US3656759A

US3656759A - Device for use in practicing swinging a golf club

Info

Publication number: US3656759A
Application number: US28347A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richmond E Hall
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-04-14
Filing date: 1970-04-14
Publication date: 1972-04-18
Anticipated expiration: 1989-04-18

Abstract

A device for use in practicing swinging a golf club comprises an arm securable in a horizontal orientation, a further arm rotatably mounted on one end of said arm for rotation about a horizontal axis and a ball mounted at the outer end of said further arm. Means are provided for measuring rotation of the ball about the axis of said further arm to indicate fade or draw and/or means are provided for counting the number of revolutions of said further arm, when the ball is struck by a golf club, to indicate distance the ball has travelled. Another arm which is securable to said arm has a member thereon mounting a plurality of flexible fingers to be struck by the ball when rotating about said arm and also an optionally presentable putting gate, through which the ball can just pass, for practicing putting. An upright member, on which said arm can be mounted in a horizontal orientation, is supported in a horizontal base member covered with a resilient flexible material, a pocket is provided beneath the resilient flexible material at a position immediately below that at which the ball hangs on said further arm in a rest position, whereby different lies from which the ball can be struck can be simulated by inserting members of various consistencies in said pocket.

Description

United States Patent Hall [15) 3,656,759 1 1 Apr. 18,1972

1541 DEVICE FOR USE IN PRACTICING SWINGING A GOLF CLUB [72] Inventor: Richmond E. Hall, 2 Langley Road,

Highclifi'e-on-Sea, Hampshire, England [22] Filed: Apr. 14, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 28,347

[52] U.S. Cl. ..273/185 1), 273/195 R, 273/177, 273/176 FA [51] lnLCl. ..A63b69/36 [58] Field oiSeareh ..73/379 R, 379 G,379TB,381 R, 73/381 G; 273/34, 35, 185, 195, 183

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,472,075 10/1969 Oppenheimer ..73/379 1,529,933 3/1925 Stokoe ....73/379 3,417,620 12/1968 Curry ..73/379 1,684,576 9/1928 Conner... .....273/185 3,464,704 9/1969 Nelson ..273/195 X 3,425,700 2/1969 Edwards ..73/379 3,529,831 9/1970 Rogers ..273/195 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 114,589 1/1942 Australia ..73/381 Primary Examiner-Richard C. Queisser Assistant Examiner-Arthur E. Korkosz Attorney-Fleit, Gipple & Jacobson [5 7] ABSTRACT A device for use in practicing swinging a golf club comprises an arm securable in a horizontal orientation, a further arm rotatably mounted on one end of said am for rotation about a horizontal axis and a ball mounted at the outer end of said further arm. Means are provided for measuring rotation of the ball about the axis of said further arm to indicate fade or draw and/or means are provided for counting the number of revolutions of said further arm, when the ball is struck by a golf club, to indicate distance the ball has travelled. Another arm which is securable to said arm has a member thereon mounting a plurality of flexible fingers to be struck by the ball when rotating about said arm and also an optionally presentable putting gate, through which the ball can just pass, for practicing putting. An upright member, on which said arm can be mounted in a horizontal orientation, is supported in a horizontal base member covered with a resilient flexible material, a pocket is provided beneath the resilient flexible material at a position immediately below that at which the ball hangs on said further arm in a rest position, whereby different lies from which the ball can be struck can be simulated by inserting members of various consistencies in said pocket.

12 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEn APR 18 m2 SHEET 2 BF 5 IZSISQLB 0 GOP DON 00m ri r T f T r PATENTEUAPR 18 m2 SHEEI 3 [IF 5 DEVICE FOR USE IN PRACTICING SWINGING A GOLF CLUB The invention relates to a device for use in practicing swinging a golf club.

According to the invention, a device for use in practicing swinging a golf club comprises an arm, a further arm rotatably mounted on said arm adjacent one end of said arm for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, a ball mounted at an outer end of said further arm, and indicating means comprising means for measuring rotation of the ball about the axis of said further arm with respect to said further arm or a portion of said further arm when the ball is struck by a golf club and/or means for counting the number of rotations of said further arm on said arm when the ball is struck by a golfclub.

Thus, the device can support the ball in a position in which it can be struck by a golf club and can indicate the amount, if any, of fade or draw imparted to the ball when struck by a golf club and/or can indicate the force with which the ball is struck. A golfer striking the ball of the device with a golf club can thus obtain an indication as to whether or not the golf shot which he has played would have caused a ball so struck, had it been free, to fade or draw from a desired line as a result of spin imparted to the ball and/or an indication of a distance which the ball, had it been free, would have travelled.

Advantageously, at least a part of said further arm is flexible. Thus, said part may, for example, be formed as a length of wire cable. The cable is preferably reinforced and protected by an outer sleeve, for example a coil of wire wound thereover.

The arm is advantageously secured in a horizontal orientation by securing it to a stake driven into the ground, by provid ing it with a bracket, which bracket can be secured to an upright surface, for example a wall, or by securing to an upright member projecting from a base.

The means for measuring rotation of the ball about an axis of said further arm advantageously comprises a coupling between a lower part of said further arm and an upper part of said further arm, the coupling being formed by a member secured to said lower portion of the further arm and a further member, in frictional engagement with said member, secured to said upper portion of said further arm, said members being relatively rotatable except when they are pressed together by centrifugal force when the ball on said further arm rotates around said arm. When the ball is struck by a golfclub it will initially travel on a trajectory similar to that in which a free ball would travel and, until it had travelled a sufficient distance to be constrained by said further arm to rotate about said arm, said member and said further member are not firmly pressed into engagement and thus any spin imparted to the ball by striking it with the club, which spin would cause the ball to rotate about the axis of said further arm, is effective to move said member and said further member relatively to one another. Said member and said further member are secured in the relative positions to which they have moved when the centrifugal force of the ball is applied to them to press them together so that, after the further arm has stopped rotating around the arm, the amount of fade or draw can be determined by examining the relative positions of said member and said further member.

The means for counting the number of rotations of said further arm on said arm may comprise a screw threaded member secured to said further arm and rotatable in a bore in said arm and a nut, secured against rotation on said screw threaded member and adapted to be moved longitudinally along said arm by rotation of said further arm and thus the screw threaded member, the longitudinal displacement of said nut on said arm giving an indication ofthe number of rotations of said further arm on said arm. Advantageously, the arm bears markings so that the extent of movement ofsaid nut longitudinally along said arm can be readily ascertained.

The nut is advantageously mounted in a guide slot in said arm, has a partial screw thread on its under face and is pressed into engagement with the upper face of said screw threaded member. The nut is therefore returnable to a zero position by lifting it clear of the screw threads of the screw threaded member and sliding it along the guide slot. The markings advantageously comprise a scale on one side of said guide slot advantageously indicating a carry of the ball of from 0 to 300 yards for a right-handed player and a scale on the other side of the guide slot for a left-handed player, provided in an opposite sense the first scale, also indicating a carry of the ball from 0 to 300 yards.

The further arm is advantageously mounted for rotation on said arm by means of a ball or roller bearing to the outer race of which said further arm is secured. Said outer race also advantageously carries a braking member which is engageable with a face of said arm, or a sleeve provided on said arm. The braking member is advantageously pivoted about an axis extending parallel to said arm and is biased by a spring towards engagement with said am or the sleeve on said arm. Thus, rotation of said further arm on said arm at high speed, immediately following striking of the ball on said further arm by a golf club, causes the braking member to be thrown outwardly away from engagement with said arm or sleeve thereon but as the speed of rotation of the further arm on said arm reduces, the centrifugal force also reduces and the spring causes the braking member to engage the arm or sleeve thereon to effect a braking action. The force applied by the spring to the braking member is advantageously variable by a manual control settable before the ball is struck so that the effect of striking a ball with different types of golf clubs, that is to say golf clubs with differently angled faces to give different degrees of loft, can be simulated. Thus, if the ball is to be struck by a low numbered golf club, the effect of the spring is reduced and if the ball is to be struck by a high numbered golf club the effect of the spring is increased to reduce the number of rotations of said further arm on said arm for the same force applied to the ball. Varying the force applied to the braking member by the spring is effective to vary the rotational speed ofthe further arm at which the spring overcomes the centrifu gal force acting on the braking member to cause the braking member to effect a braking action and is also effective to vary the braking force actually applied by the braking member.

The sleeve on said arm may be axially slidable on said am whereby surfaces having different frictional characteristics may be presented for engagement with said braking member so that variations in the carry of a ball after it pitches due to hard or soft ground can be simulated.

Said further arm may include, adjacent the position at which it is rotatably mounted on said arm, a pivot, the axis of which extends transversely to the axis of said arm and to the axis of said further arm. Said pivot may be lockable to prevent pivoting movement of the further arm thereabout.

An angular member is also advantageously mounted on said arm and includes an outer arm which extends parallel to said arm. Said outer arm may mount a plurality of flexible fingers disposed in an arcuate row on said outer am, said fingers being disposed so that the ends thereof which are remote from the outer arm are spaced from said arm a distance such that they can be struck by a ball on said further arm rotating about said arm, thereby to give an indication as to whether or not the ball proceeded in the desired direction when struck by a golf club,

Said outer arm advantageously also carries a gate, formed by two members spaced apart a distance just greater than the diameter of the ball for use when practising putting, said gate and said fingers advantageously being mounted on said outer arm by providing them on opposite sides of a member rotatable on said outer arm whereby they can alternatively be presented on the side of said outer arm adjacent said arm.

Said angular member is advantageously rotatably mounted on said arm for rotation about the axis of said arm whereby an inner arm of said angular member can be moved from a position in which it extends horizontally from said arm on one side to a osition in which it extends horizontally from said arm on the other side whereby the device is usable by either right or left-handed golfers. The inner arm can also be depressed below a horizontal orientation to position the putting gate at varying distances from a rest position of said ball, at which position said further arm is vertical with the ball at the lower end thereof. Thus different lengths of putt can be simulated. The member rotatable on said outer arm is of lightweight con struction and is rotatably mounted on said outer arm for step wise rotation. When using the putting gate for practicing putting, if the ball is struck with a greater force than is necessary to cause the ball to enter the putting gate, the ball will strike a rear member beyond the putting gate to cause said member to rotate on said outer arm.

Advantageously the inner arm has a flange surrounding its mounting on said arm, said flange having markings thereon to cooperate with a marking on the upright member so that the rotational position of said inner arm on said arm can readily be set to a desired value. The markings are preferably a scale representing distances of putt. The rear member ofthe putting gate is advantageously a flexible strap bridging the sides of the gate of the putting member whereby when the angular member is rotated to its opposite position for use by a left handed player the rear member can again be effective.

The upright member, on which said arm is mounted, is advantageously mounted in a horizontal base member which is covered with a resilient flexible material, the upright member and the further arm being relatively so proportioned that the ball in its rest position hangs with a small clearance above the covering of said base member. A pocket is advantageously provided beneath said Covering of the base at a position im mediately below that at which the ball hangs on said further arm in its rest position, whereby members of rigid, semi-rigid or resilient material can be inserted in said pocket to simulate varying conditions of ground from which a ball may be struck.

The clearance between the ball and the resilient covering of the base member in the rest position of the ball can be varied, and if required, reduced to nothing so that the ball touches the resilient covering by inserting members of suitable thickness into the pocket.

Further features of the invention are diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG 1 is an elevation of one embodiment of a device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view ofa second embodiment ofa device ac cording to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on line lll-lIl of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevation taken on line lVlV of HG.

FIG. Sis a sectional elevation taken on line V-V ofFlG. 3;

H6. 6 is a sectional view taken on line VI V] of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on line VllVll of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is an elevation taken in the direction of arrow VIII of FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on line lX-IX of HG. 2', and

FIG. 10 shows a base and upright member for mounting the device according to the invention.

Referring to FIG. I of the drawings. one end of an arm I is secured to an upright member 2 by a pin 3 A further arm 4 is rotatably mounted on the other end of the arm 1 by means of a circular bracket clamped by a clamping bolt 6 An upper portion 7 of the further arm 4 IS secured to the bracket 5 by means ofa pin 8. The upper portion 7 ofthe further arm 4 has a lower head portion 9 and a threaded stem which extends through an aperture in a housing I] and mounts it spring [2 and a screw threaded nut 13. The further arm 7 can be freely pivotable on the pin 8 or, as shown in FIG I, the nut 13 may be screwed upwardly so that its upper face engages the end faces of the bracket 5 to prevent pivoting movement of the further arm 4 about the pin 8 The further arm 4 is shown in greater detail in FIGS 5 and 8 The housing It is formed as an inverted U-shaped piece of material and has a mounting block 14 secured in the lower end thereof by screws 15. The mounting block 14 supports the upper end of a lower portion of the further arm 4, said lower portion being formed by a cable 16. The cable 16 has a ferrule 17 at its upper end which is secured in a bore in the mounting block 14 by a split collet 18. The cable 16 is stiffened and protected by binding it with an outer sleeve of wire 19.

Between the upper face of the head member 9 of the upper portion 7 of the further arm 4 and the inner face of the top wall of the housing 11 is provided a thick washer 20 advantageously of rubber. The upper face of the washer 20 is pulled into engagement with the inner face of the top wall of the housing It by the spring 12 and, when a ball 21 on the outer end of the further arm 4 is rotating about the arm 1, by centrifugal force. The spring 12 provides sufficient force to hold the washer 20 and the inner face of the housing It together to present them relatively rotating unless a force is applied to rotate them but permits them to be turned relative to one another by hand. Nylon or polythene washers (not shown) may be provided ifdesired between the rubber washer 20 and the inner face of the housing 11 and between the spring 12 and the top face of the housing I]. Advantageously, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, the mounting member 14 can-ies a scale 22 to cooperate with a mark 23 on the head portion 9. Thus, when the ball 21 is struck by a golf club any fade or draw imparted to the ball 2] due to moving the club face across the ball when striking it, will relatively rotate the head portion 9 and the mounting member M, the extent of movement being clearly indicated by the displacement between the scale 22 and the mark 23 thereby to give a clear indication, to the person striking the ball, of the amount of his error and therefore the mount of correction necessary to prevent the error being repeated in the next stroke.

in the apparatus of the embodiment of FIGS. 2 to 9, the further arm 4 is supported by an arm 24.

The arm 24 has a longitudinally extending bore 25 therein in which a screw threaded member 26 is mounted for rotation and has a slot 27 in the upper face communicating with the bore 25. At its outer end the am 24 has a reduced portion 28 on which is mounted the inner race 29 of a ball-bearing 30. An outer race 31 of the ball-bearing supports a clamp ring 32 which, as shown in FIG. 5, has its ends clamped to the sides of a bar member 33 by a screw 34 and nut 35, so that the clamp ring 32 is securely fixed to the outer race 31 of the bearing 30. End portions of the clamp ring 32 which extend beyond the screw 34 and nut 35 have apertures to receive the mounting pin 8 for the further arm 4.

An outer end of the screw threaded member 26 is secured in an end plate 36 by passing it through an aperture in the end plate 36 and rivetting it over whereby relative rotation of the screw threaded member 26 and the end plate 36 is prevented. If desired the portion of the screw threaded member 26 which extends through the plate 36 may be of non-round section. The end plate 36 is retained in position by means of a screw 37 which engages the member 33 held between the ends of the clamp ring 32.

An annular member 40 is mounted within the clamp ring 32 adjacent the outer race 31 of the bearing 30 and hzm an outwardly extending screw threaded member 41 which extends through a slot 42 (FIG, 2) in the clamp ring 32. A thumb screw 43 is engageable with the screw threaded member 41 to clamp the annular member 40 to the clamp ring 32 in any one of a number of relative positions limited by the length of the slot 42. Thus the annular member 40 is rotatable within the clamp ring 32 through, for example, I40.

An arcuate braking member 44 is pivotably mounted on a pivot pin 45 which is rigidedly secured in a bore in the ring 40. A leaf spring 46 is secured to the clamp ring 32 by rivets 47. which rivets 47 also mount a stop member 48. The end of the leaf spring 46 remote from the rivets 47 bears against the outer face of the braking member 44. which outer face is formed to a cam surface 440. to press it towards a sleeve 49 which is slidably mounted on the arm 24. By sliding the sleeve 49 in an axial direction along the arm 24 different portions of the sleeve 49 can be brought to a position at which they can be engaged by a member 44b projecting from the inner face of the arcuate braking member 44. Thus, the sleeve 49 may have two or more tracks of different material thereon to be engaged by the member 44b of the braking member 44, the tracks being, for example, of steel and rubber or of rubber and a material sold under the registered trademark Ferodo and used for brake linings for road vehicles.

By adjusting the position of the screw threaded member 41 in the slot 42, the position at which the spring 46 bears on the cam surface of the braking member 44 can be adjusted to affect the braking characteristics of the braking member 44 on the sleeve 49. The member 44b is so positioned on the braking member 44 that it gives the same braking action for either direction of rotation of the further arm 4 about the arm 24, i.e. for left or right-handed golfers. The cam surface 440 of the braking member 44 is so shaped that if the braking member 44 is moved in an anticlockwise direction, as shown in FIG. 7, the braking force is reduced as a result of reduced deformation of the spring 46 and reduction in the moment of the force applied by the spring 46 about the pivot pin 45.

A scale alongside the slot 42 is advantageously marked W98765432IP, the setting of the member on the scale being described in greater detail hereinafter.

The sleeve 49 is advantageously keyed on the arm 24 to prevent relative rotation and is a frictional fit on the arm 24 to prevent undesired relative axial movement.

A nut 50 lies in the slot 27 in the arm 24 and has a screw threaded lower face to engage the screw threaded member 26. Thus, rotation of the screw threaded member 26, caused by rotating the further arm 4 and thus the clamp ring 32 and end plate 36 about the arm 24, will cause the nut 50 to be moved longitudinally in the slot 27. The nut 50 is biased into engagement with the screw threaded member 26 by a leaf spring 51 which engages a shoulder 52 of the nut 50. The nut 50 has an upwardly extending handle portion 53 whereby it may be raised in the slot 27, against the bias of the spring 51, to disengage it from the screw threaded member 26 and permit it to be slid freely in the slot 27.

If desired, the arm 24 may support a further arm for rotation, which further arm merely comprises a wire and a ball without any means for indicating fade or draw.

Adjacent the upright member 2 the arm 24 has flat portions 55 at its sides formed by milling away portions of the arm 24. The arm 24 also includes a groove to receive a circlip 56, An arm 57 is rotatably mounted on the arm 24 by engaging a slot 58in the end ofthe arm 57 over the arm 24. The slot 58 in the end of the arm 57 is of a greater width than the distance between the opposite flat portions 55 on the arm 24 but is less than the diameter of the arm 24. At its inner end the slot 58 is widened to form a circular portion to receive the arm 24. Thus, if the arm 57 is engaged with the arm 24 when the arm 57 is vertically orientated, the slot 58 can be slid over the flat portions 55 to engage the arm 24 in the circular portion ofthe slot 58, but when the arm is subsequently rotated from the vertical orientation the arm 57 is retained on the arm 24. A spring 59 formed as a curved plate of spring steel, and including an aperture through which the arm 24 passes, presses the arm 57 against the circlip 56 to retain the arm 57 on the arm 24.

The spring 59 is secured relative to the upright member 2 by means of a rivet 60, the head of which bears a reference mark 6l for cooperation with a scale on a flange 62 carried on the arm 57 for use as described hereinafter.

The arm 57 forms one part of an angular member, the other part ofwhich is formed by a further arm 63, the further arm 63 having a member 64 rotatably mounted thereon.

The member 64 has a plurality of flexible and resilient fin gers 65 on one side thereof and a putting gate formed by two spacedapart members 66 on the other side thereof. The member 64 is rotatably mounted on the further arm 63 so that either the lingers 65 or the putting gate formed by the members 66 can be brought to lie adjacent the arm 24. The arm 57 is of a length such that the ball 21 supported on the further arm 4 which is rotatably mounted on the outer end of the am 24, will just touch the fingers 65 causing them to move when the ball is struck by a golf club to cause the further arm 4 to rotate about the arm 24. If the shot is required to be played straight and is properly executed then only that one of the fingers 65 which is indicated zero will be moved by contact with the ball. If, however, the ball is hit either accidentally or deliberately off-line, then initially one or more of the other fingers 65 will be contacted and moved by the ball. Since the further arm 4 has a self-centering action about the arm 24 it will gradually align itself as it rotates so that it touches the zero finger 65. The fingers 65, being flexible and resilient, will oscillate when contacted by the ball.

FIG. I0 shows a base for mounting the upright member 2, to which the arm 1 of FIG. I or the am 24 of FIGS. 2 to 9 can be secured, and comprises a flat piece of wood or metal 67 mounting a piece of hard wood 68 having a bore 69 into which the upright member 2 can be engaged to be secured by a screw 70. The base 67 also has a pair of battens 71 secured thereon, the battens 71 having sloping side edges. A sheet of tough flexible material 72, for example reinforced rubber or plastics, advantageously comprising overlapping layers of tape, is wound around the base 67 and battens 71 to form a pocket 73 between the material 72 and the base 67, which pocket 73 lies immediately below the position at which the ball 21 hangs on the further arm 4 when supported by the arm 1 of FIG. I or the arm 24 of FIGS. 2 to 9. The pocket 73 can be filled by a sheet of material which may be for example of foamed rubber to provide a soft lie or of, for example, hardboard to provide a hard lie, to simulate varying conditions of ground from which a golf ball can be hit.

The sheets of material inserted into the pocket can be of various thicknesses whereby the clearance of the ball in its rest position from the covering of the base can be varied or reduced to nothing to simulate varying tightnesses of ball lie.

In operation of the device according to the invention and considering FIG. I, the ball 21 is freely suspended by the further arm 4 on the arm I and if struck by a golf club will rotate around the arm 1 by the bracket 5 rotating on the arm I. The amount of draw or fade imparted to the ball when it is struck can be ascertained by examining the relative positions of the head portion 9 and the mounting member 14 after the shot has been played to see whether there has been any relative rotation. The mounting member 14 includes on the side which cannot be seen in FIG. I a further scale for use by lefthanded golfers.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 9, in addition to an indication of the amount of draw or fade, or as an alternative thereto, an indication can be obtained of the distance which the golf ball would have travelled had it been free. Thus, before the ball is struck the nut 50 is positioned in the slot 27 so that a marking on the nut 50 is aligned with a zero marking on a scale 74 provided on the am 24 adjacent the slot 27. The screw 43 is loosened on the screw threaded member 41 and is moved along the slot 42 until a pointer 75 carried by the screw threaded member 41 is opposite a number on the scale alongside the slot 42, which number corresponds to the number of the golf club with which the ball is to be struck. Thus, if the ball is to be struck with a number nine iron, the pointer 75 is positioned opposite the 9 on the scale to cause a high braking effect of the braking member 44 on the sleeve 49 on the arm 24. In like manner ifthe ball is to be hit with a lower numbered club, for example a number one club, the pointer 75 is positioned opposite the 1" on the scale to give a greatly reduced braking effect by the braking member 44. The ball 21 is then struck by the appropriately numbered club and the further arm 4 and the ball 21 rotate around the arm 24 until the energy imparted to them by striking the ball 2! with the club is exhausted. The distance which the ball would have carried had it been free can then be ascertained by examining the position of the nut 50 with respect to the scale on the arm 24.

When the ball is struck it has an initial trajectory similar to that which it would have had had it been free and there is thus no initial loading between the washer and face ll, except that provided by the spring 12, until the ball is constrained by the further arm 4 to move in a circular path about the arm 24.

Thus, during this initial period of the trajectory the washer 20 and face it can move relatively to one another to give a reading on the scale 22 of any fade or draw, and are subsequently locked in this position and retained in this position until the ball comes to rest. Since the braking member 44 swings around the arm 24 it will initially be held outwardly away from the sleeve 49, without any braking action being effected due to centrifugal force acting on the braking member 44 to pivot it outwardly about its pivot pin 45. As the speed of the ball 21 and the further arm 24 decays, as a result of friction in the bearing and air-resistance, the spring 46 will overcome the centrifugal force acting on the braking member 44 and will cause the member 44b thereof to bear on the sleeve 49 to effect a braking action. The rotational speed of the further arm at which the spring 46 does overcome the centrifugal force action on the braking member 44 and also the strength ofthe braking force when applied, is governed by the setting of the pointer 75 on the scale alongside the slot.

The direction in which the ball was hit can be ascertained by examining the fingers 65 immediately after the ball is struck to see which one is oscillating due to contact with the ball. The device of the invention can thus give an indication of fade or draw. an indication of distance and an indication of the line which the ball would have followed had it been free. By using a scaled chart of a hole on a golf course, the position at which a ball would probably have alighted when struck can thus be plotted.

Thus, the device of the invention can be used to simulate a game of golf by playing shots on the device and plotting the results on a chart.

With reference to the chart, the further distance of shot necessary to reach a target hole on a green can be calculated and the player can then play a further shot with the kind of club which would be most suitable, after setting the device for such a club by moving the screw threaded member 41 in the slot 42,

When playing long distance shots with clubs numbered l" to W" on the scale adjacent the slot 42, the screw 13 is screwed upwardly on the threaded portion of the upper por tion 7 of the further arm 4 so that the further arm 4 cannot pivot about the pivot pin 8,

When a player has reached the green of the charted golf hole which he is playing and he wishes to make a putting shot, the screw 13 is screwed downwardly so that the further arm 4 is completely free to pivot about the pivot pin 8 The screw threaded member 41 is moved in the slot 42 to cause the pointer 75 to lie opposite P" on the scale, the movement causing the end of the braking member 44 remote from its pivot pin 45 to abut the stop 48 to lift the projection 44b away from the sleeve 49 to prevent any braking actionv The member 64 is then rotated on the arm 63 so that the putting gate, formed by the spaced-apart members 66, is adjacent the arm 24, as shown by dotted lines in HQ. 2. The member 64 is of lightweight construction and is rotatably mounted on the arm 24 for siepvi ise rotation. for example by providing projections on one of the members 64 and arm 63 to engage with depressions on the other iiithc member 64 and arm 63 The length of putt required can be ascertained from the chart and the arm 57 rotated on the arm 24 until an equivalent length of putt, indicated on the scale on the flange 62, is opposite the marking 61 on the rivet 60 Thus, as shown in FIGv 4, with the arm 57 horizontal the scale is set for Li ten foot putt The ball is then struck by a putter and if the bllll is to be regarded as holed out it must pass between the members 66 of the putting gate to strike a strap 76. bridging the members 66. but without hitting the strap 76 with sufficient force to cause a step of rotation of the member 6 on the iirni 63 lithe ball is not holed out, that is to \IZI} it does not pass between the members 66 or passes run) between them and rotates the member 64 on the arm 63, then the length of a further putt is estimated and the player must play a further shot before he is held to have holed out.

By playing alternate shots on the device and with reference to charts of holes ofa golf course two players can play a simulated and competitive round of golf using only an amount of space necessary to swing a golfclub.

The device is also particularly useful for practicing golf swings since a golf ball of full weight can be used, thereby avoiding the risk of damage to shoulder muscles inherent in devices which use lightweight balls, and the player can obtain a good indication of the quality of the golf shot which he has effected.

The upright member 2, may be, as shown in FIG, 10, mounted in a base portion, or it may comprise the upper part ofa stake driven into the ground or it may be provided with a bracket whereby it may be secured to an upright surface, for example a wall,

lclaim:

l. A device for use in practicing swinging a golf club comprising an arm, mounting means for securing said arm in a horizontal orientation, a further an-n rotatably mounted on said am adjacent one end of said arm for rotation about a sub stantially horizontal axis, a ball mounted at an outer end of said further arm and means for measuring rotation of the ball about the axis of said further arm with respect to a portion of said further arm when the ball is struck by a golf club, said means for measuring rotation of the ball about the axis of said further arm comprising a coupling between a lower part of said further arm and an upper part of said further arm, the coupling being formed by a member secured to said lower por tion ofthe further arm and a further member, for frictional engagement with said member, secured to said upper portion of said further arm, said members being relatively rotatable except when they are pressed together by centrifugal force when the ball on said further arm rotates around said arm.

2. A device as claimed in claim I, wherein said further arm and the coupling therein are so formed that when the ball is struck by a golf club it can initially travel on a trajectory similar to that on which a free ball would travel and, until the ball has travelled a sufficient distance to be constrained by said further arm to rotate about said arm, said member and said further member are not pressed into frictional engage merit whereby any spin imparted to the ball by striking it with the club is efiective to rotate said member and said further member relatively to one another 3. A device as claimed in claim I, wherein one of said member and said further member bears a scale cooperating with a marking on the other of said member and said further member whereby the extent of relative rotation can readily be ascertained.

4. A device for use in practicing swinging a golf club comprising an arm, mounting means for securing said arm in a horizontal orientation, a further arm rotatably mounted on said am adjacent one end of said arm for rotation about a sub stantially horizontal axis, a ball mounted at an outer end of said further arm and means for counting the number cfrevolu tions ofsaid further arm when the ball 15 struck by a golfclub, wherein said further arm is mounted for rotation on said arm by means of a ball bearing to the outer race of which said further arm is secured, said outer race also carries a braking member which is engagable with a sleeve provided on said arm, and wherein the braking member is pivoted about an axis extending parallel to said arm in a manner such that it is thrown outwardly out of engagement with said sleeve on said arm, by centrifugal force as the further arm rotates about said arm, and is biased by a spring towards engagement with said sleeve on said arm.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the force applied by the spring to the braking member is variable by a manual control settable before the ball is struck 6 A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the slee e on said arm is axially slidable on said arm w hereby surfaces having Lltf' ferent frictional characteristics can be presented for engagement with said braking member.

7. A device for use in practicing swinging a golf club comprising an arm, mounting means for securing said arm in a horizontal orientation, a further arm rotatably mounted on said arm adjacent to one end of said arm for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, a ball mounted at an outer end of said further arm and an angular member mounted on said arm and including an outer arm which extends parallel to said arm, wherein said outer arm carries a gate, formed by two members spaced apart a distance just greater than the diameter of the ball, wherein said angular member is rotatably mounted on said arm for rotation about the axis of said arm whereby an inner arm of said angular member can be moved from a position in which it extends horizontally from said arm on one side to a position at which it extends horizontally from said arm on the other side, wherein said inner arm can also be depressed below a horizontal orientation to position the gate at varying distances from a rest position of said ball, at which rest position said further arm is vertical with the ball at the lower end thereof and wherein said member is of lightweight construction and is rotatably mounted on said outer arm for stepwise rotation so that if the ball is struck with a greater force than is necessary merely to cause the ball to enter the gate, the ball will strike a rear member beyond the gate to cause said member to rotate on said outer arm.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the inner arm has a flange surrounding its mounting on said am, said flange hav ing markings thereon to cooperate with a marking on the upright member so that the rotational position of said inner arm on said arm can readily be set to a desired value.

9. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said rear member of the gate is a flexible strap bridging said two members forming the gate.

10. A device for use in practicing swinging a golf club comprising an arm, a further arm rotatably mounted on said arm adjacent one end of said arm for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, a ball mounted at an outer end of said further arm and mounting means for securing said arm in a horizontal orientation, said mounting means comprising an upright member projecting from a base, said base comprising a horizontal base member covered with a resilient flexible material, said upright member and said further arm being relatively so proportioned that the ball in a rest position, at which rest position said further arm is vertical with the ball at the lower end thereof, hangs with a small clearance above the covering of said base member, wherein said base member is so formed as to present a pocket beneath said resilient flexible material at a position immediately below that at which the ball hangs on said further arm in its rest position, whereby members of rigid, semi-rigid or resilient material can be inserted in said pocket to simulate varying conditions of ground from which the ball may be struck and to adjust the clearance between the ball in its rest position and the resilient covering of said base member.

11. A device for use in practicing swinging a golf club comprising an arm, mounting means for securing said arm in a horizontal orientation, a further arm rotatably mounted an said arm adjacent one end of said arm for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, a ball mounted at an outer end of said further arm and means for counting the number of revolutions of said further arm when the ball is struck by a golf club, the means for counting the number of revolutions of said further arm on said arm comprising a screw threaded member secured to said further arm and rotatable in a bore in said arm and a nut secured against rotation on said screw threaded member and adapted to be moved longitudinally along said arm by rotation of said further arm, the arm being formed to present a guide slot, said nut mounted in said guide slot, having a partial screw thread on its underface and being pressed into engagement with the upper face of the screw threaded member, said arm bearing markings adjacent the guide slot so that the extent of movement of said nut longitudinall along said arm can be readily ascertained, wherein said furt er arm is mounted for rotation on said arm by means of a ball bearing to the outer race of which said further arm is secured, a sleeve on said arm, said outer arm also carries a braking member which is engagable with said sleeve on said arm and wherein the braking member is pivoted about an axis extending parallel to said arm in a manner such that it is thrown outwardly out of engagement with said sleeve on said arm, by centrifugal force as the further arm rotates about said arm, and is biased by a spring towards engagement with said sleeve on said arm.

12. A device for use in practising swinging a golf club comprising an arm, mounting means for securing said arm in a horizontal orientation, a further arm rotatably mounted on said arm adjacent to one end of said arm for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, a ball mounted at an outer end of said further arm and an angular member mounted on said arm and including an outer arm which extends parallel to said arm, said outer arm mounting a plurality of flexible fingers disposed in an arcuate row on said outer arm, said fingers being disposed so that the ends thereof which are remote from the outer arm are spaced from said arm a distance such that they can be struck by the ball when said further arm is rotating about said arm, wherein said outer arm carries a gate, formed by two members spaced apart a distance just greater than the diameter of the ball, said gate and said fingers are mounted on said outer arm by providing them on opposite sides of a member rotatable on said outer arm, whereby they can alternatively be presented on the side of said outer arm adjacent said arm, and wherein said angular member is rotatably mounted on said arm for rotation about the axis of said arm whereby an inner arm of said angular member can be moved from a position in which it extends horizontally from said arm on one side to a position at which it extends horizontally from said arm on the other side, wherein said inner arm can also be depressed below a horizontal orientation to position the gate at varying distances from a rest position of said ball, at which rest position said further arm is vertical with the ball at the lower end thereof and wherein said member is of lightweight construction and is rotatably mounted on said outer arm for stepwise rotation so that if the ball is struck with a greater force than is necessary merely to cause the ball to enter the gate, the ball will strike a rear member beyond the gate to cause said member to rotate on said outer arm.

Claims

1. A device for use in practicing swinging a golf club comprising an arm, mounting means for securing said arm in a horizontal orientation, a further arm rotatably mounted on said arm adjacent one end of said arm for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, a ball mounted at an outer end of said further arm and means for measuring rotation of the ball about the axis of said further arm with respect to a portion of said further arm when the ball is struck by a golf club, said means for measuring rotation of the ball about the axis of said further arm comprising a coupling between a lower part of said further arm and an upper part of said further arm, the coupling being formed by a member secured to said lower portion of the further arm and a further member, for frictional engagement with said member, secured to said upper portion of said further arm, said members being relatively rotatable except when they are pressed together by centrifugal force when the ball on said further arm rotates around said arm.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said further arm and the coupling therein are so formed that when the ball is struck by a golf club it can initially travel on a trajectory similar to that on which a free ball would travel and, until the ball has travelled a sufficient distance to be constrained by said further arm to rotate about said arm, said member and said further member are not pressed into frictional engagement whereby any spin imparted to the ball by striking it with the club is effective to rotate said member and said further member relatively to one another.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of said member and said further member bears a scale cooperating with a marking on the other of said member and said further member whereby the extent of relative rotation can readily be ascertained.

4. A device for use in practicing swinging a golf club comprising an arm, mounting means for securing said arm in a horizontal orientation, a further arm rotatably mounted on said arm adjacent one end of said arm for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, a ball mounted at an outer end of said further arm and means for counting the number of revolutions of said further arm when the ball is struck by a golf club, wherein said further arm is mounted for rotation on said arm by means of a ball bearing to the outer race of which said further arm is secured, said outer race also carries a braking member which is engagable with a sleeve provided on said arm, and wherein the braking member is pivoted about an axis extending parallel to said arm in a manner such that it is thrown outwardly out of engagement with said sleeve on said arm, by centrifugal force as the further arm rotates about said arm, and is biased by a spring towards engagement with said sleeve on said arm.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the force applied by the spring to the braking member is variable by a manual control settable before the ball is struck.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sleeve on said arm is axially slidable on said arm whereby surfaces having different frictionaL characteristics can be presented for engagement with said braking member.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the inner arm has a flange surrounding its mounting on said arm, said flange having markings thereon to cooperate with a marking on the upright member so that the rotational position of said inner arm on said arm can readily be set to a desired value.

11. A device for use in practicing swinging a golf club comprising an arm, mounting means for securing said arm in a horizontal orientation, a further arm rotatably mounted an said arm adjacent one end of said arm for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, a ball mounted at an outer end of said further arm and means for counting the number of revolutions of said further arm when the ball is struck by a golf club, the means for counting the number of revolutions of said further arm on said arm comprising a screw threaded member secured to said further arm and rotatable in a bore in said arm and a nut secured against rotation on said screw threaded member and adapted to be moved longitudinally along said arm by rotation of said further arm, the arm being formed to present a guide slot, said nut mounted in said guide slot, having a partial screw thread on its underface and being pressed into engagement with the upper face of the screw threaded member, said arm bearing markings adjacent the guide slot so that the extent of movement of said nut longitudinally along said arm can be readily ascertained, wherein said further arm is mounted for rotation on said arm by means of a ball bearing to the outer race of which said further arm is secured, a sleeve on said arm, said outer arm also carries a braking member which is engagable with said sleeve on said arm and wherein the braking member is pivoted about an axis extending parallel to said arm in a manner such that it is thrown outwardly out of engagement with said sleeve on said arm, by centrifugal force as the further arm rotates about said arm, and is biased by a spring towards engagement with said sleeve on said arm.