WO2000066230A1

WO2000066230A1 - Training device for golf

Info

Publication number: WO2000066230A1
Application number: PCT/SE2000/000879
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jack Johansson
Original assignee: Jack Johansson
Priority date: 1999-05-04
Filing date: 2000-05-04
Publication date: 2000-11-09
Also published as: SE9901622D0; SE514242C2; SE9901622L; AU4792400A

Abstract

The invention relates to a training device for golf for assistance in the alignment of the club before executing a stroke, said device comprising a holder (1) adapted to be arranged on the shaft of the club. It also comprises an inclinometer (2) mounted on the holder (1), said inclinometer being arranged to visually indicate the inclination of the club shaft in at least two non-coinciding directions.

Description

TRAINING DEVICE FOR GOLF

Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a training device for golf, and more specifically to a training device for assistance in alignment of the club before executing a stroke, said device being adapted to be mounted on the shaft of the club.

Background Art

It is very important for golf players to achieve a stroke that will repeat, and this applies to the putt as well as to the swing. To achieve repeatability it is important to always set-up in the same way, i.e. place the body in the same position and place the club at the same inclination towards and away from the body as well as towards and away from the ball. A need exists therefore of a helping tool for assisting golf players in setting-up in the same way before each stroke.

Certain such helping tools are previously known. For example, it is known from US 5,720,668 that grooves can be formed in the clubhead to help the user to visually align the club. Further US 5,890,977 discloses a putter with surface markings placed on the lower part of the shaft to help in a similar way in the aligning of the club. However none of these helping tools give any sure repeatability in the setting-up, which leads to a large margin of error. The positive effect for the user is therefore marginal .

It is further known from e.g. US 5,873,789 that laser diodes can be installed in the club to indicate the position of the club. Such arrangements are however very expensive and complicated, and they cannot be used in normal training since special facilities are required.

All of these prior-art helping tools are complicated and give doubtful results, as well as being permanently installed on the clubs. This means that special clubs must be bought for this purpose, which is undesirable for many users. Further, in many cases, tournament rules require that clubs without such helping tools are used, which influences the repeatability negatively.

Object of the Invention

An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a training device for assistance m the align- mg of the club before executing a stroke, which can be mounted on the shaft of the club, and which gives a good result and which is relatively uncomplicated and simple to make and use .

This object is achieved by a helping tool in accor- dance with the appended claims.

Summary of the Invention

The invention relates to a training device for golf as mentioned above, comprising a holder adapted to be arranged on the shaft of the club and an inclinometer arranged on the holder, the inclinometer being arranged to visually indicate the inclination of the shaft of the club in at least two non-coinciding directions. The term inclinometer relates here to a unit which indicates the inclination of the club shaft. The inclination can be regarded as either the absolute inclination from a vertical line or the relative inclination from a reference line or the like. By arranging visually readable inclinometers on the club shaft, the inclination of the club at setting-up can thus be easily determined and corrected, so that the desired set-up position can be obtained. Alignment of the club with the correct inclination also helps to set-up the body in the correct position, by which in total a very good repeatability in setting-up is achieved.

The inclinometer comprises preferably reference position indications for the different spatial directions for indication of a desired inclination, the inclinometers being adjustable to give individual setting-up of the inclination equalling the reference position indications. In this way the user can adjust the reference indications of the inclinometer to a desired setting-up position, and then always simply recall this position with the aid of the reference positions.

Most preferable is to use bubble levels as inclinometers, as these are both inexpensive and reliable, as well as being easy to read.

Further it is preferred to mount the inclinometer on the holder using a ball joint. In this way the inclinometer is easily adjustable m several directions. It is also preferred to provide locking means for locking of a desired position. In this way the device can be locked in a preferred position which can then be preserved from stroke to stroke.

Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will now for the purpose of exemplification be described m more detail with the aid of embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings, m which

Fig. 1 shows a device according to a preferred embo- diment of the invention, seen obliquely from the front; Fig. 2 shows the same device as shown m Fig. 1 but seen obliquely from the back;

Fig. 3 shows the device m Fig. 1 mounted on a golf club; and Fig . is a sectioned view of a second embodiment of the invention.

Description of Preferred Embodiments

A training device according to the invention co - prises, as shown m Figs 1 and 2, a holder 1 adapted to be arranged on the shaft of a golf club. The holder is preferably arranged for easy detachable mounting on the shaft of the club. This can be achieved for example with a C-shaped ring of an elastic material such as rigid plastic. The ring can be pressed m over the shaft of the club and then remain there by way of inherent elasti- city. It is however also possible by way of complement or alternative to use a belt which is strapped place or a similar arrangement, which prevents the device from falling off when the user practices swings and the like, and when the pressure on the holder is high. Further, on the holder are arranged one or more inclinometers 2, which are positioned to visually indicate the inclination of the club shaft m at least two non-comcidmg directions. The inclinometers are preferably adjustable to allow individual setting of the lncli- nation. This can be achieved e.g. by the inclinometers being movably mounted on the holder, such as by at least one ball joint. Holder cups 3 can thus be arranged on the holder 1, while the inclinometers 2 contain corresponding balls 4. The reverse relationship is however equally pos- sible. Further the attachment can advantageously be lock- able with a locking means, for locking of a desired position of the inclinometer relative to the holder. Such locking means (not shown) can be e.g. locking screws arranged the holder cups 3 and acting against the balls 4.

The inclinometers can be designed m different ways. Preferably, however, they are set-up to indicate the inclination relative to a horizontal plane. This can be achieved e.g. by a bubble level with a container 5 hold- mg a liquid and a gas bubble 6 placed therein. In a preferred embodiment two levels are used, which each indicate the respective inclination one direction. These so-called tube levels are arranged at an angle to each other so that together they show inclinations m two independent directions. Alternatively, however, the inclinometer can comprise only one level, which shows the inclination to the horizontal plane at least two directions simultaneously. Such levels can comprise e.g. an essentially flat transparent top surface.

The inclinometer includes preferably reference position indications for the different directions for indi- eating a desired inclination. Such reference positions can e.g., in the case of the level, be lines set on the transparent surface between which the gas bubble should be placed.

During application the helping device is placed at a desired height on the shaft of the club, as shown in

Fig. 3. On the first occasion of usage, the club is then placed in a suitable setting-up position, whereafter the inclinometer is set so that this position becomes the reference position. Thereafter, when setting-up is to be carried out anew, the club is aligned so that the inclinometer ends up in the reference position. In this way the same club position is obtained in every setting-up, and this indirectly leads to the positioning of the body being essentially the same from stroke to stroke. The helping device according to the invention can be used for training of putts as well as swings. In swing practice, however, the device must be adapted so that the setting of the inclinometer is not changed nor does the device fall off under the large force exerted when the club is swung. By the device being simply detachable it can as well be easily moved between different clubs and even taken off during tournaments etc. In this way the user can use his usual clubs during training as well. The device is also advantageously made of plastic or similar material, and has thus a low weight. This results in the device having only a very small effect on the club and the movement of the club.

Fig. 4 shows an alternative embodiment is of the device according to the invention. The helping device according to this embodiment comprises, as in the earlier embodiment, inclinometers 2 with ball couplings 4. These are adapted to be arranged in the holder cups 3 ' , as indicated by the arrows A. The holder l¹ is in this embodiment divided into two parts 8, 9 in a dividing plane preferably essentially perpendicular to the shaft of the club when the holder is mounted. These parts can be join- ed by gluing, welding or likewise. Preferably, however, they are joined by mechanical locking means, and preferably locking means which enable snap- in locking. These locking means comprise in this embodiment pins 13 with barbs or similar friction-building parts, as well as corresponding recesses 14 in the other part. The holder parts are joined in such a manner as indicated by the arrow B in Fig. 4.

Further it is preferable that a part 10 of a relatively soft material with high friction, e.g. rubber, is arranged between the two parts 8, 9. This part is preferably essentially flat, and has advantageously a hole 12 or the like, by which it can be locked in relation to the parts 8, 9 with the aid of corresponding protruding parts 11. However other ways of locking the soft part relative to the parts 8, 9 intended for joining are possible. The soft part should have an extension such that in the fastened position it extends with a portion 16 out from the holder parts 8, 9, so that this portion bears on the shaft of the club when the holder is mounted on the club shaft. As a result, an increased friction is obtained between the holder and club shaft, and thus an improved attachment .

Further the soft part 10 comprises preferably parts 17 which extend to the holder cups 3 ' , to abut against the balls 4 of the inclinometers 2. This means that in a corresponding way an improved attachment of the inclinometers 2 relative to the holder 1' is achieved.

The holder can further advantageously comprise a handle for simple detachment of the holder from the club shaft on demounting. This can e.g. be achieved by arranging openings 15 or the like in the holder parts 8, 9 between the holder cups 3 ' , or behind these seen from the club shaft. The soft part can in this case as well advantageously extend past these openings, by which a better grip is obtained.

The device according to the invention can be easily snapped in place on the club shaft, which facilitates quick mounting and demounting. Consequently the device can be used also during short practices. Further the device according to the invention can be made very simple and light, which results in a very small effect on the properties of the club. The device according to the invention has preferably a total weight of less than 20 g, and most preferably a weight of less than 15 g.

The invention has now been described by way of embodiments. More variations of the invention are however possible. For example it is possible to instead of levels use constructions with plummets or the like as inclinometers. It is also possible to design the holder in other ways, with straps, snap-lock etc. Further, adjustable attachments between holder and inclinometers can be designed in several different ways. These and other closely related variations of the invention must be regarded to be within the scope of the invention as delimited by the appended claims .

Claims

1. A training device for golf for assistance alignment of the club before executing a stroke, the device comprising a holder (1) adapted to be arranged on the shaft of the club and an inclinometer (2) mounted on the holder (1) , the inclinometer being arranged to visually indicate the inclination of the club shaft at least two non-comciding directions, c h a r a c t e r i s e d m that the holder comprises a partly encompassing, essentially C-shaped part made of an elastic material, e.g. rigid plastic, intended for easy detachable assembly on the club shaf .

2. A training device according to claim 1, wherein the inclinometer (2) comprises reference position indications (7) for the different spatial directions for indicating a desired inclination, the inclinometer (2) being adjustable to allow individual setting of the inclination corresponding to the reference position indications .

3. A training device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the inclinometer (2) is movably arranged on the holder (1), and further is adapted to indicate the lncli- nation relative to a horizontal plane.

4. A training device according to claim 3 , wherein the inclinometer comprises at least one bubble level (5) with a gas bubble (6) placed m a liquid

5. A training device according to claim 4, wherein the inclinometer comprises two bubble levels, each showing their inclination one direction, arranged at an angle to each other.

6. A training device according to claim 4, wherein the inclinometer comprises only one bubble level, which shows the inclination to the horizontal plane m at least two directions simultaneously.

7. A training device according to any one of claims 3-6, wherein the connection between the inclinometer and the holder comprises at least one ball joint.

8. A training device according to claim 7, wherein the connection further comprises a locking means for locking a desired position of the inclinometer relative to the holder.

9. A training device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the holder comprises two inter- connectable parts (8, 9), and a friction-building part

(10) is arranged between said parts, said part (10) having an extension such that, when the holder is mounted on a club shaft, it protrudes at least slightly from the holder towards the club shaft .

10. A training device according to claim 9, when dependent on claim 7, wherein the friction-building part also has an extension such that it protrudes at least slightly from the holder towards the ball joint.