GOLF SWING TRAINING CLUB

Abstract

A golf swing training club has a shaft with a club head secured to one end of the shaft, and a grip portion at the opposing end of the shaft, the grip portion having a lower section, an upper section and a bent section between the lower and upper sections.

Description

FIELD

The present invention relates to a golf swing training club.

BACKGROUND

A golf swing is a key element in a player's golf game. It is well recognised that a player's technique rather than strength is critical in being able to achieve long distances in wood and iron strokes. Many golf swing training devices have been conceived to attempt to help a golf player attain what the designer considers to be a technique that results in an ideal golf swing.

Some golf swing training devices are a training club, which is a modified golf club, in which the club has features to encourage certain physical movements of the player when swinging the modified club. The player practices with the training club with the aim of improving their swing technique when using standard clubs during a regular game.

There is a need to provide a golf swing training device that can more reliably facilitate improving a player's golf swing, and/or at least provides a useful alternative.

SUMMARY

There is provided a golf swing training club comprising:

a shaft with a club head secured to one end of the shaft, and a grip portion at the opposing end of the shaft, the grip portion having a lower section, an upper section and a bent section between the lower and upper sections.

In certain embodiments, the bent section is configured such that the upper section is inclined generally towards the club head.

The angle between the lower and upper sections is no more than 175°. In some preferred embodiments, the angle between the lower and upper sections is within the range of 155° to 175°. In some further preferred embodiments, the angle between the lower and upper sections is within the range of 168° to 172°.

The bent section may be configured such that the club face, the lower section, and the upper section are approximately coplanar. Alternatively, the club face and lower section lie is a common plane, and the bent section is configured such that the upper section extends obliquely to the common plane. In such alternatives, the club face faces to one side of the common plane, and the upper section may be disposed on the opposing side of the common plane. The upper section may be disposed at an angle of up to 10° to the common plane.

Preferably, each of the lower and upper sections is straight.

In some embodiments, the lower and upper sections are of equal length. In some alternative embodiments, one of the lower or upper sections is longer than the other of the upper or lower sections.

Each of the lower and upper sections has a length that is at least 65 mm.

The club head may be any of a wood type, an iron type, or a hybrid type.

The club preferably further comprises a grip that is disposed over the grip portion of the shaft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the invention may be more easily understood, embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1: is a side elevation view of a golf swing training club according to a first embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 2: is a side elevation view of a golf swing training club according to second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3: is a side elevation view of a golf swing training club according to a third embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4: is a side elevation view of a golf swing training club according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a golf swing training club 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The training club 10 has a shaft 12 with a club head 14 secured to one end of the shaft 12. At the opposing end of the shaft 12 there is a grip portion 16, which has a lower section 18, an upper section 20, and a bent section 22 that is formed between the lower and upper sections 18, 20.

The club head 14, in this embodiment, is of the type used in iron clubs, and has a face 24 that is to strike a golf ball during use of the club 10.

In use of the training club 10, a player would use the same grip style as used in their regular game play/practice. Common grip styles include the Vardon/overlap grip, the interlock grip, and the 10-finger/baseball grip. The player holds the training club 10 by the grip portion 16 with the hand of their leading arm grasping the upper section 20, and the hand of their trailing arm grasping the lower section 18. In this way, the player's hands are on either side of the bent section 22, but it will be appreciated that the player's hands may be in contact. The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is for a right-handed player. Thus, in use of the club 10 the player's left hand is to grasp the upper section 18, and the player's right hand is to grasp the lower section 18.

The bent section 22 is formed such that the upper section 20 is inclined towards the club head 14. In this particular embodiment, the bent section 22 is shaped such that the angle between the lower and upper sections 18, 20 is approximately 170°. The shaft between the bent section 22 and the club head 14 is straight.

The present inventor has made the surprising discovery that closing of the club head face during the downswing is not caused by a torque generated within the player's elbow joint in their leading arm, or by a torque generated in the player's wrists. Rather, this action is generated by the leading hand moving downwardly during the downswing as the club is rotated from behind the golf ball generally towards the ball. This allows the club head to rotate as a result of relative positions and velocities of the club head and player's hands.

Club head rotation that is achieved in this manner—which is absent any torque generated either within the player's elbow or forearm joint in their leading arm, or within the player's wrists—is an action that is defined by the inventor as the “RYKE Effect”.

Use of a training club in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention can facilitate a player learning the action that includes the downward movement of the leading hand described above. In particular, in order to strike a golf ball with the training club, the downward movement is emphasized, and the player's muscle memory is trained to incorporate the downward movement in their swing when using a conventional golf club. Thus, by using a training club in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a player can adapt their to swing to incorporate the RYKE Effect. After a period of use of the training club, the player can achieve greater control over the downward movement in their golf swing. Alternatively or additionally, the player can improve the timing of the rotation to close the face with greater accuracy, which can result in having an appropriately aligned club face at impact with the golf ball, and hooking/slicing can be consciously avoided.

The training club also emphasizes a swing in which the club head is outside the line of the player's leading arm at impact with the golf ball. This assists the player in consciously ensuring that the club head is outside the line of their leading arm at impact with the golf ball when using a conventional golf club. This will be necessary to properly execute a swing incorporating the RYKE Effect.

In this embodiment, the lower and upper sections 18, 20 are of equal length. In other words, the bent section 22 is formed at the midpoint of the grip portion 16.

The club 10 further has a grip 26 that is disposed over the grip portion 16 of the shaft 12.

FIG. 2 shows a golf club 110 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The golf training club 110 is substantially similar to the golf training club 10 of FIG. 1. The features of the golf training club 110 that are substantially similar to those of the golf training club 10 have the same reference numeral with the prefix “1”.

The golf training club 110 differs from the golf training club 110 in that the bent section 122 is shaped such that the angle between the lower and upper sections 118, 120 is approximately 155°. In addition, the upper section 120 is longer than lower section 118, such that the bent section 122 is formed in the grip portion 116 closer towards the club head.

FIG. 3 shows a golf club 210 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The golf training club 210 is substantially similar to the golf training club 10 of FIG. 1. The features of the golf training club 210 that are substantially similar to those of the golf training club 10 have the same reference numeral with the prefix “2”.

The golf training club 210 differs from the golf training club 10 in that the bent section 222 is shaped such that the angle between the lower and upper sections 218, 220 is approximately 160°. In addition, the upper section 220 is also longer than lower section 218, such that the bent section 222 is formed in the grip portion 216 closer towards the club head.

The mean adult female left hand breadth is approximately 74.2 mm, and the standard deviation is approximately 3.7 mm, according to Agnihotri, A. K.; Purwar, B.; Jeebun, N.; Agnihotri, S. (2006). “Determination Of Sex By Hand Dimensions”; The Internet Journal of Forensic Science 1 (2). ISSN 1540-2622.

The lower section 218 has a length that is at least 65 mm in length, which is less than the hand breadth for at least approximately 95% of the average adult female population.

FIG. 4 shows a golf club 310 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The golf training club 310 is substantially similar to the golf training club 10 of FIG. 1. The features of the golf training club 310 that are substantially similar to those of the golf training club 10 have the same reference numeral with the prefix “3”.

The golf training club 310 differs from the golf training club 10 in that the club 310 is of the type used in wood clubs.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise”, and variations such as “comprises” and “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

Claims

1. A golf swing training club comprising:

a shaft with a club head secured to one end of the shaft, and a grip portion at the opposing end of the shaft, the grip portion having a lower section, an upper section and a bent section between the lower and upper sections.

2. The golf swing training club according to claim 1, wherein the bent section is configured such that the upper section is inclined generally towards the club head.

3. The golf swing training club according to claim 1, wherein the angle between the lower and upper sections is no more than 175°

4. The golf swing training club according to claim 1, wherein the angle between the lower and upper sections is within the range of 155° to 175°.

5. The golf swing training club according to claim 1, wherein the angle between the lower and upper sections is within the range of 168° to 172°.

6. The golf swing training club according to claim 1, wherein the bent section may be configured such that the club face, the lower section, and the upper section are approximately coplanar.

7. The golf swing training club according to claim 1, wherein the club face and lower section lie is a common plane, and the bent section is configured such that the upper section extends obliquely to the common plane.

8. The golf swing training club according to claim 7, wherein the club face faces to one side of the common plane, and the upper section may be disposed on the opposing side of the common plane.

9. The golf swing training club according to claim 7, wherein the upper section may be disposed at an angle of up to 10° to the common plane.

10. The golf swing training club according to claim 1, wherein each of the lower and upper sections is straight.

11. The golf swing training club according to claim 1, wherein the lower and upper sections are of equal length.

12. The golf swing training club according to claim 1, wherein one of the lower or upper sections is longer than the other of the upper or lower sections.

13. The golf swing training club according to claim 1, wherein each of the lower and upper sections has a length that is at least 65 mm.

14. The golf swing training club according to claim 1, wherein the club head is any of a wood type, an iron type, or a hybrid type.

15. The golf swing training club according to claim 1, further comprising a grip that is disposed over the grip portion of the shaft.