US20160175679A1

US20160175679A1 - Golf Chipping Training Kit

Info

Publication number: US20160175679A1
Application number: US14/574,940
Authority: US
Inventors: Erwin A. Begay; Faye E. Begay
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-12-18
Filing date: 2014-12-18
Publication date: 2016-06-23

Abstract

A golf chipping training kit that is inexpensive to produce, is easy to transport, and which provides all items necessary for a user to practice or receive training on their golf chip shots aside from the user's golf clubs is provided, which may be used by the user to practice their golf chip shots on their own or to receiving training on their golf chip shots from an instructor. The preferred embodiment of the golf chipping training kit includes a storage bag for storing the items of the kit, a plurality of golf balls, and an adjustable target.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention disclosed herein relates to a training kit for golf chipping and, more specifically, an inexpensive golf chipping training kit that may be easily transported by the user. The present invention provides a golf chipping training kit which may be used by the user to practice golf chip shots or to train with an instructor to improve their golf chip shots.
While equipment used to practice golf chip shots is currently available on the market, such equipment includes items like flag kits that are driven into the ground to provide a target for a user, nets to hit chip shots into, and the like, but such equipment in the past has not been easily transportable by the user, nor has such equipment been inexpensive enough to allow an instructor to provide an entire class with their own kits that include everything needed to practice chips shots except for the user's golf clubs. As such, there is an existing need for an inexpensive yet complete training kit for golf chip shots.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a feature of the present invention to provide a training kit for golf chipping that includes everything that the user will need to practice chipping aside from the user's golf clubs.
The present invention aims to address at least some of the problems with prior art training equipment by providing a light weight and inexpensive kit that is easy to transport from location to location by the user and which includes everything that the user will need to practice and improve their golf chip shots except for the user's golf clubs. Since users generally will use their own set of golf clubs to become accustomed to the specific characteristics of their clubs, or would use golf clubs provided by an instructor, the kit of the present invention remains light and easy to transport while remaining fully functional.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the golf chipping training kit of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front plan view of the golf chipping training kit of FIG. 1 with the cover flap of the bag in its closed position.

FIG. 3 is a front plan view of the golf chipping training kit of FIG. 1 with the cover flap of the bag in its open position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the adjustable target of the golf chipping training kit of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

Embodiments of the present invention provide a golf chipping training kit that is light and expensive while including all of the items that a user will need to practice, or receiving training on, their golf chip shots.
Referring now FIGS. 1 through 3, a preferred embodiment of the golf chipping training kit 10 is shown. The golf chipping training kit 10 comprises a storage and carrying bag 12, at least one golf ball 14, and an adjustable target 16.
The storage and carrying bag 12 of the golf chipping training kit 10 comprises at least one golf ball pocket 18, an adjustable target pocket 20, and a cover flap 22. The bag 12 preferably comprises a front panel 24 and a back panel 26, and the front panel 24 and the back panel 26 are sewn together to form the at least one golf ball pocket 18 and the adjustable target pocket 20. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the front panel 24 has a width of approximately 8.5 inches and a length of approximately 7.5 inches and the back panel 26 has a width of approximately 8.5 inches and a total length of approximately 11.75 inches, with the cover flap 22 having a width of approximately 8.5 inches and a length of approximately 4.25 inches (which is also part of the length of the back panel 26).
More preferably, the front panel 24 and the back panel 26 are integral to each other, such that the front panel 24 and back panel 26 are different portions of one long piece of fabric. By having the front panel 24 and the back panel 26 integral to each other a sewn seam at the bottom of the bag 12 can be avoided, which results in a cleaner look and greater durability for the bag 12. For example, in the preferred embodiment where the front panel 24 and back panel 26 are integral to each other, the piece of fabric from which the bag 12 is formed has a width of approximately 8.5 inches and a total length of approximately 19.25 inches.
While it is desirable to have the bag 12 comprise of the front panel 24 and the back panel 26, alternatively where a bag 12 having a greater storage capacity is desired, the bag 12 may also include side panels on each side of the bag 12, a bottom panel on the bottom of the bag 12, and internal pocket panels separating the at least one golf ball pocket 18 and adjustable target pocket 20. These additional panels allow the bag 12 to have a greater depth than what would be practical if only a front panel and back panel are used to form the bag 12.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one golf ball pocket 18 and adjustable target pocket 20 are formed by sewing together the front panel 24 and the back panel 26 and the cover flap 22 is integral to the back panel 26. As a result, there are sewn seams along each outer side edge of the bag 12, as well as sewn seams between the golf ball pocket 18 and adjustable target pocket 20. The golf ball pockets 18 are left open at the top of the golf ball pockets 18, such that the opening is covered when the cover flap 22 is in its closed configuration. Likewise, the adjustable target pocket 20 is left open at the top of the adjustable target pocket 20, such that the opening is covered when the cover flap 22 is in its closed configuration.
While preferably the cover flap 22 is integral to the back panel 26 in order to provide greater usability, alternatively, the cover flap 22 may be integral to the front flap 24.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bag 12 includes two side golf ball pockets 18, with one on each side of the adjustable target pocket 20. The size of the golf ball pockets 18 is sufficient to allow the at least one golf ball 14, and preferably a plurality of golf balls 14, to be held within the golf ball pockets 18. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention each of the golf ball pockets 18 is configured to hold four golf balls 14 and have a width of approximately 2.75 inches and length of approximately 7.5 inches.
Optionally, the golf ball pocket 18 may include a clear plastic window 28 on the exterior surface of the golf ball pocket 18, such that the user may view the number of golf balls 14 in the golf ball pocket 18 without opening the cover flap 22. The clear plastic window 28 is sewn into a cutout created on the surface of the golf ball pocket 18 to allow a view of what is inside the golf ball pocket 18 while making the clear plastic window 28 integral to the golf ball pocket 18 and the bag 12.
The bag 12 also includes the adjustable target pocket 20 which is sized such that the adjustable target may be coiled up and stored within the adjustable target pocket 20. For example, in the preferred embodiment the adjustable target pocket has a width of approximately 3 inches and a length of approximately 7 inches.
Preferably the bag 12 includes a means for removably securing the cover flap 22 to the outer surface of the front panel 24, which is the front outer surface of the bag 12, in order to prevent the golf balls 14 from falling out of the golf ball pockets 18 and the adjustable target 16 from falling out of the adjustable target pocket 20. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, as may be seen in FIG. 3, the means for removably securing the cover flap 22 to the outer surface of the front panel 24 takes the form of a hook-and-loop strip 30, preferably a Velcro® strip, attached to the cover flap 22 and a corresponding hook-and-loop strip 32, preferably a Velcro® strip, attached to the surface of the front panel 24. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hook-and- loop strips 30 and 32 take the form of a Velcro® strip approximately 1 inch in width which runs from the outer edge 34 of the bag 12 to the opposite outer edge 36 of the bag 12. Alternatively, instead of hook-and-loop strips the means for removably securing the cover flap 22 to the outer surface of the front panel 24 may take the form of a clip, with one portion of the clip attached to the cover flap 22 and the corresponding portion of the clip attached to the front panel 24 of the bag 12. While both the use of hook-and-loop strips and a clip are discussed herein, one skilled in the art will recognize that any means for removably securing the cover flap 22 to the outer surface of the front panel 24 known in the art may be utilized without departing from the aspects of the present invention.
The bag 12 may be constructed from any fabric known in the art, but preferably is constructed of a higher strength and abrasion-resistant material, such as nylon.
Optionally, the bag 12 may further comprise a shoulder strap 38 together with a means of attaching the shoulder strap 38 to the bag 12. In the preferred embodiment, as may be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, such means comprises a pair of D-rings 40 held within a pair of fabric loops 42 sewn onto the back panel 26 of the bag 12. Preferably, to save expense and limit the weight of the bag 12, the D-rings 40 are constructed of plastic, but alternatively if greater durability is desired the D-rings may be constructed of metal. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the shoulder strap 38 comprises a fabric strap 44, preferably a length of nylon webbing, with a clip 46, such as a swivel clip, on each end. The fabric strap 44 may be of a fixed length, or may be of an adjustable length by including an adjustable buckle as may be seen as part of the preferred embodiment in FIGS. 1 and 2. Preferably, the length of the fabric strap 44 may be adjusted, such that the shoulder strap 38 may be adjusted to fit a wide range of individuals, from small children to tall adults. The use of clips 46 as part of the shoulder strap 38 of the preferred embodiment allows the shoulder strap 38 to be removable, with the user snapping the clips 46 onto the D-rings 40 of the preferred embodiment in order to use the shoulder strap 38 and removing the clips 46 from the D-rings 40 if the user does not desire to use the shoulder strap 38.
Alternatively, in place of the shoulder strap 38 of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bag 12 may include a carrying handle sewn onto the back panel. Such a handle may be included if the golf chipping training kit 10 will be carried the user in the user's hand rather then on the user's shoulder.
The at least one golf ball 14 of the golf chipping training kit 10 may be of any kind of standard size golf ball known in the art. Preferably, there are no limitations on which golf balls are used as the least one golf ball 14 of the golf chipping training kit 10 of the present invention and the golf balls used may be included with the kit 10 when the kit 10 is first purchased, or may be golf balls supplied by the user from the user's set of golf balls. Additionally, any practice-type golf balls, including light plastic golf balls, may be used where the kit 10 will be used in a location where the use of a standard golf ball is inconvenient or undesirable, such as inside a building or in a small area. Preferably, at least one golf ball 14 of the kit 10 is a plurality of golf balls, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 3. More preferably, the plurality of golf balls 14 used with the kit 10 are of at least two different types or colors, which allows the user to hit several balls of one type or color, adjust their hitting technique, and then hit several balls of the second type or color in order to determine the effect that the adjustment of the user's technique had on the accuracy of the user's chip shots. The specific number of golf balls 14 used with the golf chipping training kit 10 may be varied based upon the chosen size of the bag 12 and the number of golf balls 14 that the user desires to carry with them. For example, in the preferred embodiment the golf chipping training kit 10 includes a total of eight golf balls.
The golf chipping training kit 10 also includes the adjustable target 16. The adjustable target 16 is used to create a target for the user to aim at when using the kit 10. Preferably, the size of the adjustable target 16 may adjusted in order to provide a larger target when the user first starts practicing the user's chip shots and gradually be adjusted to smaller and smaller sizes as the accuracy of the user's chip shots improve. In the preferred embodiment, as may be seen in FIG. 4, the adjustable target 16 is an adjustable rope loop comprising a rope 48 and two adjustment tubes 50. In order to create the adjustable target 16 to be adjusted, the rope 48 is place in a large circle with the two ends of the rope 48 being located near each other. Each end of the rope 48 is placed through one adjustment tube 50 and then each end of the rope 48 is inserted through the opposite adjustment tube 50 (which is located near the opposite end of the rope 48). Then a knot is tied in each end of the rope 48, such that the ends of the rope cannot be pulled through the adjustment tube 50. The size of the adjustable target 16 can then be varied by sliding the adjustment tubes 50 along the rope 48 to adjust the size of the loop formed by the rope 48, thereby adjusting the size of the adjustable target 16. Sliding the adjustment tubes 50 so that they are initially moving closer together will make the adjustable target 16 larger and sliding the adjustment tubes 50 so that they are initially moving away from each other will make the adjustable target 16 smaller. Any size of rope 48 and adjustment tubes 50 may be used that will fit within the adjustment target pocket 20 when it is coiled up. Likewise, the rope 48 and adjustment tubes 50 may be constructed of any material known in the art for ropes and hollow tubes, but preferably are made of durable materials that will stand up to use as part of the golf chipping training kit 10. For example, the rope 48 in the preferred embodiment has a diameter of approximately 3/16 inch and is a nylon rope and the adjustment tubes are approximately 1/16 inch thick plastic tubes with an outer diameter of approximately 2 inch and an inner diameter of approximately ⅜ inch. While the method of making the adjustable target 16 adjustable with the rope 48 and adjustment tubes 50 is discussed herein, any method of creating a loop of rope with an adjustable length known in the art may be used.
Alternatively, the adjustable target 16 may take the form of a loop of fabric, like a nylon webbing loop, that includes additional hardware, such as clips and adjustable buckles, which allow the size of the loop to be adjusted.
While preferably the adjustable target 16 is included as part of the golf chipping training kit 10, alternatively a target that is not adjustable may be included in its place. For example, an alternative target for the golf chipping training kit 10 may be a fabric circle or square with concentric circles or squares, respectively, marked on the fabric in order to serve as a target for the user's chip shots to indicate any improvement in the user's accuracy.
In order to use the golf chipping training kit 10, the user brings the kit 10 and the club or clubs from the user's golf club set that the user desires to practice chipping with (such a sand wedge or pitching wedge club) to the location where the user desires to practice. The user opens the cover flap 22 of the bag 12 of the kit 10 and removes the golf balls 14 and the adjustable target 16. The user may then place the bag 12 to the side and out of the way. The user then selects the size of the target that the user desires to practice chipping into and adjusts the adjustable target 16 to that size by adjusting the length of the rope 48 by sliding the adjustment tubes 50 along the rope 48 until the desired size is reached. The user then places the adjustable target 16 at the distance from the user's hitting position that the user desires and returns to the hitting position. The user hits several chip shots and observes the locations that the golf balls 14 hit by the user land relative to the adjustable target 16. The user's goal is to hit the golf balls 14 and have them land within the adjustable target 16. If necessary, the user adjusts the user's chipping technique and hits several additional golf balls 14, again aiming for them to land within the adjustable target 16. The user continues this process to practice their chipping, adjusting the size of the adjustable target 16 as the user's chipping skill improves.
It will be recognized by one skilled in the art that the size, configuration, or dimensions of the golf chipping training kit 10 of the present invention may be adjusted to fit various sizes of adjustable targets 16 and various numbers of golf balls 14. Likewise, it will be recognized by one skilled in the art that the materials from which the golf chipping training kit 10, and specifically the storage and carrying bag 12 and adjustable target 16, of the present invention is made may be varied without departing from the scope of the present invention.
While the invention has been described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings with reference to certain preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention, as defined in the appended claims, without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the present invention not be limited to the particular embodiments illustrated by the drawings and described in the specification as the best modes presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention, but that the present invention will include any embodiments falling within the description of the appended claims.

Claims

1: A golf chipping training kit comprising:

a carrying bag comprising at least one golf ball pocket, an adjustable target pocket, and a cover flap;

at least one golf ball; and

an adjustable target, wherein the adjustable target comprises a rope, a first adjustment tube, and a second adjustment tube wherein the first adjustment tube comprises a hollow plastic tube and the second adjustment tube comprises a hollow plastic tube, wherein the rope includes a first end and a second end, wherein

the first end is inserted through the second adjustment tube, then inserted through the first adjustment tube, and then a knot is tied in the rode at the first end of the rope, and

the second end is inserted through the first adjustment tube, then inserted through the second adjustment tube and then a knot is tied in the rope at the first end of the rope to form the adjustable target

wherein the length of the rope of the adjustable target may be adjusted by sliding the first adjustment tube and second adjustment tube along the rope.

2: The golf chipping training kit of claim 1, wherein the carrying bag comprises a front panel and back panel, wherein the at least one golf ball pocket and the adjustable target pocket a formed by sewing the front panel and back panel together and wherein the cover flap is integral to the front panel.

3: The golf chipping training kit of claim 2, wherein the front panel and the back panel are integral to each other.

4: The golf chipping training kit of claim 1, wherein the carrying bag comprises a fabric.

5: The golf chipping training kit of claim 1, wherein the cover flap includes a means for removably securing an end of the cover flap to a front surface of the carrying bag.

6: The golf chipping training kit of claim 5, wherein the means for removably securing the end of the cover flap to the front surface of the carrying bag comprises a first hook-and-loop fastener attached to the cover flap and a corresponding second hook-and-loop fastener attached to the front surface of the carrying bag wherein the second hook-and-loop fastener receives the first hook-and-loop fastener to removably secure the cover flap in its dosed configuration.

7: The golf chipping training kit of claim 5, wherein the means for removably securing the end of the cover flap to the front surface of the carrying bag comprises a snap, wherein the first half of the snap attached to the cover flap and the receiving half of the snap attached to the front surface of the carrying bag wherein the opposite half of the snap receives the first half of the snap to removably secure the cover flap in its closed configuration.

8: The golf chipping training kit of claim 5, wherein the means for removably securing the end of the cover flap to the front surface of the carrying bag comprises a clip, wherein the first half of the clip attached to the cover flap and the receiving half of the clip attached to the front surface of the carrying bag wherein the receiving half of the clip receives the first half of the clip to removably secure the cover flap in its closed configuration.

9: The golf chipping training kit of claim 1, wherein the at least one golf ball pocket includes a transparent window.

10: The golf chipping training kit of claim 1, wherein the at least one golf ball pocket comprises a first golf ball pocket and a second golf ball pocket.

11: The golf chipping training kit of claim 10, wherein the first golf ball pocket and the second golf ball pocket are located adjacent to the adjustable target pocket, such that the adjustable target pocket is located between the first golf ball pocket and the second golf ball.

12: The golf chipping training kit of claim 1, wherein the at least one golf ball comprises a plurality of golf balls.

13: The golf chipping training kit of claim 12, wherein the plurality of golf balls comprise golf balls having at least two colors.

14: The golf chipping training kit of claim 1, wherein the carrying bag further comprises a shoulder strap.

15: The golf chipping training kit of claim 1, wherein the carrying bag further comprises a handle.

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)