Method and apparatus for teaching how to execute a predetermined motion

Abstract

A practicing method includes a full-length mirror provided with a series of images of an individual executing a predetermined motion such as a golf swing, with the individual seeking to practice the execution of his or her motion, looking at himself or herself in the mirror, and mimicking the positions of the correct motion as displayed on the mirror while viewing himself or herself as an overlay over the positions portrayed on the mirror. The individual then can correct his or her motion by matching his or her reflected image with the positions portrayed by indicia at the mirror. In one embodiment, the mirror is provided with an LCD layer that is driven with animation reflecting the correct motion to be achieved, such that the images portrayed by the mirror can be made to change in a sequential fashion, in accordance with the correct motion to be achieved. The images may also be provided one at a time so that the individual can match his or her position such as, in the golf embodiment, stance, back swing and follow-through by comparing his or her reflected image with the image on the mirror. In an alternative embodiment, clear plastic overlays are imprinted with an image of an individual executing a correct motion, such that the individual seeking to correct his or her movement can compare what he or she sees as his or her reflection in the mirror with that portrayed by the overlay.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a methods of teaching a skill such as golf, and more particularly, to a system by which a student can visually compare his or her motion as viewed in a full-length mirror, with a portrayal of the correct motion on the mirror.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The teaching of golf in general has in the past required the hands-on approach of utilizing a golf pro and having the golf pro teach the student through a trial and error method, in which the golf pro observes the student and corrects the student's head position, stance or swing, based on what the golf pro observes.

This type of teaching is heavily dependent upon what the particular golf pro considers to be the perfect swing and is time consuming and expensive because it requires the individual to go to, for instance, a golf driving range and meet with the golf pro.

In order to improve golfers' swings, various self-help books are available and indeed, a large amount of apparatus has been supplied for home use. The apparatus is usually keyed to a text and the student must interpolate between what is written and depicted on the pages of a text and what he or she must do to improve his or her swing.

These methods of teaching a golf swing, while controlled to the extent that the particular book or system has decided what is the perfect golf swing, nevertheless suffers from the inability of the student to be able to ascertain what he or she is doing wrong.

The result is that only with extreme difficulty can one teach a student the perfect golf swing, either because each individual golf pro has his or her idea of what is perfect, or because there is a lack of immediate feedback to the individual when the individual practices his or her golf swing.

The above applies to any skill requiring an individual to execute a correct motion or series of motions, be it for sport or for use in the workplace. Thus anyone who wishes to increase his or her skill at an activity needs to have a system that can teach the skill or activity in a way that the individual can understand so as to improve.

This includes, for instance, the proper operation of machinery, including how to operate heavy equipment. It can also include the proper movements for repair of a machine. The teaching of any skill requiring movement also applies to dance, marching band moves or any choreographed endeavor involving human movement. Needless to say, teaching of such skills also applies to all sports in which movement is involved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Rather than utilizing services of a professional and rather than utilizing programmed text for instruction, in the subject invention, a full-length mirror is provided in which the mirror is supplied with a number of images of an individual such as a golfer executing what is considered to be the perfect or correct motion, here the swing. In the case of golf, the student stands in front of a mirror, golf club in hand, and attempts to mimic that which is depicted on the mirror. He does so by comparing his reflected image with the image that is placed on the front of the mirror, so that stance, head position,

The result is that only with extreme difficulty can one teach a student the perfect golf swing, either because each individual golf pro has his or her idea of what is perfect, or because there is a lack of immediate feedback to the individual when the individual practices his or her golf swing.

The above applies to any skill requiring an individual to execute a correct motion or series of motions, be it for sport or for use in the workplace. Thus anyone who wishes to increase his or her skill at an activity needs to have a system that can teach the skill or activity in a way that the individual can understand so as to improve.

This includes, for instance, the proper operation of machinery, including how to operate heavy equipment. It can also include the proper movements for repair of a machine. The teaching of any skill requiring movement also applies to dance, marching band moves or any choreographed endeavor involving human movement. Needless to say, teaching of such skills also applies to all sports in which movement is involved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Rather than utilizing services of a professional and rather than utilizing programmed text for instruction, in the subject invention, a full-length mirror is provided in which the mirror is supplied with a number of images of an individual such as a golfer executing what is considered to be the perfect or correct motion, here the swing. In the case of golf, the student stands in front of a mirror, golf club in hand, and attempts to mimic that which is depicted on the mirror. He does so by comparing his reflected image with the image that is placed on the front of the mirror, so that stance, head position, shoulder position, golf club head position and any of the myriad of factors can be compared by the student as the student looks at himself in the mirror.

In this manner, the correction is immediate in terms of feedback to the student because the student, during practice, merely matches what he sees of himself on the mirror with that which is depicted on the mirror. The system is thus applicable to any physical skill or exercise at which one wants to improve. It relates to all manner of sport or to workplace scenarios in which the individual is expected to execute some particular physical activity. This could be such activities as mechanical repair or device fabrication, or in a factory activity, such as running a machine, which requires repetitive physical motion.

In one embodiment, the mirror is provided with an overlaying LCD transparent layer, which is driven sequentially by an animation set representing the correct motion, so that what is depicted by the image on the LCD overlay is an individual executing what is considered to be the perfect motion.

The images portrayed by the sheet in front of the mirror may be viewed as a motion picture, indicating the correct swing to the individual seeking to mimic it, or the images may be stop action images such that the student can match his body position and, in golf, club head position to the stop action image, thus giving the individual more time to be able to match his or her motion with that depicted on the mirror.

Alternatively, the mirror can be overlain manually with various sheets of transparent material with different images on each sheet. In the golf scenario, individuals standing in front of the mirror, with, for instance, a sheet indicating the correct stance will be able to compare his or her stance by viewing his or her reflection with the correct stance as depicted by the overlay sheet on the mirror.

Overlay sheets of sequentially differing positions for the perfect motion may be mounted by the individual on the mirror, with the individual then seeking to match his image with that of the overlain image so as to step the individual through various positions that are required to execute the perfect motion.

In summary, a practicing method includes a full-length mirror provided with a series of images of an individual executing a predetermined motion such as a golf swing, with the individual seeking to practice the execution of his or her motion, looking at himself or herself in the mirror, and mimicking the positions of the correct motion as displayed on the mirror while viewing himself or herself as an overlay over the positions portrayed on the mirror. The individual then can correct his or her motion by matching his or her reflected image with the positions portrayed by indicia at the mirror. In one embodiment, the mirror is provided with an LCD layer that is driven with animation reflecting the correct motion to be achieved, such that the images portrayed by the mirror can be made to change in a sequential fashion, in accordance with the correct motion to be achieved. The images may also be provided one at a time so that the individual can match his or her position such as, in the golf embodiment, stance, back swing and follow-through by comparing his or her reflected image with the image on the mirror. In an alternative embodiment, clear plastic overlays are imprinted with an image of an individual executing a correct motion, such that the individual seeking to correct his or her movement can compare what he or she sees as his or her reflection in the mirror with that portrayed by the overlay.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features of the subject invention will be better understood in connection with the Detailed Description and in conjunction with the Drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the subject system indicating a student in front of a mirror with the mirror being provided with images reflecting a correct golf swing;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the correct position of the golf swing in FIG. 1 which is generated at the mirror, as compared with the reflected image of the individual seeking to mimic the stance and club head position of that portrayed at the mirror;

FIGS. 3A-3E are diagrammatic representations of overlay sheets for the mirror of FIG. 1, indicating by the indicia thereon the addressing of a ball, the start of a swing, the top of a swing, the meeting of the ball and the follow through corresponding to that which would occur when executing a perfect swing; and,

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of an alternative method of providing an image of the correct motion at the mirror reflecting the individual's motion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

What will now be described is an embodiment of the subject invention as it relates to teaching a perfect golf swing. It will be appreciated that what is presented below is but one illustration of how an individual can be taught correct motion by observing himself or herself in front of a mirror presenting images indicating a desired motion to be taught.

As will be appreciated, there are various texts and various techniques that describe the so-called perfect swing. The perfect swing in general is one that permits the golfer to hit the ball at the maximum distance for the particular club involved, while at the same time preventing slices or hooks. The perfect swing, in short, is one that enables the golfer to control the flight of the ball and to be able to place the ball in a predetermined position on the fairway.

One book describing the perfect swing is authored by Ralph Mann and Fred Griffin and is entitled Swing Like a Pro, published by Broadway Books, NY, 1998. It will be appreciated that by viewing this text one can ascertain not only hand position but also the body position and the foot position, as well as the head position of an individual seeking to execute a perfect swing.

Note that a perfect swing can be ascertained also by selecting a particular golfer who is said to be executing a perfect swing and photographing the golfer so as to be able to ascertain the golfer's body position and club head position during the execution of the perfect swing, at least according to this particular golfer.

Regardless, and referring now to FIG. 1, a full-length mirror 10 is provided with an electronically addressable film 12, which is utilized to render an image 14 of an individual executing a correct motion. In this case the motion is a perfect golf swing and image 12 is of a golfer executing the so-called perfect swing. Layer 12 is driven by a drive 16 in accordance with predetermined animation 18 reflecting a database that specifies the correct swing, here illustrated at 20.

In one embodiment, layer 12 may be an LCD layer which provides black-dash marks in accordance with the animation, indicating the golfer's body position, hand position, foot position, head position and golf club position in dotted outline, as illustrated. Moreover, the indicia may be from light emitting devices such as LEDs in a layer carried in the mirror

A student 22 is shown facing mirror 10 with golf club 24 in hand. The student is in such a position that he can view himself in the mirror as well viewing the dotted correct position generated by animation 18.

Referring to FIG. 2, student 22 can compare the various body positions and golf club positions with the positions indicated on mirror 10 at film 12. For instance, a correct shoulder dip is illustrated at 26 by the dotted outline supplied by the animation, whereas the incorrect shoulder dip 28 is that which student 22 sees in reflection. Thus the student can compare his left shoulder position with the correct left shoulder position, as displayed at the mirror. Likewise, correct stance or foot placement 30 is shown by the dotted outline, whereas the incorrect foot placement 32 is indicated by the reflected image of the student.

Additionally, the correct position of the club head at the top of the swing is illustrated at 34, whereas the incorrect position of the club head at the top of the swing by the student is illustrated at 36.

What will be appreciated is that the student can mimic that which is shown at the mirror by matching his or her body and club position with that depicted at the mirror.

It is thus his or her reflected image as compared with the image at the mirror that permits the individual to improve his or her position or motion.

While it will be appreciated that what is portrayed is a method of instructing an individual to improve one's golf swing, the subject system can be utilized to permit an individual to improve his or her body functions in terms of athletics or other activities by placing on the mirror any image which constitutes the correct image of the body for the particular activity involved. For instance, the subject system can be utilized for teaching running, tennis, basketball, or indeed any sport. Moreover, the subject system can be utilized for teaching, for instance, manufacturing activities that are to be performed by the individual or any activities which require exacting body part placement and doing the particular activity.

Referring now to FIGS. 3A-3E, what will be seen is a relatively inexpensive method of teaching involving overlaying a full-length mirror with images that are printed onto a transparent sheet or layer. For the individual to correct his or her golf swing, all that is necessary is to fix the particular sheet or layer to the mirror and compare his or her body position and stance with that which is depicted by the overlay sheet. Thus, rather than utilizing an electronically driven image, the image itself may be printed onto a transparent sheet. As described in FIGS. 3A-3E, images may be provided on separate sheets involving, for instance, for addressing the ball, starting of the swing, the top of the swing, meeting the ball during the downswing, and follow through.

Regardless of whether the mirror is provided with an electronically driven transparent layer or transparent sheets hung from the top and draped over the mirror, the result in terms of comparison teaching is the same.

With respect to FIG. 3A, as can be seen, an image of a golfer executing the correct swing is illustrated at 40, with the golf club 42 addressing a ball 44, and with the proper stance as illustrated at 46.

Referring to FIG. 3B, individual 40 is shown executing the start of a swing, as illustrated by the position of club 42, here illustrated at 42′.

With respect to FIG. 3C, the top of the swing for individual 40 is illustrated by the position of club head 46, here illustrated at 46′, whereas in FIG. 3D, individual 40 is shown with the club head 46″ meeting ball 44.

As shown in FIG. 3E, individual 40 is shown in a follow through position with club head 48′″ indicating the desired position of the club head after the ball has been hit, indicating the final position of the follow through.

Referring now to FIG. 4, in an alternative embodiment, a screen 50 is provided rearwardly of an individual 52 seeking to practice positions or motions. The image 52′ of the individual is reflected by a mirrored surface 54 such that the individual can see his or her positions or motions as the individual faces the mirrored surface.

A projector 56 positioned on a stand 58 is located in back of individual 52 and projects an image 60 onto a screen 50. Image 60 shows the desired position or motion to be mimicked by individual 52. Alternatively, projector 56 may be a back projector, projecting images onto the screen from the rear of the screen

Image 60 is reflected as illustrated at 60′ so that individual 52 can compare his or her image 50′ to image 60′, thus to be able to practice the position or motion specified by image 60.

Note that screen 50 may be provided with back projecting apparatus or in fact any system to provide an image on the screen including, for instance, a color LCD display. Note that the color LCD display may be driven conventionally as illustrated at 64 to provide image 60 on screen 50.

In this manner, rather than using overlays on a mirror, and rather than providing a mirror with visible indicia, the alternative method of FIG. 4 provides a convenient method of providing an image at a mirrored surface for the individual to mimic by viewing his or her own reflection juxtaposed with the image available at the rear screen.

Having now described a few embodiments of the invention, and some modifications and variations thereto, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the foregoing is merely illustrative and not limiting, having been presented by the way of example only. Numerous modifications and other embodiments are within the scope of one of ordinary skill in the art and are contemplated as falling within the scope of the invention as limited only by the appended claims and equivalents thereto.

Claims

1. A method of teaching golf, comprising the steps of:

providing a mirror with indicia thereon depicting a predetermined body position corresponding to golf;

standing in front of the mirror so as to see oneself in the mirror; and,

positioning one's body to match the body position depicted by the indicia on the mirror.

2. A practicing method for teaching body positioning, comprising the steps of:

providing a mirror with indicia thereon depicting a predetermined body position;

standing in front of the mirror so as to look at oneself in the mirror; and,

positioning one's body to match the body position depicted by the indicia on the mirror, thus to practice maintaining the body position.

3. A method for practicing an activity, comprising the steps of:

portraying a predetermined body position on a mirror by indicia thereon;

having an individual face the mirror;

having the individual look at himself or herself in the mirror; and,

having the individual adjust his or her position to correspond to the predetermined position portrayed at the mirror, thus to practice maintaining the portrayed body position.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the portraying step includes portraying a series of predetermined body positions corresponding to a predetermined motion.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the mirror includes an indicating layer that can be driven to supply the series of body positions and further including the step of driving the layer with the series of body positions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the series of predetermined body positions is carried on a transparent mirror overlay marked with a predetermined body position.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the portrayed body position includes a body position associated with golf.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the portrayed body position includes a body position associated with a sport

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the portrayed body position includes a body position associated with dance.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the portrayed body position includes a body position associated with operation of machinery.

11. A system for teaching an individual a skill involving body motion by teaching an individual how to adopt a predetermined body position, comprising:

a mirror having indicia thereon depicting a predetermined body position.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said indicia are carried on a transparent mirror overlay.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said indicia are carried by an electronically driven layer.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said layer is transparent except for where it is driven to present said indicia.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said layer is on the top surface of said mirror.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said layer is embedded in said mirror.

17. The system of claim 13, and further including a module for driving said layer with a series of body positions corresponding to predetermined motion.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein said layer includes an LCD layer.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein said layer includes light-emitting elements.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said light-emitting elements include diodes.

21. A system for teaching an individual a skill involving body motion by teaching an individual how to adapt a predetermined body position, comprising:

a mirror in front of said individual oriented to reflect the individual and present his image to him;

a screen in back of said individual; and,

an image at said screen for said individual to mimic, both the image of said individual and the image at said screen being reflected by said mirror to be presented to the individual.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the image at said screen is projected thereon.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said image is back projected onto said screen.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the image at said screen is electronically generated.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said electronically generated image includes LCD elements.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein said electronically generated image includes LED elements.

27. The system of claim 23, and further including an electronic image drive for presenting the image portrayed at said screen to said screen.