WO2003080194A1

WO2003080194A1 - Golf swing training device

Info

Publication number: WO2003080194A1
Application number: PCT/CA2002/000398
Authority: WO
Inventors: Steve Hoather
Original assignee: Jam Industries Ltd.
Priority date: 2002-03-21
Filing date: 2002-03-21
Publication date: 2003-10-02
Also published as: AU2002245967A1

Abstract

A golf swing practice device (11) which has a chest harness (12) having detachable securing members (20-21) for securing same about a user person's (10) upper body portion (13). A stretchable elastomeric member (14) having a predetermined length and stretching force is secured at one end (14') to the harness and at an opposed end (14') to a top end (15') of a golf club hand grip (15) running through the inside of the handle shaft (28). The hand grip (15) has a rigid core and is gripped by a user person to stretch the stretchable elastomeric member (14) by full extension of at least the leading arm (35') of the user person to create a load resistance against the at least leading arm, whereby this leading arm remains outstretched, pushing against the load resistance, which provides a muscle load memory feedback.

Description

GOLF SWING TRAINING DEVICE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a golf swing practice device and, more particularly, to a device which is secured about the chest of a user person and which incorporates a stretchable member having a predetermined length and resistive force when stretched by full extension of at least the leading arm of a user person to maintain the leading arm outstretched during the swing and providing a muscle load memory feedback to the user person.

BACKGROUND ART

Golf swing practice devices and apparatus are numerous. For example, it is known from U.S. Patent No. 4,509,757, issued April 9, 1985 to provide a swing diagnosing device which is attachable to the central chest region of a user person by a harness. That device is mechanical in nature and requires the adjustment of fixed parts adapted to a particular user so that the arms maintain a proper position throughout a golf swing. This device is adaptable for diagnosing a swing of a golf club, a baseball bat, a tennis racquet or other such sports articles. U.S. Patent No. 1,656,960, issued on January 4, 1921, discloses a similar article which is more crude in construction but which uses a spring attachment between a chest belt and the golf club to provide a fulcrum whereby the head of the club naturally returns to the ball for impact therewith. Such a device is mostly for practising putting and it is unlikely that it can produce the result sought in the teaching of the golf swing. U.S. Patent No. 5,149,099, issued on September 22, 1992, also relates to a swing training device which comprises a harness that is attachable about the neck of the user person and wherein an elastic loop is utilized and stretched during the motion of a golf swing, whereby swinging the golf club against the upward pull of the elastic loop produces improved control of the golfer's arms to achieve a perfect swing plane, and levelling and squaring up of the golf club face. However, this elastic loop is not stationary and displaces itself about the neck during the golf swing, and thus does not provide constant tension throughout the golf swing.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is a feature of the present invention to provide a golf swing practice device of the above-described types and which is an improvement thereover, and which is easy to attach to a user's upper body, which is simple to use and which provides improved results of a user's golf swing, as well as providing a means of strengthening at least the leading arm and wrist of a user person.

According to the above features, from a broad aspect, the present invention provides a golf swing practice device comprising a chest harness having detachable securement means for securing same about a user person's upper body portion. A stretchable resilient member having a predetermined length and stretching force is secured at one end to the harness and at an opposed end to a top end of a golf club hand grip member. The hand grip member has a rigid core. The hand grip member is gripped by a user person to stretch the stretchable resilient member by full extension of at least the leading arm of a golf swing of the user person to create ^'a load resistance against at least the leading arm whereby the leading arm remains outstretched and pushing against the load resistance to provide a muscle load memory feedback whereby the user develop the feeling of a consistent tension required throughout his own golf swing, or a portion thereof, such as the backswing or downswing, so that the user may try to duplicate same in the real game of golf. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an illustration of a person using the golf swing practice device of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmented perspective view showing the construction of the golf swing practice device;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmented, partly sectioned, view of the hand grip member to which one end of the stretchable resilient member is secured;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view showing one embodiment of how the stretchable resilient member may be secured in the rigid core of the hand grip;

FIGURES 5 to 12 are pictorial illustrations of a user person demonstrating how the golf swing practice device is utilized during address and through the backswing of a golf swing; and

FIGURES 13 and 14 are similar illustrations showing how the golf swing practice device may be used as a strength training device .

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Figure 1 , there is shown a user person 10 practising a golf swing with the. golf swing practice device 11 of the present invention. As herein shown, the golf swing practice device 11 consists essentially of a chest harness 12 which is secured about the user person's upper body portion 13 at the chest area. A stretchable resilient member 14 is secured at one end 14 ' to the chest harness 12 and is positioned substantially centrally on the chest of the user. The other end 14" of the stretchable resilient member is secured to a golf club handle grip 15, which is held by the hands 16 of the user person 10. The resilient member 14 enters the top end 15' of the handle grip 15. As shown by phantom line 17, a club head may be secured to the free end of a shaft portion 18.

Referring now to Figure 2 , it can be seen that the chest harness 12 consists of a chest strap 19, which is provided with attachment means in the form of Velcro pieces 20 and 21 that are secured adjacent to opposed free ends 22 and 23 of the chest strap 19, whereby to rigidly secure the belt about a wearer's chest, as shown in Figure 1. Velcro piece 20 may be much shorter than Velcro piece 21 in order to provide adjustment for chests of different sizes. Of course, other attachment means, such as a buckle, could be secured to the chest strap 19 to provide adjustment. As herein shown, the stretchable resilient member 14 is in the form of an elongated elastomeric cord having a predetermined length and stretching force, and there may be different sizes of these cords to adapt the device to different groups of user persons . These groups may be selected by height and age categories. For example, with full-grown adults, the length of the elastomeric cord would be longer and have a higher resistive force to generate a predetermined feedback force against the user's arm when the elastomeric cord is stretched with the arms fully extended, as will be described later.

The top end of the elastomeric cord 14 has an enlargement 24, whereby to be retained behind a strap loop 25 which is rigidly secured to the chest strap 19 by stitches 26 or equivalent securement means. A rigid ring member 27 is secured centrally on the loop 25 for the passage of the elastomeric cord 14, so that in the production thereof the elastomeric member can be passed through this rigid ring 27 and be retained by locating the enlargement 24 therebehind, as illustrated in Figure 2. The elastomeric member may also have different means of retention, but the preferred one illustrated is easy to fabricate and install. This type of connection also provides an alignment of the handle grip with the central portion of the user's chest, which is very important for a proper golf swing, as will also be described later.

The lower end portion 14" of the elastomeric cord 14 is secured to the handle grip 15, as is better illustrated with further reference to Figures 3 and 4. As herein shown, the handle grip 15 is provided with an inner rigid core which is constituted by a predetermined length of a golf shaft tubing 28. The golf shaft tubing 28 can extend beyond the lower end 15" of the handle grip 15, as shown at 28' . The elastomeric member 14 can thus extend to a longer length to provide sufficient stretching, and is secured at its free end 29 by a fastener 30, as better illustrated in Figure 4. As can be seen, the fastener 30 causes the free end 29 of the elastomeric member 14 to flare outwards so that, when a pulling force is applied on the elastic member in the direction of arrow 31, the concentric flared portion 32 created by the expansion of the free end of the elastomeric member by the fastener 30 will abut against the circumferential free edge 33 of the shaft portion 28', whereby to rigidly connect the elastomeric member to this shaft portion. Other fastening means can also be contemplated, but the most important aspect of the securement is that the elastometic cord exit the butt end 28' of the tubing 28.

With reference now to Figures 5 to 8, there will be described the use of the golf swing practice device 11 of the present invention and its benefit to a user person 10. As shown in Figure 5, the handle grip 15 is located in alignment with the central portion of the user person's body and, by grasping the handle grip 15 with the user's hands 16, the user person 10 assumes the ball address position by extending both his arms 35 and 35' and pushing against the resistance of the elastomeric cord 14, which has now been stretched, as shown in Figure 6. Accordingly, the user person feels a resistive force acting against his arms and causing his arms to be maintained outstretched pushing against this resistive force of the elastomeric member. At that position, as shown in Figure 5, the user person assumes the proper posture with the arms and shoulders forming a triangle .

As shown in Figures 7 and 8 , the user person pushes out against the resistive force of the stretched elastomeric cord 14 and starts a shoulder rotation to initiate the backswing, maintaining the triangular posture of the arms and shoulder and continuing to push against the resistive force of the elastomeric member. At least the leading arm 35' of the golf swing of the user person 10 receives a muscle load feedback from the force exerted against the elastomeric cord while the body is set in rotation, keeping the consistent tension while the body is turning with the arms and shoulders, as is required in a proper golf swing.

As shown in Figure 9, the extension of the arm continues to be maintained in the backswing, ensuring proper width of the swing while at least the leading arm maintains outward pressure against the resistance of the elastomeric cord, while the arms and grip are maintained substantially in the centre of the chest. Because the elastomeric cord exits from the top of the hand grip, this ensures proper alignment of the hands and club with the centre of the chest. The backswing continues its trajectory, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, as seen from behind the target being aimed at by the user person, with the arms at proper posture and the leading arm outstretched against the resistive force of the elastomeric cord to the top of the swing. The user then initiates the downswing, maintaining the arms outstretched and the head steady of the teed-up golf ball and past impact .

Figure 12 shows a top view of the user person and how this consistent width or extension is being maintained through the backswing, and this is from the beginning at the address position, as shown in Figure 6, through to the top of the swing, where the resistance has provided a feeling that allows proper swing feel to be ingrained in the user person's mind.

By consistent practice, the user person continuously receives muscle -load feedback, which by repetition becomes ingrained in his memory so that it may be duplicated when the user uses a real golf club during his game of golf or during practice, where he may hit several golf balls, trying to always duplicate the feedback feeling in his memory.

Figures 13 and 14 show the device of the present invention utilized as a strength training device whereby to increase the strength in at' least the leading golf swing arm 35' of the user person 10. As pointed out above, the extension of the arms is maintained during the downswing of the golf club, wherein the user person continues to push against this restoring force .created by the stretched elastomeric cord.

Referring again to Figure 1, it is pointed out that the shaft portion 18 of the training device may have the same length as that of a putter club, with the club head 17 being that of a putter, whereby to practice the putting stroke. The device provides for the arms to remain outstretched and to form a triangular posture with the¹ shoulders, whereby to maintain this posture throughout the putting stroke, whereby the putting stroke is initiated by shoulder rotation.

It is within the ambit of the present invention to cover any obvious modifications of the preferred embodiment described herein, provided such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. A golf swing practice device (11) comprising a chest harness (12) having detachable securement means (20-21) for securing same about a user person's (10) upper body portion (13) , a stretchable resilient member (14) having a predetermined length and stretching force, said stretchable member (14) being secured at one end (14') to said harness and at an opposed end (14") to a top end (15') of a golf club hand grip member (15) , said hand grip member having a rigid core (28) , and being gripped by a user person (10) to stretch said stretchable resilient member by full extension of at least the leading arm (35') of a golf swing of said user person to create a load resistance against at least said leading arm whereby said leading arm (35') remains outstretched pushing against said load resistance to provide a muscle load memory feedback whereby said user (10) develops a feeling of a consistent tension required throughout said golf swing or a portion thereof, so that said user may try to duplicate said feedback feeling with a real golf club.

2. A golf swing practice- device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said stretchable resilient member (14) is an elongated elastomeric cord.

3. A golf swing practice device as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said length and stretching force of said elastomeric cord (14) is predetermined and varies for different groups of user persons (10) .

4. A golf swing practice device as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said chest harness (12) is a chest strap (19) having attachment means (20-21) for removably securing same about the chest (13) of a user person, and securement means (25) for securing said one end (14') of said elastomeric cord (14) to said strap (19) .

5. A golf swing practice device as claimed in Claim 4. wherein said one end of said elastomeric cord (14) has an integrally formed enlarged end (24) retained behind a rigid ring member (27) secured to a strap loop (25) secured to said chest strap (19) at a central location thereof with respect to the chest of the user person whereby to be positioned substantially in the middle of the chest of the user person, said elastomeric cord (14) extending through said rigid ring (27) with said enlarged end restrained therebehind when subjected to a pulling force by said user person.

6. A golf swing practice device as claimed in Claim 4 wherein said attachment means is comprised of Velcro pieces (20-21) secured adjacent to opposed ends of said chest strap (19) for mating engagement with one another.

7. A golf swing practice device as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said rigid core (28) is an end portion (28') of a golf club shaft, said portion (28') extending forwardly of said handle grip (15) .

8. A golf swing practice device as claimed in Claim 7 wherein a club head (17) is secured at a free end of said golf club portion extending forwardly of said handle grip (15) .

9. A golf swing practice device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said golf swing practice device (11) is also a strength training device to increase strength in at least said leading arm (35') of a user person.

10. A golf swing practice device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said golf swing practice device (11) is also a putting training device by causing a user's arms and shoulders to maintain a triangular configuration throughout a putting stroke. - lO -

ll. . A golf swing practice device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said golf swing practice device (11) also provides a mental feedback to said user person (10) of the correct arm and shoulder triangular posture at a ball address position and consistent width and extension during said golf swing with respect to the centre of the user's chest .