WO2018069695A1

WO2018069695A1 - Device for aiding putting of a golf ball

Info

Publication number: WO2018069695A1
Application number: PCT/GB2017/053067
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paul Reardon
Original assignee: Paul Reardon
Priority date: 2016-10-10
Filing date: 2017-10-10
Publication date: 2018-04-19
Also published as: GB201617164D0; GB2554755A

Abstract

A device for aiding putting of a golf ball, the device having attachment means for attaching the device securely to a shaft of a golf putting club and having means for providing magnification.

Description

DEVICE FOR AIDING PUTTING OF A GOLF BALL FI ELD OF THE I NVENTION

The present invention relates to a device for aiding putting of a golf bail, a golf putting system comprising a golf club and the device, and to a method of putting a golf bail. More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to an attachable device having means to facilitate improved ball vision. The invention finds advantageous application in the ability to improve the device user's results in obtaining a successful placement of a golf bail into a hole (cup) thus achieving the goal of a lowest use of golf strokes to par. Aspects of the invention relate to a device for aiding putting of a golf ball, to a golf putting system, to a golf putting club and to a method of putting a golf ball.

BACKGROUND OF THE I NVENTION

Putting is approximately 50% of a total number of strokes used in a game of golf. As golf rules dictate that the lowest number of strokes used to put the golf ball in the hole is the winner, it is desirable for a player to use a lowest possible number of strokes, it is desirable to provide training aids and golf putting devices that assist a golfer in achieving a low number of strokes.

The present invention seeks to provide an improvement in the field of golf putters by providing a training device for golf putting. The present invention provides a golf putting (training) system for use with or comprising a golf club, and an attachable device comprising means for providing magnification. The attachable device or component can be affixed to the golf club to provide the golfer with an enlarged view of the golf bail and/or head of the golf club. The golf putting system is particularly beneficial in providing improvements in direction and accuracy. The invention also can remove the liability to get the so-called "yips" as it may teach a golfer how to smooth out their putting stroke.

SUMMARY OF THE I NVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a device for aiding putting of a golf ball, the device having attachment means for attaching the device securely to a shaft of a golf putting club and having means for providing magnification.

Optionally, said means for providing magnification comprises one or more optical components, which may be provided by a Fresnel lens.

Optionally, said means for providing magnification is provided by a plastic Fresnel convex lens magnifier. The means for providing magnification may comprise one or more lines, markings or other alignment indicia for facilitating alignment of a ball and the head of the golf club.

Optionally, said means for providing magnification comprises a main plate-like body. The main plate-like body may be sufficiently sized such that the device can provide magnification of both a head of a golf putting club and of a bail proximate thereto.

Optionally, the attachment means is provided along an edge of the main plate-like body.

Beneficially the device is removable, such that it can be attached to and removed from a golf putting club so that the club can be used with and without the putting aid device.

Optionally, the attachment means is a clip that is sized to fit at least partially around the shaft of the golf putting club, the clip being bonded at an edge portion of the device. The dip may comprise a first arm made of a resilient material, a second arm made of a resilient materia! and a shoulder portion.

Optionally, the shoulder portion and the first and second arms are an integral unit, wherein the first and second arms diverge from the shoulder portion away from one another. The first arm may be shaped to fit about the shaft of the golf putting club and may be shaped to return towards the second arm. Optionally, the first arm has a free end, and the second arm has a free end that is shaped and sized such that the free ends of the first and second arms are closely proximate to one another.

According to another aspect, there is provided a method of putting a golf ball into a cup, the method comprising:

(i) providing a goif putting club having a device as described above attached to the shaft thereof;

viewing a head of the goif putting club and a goif bail proximate thereto, through the means for providing magnification such that the head of the golf putting club and the golf ball appear to have a greater than norma! size;

(iii) aligning the head of the golf putting club with ball; and

(iv) striking the ba!! towards the cup.

Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and/or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and/or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and/or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1A shows a side view of a golf putting system according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 1 B is a perspective view of the golf putting system of Figure 1 illustrating a clip that attaches said holder to the putter club according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a device for aiding putting of a golf ball;

FIGURE 3A is an end view of the device of Figure 2; FIGURE 3B is a front plan view of the device of Figures 2 and 3A; and

FIGURE 4A is a perspective view of a device for aiding putting of a golf bail according to various embodiments; and FIGURE 4B is a top view of the device of Figure 4A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Detailed descriptions of specific embodiments of the device for aiding putting, a golf putting system and methods of the present invention are disclosed herein, it will be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples of the way in which certain aspects of the invention can be implemented and do not represent an exhaustive list of all of the ways the invention may be embodied, indeed, it will be understood that the device for aiding putting, the golf putting system and methods described herein may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The Figures are not necessarily to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimised to show details of particular components. Well-known components, materials or methods are not necessarily described in detail to avoid obscuring the present disclosure. Any specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the invention. To improve a golfers ability to see and align a golf ball with the head of his golf club 10, with the aim of improving the golfer's ability to strike the bail into a golf cup, the present disclosure provides a removable device 20 for aiding putting. The device 20 and a golf putting club 10 are shown in Figures 1A and 1 B. The device 20 provides a magnification unit (see Figures 1 to 3B). At least a substantial part of the device 20 is made up of the magnification unit 26 to provide a sufficient area through which the golfer can see his club head 16 and golf ball. The magnification unit 26 may be or may comprise a glass magnifier or preferably may be provided by or comprise a Fresnel iens 26. Beneficially a Fresnel lens 26 is robust, rigid or slightly flexible, less fragile than glass, easy to produce and simple to situate within the device 20. Optionally the Fresnel lens 26 is a plastic convex type. Optionally, the Fresnel lens 26 may be a balanced iens meaning that that both of its surfaces (in a use position the upper facing and lower facing surfaces) provide equal magnification, in other arrangements, it is envisaged that a non-balanced Fresnel lens magnifier 126 may be utilised and in some applications, it may be beneficial to utilise a Fresnel lens 126 wherein the upper facing surface provides 80% of the magnification and the lower facing surface provides 20% of the magnification (see Figures 4A and 4B).

Referring again to Figures 1A and 1 B, the golf club 10, which may optionally be a golf putting club 10, comprises a handle 12, a shaft 14 and a head 16. The golfer holds the handle 12, and positions the shaft 14 and head 16 relative to a golf ball to be putted such that when the golf club 10 is swung, the golf ball is struck and, hopefully, the golf bail is thereby moved into a cup or hole and is putted. Many factors affect whether the ball will in fact be putted and many golfers spend considerable time training and practising their putting technique. To aid in training or match play success, the devices 20, 120 of the present disclosure aim to improve the golfer's view of the ball and golf-club head 16 so that he can ensure that the head 16 and the ball are correctly aligned before striking the bail. Additionally, the size of the device 20 allows the golfer to continually view the club head 16 and ball positioned proximate thereto so that he can ensure, or at least improve his chances, of the club head 16 remaining correctly aligned as the golfer swings the club through to strike the ball. Optionally, and as shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the device 120 may be provided with one or more lines 136 and/or one or more measurement scales or graduated scales 138. The one or more lines 136 and/or the one or more measurement scales 138 may additionally assist a golfer in practising and improving their putting stroke.

The device 20, 120 is lightweight to avoid affecting the weight of the club 10. Furthermore, the device 20, 120 is removable so that the club 0 can be used with and without the device 20, 120. in this way a putter can be used for training and the same putter can be used in match play so that a golfer trains and plays with the same, familiar club. The learning carried out with his putter can then be transferred to match play where the golfer can play with the same club.

As shown in Figures 1 A, 1 B and 2, the device 20 has an attachment element 22 (also referred to herein as attachment means 22) for removably attaching the device 20 directly and securely to the shaft 14 of the golf putting club 10. Additionally, the device 20 comprises a magnification unit 26 (also referred to herein as means for providing magnification 26). The magnifier or magnification unit 26 may comprise one or more optical components 26. The magnifier 26 comprises or is provided by a Fresnel lens 26. A Fresnel lens 26 is illustrated in Figures 2 and 3B by a series of concentric rings which are not necessarily visible artefacts of the Fresnel lens 26 in normal use. In normal use, the Fresnel magnifier 26 may have the appearance of a transparent piece of plastic. Whilst many optical components or combinations of components are suitable for forming the magnification unit 26, it has been found that a plastic Fresnel convex lens magnifier has beneficial application in the device 20.

Although not shown, in some arrangements the means for providing magnification 26 comprises one or more lines, markings, scales, graduations or other indicia for facilitating alignment of a bail and the head 16 of the golf club 10. Such markings may include a solid line; a dotted line; a line with an arrow head or similar. Such scales and graduations may include a measurement scale, for example and without limitation, a 6-inch rule, marked onto the device 20, optionally along an edge thereof. The provision of a measurement scale (in imperial, metric or other units) beneficial allows the device 20 to train the golfer to learn the distance the putter head should be pulled back to hit the golf ball with a certain force, such that the bail can travel a required distance over the surface of the green. For example, the provision of a 6-inch rule marked out along an edge of the means for providing magnification 26 on the device 20 may enable a golfer training with the device to learn that the head of the putter should be pulled back about 3 inches to make a putt at a certain distance from the cup.

Returning now to the presently illustrated embodiment, the device 20 and/or said means for providing magnification 26 comprises a main plate-like body 24, an edge of which may or may not provide magnification. The plate-like body 24 may be flexible, transparent and in the region of 0.2 mm to 3 mm thick. In order to provide a sufficiently large magnified viewing area it is preferred, but nevertheless optional, if the main portion 24 has a length of between about 60mm and about 20mm; and a width of between about 30mm and about 80mm. The main- plate like body may be provided by the Fresnel magnifier 26, or the Fresnel lens magnifier 26 may be formed in at least a region of the main plate like body 24.

Alternatively, and as shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the main-plate like body 124 may be provided by a first layer 124; affixed or bonded to at least a region of which is a second layer 126 which provides the Fresnel magnifier 126. The first layer 124 may be a transparent plastic material 124 and may have means affixed thereto for connecting or coupling with the attachment means 122. Either or both of the main-plate like body 124 and Fresnel magnifier 126 may comprise one or more lines 136 and/or one or more measurement scales. In the embodiment of Figures 4A and 4B, the main-plate like body 124 comprises two lines and a graduated, 6-inch (15cm) measurement scale along an edge thereof. Optionally, the two lines may be spaced apart by between about 1.0 cm and about 2.0 cm and optionally by about 1.2cm.

As shown in the Figures, the attachment means 22, 122 is provided along an edge of the main plate-like body 24, 124. Optionally, the attachment means 22, 122 may be bonded to the main portion 24, 124 of the device using an adhesive, mechanical clipping means or other affixing means. The attachment means 22, 122 may be coupled to the plate-like body 24, 124 substantially centrally along the edge of the main portion 24, 124. This provides for an even weight distribution, but it is envisaged that in other embodiments, the attachment means may be positioned off-centre and even weight distribution may be ignored or achieved by other means.

Optionally, in the arrangement of Figures 1 to 3B, the attachment means 22 is a clip 22 that is sized to fit at least partially around the shaft 14 of the golf putting club, the clip 22 being bonded at an edge portion of the main portion 24 of the device 20. It will be appreciated that the attachment means could take many and various forms and a suitable attachment means 22 is lightweight and easy to operate, yet provides a secure and direct, non-flexible and preferably rigid removable attachment of the device 20 to the club 10 without damaging or marking the club 10. Accordingly, the present invention optionally provides the clip 22, best viewed in Figure 2, that comprises a first arm 22a made of a resilient material, a second arm 22b made of the same resilient material and a shoulder portion 25. The shoulder portion 25 may have an elongate portion that is bonded or otherwise affixed to the main body 24 of the device 20 (see Figure 3B). The first and second arms 22a, 22b are formed as an integral one-piece unit with the shoulder portion 25. The first and second arms 22a, 22b each diverge from the shoulder portion 25 and slightly away from one another at a closed end of the clip 22. As shown in Figures 2 and 3B, the first arm 22a is shaped to fit about the shaft 14 of the golf putting club 10 and is shaped to return towards the second arm 22b. It will be appreciated that the length, shape and format of the arms may take many and various configurations and still achieve a fitment that can be attached to the shaft of a golf club 10. The first arm 22a has a free end and that the second arm 22b also has a free end. Both free ends may terminate in a slight upturn or curve, which may facilitate the installation of the shaft 14 into the clip 22. The free ends of the first and second arms 22a, 22b are closely proximate to one another, but do not form a dosed loop. The ends can be temporarily prized apart by providing a force to separate them. This may be most easily achieved by the relative pushing together of the clip 22 and shaft 14, The resilience of the material from which the clip and arms 22, 22a, 22b are formed means that after the opening force is no longer applied the arms 22a, 22b spring back to their original position dosing the loop and gripping the shaft 14. in this way the device 20 can be removably and securely attached to the club 10, thus forming a golf putting system.

To use the golf putting system, a golfer views the head 18 of the golf putting dub 10 and the golf ball positioned closely thereto through the Fresnel lens 26, which magnifies his image of the golf ball such that the head 16 of the golf putting club 10 and the golf ball appear to have a greater than normal size, it may then be easier for the golfer to line up the ball with the line the golfer wants the ball to take; line up the head 16, and the rest of the club 10 with the ball as appropriate, such that when the golfer strikes the ball, he is more likely to hit the ball accurately. One or more lines or markings on the device 20 may help to teach the golfer to maintain and follow the correct line or alignment between his club head and the golf ball as he pulls back the head. One or more graduated markings may help the golfer to learn the stroke length required for a particular distance putt (accounting for factors such as grain, slope and changes in elevation).

It can be appreciated that various changes may be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, in other embodiments of the invention it is envisaged that the lens may be placed in other parts of the dub to facilitate improved vision. Whilst the invention provides advantage for putters, it is envisaged that the device also may be used in conjunction with other types of golf club.

Claims

1. A device for aiding putting of a golf ball, the device having an attachment element for attaching the device securely to a shaft of a golf putting club and having a magnifier coupled directly to the attachment element.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said magnifier comprises one or more optical components.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said magnifier is provided by or comprises a Fresnei lens magnifier.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein said magnifier is provided by a plastic Fresnei convex lens magnifier.

5. A device according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein said device comprises a main plate- like body and wherein said magnifier is coupled to or is formed in the main plate-like body.

6. A device according to claim 5 wherein the magnifier and/or the main plate-like body comprises one or more lines, rules, graduations, measurement scales, markings or other alignment indicia for facilitating alignment of a golf ball and the head of a golf putting club.

7. A device according to claim 6 wherein the main plate-like body and/or magnifier is sufficiently sized such that the device can provide magnification of both a head of a golf putting club and of a golf ball proximate thereto.

8. A device according to claim 7 wherein the attachment means is provided along an edge of the main plate-like body.

9. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the device is removable from a golf putting club.

10. A device according to claim 9 wherein the attachment means is a clip that is sized to fit at least partially around the shaft of a golf putting club, the clip being bonded at an edge portion of the device.

11. A device according to claim 10 wherein said device comprises a main plate-like body and wherein the attachment means is directly attached or coupled to the magnifier and/or to the main plate-like body.

12. A device according to claim 1 wherein the clip comprises a first arm made of a resilient material, a second arm made of a resilient material and a shoulder portion.

13. A device according to claim 12 wherein the shoulder portion and the first and second arms are an integral unit, and wherein the first and second arms diverge from the shoulder portion away from one another.

14. A device according to claim 13 wherein the first arm is shaped to fit about the shaft of the golf putting club and is shaped to return towards the second arm, wherein the first arm has a free end, and wherein the second arm has a free end that is shaped and sized such that the free ends of the first and second arms are closely proximate to one another.

15. A golf putting system comprising: a golf putting club and a device according to any preceding claim.

18. A golf putting club having the device of any of claims 1 to 14 attached thereto.

17. A method of putting a golf ball, the method comprising:

(i) providing a golf putting club having a device according to any of claims 1 to 14 attached to the shaft thereof;

(ii) viewing a head of the golf putting club and a golf ball proximate thereto, through the magnifier such that the head of the golf putting club and the golf ball appear to have a greater than normal size;

(iii) aligning the head of the golf putting club with bail; and

(iv) striking the ball.