US3717349A

US3717349A - Divot indicating golf practice mat

Info

Publication number: US3717349A
Application number: US00167705A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Bohnen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-07-30
Filing date: 1971-07-30
Publication date: 1973-02-20
Anticipated expiration: 1990-02-20

Abstract

A golf practice mat formed of many separate strands of bendable members each individually extending upwardly from a base in spaced relation to one another to simulate blades of grass and a turfy surface of imitation grass, the individual strands being adapted to assume and stay in a bent condition impressed therethrough by the movement of a golf club head for collectively indicating the direction of such movement relative to a centerline aimed toward target until reset into upright condition preparatory to the next practice stroke of movement of a golf club head therethrough.

Description

1 51 Feb. 20, 1973 United States Patent [.91

Bohnen [54] DIVOT INDICATING GOLF PRACTICE MAT Primary Examiner-George .l. Marlo Att0mey--Leslie M. Hansen [57] ABSTRACT A golf practice mat formed of many separate strands of bendable members each individually extending up- 22 Filed:

wardly from a base in spaced relation to one another [52] 0.8. CI. .................273/l86 R, 273/195 A to simulate blades of grass and a turfy surface of imitation grass, the individual strands being adapted to as- Int. 69/36 sume and stay in a bent condition impressed 273/193 therethrough by the movement of a golf club head for collectively indicating the direction of such movement References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,343,843 Stanko..............................273/1 86 R 3,467,391 Elesh A r q 2 m PATENTED 3.717, 349

sum 10? 2 INVENTOR.

DAVID J. BOHNEN H/S ATTORNEY DIVOT INDICATING GOLF PRACTICE MAT BACKGROUND This invention relates to a golf practice mat and more particularly to a mat simulating turf for indicating the line of stroke of a golf club therethrough.

Golf is one of the most difficult of all spots to learn and requires frequent practice to play well. The average golfer does not have the time or money to spend many hours at a driving range. What is needed is a golf practice device that can be used at home, in the office, in a motel, etc. that will show the golfer if he is swinging correctly.

In golf the main purpose of any golfer is his desire that his swing be such that the ball will be hit down the middle," i.e., center, of a fairway. Most amateur golfers have a problem in that their swing may result in what is known as a hook" in which the ball veers to the left; or a slice in which the ball tends to take a trajectory toward the right of center.

There are many forms of practice mats by which to indicate whether the practice stroke of a club head will result in a hit down the middle, a slice or a hook. US. Pat. No. 3,479,878 to Loeffler, Nov. 25, 1969, indicates the direction of stroke. So does U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,075 dated Oct. 14, 1969, to Oppenheimer. These two disclosures are more directed to tee shots as distinguished from unteed balls such as those lying on turf. In cases of a ball lying on grass, it is often necessary that the base of the club head be below the ball with a result that some grass and turf is disturbed. This is known as a divot caused by the club head of an "iron or intermediate club swishing through the turf in the follow through of the stroke.

The next best indication to a correct swing than the flight of the ball is the divot the club takes in the turf. This shows the golfer the are his club took, which determines the flight of the ball, and it also shows the golfer if he is hitting the ball before the turf, which is correct.

The closest reference found alluding to the feeling a golfer gets when his club head strikes turf is US. Pat. No. 3,45l,683 which issued to Oliver, June 24, 1969, for a Golf Practice Mat wit Pivotable Bristle Assemblies. This Oliver patent, however, the pivotal action is in one direction only and does not accurately indicate whether the stroke would result in a slice or hook shot of the ball.

THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention contemplates the provision of a golf practice mat made up of a plurality of independent strands of bendable material each simulating an individual blade of grass. These strands are normally in a natural upstanding condition and are adapted to assume a bent condition in a direction dependent upon the path of swing of a golf club head therethrough. The strands of simulated grass remain in a bent condition to indicate to the golfer either the error or accuracy of his practice swing. The invention further contemplates means for resetting the bendable strands of simulated grass into a normal or upright condition preparatory to the next practice swing by the golfer.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a golf practice mat of imitation grass by which to indicate the direction of swing of a golf club head therethrough. In this connection, it is a further object to provide such a mat with means enabling the practicing golfer to see the results of his swing much the same as he would by a divot made in the grass on a regulation golf course.

It is a further object to provide such a mat, means for replacing the divot, albeit resetting the imitation strands of grass into an erect or upstanding condition.

A still further object is to provide such a mat which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and highly efficient in use. In this connection, it is an object to provide a mat on a simple portable base through which U-shaped wire members extend and have their bight portions secured so that the arms of the U-shaped wire members extend parallel upwardly therefrom through a resetting member for combing bent arms back into upstanding conditions.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description in the light of the accompanying two sheets of drawings in which:

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show various stances of a golfer relative to a mat including the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. I showing a straight, centerline stroke and FIG. 1A showing an enlarged detail of the club head and ball relative to the mat; FIG. 2 showing the result of a slice swing and FIG. 2A a detailed enlargement of the club head and ball relative to the mat; and FIG. 3 the results of a hook shot in which FIG. 3A is a detailed enlargement of the club head, ball and mat;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the mat of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 at larger scale;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section through FIG. 4 taken substantially alone line 5-5 therein;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5 showing the mat strands bent due to the stroke of a club head therethrough;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5 showing the resetting of the bent strands of the mat to normal, erect condition; and

FIG. 8 is a view similar to that of FIG. 7 showing the strands of the mat restored to erect condition as in FIG. 5.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings, the practice mat 10 embodying the present invention is of rectangular form and of a size suitable for enabling a golfer to make a full natural swing of a golf club along its upper surface. The mat 10 includes a base 11 of rigid material from which a plurality of brush-like bristles 12 extend vertically. The bristles 12 are in close proximity and cooperate with one another to provide a relatively firm, turfy upper surface upon which a ball may rest. The base and bristles of the mat simulate natural turf and the bristles collectively imitate grass such as to yield to the movement of a golf club head thereover without damaging the latter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In accordance with the present invention, each individual bristle I2 is a single strand of material so constituted as to assume a bent condition under the force of movement of a club head therethrough. Therefore,

each single strand 12 is characterized by the fact that it will assume a bent condition as engaged by the club head and remain in that position until intentionally erected by a person using the practice mat.

For the purposes of the present invention, each single strand of bristle 12 is made of soft durable metal wire 13 that will withstand fatigue from repeated disturbances between bent and straightened condition. The wire is preferably although not necessarily covered with a coating colored to simulate grass. This coating may be dipped or spray applied and of the thermoplastic fusion type such as vinyls and polyethylenes which adhere to the wire element despite the persistent bending from and toward straight condition.

As best illustrated in FIGS. through 8, each of the coated wires 13 are independent U-shaped elements having their arms extending upwardly through adjacent holes 14- 14' bored vertically through the base 11. The bight portions 15 of these U-shaped wire elements 13 are seated in transverse grooves 16 provided on the bottom surface 17 of the base 11. The bight portions 15 and that section of the arms of the wire elements 13 confined within the holes 14-14 are suitably united with the base 1 1 by means of a plastic cement 18 which sets up to bind the base and members together as a unitary whole.

The free ends 13' of the U-shaped wire elements extend upwardly from the base 11 through a member 20 for resetting the bristle elements into straightened condition. The resetting member 20 consists of a movable apertured panel through which the strands of wire elements 13 extend concentrically thereof. In the present disclosure, the panel 20 is shown as having holes 24 bored therethrough in register with the holes 14-14 in the base 11. The resetting member of panel 20 is guided for up and down movement relative to the base 1 l by guide rods 25 preferably set as comer posts at the four corners of the base 1 1. Each rod 25 is anchored in the base 11 and extends through a bore in an ear 27 extending from an edge 28-28 of the movable panel 20. Means 30 for elevating the resetting panel 20 relative to the base 11 is also provided. In its simplest form, the means 30 is shown to consist of a pair of handles 31 31' attached to opposite edges 28-28 of the panel 20. By means of the handles 31-31, the panel 20 can be manually lifted, while being guided by the four corner posts 25, to straighten out and reset the wire bristle elements 13 as a unit.

To assure stability of the base 1 1 during lifting of the resetting panel 20, a suitable treadle 32 on the base may be provided in the event the base is not permanently secured. It should here be noted that the means 30 for elevating the resetting panel 21 may well be foot operated by a simple leverage between the treadle 32 and the panel 20 by which to raise and lower the latter. In either event, the upward movement of the panel 20 during resetting operation is limited by means of enlarged heads 35 on the upper ends of each of the rods 25. This limit of movement is calculated to stop the panel 20 when it has raised to the upper extremities of all of the wire bristle elements 13. By this arrangement, the multitudinous bristles which make up the mat 10 are combed out and straightened after each practice stroke of a golf club head across its upper surface.

Referring now to FIG. 6, it will be noted that the head of a golf club in passing through the upstanding wire bristle elements 13 will bend those engaged. The wire bristles 13 so bent will remain in the bent condition thus impressed upon them. In this manner there will be an indication of the exact path taken by the club head through the mat bristles.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 through 3 and their auxilliary views in FIGS. 1A, 2A and 3A, the practicing golfer can tell by the bend of the wire bristles 13 whether his stroke to the ball is centered or inward or outside of center. Moreover, he will also be apprised of whether the depth of his swing is too far back or too far forward of the lie of the ball on the mat. By studying the results of each swing, the golfer can learn to control his stance, swing and force of stroke.

Once this control is established, the golfer can perform intentional slices and/or hook shots in situations required due to obstructions between the lie of a ball and the green. He can also learn to start his strokes back of the ball for loft and/or pitch shots. Most important, however, with the present mat 10, the golfer can practice golf swings in his home, ofiice, motel or other enclosures and have an indication by the bendable bristles of the mat the exact results of each such swing of the club head.

Having thus described the practice mat in specific detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the structure thereof may be altered, modified and/or varied without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention therein and as call for in the ap pended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a golf practice mat over which a golf club may be swung toward a golf ball to impress a pattern in the mat dependent upon the direction and depth of movement of the club head relative to said mat comprising:

1 a rigid base;

2. a plurality of independent strands of soft durable bendable wire able to withstand fatigue from repeated bending and straightening thereof;

3. means for mounting each of said strands of bendable wire in close spaced relation on said base with their free ends extending upwardly therefrom to a level providing a turfy grass like surface for supporting a golf ball thereon and for receiving an impression upon bending of such strands of bendable wire as are struck by the stroke of the head of a golf club over such surface;

4. a panel of rigid material substantially matching said base;

5. a plurality of apertures formed through said panel in identical spaced relation to the individual strands of bendable wire on said base for passage of each separate strand through an individual aperture in said panel;

. upstanding rods on said base and extending through said panel for guiding the latter for vertical movement in parallel relation relative to said base from the lower toward the upper extremities of said strands of bendable wire extending upwardly therefrom; and

7. means on said panel for manually raising and lowering the latter relative to said base for simuling rods at the level of the upper extremities of said strands of bendable wire.

5. The mat in accordance with that of claim 1, in which said bendable members consist of U-shaped strands of soft durable metal wire having leg portions extending upwardly through adjacent holes formed through said base and each having a bight portion traversing the bottom of said base; and means for cementing said U-shaped strands and their bight portions to said base where they engage the latter.

a a a s e

Claims

1. In a golf practice mat over which a golf club may be swung toward a golf ball to impress a pattern in the mat dependent upon the direction and depth of movement of the club head relative to said mat comprising: 1. a rigid base; 2. a plurality of independent strands of soft durable bendable wire able to withstand fatigue from repeated bending and straightening thereof; 3. means for mounting each of said strands of bendable wire in close spaced relation on said base with their free ends extending upwardly therefrom to a level providing a turfy grass like surface for supporting a golf ball thereon and for receiving an impression upon bending of such strands of bendable wire as are struck by the stroke of the head of a golf club over such surface; 4. a panel of rigid material substantially matching said base; 5. a plurality of apertures formed through said panel in identical spaced relation to the individual strands of bendable wire on said base for passage of each separate strand through an individual aperture in said panel; 6. upstanding rods on said base and extending through said panel for guiding the latter for vertical movement in parallel relation relative to said base from the lower toward the upper extremities of said strands of bendable wire extending upwardly therefrom; and 7. means on said panel for manually raising and lowering the latter relative to said base for simultaneously straightening each bent strand of bendable wire individually back into upstanding unbent condition.

1. a rigid base;

2. The mat in accordance with that of claim 1, in which said strands of wire are coated with a protective material.

3. The mat in accordance with that of claim 2, in which said strands of wire are coated with a material colored to simulate grass.

4. a panel of rigid material substantially matching said base;

4. The mat in accordance with claim 1, including means for limiting upward movement of said panel comprising an enlarged head on each of said upstanding rods at the level of the upper extremities of said strands of bendable wire.

6. upstanding rods on said base and extending through said panel for guiding the latter for vertical movement in parallel relation relative to said base from the lower toward the upper extremities of said strands of bendable wire extending upwardly therefrom; and

7. means on said panel for manually raising and lowering the latter relative to said base for simultaneously straightening each bent strand of bendable wire individually back into upstanding unbent condition.