Golf shoes
Golf shoes are proposed which make it possible for particularly senior golfers whose lower body has weakened to perform a correct swing during a downswing. A sealed bag formed of vinyl is fixed to a portion of a midsole in surface contact with the sole of a shoe. A hand pump and a release valve are connected to the sealed bag through a vinyl tube. When the shoes are put on with the sealed bag inflated by injecting air into it by operating the hand pump, the portion of the little toe rises. When a swing is performed in this state, even when the body weight moves at the time of a downswing or an impact, due to the rise of the portion of the little toe by inflation of the sealed bag, even a senior golfer can make a correct swing by standing firm on his left foot. When air is released from the sealed bag, normal walking is possible.
This application is a divisional application of application Ser. No. 09/849,968, filed May 8, 2001.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to golf shoes with which a correct swing is possible, and a method of using the golf shoes for golfing.
In an address position, as shown in
When a swing begins, until it reaches a top swing through a backswing shown in.
Then, when a downswing begins, as shown in
As shown in
But as in the case of a senior golfer, when the lower half of the body is not strong, since the support by the knees is weak, particularly in the flow from the top swing to the impact (in downswing), while the body weight moves onto the left foot 11L, as shown in
An object of this invention is make it possible for particularly senior golfers whose lower half body has weakened to perform a correct swing during a downswing with the foot on the bracing side (that is, left foot for a right-hander and right foot for a left-hander) stably in surface-to-surface contact with the ground.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to this invention, there is provided golf shoes comprising a sealed bag provided at an area of a foot sole which becomes a fulcrum at a side for bracing during a period from a top swing to a completion of the swing, the sealed bag being arranged such that air can be injected thereinto and exhausted therefrom, whereby a portion corresponding to the area is raised by inflating the sealed bag by injecting air into it.
With this arrangement, when the golf shoes are put on with air injected into the sealed bag, during a downswing, since the portion of the fulcrum of the foot sole at a side for bracing rises by the inflation of the sealed bag, even when the body weight moves, the golfer can stand firm on the foot on the side for bracing by the rise of the portion at the fulcrum. Thus it is possible to perform a correct swing. Specifically, the portion of the fulcrum refers to the area including and adjacent the little toe.
When the swing finishes, by exhausting air in the sealed bag, the sealed bag becomes flat, so that normal walking is possible.
If, as means of injecting and exhausting air, a hand pump and a release valve are provided, compared with one in which these means are separate from the shoe, there is no possibility of losing them. Thus it is more convenient.
If the hand pump and the release valve are buried in a tongue, when air is injected or released, one can operate the pump and the release valve by pressing them with e.g. the tip of the grip of a golf club while standing, so that he does not have to bend down.
Other features and objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Hereinbelow, an embodiment of this invention is described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in these figures, a sealed bag 2 formed of a thin vinyl is fixed to the back of a midsole 1 kept in surface-to-surface contact with the sole of the shoe 10 at a portion corresponding to a region adjacent the little toe. The region adjacent the little toe is a portion which becomes a fulcrum for bracing when the body weight rests on the left foot during a downswing.
The sealed bag 2 is formed by superposing two thin vinyl plates 2a and bonding their perimeters together, and is adapted to inflate in the vertical direction (that is, thickness direction) as shown by a two-dot chain line in
When the shoe 10 is put on with the sealed bag 2 inflated by injecting air into it by means of the hand pump 4, the portion corresponding to the little toe will get raised.
When a driver is swung in this state, as shown in
After the swing has finished, when air is released by operating the release valve 5 of the hand pump 4, the sealed bag 2 will reduce to the original thickness equal to the thickness of the two vinyl plates 2a forming it. Thus one can get the same feeling as when ordinary shoes are put on, and it will pose no problem whatsoever in traveling a course.
In this embodiment, since the hand pump 4 and the release valve 5 are provided at the portion of the tongue 6, one can inject air by pressing this portion with e.g. the tip of the grip of a golf club without stooping. Release of air, too, can be done in the same manner.
If one does not mind taking a stooping position, the position where the pump 4 and the release valve 5 are provided is not limited to the tongue 6, but they can be arranged at any portion of the shoe such as at the heel, side or instep.
Since the golf shoes of this invention are structured as described above, particularly for a golfer having a weakened lower body such as a senior golfer, by raising the area which becomes a fulcrum on the step-in foot side (adjacent the little toe) by inflating the sealed bag buried in the shoe, it is possible to stably set the step-in foot side. Thus it is possible to perform a correct swing from the top swing to completion.
Claims
1. A method comprising:
- providing a pair of golf shoes for a right-handed golfer who swings a golf club from right to left during downswing, said golf shoes comprising
- a right foot shoe having a sole including a rearward portion and a forward portion, said forward portion having an inside portion at one lateral side adapted to receive a big toe portion of a right foot and an outside portion at the other lateral side adapted to receive a little toe portion of the right foot,
- a left foot shoe having a sole including a rearward portion and a forward portion, said forward portion having an inside portion at one lateral side adapted to receive a big toe portion of a left foot and an outside portion at the other lateral side adapted to receive a little toe portion of the left foot,
- an inflatable sealed bag provided only at said outside portion of said forward portion of said sole of said left foot shoe, said inside portion of said forward portion of said sole of said left foot shoe having no inflatable sealed bag thereat, and said right foot shoe having no inflatable sealed bag,
- wherein said inflatable sealed bag has an air port through which air can be injected to inflate said sealed bag, and
- wherein said sealed bag is arranged at said outside portion of said forward portion of said sole of said left foot shoe so that, when the left foot is received in said left foot shoe and said sealed bag is inflated, the little toe portion of the left foot is raised relative to the big toe portion of the left foot; and
- performing a golfclub downswing from right to left while wearing said pair of golf shoes and while said inflatable sealed bag is inflated.
2. A method comprising:
- providing a pair of golf shoes for a left-handed golfer who swings a golf club from left to right during downswing, said golf shoes comprising
- a right foot shoe having a sole including a rearward portion and a forward portion, said forward portion having an inside portion at one lateral side adapted to receive a big toe portion of a right foot and an outside portion at the other lateral side adapted to receive a little toe portion of the right foot,
- a left foot shoe having a sole including a rearward portion and a forward portion, said forward portion having an inside portion at one lateral side adapted to receive a big toe portion of a left foot and an outside portion at the other lateral side adapted to receive a little toe portion of the left foot,
- an inflatable sealed bag provided only at said outside portion of said forward portion of said sole of said right foot shoe, said inside portion of said forward portion of said sole of said right foot shoe having no inflatable sealed bag thereat, and said left foot shoe having no inflatable sealed bag,
- wherein said inflatable sealed bag has an air port through which air can be injected to inflate said sealed bag, and
- wherein said sealed bag is arranged at said outside portion of said forward portion of said sole of said right foot shoe so that, when the right foot is received in said right foot shoe and said sealed bag is inflated, the little toe portion of the right foot is raised relative to the big toe portion of the right foot; and
- performing a golfclub downswing from left to right while wearing said pair of golf shoes and while said inflatable sealed bag is inflated.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 23, 2004
Publication Date: Apr 7, 2005
Inventor: Nariie Kaneko (Osaka)
Application Number: 10/994,303