GOLF CLUB AND METHOD FOR USE TO IMPROVE GOLF GAME
Golf club includes a head having a front, ball-striking surface and a cavity arranged to removably retain therein a ball. The front surface includes an opening communicating with the cavity and arranged apart from peripheral edges of the front face such that an annular portion of the front face surrounds the opening. The head is constructed without structure in front of the opening such that when the golf club is swung against a ball, passage of the ball through the opening into the cavity is used to evaluate the swinging of the golf club. The head may include one or more channels leading from the cavity to a rear face and/or to a side face to allow flow of air from the cavity during the swing. A ball removal mechanism may be incorporated into the head to facilitate removal of the ball from the cavity.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/379,593 filed Sep. 2, 2010, incorporated by reference herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to a golf club, and more specifically to a golf driver, that may be used to assist a golfer in developing the skill of maintaining their eyes on the ball during the swing, referred to sometimes herein as eye contact, as well as developing consistency in their swing.
The present invention also relates to a method for practicing swinging of a golf club and in particular for practicing the golf driving stroke in order to develop the necessary hand/eye coordination to better drive the golf ball during a game of golf.
The present invention also relates generally to a new construction of a golf club that may be used to learn the golf driving stroke, and more particularly by golfers to practice or improve their golf driving stroke by concentrating or focusing on their swing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThere are numerous apparatus that enable a golfer to practice swinging a golf club in order to improve their swing, whether driving with a golf driver or putting with a golf putter. However, there is ongoing development of new apparatus that address drawbacks of existing apparatus.
The present invention is one such apparatus that improves on existing apparatus and enables a golfer to practice or improve their golf game, and specifically, eye contact.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of the present invention to provide a new golf club that can be used to develop eye contact.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new method for practicing swinging a driver for golf.
A golf club in accordance with the invention that may achieve one or both of these objects includes a head having a front, ball-striking surface and a cavity arranged to retain therein a ball. The front surface includes an opening communicating with the cavity and arranged apart from peripheral edges of the front face such that an annular portion of the front face surrounds the opening. The head is constructed without structure in front of the opening such that when the golf club is swung against a ball, passage of the ball through the opening into the cavity is used to evaluate the swinging of the golf club. Capture of the ball is considered to be an appropriate stroke whereas contact of the ball with the annular portion of the front face is considered an imprecise stroke. The cavity is configured to prevent movement of the ball therefrom after capture during the swing, i.e., at least until the golfer manually retrieves the ball from the cavity or otherwise manipulates the golf club to release the ball from the cavity. The head also preferably includes one or more channels leading from the cavity to a rear face and/or to a side face to allow flow of air from the cavity during the swing and thereby aid in passage of the ball into the cavity.
In one embodiment, the opening is positioned on the front face in a sweet spot of the head determined based on, for example, dimensions of the head. Also, the opening preferably has a size larger than a cross-sectional size of the ball so that exact alignment of the opening with the ball is not required in order to capture the ball in the cavity. The golf club may be used in combination with any type, size of ball, e.g., with a ball made substantially entirely of a soft material.
A method for practicing swinging of a golf club in accordance with the invention includes providing a golf club as described above, placing a ball on a support, then swinging the golf club while attempting to capture the ball in the cavity, and evaluating the swing of the golf club based on whether the ball was captured in the cavity or not. Parameters of a subsequent swing may be adjusted based on the evaluation of the swing when the ball is not captured in the cavity.
The above-mentioned objects and other objects of the present invention are attained in accordance with the golf club of the present invention and method for its use which are described hereinafter.
The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals identify like elements.
Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements, the invention constitutes a novel construction of a golf club that may be used to improve golfing skills, including hand/eye coordination, and
However, channels 18 are formed between the side face 20 and/or rear face of the head 10 to allow air to pass from the cavity 16 to the outside (as best seen in
In addition to the head 10, the golf driver 8 includes other components standard or known for inclusion in a golf driver, e.g., a shaft 22, only part of which is shown and a grip (not shown) arranged at the upper end region of the shaft 22.
The head 10 is preferably dimensioned to be larger than a conventional golf driver head, i.e., oversized.
Opening 14 is dimensioned relative to a ball 24 to be used with the golf driver 10, see
Moreover, to enable use of a training apparatus that comprises the golf driver 8 and a ball 24 indoors and/or in a home setting, the ball 24 may be made of a soft material. In this manner, if the golfer swings the driver 8 and the annular portion of the front face 12 is brought into contact with the ball 24, the ball 24 is propelled forward but is unlikely to damage property. Use of the ball 24 made of soft material is not, however, limited to indoors and/or in a home setting and may be used anywhere the golfer desires.
In an exemplifying use of the apparatus, the golfer prepares the ball 24 by placing it on a support, for example, a tee, and then after clearing sufficient area in which to swing the driver 8, the golfer swings the driver 8 and tries to capture the ball 24 in the cavity 16 by swinging with such precision that the opening 14 is brought into alignment with the ball 24 allowing the ball 24 to pass through the opening 14 into the cavity 16. If the golfer does not swing precisely, then the annular portion of the front face 12 of the head 10 will strike the ball 24 and propel the ball 24 forward.
Obviously, the larger the opening 14 relative to the diameter or cross-sectional size or area of the ball 24, the easier it will be for the golfer to capture the ball 24. Capture of the ball 24 in the cavity 16 is aided by the presence of the channels 18 because air trapped in the cavity 16 during the swing flows out of the cavity 16 through the channels 18 and thus does not prevent retention of the ball 24 in the cavity 16 (as shown in
Furthermore, if the opening 14 is in the sweet spot, capturing the ball 24 in the cavity 16 will indicate that the golfer has optimally swung the driver 8, which is particularly important if the golfer is using the apparatus to improve their eye contact.
Indeed, the apparatus is extremely useful to enable a golfer to develop their hand-eye coordination because they can keep their head down and focus on the ball 24 while swinging the driver 8, and swing while attempting to capture the ball 24 in the cavity 16. The golfer can continue to practice with the apparatus until they can continuously capture the ball 24 in the cavity 16 and thereby improve their hand/eye coordination which could be converted to a better golf drive stroke during an actual round of golf and the golfer would swing and improve the likelihood of the sweet spot on the front face of an actual golf driver striking the ball.
Accordingly, the driver 8 may be used to teach the skill of maintaining the golfer's eyes on the ball 24 during the swing. Such skills, i.e., concentration, eye contact and focus, are difficult to learn, especially for beginner golfers. However, using the driver 8, or another type of golf club with the same features as driver 8 aside from head shape and dimensions, a golfer can develop proper form for their swing by training their brain to capture the ball 24 in the cavity 16, and not focus on watching the ball after impact. Anticipation of the shot is also removed since, ideally, the ball 24 will be captured in the cavity 16. Once the golfer develops their skill of swing the driver 8 to strike the ball 24 in the sweet spot and thereby capture the ball 24 in the cavity 16, the golfer should see an improvement in their golf game.
Yet another advantage of the use of the driver 8 is that golfer can develop their swing consistency by practicing use of the driver 8 until the ball 24 is consistently and repeatedly captured in the cavity 16.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Pin 62 may be pushed or urged rearward to the position shown in
Variable positions and configurations of the pin are envisioned. Thus, the invention encompasses generally a depressible pin that may be moved to one position prior to or during the swing when the ball is not present in the cavity and after the ball is present in the cavity as a result of the swing, the pin is moved to another position in which the pin itself or a member connected thereto exerts force against the ball 24 to eject it from the cavity 16.
Referring now to
In use, a golfer may decide to start using driver 8 without a collar in the cavity to provide the largest size opening 14. Then, as the golfer advances and improves their hand/eye coordination using the driver 8, they would insert a collar having the largest interior opening, e.g., collar 74. This makes it a little more difficult to capture the ball 24 in the cavity 16. Retention of the collar 74 in the cavity 16 is provided, for example, by sizing the outer dimension of the collar 74 to fit snugly into the cavity 16. Other means for retaining the collar 74 in the cavity 16 may also be provided and are considered to be part of the invention.
Thereafter, as the golfer continues to improve their hand/eye coordination using driver 8, they could remove collar 74 and insert collar 76, which has a smaller opening 80 than opening 78 in collar 74. This makes capturing the ball 24 in the cavity even more difficult than with collar 74. This process of reducing the size of the opening 14 via insertion of different collars can continue until the golfer is satisfied with their swing.
As such, a set of collars 74, 76 would be manufactured, with each having substantially the same outer dimensions but each with a different size opening. The collars may be marked to indicate the size of the opening to thereby enable a golfer to sequentially reduce the size of the opening as their use of the driver 8, and hand/eye coordination, improves.
In another embodiment of the invention, inside the head of the driver there is a foam that traps the ball and absorbs shock from constant use. The foam may be any type of shock-absorbing foam known to those skilled in the art, including, but not limited to, polyurethane foam (any one of the several hundred formulations), silica gel, bioflex hybrid foam, polyethylene cell foam and military foam. The foam may be present in the cavity 16 or define the cavity 16 itself.
While prior art golf clubs exist with cavities in the head, the cavities of these golf clubs are invariably covered by a plate when the golf club is used, with the plate having a particular structure to improve the use of the golf club. The golf driver 8 in accordance with the invention does not include any structure that covers the opening 14 in the front face 12, nor are any mechanisms provided to enable attachment of a plate or other such structure to cover the opening or interpose material between the front of the head 8 and the cavity 16.
Moreover, prior art golf clubs exist that have cavities that open to a face other than the front face, such as those that have a cavity in the bottom or rear face designed to enable a golf ball to be picked up upon a specific handling of the golf club. These cavities are intentionally designed not to have any impact on the golfer's swing. As such, these golf clubs cannot teach the invention wherein a cavity is provided with the intent to capture a golf ball during a swing with the capture of the golf ball being indicative of a proper or accurate swing.
The embodiments of the invention described above thereby provide a new golf driver that can be used to develop eye contact as well as a new method for practicing swinging a driver for golf. Moreover, the driver is adaptive, when used with the collars, in that it can be adjusted based on the golfer's skill level.
While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A golf club, comprising:
- a head having a front, ball-striking surface and a cavity arranged to retain therein a ball;
- said front surface including an opening communicating with said cavity and arranged apart from peripheral edges of said front face such that an annular portion of said front face surrounds said opening, said opening having a size larger than a cross-sectional size or diameter of the ball,
- said head lacking structure in front of said opening such that when the golf club is swung against a ball, passage of the ball through said opening into said cavity is used to evaluate the swinging of the golf club.
2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said cavity is configured to prevent movement of the ball therefrom after capture during the swing,
3. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said head further comprises a rear face, a side face and at least one channel leading from said cavity to said rear face or to said side face to allow flow of air from said cavity during the swing.
4. The golf club of claim 3, wherein said at least one channel comprises a plurality of channels.
5. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said opening is positioned on said front face in a sweet spot of said head determined based on dimensions of said head.
6. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said cavity comprises an opening in a rear surface of said head having a size the same as or larger than a diameter of the ball to thereby constitute a through channel through which the ball passes.
7. The golf club of claim 1, further comprising a ball removal mechanism that enables removal of the ball from said cavity.
8. The golf club of claim 7, wherein said ball removal mechanism comprises a pair of fold-out doors pivotally or hingedly connected to said body at said front surface of said head, said fold-out doors being configured to pivot or swing outward thereby increasing access to said cavity and the ball when present therein.
9. The golf club of claim 7, wherein said ball removal mechanism comprises a flip door pivotally or hingedly connected to said body at a top of said head, said flip door being configured to flip up to enable release of the ball when present in said cavity.
10. The golf club of claim 7, wherein said ball removal mechanism comprises a pin that is movable to cause ejection of the ball from said cavity.
11. The golf club of claim 10, wherein said pin extends though a channel to a rear surface of said head.
12. The golf club of claim 7, wherein said ball removal mechanism comprises a finger groove opening from said front surface to position proximate or at a rear of said cavity.
13. In combination, the golf club of claim 1 and one of a plurality of different collars, said collars have an outer dimension to enable a snug fit into said cavity, said collars having different size openings all of which are larger than a diameter of the ball, whereby alternative insertion of said collars into said cavity provides for different size openings.
14. In combination, the golf club of claim 1 and a ball, said ball being made substantially entirely of a soft material to prevent damage to objects if during the swing, said annular portion of said front face contacts said ball and propels said ball forward.
15. A method for practicing swinging of a golf club and developing golfing skills, comprising:
- providing a golf club including a head having a front, ball-striking surface and a cavity arranged to retain therein a ball, the front surface including an opening communicating with the cavity and arranged apart from peripheral edges of the front face such that an annular portion of the front face surrounds the opening;
- dimensioning the opening to be larger than a cross-sectional size of the ball;
- placing a ball on a support; then
- swinging the golf club while attempting to capture the ball in the cavity; and
- evaluating the swing of the golf club based on whether the ball was captured in the cavity or not or
- developing golfing skills by repeatedly swinging the golf club white attempting to capture the ball in the cavity.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising adjusting parameters of a subsequent swing based on the evaluation of the swing when the ball is not captured in the cavity.
17. The method of claim 15, further comprising positioning the opening on the front face in a sweet spot of the head determined based on dimensions of the head.
18. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing the head with a ball removal mechanism to facilitate removal of the ball from the cavity after its capture.
19. The method of claim 15, further comprising configuring the cavity to prevent movement of the ball therefrom after capture during the swing.
20. The method of claim 15, wherein the head further comprises a rear face, a side face and at least one channel leading from the cavity to the rear face or to the side face to allow flow of air from the cavity during the swing.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 1, 2011
Publication Date: Mar 8, 2012
Inventors: Michael S. MENAFRA (East Northport, NY), Mark GENOA (Dix Hills, NY)
Application Number: 13/195,253
International Classification: A63B 69/36 (20060101);