converted to a better golf drive stroke during an actual round of golf and the golfer would swing and improve the likelihood of the sweet spot on the front face of an actual golf driver striking the ball. - Accordingly, the
driver 8 may be used to teach the skill of maintaining the golfer's eyes on theball 24 during the swing. Such skills, i.e., concentration, eye contact and focus, are difficult to learn, especially for beginner golfers. However, using thedriver 8, or another type of golf club with the same features asdriver 8 aside from head shape and dimensions, a golfer can develop proper form for their swing by training their brain to capture theball 24 in thecavity 16, and not focus on watching the ball after impact. Anticipation of the shot is also removed since, ideally, theball 24 will be captured in thecavity 16. Once the golfer develops their skill of swing thedriver 8 to strike theball 24 in the sweet spot and thereby capture theball 24 in thecavity 16, the golfer should see an improvement in their golf game. - Yet another advantage of the use of the
driver 8 is that golfer can develop their swing consistency by practicing use of thedriver 8 until theball 24 is consistently and repeatedly captured in thecavity 16. - Referring now to
FIGS. 4 and 5 , another embodiment of a driver in accordance with the invention is designated generally as 30 and includes a mechanism to enable easy removal of theball 24 from thecavity 16 by enhancing access to thecavity 16. Specifically, the cavity accessing mechanism comprises a pair of fold-outdoors 32 connected via hinges or pivot pins 34 to thebody 36 of thedriver 30, in a manner for connection well-known to those skilled in the art. Fold-outdoors 32 are small doors that, in combination, do not extend across theentire opening 14. Fold-outdoors 32 are not situated in front of theopening 14 because they do not impede ingress of aball 24 through theopening 14 into thecavity 16. Rather, fold-out doors are shaped, e.g., with the curvature as shown, to enable theball 24 to easily pass through theopening 14 into thecavity 16. The hinge or pivot pins 34 are configured to enable the fold-outdoors 32 to pivot or swing outward thereby increasing access to thecavity 16 and theball 24 when present therein after use of thedriver 30. - Referring now to
FIGS. 6 and 7 , another embodiment of a driver in accordance with the invention is designated generally as 40 and includes a different mechanism to enable easy removal of theball 24 from thecavity 16 by enhancing access to thecavity 16. Specifically, the cavity accessing mechanism comprises aflip door 42 connected via one or more hinges or pivot pins 44 to abody 46 of thedriver 40, in a manner for connection well-known to those skilled in the art. Flipdoor 42 is arranged at the top of thedriver 40, seeFIG. 7 , and flips up to enable release of the ball when present in thecavity 16 after use of thedriver 40. Alternatively, theflip door 42 may be configured to flip inward into thecavity 16 to eject theball 24 therefrom. -
FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of yet another embodiment of a golf driver in accordance with the invention which is designated generally as 50 and is very similar togolf driver 8 shown inFIGS. 1-3 with the exception that instead of aclosed cavity 16, the cavity is open at the rear and thus forms a throughchannel 52 having anopening 54 in thefront face 12 of thedriver 50 and anotheropening 56 in the rear or side face 20 of thedriver 50. As shown, opening 54 is larger than opening 56 but the relative size of the openings is not critical to the invention and theopenings opening 56 larger than opening 54. Bothopenings golf ball 16 to be sued withdriver 50 to enable thegolf ball 24 to pass through theopening 54 into thechannel 52 and out of thechannel 52 throughopening 56. Thus, in use, the golfer would swing thedriver 50 and ideally, momentarily capture theball 24 in thechannel 52, but during the continuation of the stroke, theball 24 would exit from thechannel 52 throughopening 56. In this embodiment,channels 18 are not required because the air in front of theball 24 would simply pass through theopening 56. -
FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a golf driver in accordance with the invention which is designated generally as 60 and is very similar togolf driver 8 shown inFIGS. 1-3 with the exception of a ball removal mechanism. The ball removal mechanism comprises apin 62 that is movably fixed to a body of the driver 60, in a manner known to those in the movable pin art. Thepin 62 extends through achannel 64 in the body of the driver 60 and ideally is positioned so that it will be behind theball 24 when the ball is present in thecavity 16. As such, pushing thepin 62 inward causes theball 24 to be ejected from thecavity 16.Pin 62 includes ahead 66 that is dimensioned to prevent its passage through thechannel 64 and ashaft 68 that moves within thechannel 64. The length of theshaft 68 determines the extent to which thehead 66 of thepin 62 will project beyond the side orrear face 20 of the driver 60. -
Pin 62 may be pushed or urged rearward to the position shown inFIG. 9 during the swing and/or by the entry of theball 24 into thecavity 16. Then, to remove theball 24 from thecavity 16, the golfer presses thepin 62 inward, in the direction of arrow A, causing ejection of theball 24 from thecavity 16. - Variable positions and configurations of the pin are envisioned. Thus, the invention encompasses generally a depressible pin that may be moved to one position prior to or during the swing when the ball is not present in the cavity and after the ball is present in the cavity as a result of the swing, the pin is moved to another position in which the pin itself or a member connected thereto exerts force against the
ball 24 to eject it from thecavity 16. - Referring now to
FIGS. 10 and 11 , another embodiment of a driver in accordance with the invention is designated generally as 70 and includes a different mechanism to enable easy removal of theball 24 from thecavity 16. Specifically, the ball removal mechanism comprises afinger groove 72 opening from thefront face 12 of thedriver 70 to position proximate or at the rear of the cavity 16 (seeFIG. 11 ). Thefinger groove 72 is dimensioned to enable the golfer to stick their finger through thefinger groove 72 to reach the rear of thecavity 16 and exert an outward force against theball 24 from the rear to thereby cause removal of theball 24 from thecavity 16. -
FIGS. 12 and 13 show twodifferent collars cavity 16 of any of the embodiments of the golf driver described above to the extent possible.Collars cavity 16, serve to reduce the size of theopening 14 through which the ball can pass. Eachcollar opening ball 24 to enable theball 24 to pass therethrough. However, the size of theopenings FIGS. 12 and 13 , with each having a different size interior opening. - In use, a golfer may decide to start using
driver 8 without a collar in the cavity to provide thelargest size opening 14. Then, as the golfer advances and improves their hand/eye coordination using thedriver 8, they would insert a collar having the largest interior opening, e.g.,collar 74. This makes it a little more difficult to capture theball 24 in thecavity 16. Retention of thecollar 74 in thecavity 16 is provided, for example, by sizing the outer dimension of thecollar 74 to fit snugly into thecavity 16. Other means for retaining thecollar 74 in thecavity 16 may also be provided and are considered to be part of the invention. - Thereafter, as the golfer continues to improve their hand/eye
coordination using driver 8, they could removecollar 74 and insertcollar 76, which has asmaller opening 80 than opening 78 incollar 74. This makes capturing theball 24 in the cavity even more difficult than withcollar 74. This process of reducing the size of theopening 14 via insertion of different collars can continue until the golfer is satisfied with their swing. - As such, a set of
collars driver 8, and hand/eye coordination, improves. - In another embodiment of the invention, inside the head of the driver there is a foam that traps the ball and absorbs shock from constant use. The foam may be any type of shock-absorbing foam known to those skilled in the art, including, but not limited to, polyurethane foam (any one of the several hundred formulations), silica gel, bioflex hybrid foam, polyethylene cell foam and military foam. The foam may be present in the
cavity 16 or define thecavity 16 itself. - While prior art golf clubs exist with cavities in the head, the cavities of these golf clubs are invariably covered by a plate when the golf club is used, with the plate having a particular structure to improve the use of the golf club. The
golf driver 8 in accordance with the invention does not include any structure that covers theopening 14 in thefront face 12, nor are any mechanisms provided to enable attachment of a plate or other such structure to cover the opening or interpose material between the front of thehead 8 and thecavity 16. - Moreover, prior art golf clubs exist that have cavities that open to a face other than the front face, such as those that have a cavity in the bottom or rear face designed to enable a golf ball to be picked up upon a specific handling of the golf club. These cavities are intentionally designed not to have any impact on the golfer's swing. As such, these golf clubs cannot teach the invention wherein a cavity is provided with the intent to capture a golf ball during a swing with the capture of the golf ball being indicative of a proper or accurate swing.
- The embodiments of the invention described above thereby provide a new golf driver that can be used to develop eye contact as well as a new method for practicing swinging a driver for golf. Moreover, the driver is adaptive, when used with the collars, in that it can be adjusted based on the golfer's skill level.
- While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims (20)
1. A golf club, comprising:
a head having a front, ball-striking surface and a cavity arranged to retain therein a ball;
said front surface including an opening communicating with said cavity and arranged apart from peripheral edges of said front face such that an annular portion of said front face surrounds said opening, said opening having a size larger than a cross-sectional size or diameter of the ball,
said head lacking structure in front of said opening such that when the golf club is swung against a ball, passage of the ball through said opening into said cavity is used to evaluate the swinging of the golf club.
2. The golf club of claim 1 , wherein said cavity is configured to prevent movement of the ball therefrom after capture during the swing,
3. The golf club of claim 1 , wherein said head further comprises a rear face, a side face and at least one channel leading from said cavity to said rear face or to said side face to allow flow of air from said cavity during the swing.
4. The golf club of claim 3 , wherein said at least one channel comprises a plurality of channels.
5. The golf club of claim 1 , wherein said opening is positioned on said front face in a sweet spot of said head determined based on dimensions of said head.
6. The golf club of claim 1 , wherein said cavity comprises an opening in a rear surface of said head having a size the same as or larger than a diameter of the ball to thereby constitute a through channel through which the ball passes.
7. The golf club of claim 1 , further comprising a ball removal mechanism that enables removal of the ball from said cavity.
8. The golf club of claim 7 , wherein said ball removal mechanism comprises a pair of fold-out doors pivotally or hingedly connected to said body at said front surface of said head, said fold-out doors being configured to pivot or swing outward thereby increasing access to said cavity and the ball when present therein.
9. The golf club of claim 7 , wherein said ball removal mechanism comprises a flip door pivotally or hingedly connected to said body at a top of said head, said flip door being configured to flip up to enable release of the ball when present in said cavity.
10. The golf club of claim 7 , wherein said ball removal mechanism comprises a pin that is movable to cause ejection of the ball from said cavity.
11. The golf club of claim 10 , wherein said pin extends though a channel to a rear surface of said head.
12. The golf club of claim 7 , wherein said ball removal mechanism comprises a finger groove opening from said front surface to position proximate or at a rear of said cavity.
13. In combination, the golf club of claim 1 and one of a plurality of different collars, said collars have an outer dimension to enable a snug fit into said cavity, said collars having different size openings all of which are larger than a diameter of the ball, whereby alternative insertion of said collars into said cavity provides for different size openings.
14. In combination, the golf club of claim 1 and a ball, said ball being made substantially entirely of a soft material to prevent damage to objects if during the swing, said annular portion of said front face contacts said ball and propels said ball forward.
15. A method for practicing swinging of a golf club and developing golfing skills, comprising:
providing a golf club including a head having a front, ball-striking surface and a cavity arranged to retain therein a ball, the front surface including an opening communicating with the cavity and arranged apart from peripheral edges of the front face such that an annular portion of the front face surrounds the opening;
dimensioning the opening to be larger than a cross-sectional size of the ball;
placing a ball on a support; then
swinging the golf club while attempting to capture the ball in the cavity; and
evaluating the swing of the golf club based on whether the ball was captured in the cavity or not or
developing golfing skills by repeatedly swinging the golf club white attempting to capture the ball in the cavity.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising adjusting parameters of a subsequent swing based on the evaluation of the swing when the ball is not captured in the cavity.
17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising positioning the opening on the front face in a sweet spot of the head determined based on dimensions of the head.
18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising providing the head with a ball removal mechanism to facilitate removal of the ball from the cavity after its capture.
19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising configuring the cavity to prevent movement of the ball therefrom after capture during the swing.
20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the head further comprises a rear face, a side face and at least one channel leading from the cavity to the rear face or to the side face to allow flow of air from the cavity during the swing.
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13/195,253 US20120058836A1 (en) | 2010-09-02 | 2011-08-01 | Golf club and method for use to improve golf game |
PCT/US2011/050184 WO2012031104A2 (en) | 2010-09-02 | 2011-09-01 | Golf club and method for use to improved golf game |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US37959310P | 2010-09-02 | 2010-09-02 | |
US13/195,253 US20120058836A1 (en) | 2010-09-02 | 2011-08-01 | Golf club and method for use to improve golf game |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20120058836A1 true US20120058836A1 (en) | 2012-03-08 |
Family
ID=45771116
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/195,253 Abandoned US20120058836A1 (en) | 2010-09-02 | 2011-08-01 | Golf club and method for use to improve golf game |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20120058836A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2012031104A2 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US10565888B2 (en) | 2013-02-17 | 2020-02-18 | Ronald Charles Krosky | Instruction production |
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JP2002224257A (en) * | 2001-11-16 | 2002-08-13 | Tadashi Narayama | Club head |
US7004852B2 (en) * | 2002-01-10 | 2006-02-28 | Dogleg Right Corporation | Customizable center-of-gravity golf club head |
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2011
- 2011-08-01 US US13/195,253 patent/US20120058836A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2011-09-01 WO PCT/US2011/050184 patent/WO2012031104A2/en active Application Filing
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US10565888B2 (en) | 2013-02-17 | 2020-02-18 | Ronald Charles Krosky | Instruction production |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2012031104A3 (en) | 2012-06-14 |
WO2012031104A2 (en) | 2012-03-08 |
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