Portable golf practice device
A portable golf practice device is disclosed that is easily transported by the golfer and simulates the response of natural turf when impacted by the club head during a golf swing. The device includes a base extension, which can be unfolded and slid under a platform on which the golfer stands, for maintaining stability during use. The device includes a simulated turf surface fitted in a tray. The tray rests on a base member. When a golf ball placed on the simulated turf surface is struck by a golf club, the tray and the simulated turf surface are driven forward. Means are provided to return the tray and the simulated turf surface to their original position. In its travel configuration the device folds into a compact form similar to a slim briefcase
This application claims priority from provisional application Ser. No. 60/777,258 filed on Feb. 27, 2006 the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. This application is a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 11/263,210 filed on Nov. 1, 2005. This application claims the benefit of PCT application serial number PCT/US2005/047022 which is based on U.S. Ser. No. 11/070,320 and which claims a priority date of Mar. 1, 2005
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe invention relates to golf practice devices.
BACKGROUNDTo be skilled at the techniques of golf requires a golfer to practice regularly beyond the time spent on playing the game on golf courses. Many indoor/outdoor golf practice facilities have been created to accommodate golfers' need to practice, and the use of golf practice mats at these facilities is a common and long-established practice. The conventional golf practice mats are available in a variety of materials and have a surface layer simulating natural grass. These mats generally perform adequately for practicing wood shots off a tee. However, they are deficient for practicing iron shots and may actually impede the development of a correct swing.
A correct iron shot requires the golf club head to impact the golf ball on the downswing momentarily before it reaches the lowest point of the swing arc, i.e., the path of the golf club head during a swing. The descending club head will naturally remove a small patch of turf, known as a divot, below or immediately in front of the ball. Conventional golf practice mats are generally of stiff, unyielding construction and do not allow the action of taking a divot. A correct golf swing practiced on such a mat will actually produce the wrong “feel” as the club head, after hitting the ball, is impeded by and bounces off the mat. Further, to lessen the shock to the wrists and elbows and risk of injury, the golfer may alter his swing to “scoop” or sweep the ball off the mat cleanly instead of hitting “down and through” and thus develop an incorrect way of hitting iron shots. Also, when the golfer makes an incorrect swing and strikes the mat behind the ball, i.e., making a “fat” shot, the shock from hitting a hard and unyielding surface can lead to injuries to elbows and other joints. Lastly, some golf practice mats have a surface layer consisting of long fibers or inverted brushes to help reduce club head bounce and risk of injury. However, these mats may have too much “give” and more closely simulate fringe grass than fairway turf.
Many golf practice devices have been conceived over the years in an attempt to simulate the feel of hitting natural turf; some are designed to be portable so golfers can carry and use them at golf practice facilities. Examples are shown in the following U.S. patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,994,634 issued to the same inventors of this application discloses a device that is portable and incorporates a base extension which can be slid under a platform for maintaining stability during use. The device comprises a simulated turf surface fitted in a tray slidably positioned on a base. The tray slides forward when struck by a golf club head; means are provided to return it to its original position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,156,396 issued to Florian discloses a device consists of a base pad formed of a resilient elastomeric material and an artificial grass carpet positioned on the base pad. When a golf ball on the carpet surface is struck, the carpet slides a limited distance and is then returned by an elastic biasing mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,147 issued to Luedtke discloses a device comprises an anchor piece and a divot piece connected by elastic rubber bands.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,967 issued to Guyer discloses a device consists of a support frame, a mat and a tray with a set of casters that roll on descending ramps attached to the frame. When a golf ball is hit from the mat, the mat and tray deflect downwardly, the mat slides partially off the tray and the tray rolls down the ramps. The mat and tray return to the original position via a tension spring means.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,611 issued to Moller discloses a device comprises a mat affixed on top of a bladder filled with gas or liquid and disposed within a base board. The mat and bladder slide forward and optionally downward when struck by a golf club, and are returned by spring means.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,663 issued to Makar discloses a device comprises an artificial turf mat suspended under tension within a rigid frame. The mat is displaced downward upon impact with a golf club. Multiple surface layers can be employed to simulate golf shots from the fairway, rough and sand trap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,966 issued to Miller discloses a device comprises a frame, multiple layers disposed in spaced relation to each other on the frame, and a base attachment. The base attachment possesses guide means and rubber band means to control the sliding forward and back of the frame member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,685 issued to Ballinger, et al. discloses an apparatus that includes a platform for the golfer to stand on, a main frame connected to the platform adjacent thereto, and an inner frame covered with artificial turf surface and mounted within the main frame. The inner frame pivots forward and then downward in a generally arcuate path when the surface is impacted by the golf club head. The platform can be folded to form a carrying case in which the components can be stored.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,283 issued to Lindquist discloses a device with artificial turf secured to a cushioned support that is movable in the direction of the ball flight and compressible when the surface is struck. The movable and compressible portion returns via a spring means.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,712,628 issued to Boss, Jr. discloses a device comprises a rigid housing containing rollers which support an endless belt with simulated grass outer surface. A platform beneath the upper portion of the belt pivots about one end and is held against the inner surface of the belt by an elastic means.
While these devices may accomplish their stated objectives to some extent, they suffer from one or more of the following limitations: (1) being too complex or too expensive to manufacture to be economically viable; (2) being too heavy or bulky to be practically transportable; (3) having a height dimension that requires the golfer to stand on an elevated platform; (4) requiring extraneous means such as spikes to anchor the device to the ground, which is impractical when the ground is hard surface such as concrete.
There exists a need for a golf practice device that is portable so the golfer can easily transport it to a golf practice facility and, when struck by a golf club head during a golf swing, yields and moves in such a manner as to simulate the response of natural turf.
SUMMARYThe present invention relates to a golf practice device that is portable, yields and moves when impacted by the head of a golf club, and more accurately simulates what the golfer experiences when hitting a golf ball off natural turf.
One aspect of the present invention provides a golf practice device that is relatively compact so it can easily be carried and transported, and does not require any means for it to be anchored or affixed to the ground or other objects. The device includes a base member and a base extension. In use, the device is placed adjacent to a practice platform, which is generally any one of the commercially available golf practice mats typically available at golf practice facilities. The base extension is unfolded and slid under the practice platform. The combined weight of the practice platform and the golfer on the base extension keeps the device stationary during use.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a golf practice device which has a surface component that yields and moves when impacted by the head of a golf club to simulate the response of natural turf. A tray rests on top of the base assembly with a simulated turf layer fitted therein. When a golf ball placed on the simulated turf layer is struck by a golf club, the force imparted to the device sends the tray together with the simulated turf layer sliding forward, thus simulating the feel of hitting natural turf. Means are provided to control the sliding forward and the retraction to their original position of the tray and the simulated turf layer.
Yet another aspect of the present invention provides a golf practice device that reduces club head bounce and lessens stress on the golfer's wrists and elbows, thus reducing negative reinforcement experienced by the golfer and increasing his confidence, which is critical to the development of a correct and reliable golf swing.
These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent after a reading of the following description and accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
It is to be understood that like elements are identified throughout the drawings with like reference numerals.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONThe present invention relates in general to a golf practice device, and more particularly to a golf practice device that (1) is practically portable and can easily be transported by the golfer to any indoor/outdoor golf practice facility, and (2) has a surface component that yields and moves when impacted by the head of a golf club to simulate the response of natural turf and facilitate the practice and development of a correct golf swing.
The portable golf practice device according to the concepts of the present invention and how it functions can best be explained by reference to the attached drawings. As illustrated in
As will be understood from the descriptions below, the invention comprises a base member, a carriage tray, and a carriage retraction mechanism. The carriage retraction mechanism has two portions; a guide portion and a retraction or biasing portion. The guide portion acts between the base member and the carriage tray to allow the carriage tray to guidedly move forward and rearward. The biasing portion acts between the base member and the carriage tray to control the forward movement of the carriage tray during the stroke and to retract it back to the ready to use position. Several embodiments are described. In each of the embodiments, as will be seen, the carriage retraction mechanism has both a guide portion and a retraction or biasing portion on each side which serves the several functions of holding the base member and the carriage tray together and providing the relative movement both forward for the carriage tray during the stroke and rearward during retraction.
Also, in conjunction with the base extension the device has two configurations, a travel configuration in which it is compacted to be easily transported, looking much like a thin briefcase, and an in-use configuration (see
Referring now to
Preferably, a handle 26 formed of two halves is installed on the rail housing 23 and the base plate 21, and feet 27 also formed of two halves are installed on the rail housing 22 and the base plate 21. With these preferred appendages, the device is easily portable and can be placed on any flat surface in a vertical, upright position. The base member 20 preferably includes a cushioning layer made of a resilient material that is affixed to the undersurface of the base plate 21 for support and to reduce slippage when the device is in use. The base member 20 is preferably made of a combination of metal and plastic, with the base plate 21 made of metal and the other elements made of plastic, but it can be fabricated with generally any structural material such as metal, thermoplastic or plastic, and can be either a single-piece construction or assembled from parts.
As illustrated in
The base extension 70 is designed for the purpose of providing stability when the portable golf practice device 10 is in use. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
A second alternate embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
The base extension 70 may be omitted from all of the above-described embodiments without deviating from the characteristics of the invention if (1) the base member 20 has a cushioning layer affixed to the undersurface of the base plate 21 that sufficiently reduces slippage when the device is in use, or (2) the device is deployed within a cutout in a practice platform, which supports the golfer and keeps the device stationary during use.
In use, the portable golf practice device 10 is disposed adjacent to a practice platform, which is generally any one of the commercially available golf practice mats used at golf practice facilities. The base extension 70 is unfolded and slid under the practice platform. The golfer places a golf ball on the simulated turf surface 60 and takes a swing with a golf club. Referring to
All of the various layers comprising the portable golf practice device 10 are fabricated to have as low a profile or height as can be practically achieved while meeting all the strength requirements. The optimal height is generally equivalent to the average height of the commercially available golf practice mats used at golf practice facilities so the golfer can practice a standard golf swing with the golf ball being generally at the same level as his feet. If the height of the device deviated materially from that of the commercially available golf practice mats, a custom, complementary practice platform would then be required, thereby resulting in a device merely movable and not realistically portable.
Regarding the length and width dimensions of the portable golf practice device 10, they are to be short enough so the device is realistically portable and long enough to form a hitting area that can easily accommodate missed hits.
To conclude, with respect to the above description, it is to be understood that the optimal dimensional specifications for the parts of the invention, including variations in number, size, shape, form, placement, material and the method of fabrication and assembly, are deemed readily apparent to persons skilled in the art upon a reading of the foregoing description, and all equivalent specifications to those illustrated in the drawings and detailed in the description are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Further, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and revisions can be made to the embodiment shown herein without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention. It is therefore intended by the appended claims to cover any and all such modifications and revisions within the scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A portable golf practice device for simulating the response of natural turf when impacted by the head of a golf club during a golf swing, the device comprising:
- a base member having spaced-apart longitudinal sides defining an operating space therebetween;
- a carriage tray slidably positioned on the base member for forward and rearward movement in the operating space between the longitudinal sides;
- a simulated turf surface on the carriage tray; and
- a carriage retraction mechanism comprising; a guide portion comprising a guide member on each of the spaced-apart longitudinal sides of the base member having a guide direction aligned with the forward and rearward movement of the carriage tray and a guided member on each side of the carriage tray slidingly engaged with the guide member on that side of the base member for allowing the carriage tray to guidedly slide forward and rearward; and a retraction portion comprising a biasing element on each of the spaced-apart longitudinal sides connected between the base member and the carriage tray having a substantially unbiased condition when the carriage tray is in a ready-to-use position on the base member and being biased into an energy-stored condition when the carriage tray has been moved forward;
- whereby upon being hit by a golf club during a swing the carriage tray will slide forward, the biasing elements will obtain energy as a restoring force and become biased, and will return the carriage tray to the ready-to-use condition and the biasing elements to a substantially unbiased condition.
2. The portable golf practice device of claim 1 further comprising a base extension pivotably attached to the base member along one of its longitudinal sides.
3. The portable golf practice device of claim 2 wherein the base extension has a travel position folded over or under the carriage tray and an unfolded position at about level with the base member whereby the base extension can be slid under a platform to stabilize the device when in use and can be folded over or under the base member for transport or storage.
4. The portable golf practice device of claim 1 wherein each of the guide members comprises a guide rail supported on the base member at a forward end and at a rearward end, and the guided members comprise a sleeve extending from each side of the carriage tray and slidingly carried on the guide member on each side.
5. The portable golf practice device of claim 4 wherein the retraction portion biasing elements comprise one or multiple forward compression springs fitted over each of the guide rails between the sleeve and the forward end of the guide rail.
6. The portable golf practice device of claim 5 wherein the retraction portion biasing elements further comprise one or multiple rearward compression springs fitted over each of the guide rails between the sleeve and the rearward end of the guide rail, the sleeve being sandwiched between the forward and rearward compression springs such that the direction of the movement of the carriage tray is guided by the guide rails and the velocity and distance of the movement by the forward and rearward compression springs.
7. The portable golf practice device of claim 4 wherein the retraction portion biasing elements comprise a rearward stretchable elastic member on each side of the carriage tray, each of the rearward stretchable elastic members having a forward end attached to the carriage tray on its respective side and a rearward end attached to the base member on its respective side rearwardly of the forward end so that upon forward movement of the carriage tray, the stretchable elastic members are stretched and will act to pull the carriage tray back from the forward movement such that the direction of movement of the carriage tray is controlled by the guide rails and the velocity and distance of the movement by the rearward stretchable elastic members.
8. The portable golf practice device of claim 7 wherein the forward end of each of the rearward stretchable elastic members is attached to the sleeve on each respective side of the carriage tray.
9. The portable golf practice device of claim 8 wherein the retraction portion further comprises a forward stretchable elastic member on each side of the carriage tray having a forward end attached to the base member on each respective side and a rearward end attached to the sleeve on each respective side whereby the interaction of the forward stretchable elastic members and the rearward stretchable elastic members will prevent excessive rearward movement of the carriage tray and will control return of the carriage tray to a ready-to-start position.
10. The portable golf practice device of claim 1 wherein the guide portion guide members each comprises a channel housing on each side of the base member along the length dimension to form a frame, the channel housings having cavities in the form of channels and slots in the sides; and the guided members each comprises a carriage motion guide slidable inside the channels.
11. The portable golf practice device of claim 10 wherein the retraction portion comprises one or multiple forward compression springs in each of the channel housings between a forward end of each of the carriage motion guides and a forward end of the channel housing, respectively.
12. The portable golf practice device of claim 11 wherein the retraction portion further comprises one or more rearward compression springs in each of the channel housings between a rearward end of each of the carriage motion guides and a rearward end of the channel housing, respectively.
13. The portable golf practice device of claim 10 wherein the retraction portion biasing elements comprise a rearward stretchable elastic member on each side of the carriage tray, each of the rearward stretchable elastic members having a forward end attached to the carriage motion guide on its respective side and a rearward end attached to the base member on its respective side rearwardly of the forward end so that upon forward movement of the carriage tray, the rearward stretchable elastic members are stretched and will act to pull the carriage tray back from the forward movement such that the direction of movement of the carriage tray is controlled by the channels and the velocity and distance of the movement by the rearward stretchable elastic members.
14. The portable golf practice device of claim 13 wherein the retraction portion further comprises a forward stretchable elastic member on each side of the carriage tray having a forward end attached to the base member on each respective side and a rearward end attached to the carriage motion guide on each respective side whereby the interaction of the forward stretchable elastic members and the rearward stretchable elastic members will prevent excessive rearward movement of the carriage tray and will control return of the carriage tray to a ready-to-start position.
15. The portable golf practice device of claim 2 the device having a compacted portable configuration and an in-use configuration;
- the base extension having an a first surface defining an outer surface and a second surface defining an inner surface and being pivotably attached along the length dimension of the device and being pivotable to an in-use open position in which the base extension may be placed under a platform and the rest of the device is in a ready-to-use position adjacent the platform and the base extension being pivotable to a compact portable configuration in which it is pivoted to a closed position adjacent the carriage tray and substantially parallel to and spaced from the base member and the second surface of the base extension faces inwardly and the outer surface faces outwardly and the carriage tray being in the space between the base extension and the base member when in the compact portable configuration; and
- whereby in the compact portable configuration the device has a thin compact form and in the in-use configuration the base extension can be placed under a platform.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 27, 2007
Publication Date: Jul 5, 2007
Inventors: James McFarlin (Venice, CA), Margaret McFarlin (Venice, CA)
Application Number: 11/712,032
International Classification: A63B 69/36 (20060101);