Golf shot practice apparatus
A golf practice apparatus is provided, which comprises: a stance platform including an upper portion adapted to provide a standing place for a golfer; a ball platform having a golf ball positioning location thereon; a platform actuator operably coupled with the stance platform and the ball platform for providing vertical movement of the respective platform; and, a controller associated with the platform actuator for selectively providing a vertical displacement or tilting movement of the stance platform and the ball platform.
This invention relates to a golf practice apparatus, and more particularly, to a golf practice apparatus having a tiltable platform, the tilt direction and degree of which is adjustable by the user.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONConventional golf practice apparatus typically have a horizontal upper plate or platform with a rubber plate and artificial grass attached thereto for placing golf balls to hit for practice. Golfers utilizing such practice apparatus can practice their shots and strokes merely at a flat and horizontal surface which is different from a real golf course having a lot of lies and hills in a variety of changing directions. For example, in the golf course, the golfer may encounter a variety of different down hills, up hills, and side hills. Also, he or she may often be standing on a lie which is different from that on which the ball is positioned. Thus, even if they have practiced for an extended period of time, it's hard for them to easily adjust to real golf course terrains and improve their golf skills or scores.
As such, even though it's ideal for a golfer to practice at real golf courses, it's expensive and time consuming to practice in the actual golf course. Accordingly, it is desirable to have a golf shot practice apparatus resembling a real golf course environment with varying slopes and lies often encountered by golfers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a golf practice apparatus is provided, which comprises: a stance platform including an upper portion adapted to provide a standing place for a golfer; a ball platform having a golf ball positioning location thereon; a platform actuator operably coupled with the stance platform and the ball platform for providing vertical movement of the respective platform; and, a controller associated with the platform actuator for selectively providing a vertical displacement or tilting movement of the stance platform and the ball platform.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a golf practice apparatus is provided, which comprises: a stance platform including an upper portion adapted to provide a standing place for a golfer; at least one stance platform actuator operably coupled with the stance platform and configured to provide a vertical displacement to at least a portion of the stance platform; a ball platform having a golf ball positioning area thereon; at least one ball platform actuator operably coupled with the ball platform and configured to provide a vertical displacement to at least a portion of the ball platform; and, a controller associated with the stance platform actuator and the ball platform actuator for selectively providing a vertical displacement or tilting movement of the respective stance platform and ball platform to various directions and degrees adjustable by the golfer.
Each of the stance platform actuator and the ball platform actuator preferably include four lifts disposed at four quadrangular locations of the respective stance platform and ball platform. Each of the stance platform and the ball platform preferably include a base member and an upper member, and the stance platform actuator and the ball platform actuator are respectively disposed between the base member and the upper member. The controller includes a user interface for enabling a golfer to control the movement of the stance platform and the ball platform. The golf ball positioning area of the ball platform preferably includes a groove configured to place a golf practice ball thereon. The golf practice apparatus of the invention may further include a golf ball placement device configured to place or deliver a golf ball at a predetermined location of the golf practice apparatus. The golf ball placement device is preferably attached to the ball platform.
The above and other features and objectives of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description considered with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Actuator 400 (not shown) is operatively connected to the stance platform 200 and ball platform 300 to enable vertical displacement, and/or tilting of the platforms 200 and 300. Actuator 400 may be one actuator system (not shown) having multiple actuating elements for providing such movement of the respective platform, or it can alternately be a plurality of separate actuators (such as shown in
With reference to
The stance platform 200 includes a base member 1, an upper member 10, and a supporting plate 14. The ball platform 300 similarly includes a base member 2, an upper member 11, and a supporting plate 16. The base member 1, upper member 10, and supporting member 14 of the stance platform 200 have generally similar structures to that of the base member 2, upper member 11, and supporting member 16 of the ball platform 300, respectively. The base members 1 and 2 and upper members 10 and 11 of the platforms 200 and 300 are respectively in a form of a networked frame as shown. However, they may have a different configuration such as a planar member. Also, in a certain embodiment, the base members 1 and 2 of the platforms 200 and 300 may be omitted, and the actuators 400 (to be described later) can be placed or installed directly on the ground.
The supporting plates 14 and 16, respectively having a top mat (preferably, a green mat) 13 and 15, are attached onto the upper members or frames 10 and 11, respectively. The mat 13 and 15 preferably include artificial grass in resemblance to a real golf course condition. The supporting plate 14 provides a standing area for a golfer to practice thereon, and has a suitable strength for that. In addition, at least one ball delivery hole 32′ or 33 may be provided thereon. In this embodiment, the delivery hole 33 is designed for practicing golf putting, simulating a hole in the green of a real course, and the hole 32′ is for drawing out the golf ball which is received into the hole 33. For this, a ball distribution member 31 may be provided under the supporting plate 14. The ball distribution member 31 includes a delivery channel or duct 31′, and a delivery hole 32 that is connected to the hole 32′ for extracting of the ball as discussed above. Alternatively, the delivery duct 31′ may be further extended and connected to a location other than the hole 32′, for example, to discharge the holed-in ball at a desired location outside of the golf practice apparatus or to deliver the ball back to a golf ball placement device (to be discussed later). With such an alternative design, the delivery hole 32′ on the supporting plate 14 is not required.
On the other hand, the other supporting plate 16 of the ball platform 300 provides an area adapted for positioning of a golf practice ball to practice golf shots by iron and driver clubs, and preferably includes at least one groove 17 at a suitable location. Upon provision of a suitably-configured groove 17 thereon, the ball positioned on the plate 16 can be maintained its desired location to hit by the golfer without falling down there-from. This is useful particularly when the ball platform 300 is tilted as will be described later in connection with operation of the apparatus. Artificial grass having a plurality of groove patterns specially designed to hold the balls upon tilting, may be placed on the region 17. In addition to the groove region 17 (or instead of providing such a groove region 17), the supporting plate 16 of the ball platform 300 may include a tee member (not shown) suitably configured and positioned at an appropriate location thereof. A flexible and durable practice tee known in the art may be utilized for that. However, it is noted that an upper ball-contact area of the tee must provide a wider seating surface to prevent the ball from falling-off the tee when the ball platform 300 is tilted as described herein after.
It is further noted that the supporting plates 14 and 16 can be unitarily formed with the respective upper members 10 and 11 when an additional device such as the ball distribution member 31 is not provided between the supporting plates 14 and 16 and the upper members 10 and 11.
In the present embodiment, four actuators 3, 3′, 4 and 4′, and four similar actuators 5, 5′, 6 and 6′ are respectively mounted on the base members 1 and 2 about the four corners thereof as shown in the
With reference still to
With reference to
One illustrative embodiment of the user interface panel 19 is described with reference to
The controller 500 may further include or couple with a golf ball placement equipment 18 to hold a multitude of golf practice balls therein and automatically place the balls, one at a time, at an appropriate location on the mat 15 (or mat 13) of the golf practice apparatus. A conventional golf ball placement device may be modified and combined with the controller 500. The golf ball placement equipment 18 includes, among other known mechanisms, an extended oscillator arm (not shown) which picks up a ball stored within the equipment, and travels back and forth through a horizontal slot 18a for placing at a predetermined location, preferably, on the groove 17. As shown in
As shown, it is preferred to have the controller 500 (which is combined with the ball placement equipment 18) attached at a distal end side of the ball platform 300. This design is intended to provide a convenient access to the controller 500 and also for precise positioning of the ball on a particular location in the mat 15.
With reference to
With reference to
Referring to
As illustrated and described in connection with
Referring to
As shown in
As described before, each of the actuators preferably includes spring 9 received within opposing central grooves of two corresponding bracket members 8 and 12 (as shown
As shown in
Likewise, other tilt orientations (e.g., front side up or down, rear side up or down, etc.) of the stance platform 200 can be conveniently obtained by appropriate manipulation of the movement buttons 25. In order to change a different tilt orientation from the current one, it is sometimes useful to return the prior adjusted configuration to the initial (i.e., horizontal) state by pressing the reset button 26. Whenever the golfer wants to make the selected platform into the horizontal state, the reset button 26 can be pressed.
With reference now to
As shown in
As shown in
Accordingly, the above mentioned and other tilt orientations (e.g., front side up or down, rear side up or down, etc.) of the selected platform 200 or 300 can be easily obtained by appropriate manipulation of the movement buttons 25. Also, the reset button 26 can be pressed when it is desired to make the respective platform 200 or 300 into the horizontal state. It is further noted that the respective platform 200 and/or 300 can be elevated and lowered while maintaining its horizontal state by pressing appropriate buttons. For example, two movement buttons 25-1 and 25-3 (or, 25-2 and 25-4) can be pressed to elevate the height of the selected platform 200 or 300.
As such, each of the stance and ball platforms 200 and 300 can be adjusted to a variety of different configurations by manipulation of the buttons 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26. Now, when the golfer presses the ball placement button 43 (
Accordingly, golfers can repeatedly practice golf shots with the golf practice apparatus of the invention in various different lie conditions resembling to the real golf course terrains. In addition, utilizing the holes 32′ and 33 on the stance platform 200, the golf can also practice golf putting skills thereon.
While this invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form, structures, methods, mechanisms and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A golf practice apparatus comprising:
- a stance platform including an upper portion adapted to provide a standing place for a golfer;
- at least one stance platform actuator operably coupled with the stance platform and configured to provide a vertical displacement to at least a portion of the stance platform;
- a ball platform having a golf ball positioning area thereon;
- at least one ball platform actuator operably coupled with the ball platform and configured to provide a vertical displacement to at least a portion of the ball platform; and
- a controller associated with the stance platform actuator and the ball platform actuator for selectively providing a vertical displacement or tilting movement of the respective stance platform and ball platform to various directions and degrees adjustable by the golfer.
2. The golf practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the stance platform actuator and the ball platform actuator include four lifts disposed at four quadrangular locations of the respective stance platform and ball platform.
3. The golf practice apparatus of claim 2, wherein the four lifts of the respective platform actuator are respectively a motor-driven screw lift.
4. The golf practice apparatus of claim 3, wherein the respective motor-driven screw lift includes at least a set of four links connected in a parallelogram form to a driving motor.
5. The golf practice apparatus of claim 4, wherein the respective motor-driven screw lift further includes a first bracket connected to the links of the screw lift, and a second bracket connected to the respective platform.
6. The golf practice apparatus of claim 5, wherein the respective motor-driven screw lift further includes a spring disposed between the first and second brackets thereof.
7. The golf practice apparatus of claim 2, wherein the four lifts are respectively a fluid-actuating lift.
8. The golf practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stance platform and the ball platform respectively include a base member and an upper member, and the stance platform actuator and the ball platform actuator are respectively disposed between the base member and the upper member.
9. The golf practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the respective platform defines a supporting area configured to support the weight of the golfer standing thereon.
10. The golf practice apparatus of claim 9, wherein the respective platform further defines a mat thereon.
11. The golf practice apparatus of claim 10, wherein the mat of the respective platform includes an artificial grass.
12. The golf practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stance platform defines at least one hole thereon for delivery of a golf ball.
13. The golf practice apparatus of claim 12, wherein the hole defined in the stance platform is designed for golf putting practice.
14. The golf practice apparatus of claim 12, wherein the stance platform further includes a ball delivery channel connected to the golf ball delivery hole.
15. The golf practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the golf ball positioning area of the ball platform includes a groove configured to place a golf practice ball thereon.
16. The golf practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the golf ball positioning area of the ball platform includes a tee member configured to place a golf practice ball thereon.
17. The golf practice apparatus of claim 1 further including a golf ball placement device configured to place or deliver a golf ball at a predetermined location of the golf practice apparatus.
18. The golf practice apparatus of claim 17, wherein the golf ball placement device is connected to the ball platform.
19. The golf practice apparatus of claim 17, wherein the golf ball placement device is associated with the controller.
20. The golf practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a user interface for enabling a golfer to control the movement of the stance platform and the ball platform.
21. The golf practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user interface of the controller includes a plurality of movement control buttons for controlling the movement of the stance platform and the ball platform.
22. The golf practice apparatus of claim 21, wherein the user interface enables a selection from a stance platform movement mode and a ball platform movement mode.
23. The golf practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a reset selection for enabling the respective platform to return its initial state.
24. The golf practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller further includes a control module.
25. The golf practice apparatus of claim 24, wherein the control module is received within a box configured to use as a step to facilitate the golfer to access to the respective platform.
26. A golf practice apparatus comprising:
- a stance platform including an upper portion adapted to provide a standing place for a golfer;
- a ball platform having a golf ball positioning location thereon;
- a platform actuator operably coupled with the stance platform and the ball platform for providing vertical movement of the respective platform; and
- a controller associated with the platform actuator for selectively providing a vertical displacement or tilting movement of the stance platform and the ball platform.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 26, 2003
Publication Date: May 26, 2005
Inventor: Sung Kim (Busan)
Application Number: 10/722,940