US3460837A

US3460837A - Golf swing training device

Info

Publication number: US3460837A
Application number: US675598A
Authority: US
Inventors: Nicholas A Cassa Jr
Original assignee: NICHOLAS A CASSA JR
Current assignee: NICHOLAS A CASSA JR
Priority date: 1967-10-16
Filing date: 1967-10-16
Publication date: 1969-08-12
Anticipated expiration: 1986-08-12

Description

Aug. 12, 1969 N. A. CASSA, JR 3,460,837

GOLF SWING TRAINING DEVICE Filed 001,. 16. 1967 luvnvron Nmvozls 4 C455; Jk.

United States Patent 3,460,837 GOLF SWING TRAINING DEVICE Nicholas A. Cassa, Jr., 430 N. Gilbert, Fullerton, Calif. 92633 Filed Oct. 16, 1967, Ser. No. 675,598 Int. Cl. A63b 69/36 U.S. Cl. 273-486 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A golf swing training device includes an upwardly in clined rod having one of its ends secured to one side of the first end of a horizontal bar. The second end of the rod terminates above and in substantially vertical alignment with the second end of the bar. A support is provided to hold the bar above a horizontal surface at a distance such that a golf club head may be passed therebeneath by a BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains to teaching individuals and to enabling individuals to practice the proper manner of swinging a golf club so that they can more satisfactorily play the game of golf. In this game, a small ball is propelled in a desired manner by being hit with a headed club. Such clubs include an elongated, somewhat flexible shaft, one end of which is formed so as to serve as a handle and the other end of which supports and carries a head designed to contact the ball so as to cause it to move in a desired manner. The heads on such clubs difler depending upon the manner in which such clubs are to be used.

An important factor in satisfactorily playing golf is the way in which a golf club is swung so as to hit a ball. This matter has been studied and it has been determined that a person playing golf is most apt to achieve best results in propelling a ball in a desired way when the club used is held in a specific manner and is swung in a specific manner in such a way that various body muscles and configurations follow a set pattern. The proper manner of holding a golf club can be easily shown by the pictures and simple instruction. However, the proper manner of swinging a club so that body and muscular coordination are achieved to obtain most effective ball motion is a very difiicult manner to teach.

In the past, the proper manner of swinging a golf club so as to obtain most effective ball motion has frequently been taught by a person doing the teaching watching another person hitting a golf ball and then making suggestions to the one being taught. Various devices to facilitate such teaching such as devices which are to be followed by the eye of an individual swinging a club, devices which will be hit when the club is swung in an improper manner and the like have been proposed for use as teaching aids in connection with teaching the proper way to swing a golf club. These prior devices have not found wide acceptance. Although the precise reasons for this are not known, it is considered that such reasons pertain to the effectiveness of these devices, the ease with which they may be used, and other related factors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an effective device to be used in teaching the proper manner of swinging a golf club. A related object of the invention is ice to provide a device of this type which can be used by an individual to practice the proper manner of swinging a golf club without the assistance of someone else. Another object of this invention is to provide a device for these purposes which may be conveniently used in virtually any location where a golf club can be swung without danger of damage. Still further objects of the invention are to provide devices which are relatively simple to construct and which are extremely easy to utilize.

These and various other related objectives of the invention are achieved in accordance with this invention by providing a simple device or structure, having a generally horizontal bar of a length corresponding to part of what may be referred to as a proper backswing of a golf club, a rod attached to one end of the bar so as to extend generally along it in a diagonal upward manner in a path corresponding to part of what may be: considered as a proper downswing of the club, and means for supporting the rod and bar above the ground in approximately the area where the head of a golf club is normally located during the start of and during the lower part of the swing of such club.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The actual details of the invention are best explained wit hreference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a persepective view of a presently preferred embodiment of a device of this invention showing all of the parts of this device; and

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the device shown in FIG. 1 indicating in phantom and by dotted lines various matters with respect to the use of this device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The device 10 shown in the drawing is a very simple device consisting of a bar 12 adapted to be located in a horizontal position above the surface of the ground. One end of this bar 12 is attached to a rod 14 which extends upwardly in a diagonal manner from the bar 12 along the length of this bar 12 at a side of the bar 12. Although the terms bar and rod are used in connection with the description of the bar 12 and rod 14, it will be recognized that these terms are not limited. Both of these parts may have the same cross-sectional configuration, or they may differ from one another in cross-sectional configuration.

Attached to the bar 12 between the ends of it are two supports 16 which are adapted to be located horizontally. The ends of the supports 16 remote from the bar 12 are connected to vertically extending stakes 18. These stakes 18 extend downwardly a sufiicient distance so that they may be used to support the entire device 10 on the ground with the bar 12 located above the ground. If desired the supports 16 and the stakes 18 can be considered as a support means for supporting the remainder of the device. The rod 14 is, as shown located on the side of the bar 12, remote from the supports 16. This is to permit the passage of a golf club head beneath the bar 12 and the rod 14.

In use, the device 10 is held above a ground surface such as the surface 20,. indicated in phantom in FIG. 2, so that the bar 12 is horizontal. Pressure is applied to the device 10 as for example, by engaging with the hands the supports 16 so as to force the stakes 18 into the ground to a sufficient extent so that the bar 12 is located slightly above the level of the head of a golf club preliminarily to hitting a golf ball. For effective results, the entire device 10 is located so that the rod 14 and the bar 12 are substantially as indicated in FIG. 2 with the intersection of these two parts being adjacent to and directly above the location of a conventional golf ball such as the ball 22 when such a ball is loacted on the surface of the ground 20, or, in case the device 10 is being used to practice when a golf ball is held upon a golf tee, immediately above where such a ball will be located.

In use an individual to be taught the proper manner in swinging a golf club or practicing the proper manner of using such a club, faces the device so as to 'be opposite the bar 12 and rod 14. Such an individual then manipulates a conventional golf club such as a club having a head 22 as illustrated in phantom in FIG. 2 of the drawing so that this head 22 is adjacent to the apex of the acute angle formed by the bar and the rod 14. The entire club is then swung with appropriate body motion so that the head 22 passes in the direction of the arrow 24 beneath the bar 12 as a part of a so-called backswing." If the individual using the device 12 lifts the club from other than its desired horizontal travel during the initial part of such a back stroke, the club head 22 will contact the bar 12 indicating the error in the manner in which the club is being swung. On the completion of the backswing, the club will be moved downwardly in a conventional downswing manner. As it is moved in this manner it will follow the path indicated by the arrow 26 just beneath the rod 14. If the club is moved in other than the desired path during this downswing, it will contact either the bar 12 or the rod 14 indicating the error in the motion of the swing.

The entire assembly of parts constituting the device 10 may be easily and conveniently manufactured from various different materials in various different manners. Thus, for example, all of the parts may be simple iron parts welded to one another. It is presently considered that it will be preferable to make the entire device 10 by known injection molding techniques out of a polymer material having significant strength and significant resistance to impact. The device 10 may of course differ from the precise device illustrated in minor matters such as dimension and the like so long as the device is capable of functioning in the manner in which it is described.

In order for the device to be operative in the manner indicated in the preceding the bar 12 should be of a length corresponding to the distance a golf club should be moved horizontally at the start of a backswing. Similarly the rod 14 should be of a suflicient length so as to correspond to the final part of the downswing of the golf club. The rod 14 will also be located at an acute angle to the bar 12 corresponding to such a downswing. Obviously the length of these parts should be varied depending upon the size of the person who will be using the device 10. Thus, for example, the length of the bar 12 should be normally slightly larger when the device 10 is to be used by a large person who normally uses a long golf club than if the device 10 was to be used by a comparatively short person who would normally use a comparatively short golf club.

On a careful consideration of the aforegoing it will be realized that the device 10 is an extremely simple, effective device for its intended purpose. It will also be realized that this device may be easily and conveniently used. Because of the nature of this invention, and the fact that the device 10 may be structurally modified from the precise structure shown, this invention is considered limited solely by the appended claims forming a part of this disclosure.

I claim:

1. A device to be used in teaching and practicing the proper manner of swinging a golf club, said device comprising:

a bar and rod each having first and second ends, said bar being substantially straight and of a length corresponding to the distance a golf club should be moved only horizontally during a backswing, said rod having its first end attached to the first end of said bar along one side of said bar and extending therefrom upward from said bar at an acute angle relative thereto to its second end spaced above and in approximate vertical alignment with the second end of said bar, the inclination of said rod relative to said bar being such as to define the lower part of the downswing path of a golf club, means for supporting said bar and rod on a horizontal supporting surface in a position such that with said one side of said bar facing a golfer positioned to execute a golf club swing, a golf ball may be positioned on said surface approximately below the point of attachment of said rod to said bar and the head of a golf club may be moved beneath said bar without striking said bar.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for supporting comprise stake means extending from the side of said bar remote from said rod.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,340,793 2/1944 Chapman 273l92 2,754,125 7/1956 Engler 273-192 3,375,010 3/1968 Panza.

GEORGE I. MARLO, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 273-491