METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRAINING A GOLF SWING
A golf swing training device includes a swing guide that may be fitted to a golf club at the club's butt end. The swing guide includes a telescoping shaft part, an end cap an extension received on the golf club and a hinge that pivots the extension relative to the telescoping shaft. The hinge allows a golfer to adjust the angle between the telescopic shaft and golf club shaft to suit her or his posture at address. The telescopic shaft may be lengthened or shortened as well.
The application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/802,783 filed May 24, 2006.
FIELDThis invention relates to golf training devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system for improving a golf swing by providing visual and physical indicators that allow a golfer to improve the golf swing.
BACKGROUNDThe golf swing is the key to a successful golf game. In order to be successful in the game of golf, a substantial amount of practice is required. Through practice, a golfer can reach a comfortable skill level. However, there are many technical aspects of a golf swing that can affect the characteristics of a golf shot and lead the golfer to the comfortable skill level. For example, setup, backswing, forward-swing, follow-through, and finish all affect the distance and accuracy of a golf shot. Therefore, success at golf necessitates a consistent and technically sound swing. Optimally, the golfer wants to be able to have a good swing, the consistent and technically sound swing, each and every time.
In an effort to improve the golf swing, many golfers take lessons and practice on their own. Practice is one of the best ways for a golfer to improve the consistency of his or her golf swing. However, to improve the technical aspects or mechanics of his or her swing, a golfer will commonly hire a golf professional at a golf resort or golf course to teach a lesson. The golf professional is an expert at golf, and has the advantage of being able to observe how other golfers swing the club. By observation, a golf professional may readily determine a student's areas of improvement. Then, the golf professional may suggest a myriad of different ways to improve the swing. For example, the professional may recommend some training exercise for practicing the recommended changes to the student's swing.
However, there is the disadvantage in the existing art that, in the course of learning the mechanics of a golf swing, the golfer stifles their own natural athletic ability, as thoughts of the mechanics complicate what should be a simple athletic movement. Once a golfer leaves the lesson, he or she is dependent on a “feel” of the correct mechanics, since golfers cannot see themselves performing the action. This is difficult because the feel may change from day to day, causing the golfer to fail to execute the mechanics properly, or the golfer may not remember the exact “feel” of the swing. Furthermore, when practicing without an observer, it is often extremely difficult for a golfer to recognize what he or she is doing wrong. Therefore, many golfers have difficulty attaining the desired goals of golf lessons.
Another disadvantage of lessons is the cost. Golf lessons can be very expensive. A person might not have time to attend a lesson, or lessons might not be taught in a location that is easily accessible.
Another approach golfers often use to improve a swing is to practice at driving ranges, which allow the golfer to be able to practice hitting the ball in succession. However, hitting one golf ball after another does not provide the golfer with an indication of whether the golfer's form is at its best for consistently producing the best shot possible. The problem that golfers face in improving the golf swing is an unawareness of the simple athletic movements of a golf swing and how that golf swing can be natural to them.
Therefore, there is a need for improved methods and devices for allowing a golfer to recognize the natural “feel” of his or her own swing.
SUMMARYThe present invention relates to a golf swing training device to help each golfer, regardless of age or skill level, to coordinate the movements of arms, legs and body. Among other things, the device allows a golfer to draw on his or her own natural athletic ability by encouraging the golfer to use the arms and the entire body in synchronization, which simplifies the movements and allows the golfer to feel the golfer's own athletic ability. This is accomplished by the disclosed training device, which causes the golfer to focus on the relationship between the arms and the breastbone (also referred to herein as the “center”) and the “triangle” that is formed by both arms and an imaginary horizontal line connecting the shoulders. Through the device, the golfer is able to develop his own feelings about the relationship between the arms and body throughout the swing.
In one aspect of the disclosure, there is an apparatus that includes a golf club including a striking face, a golf club grip, and a shaft having a first longitudinal axis, a longitudinal member having a second longitudinal axis and extending rearwardly of the grip, and a hinge portion connecting the longitudinal member to the shaft, wherein the hinge portion has a first configuration that fixes the angle formed between the first and second longitudinal axes, and a second configuration that permits rotation of the longitudinal member relative to the shaft.
In another aspect of the disclosure, there is an apparatus that includes a rigid longitudinal member connected at the butt end of a golf club, extending rearwardly of the shaft and including a second longitudinal axis forming a fixed, acute angle with respect to the first longitudinal axis, and a terminal end distal of the shaft and immovable relative to the longitudinal member.
In another aspect of the disclosure, there is a method of training a golfer to swing a golf club, including the steps of providing a substantially elongate member connected to the golf club and having a second longitudinal axis that forms a fixed, acute angle with the first, shaft axis, and an end disposed rearward of the gripping portion, placing the end against the golfer's chest when the golfer is positioned in a golf club swinging posture, and swinging the golf club while maintaining the contact between the end and chest.
Additional advantages and novel features of the invention will be partially set forth in the description that follows, and will also become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or upon learning by practice of the invention.
The features of the invention will be more readily understood with reference to the following description and the attached drawings, wherein:
An advantage for golfers of all levels is that improving the golf swing is an action that can be practiced anytime, and almost anywhere. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a golf swing training device is portable and can be taken to a driving range where the golfer can practice the golf swing. The golf swing training device is also practical for both indoor and outdoor use at other locations.
Further, fastening members or other mechanisms can be used to hold the inner shaft 11 in place with respect to the outer shaft 12a. For example, fastening members, such as a textured material, can be disposed on an internal surface of the outer shaft 12a, an external surface of the inner shaft 11 or on both surfaces, in order to be used with the fastening member to set the length of the telescopic shaft 12. In another example, fastening members, such as retracting pins, known in the art can be disposed on or through the internal or external surfaces of the inner and outer shafts 11, 12a. In one embodiment, the telescopic shaft 12 can adjust in length from about 6 inches to about 18 inches in order to accommodate the length of the golfer's arms.
In another embodiment, the inner shaft 11 includes a threaded portion on its outer surface, along its entire length. The outer shaft 12a also includes a threaded portion along its inner surface to mesh with the externally threaded portion of the inner shaft 11. In order to adjust the length of the telescopic shaft 12 of this embodiment, the outer shaft 12a is rotated with respect to the inner shaft 11. For example, in order to lengthen or extend the swing guide, the outer shaft 12a is rotated in a counterclockwise direction. In order to shorten the swing guide, the outer shaft 12a is rotated in a clockwise direction. The inner and outer shafts 11, 12a can be made from steel, plastic or any other rigid material.
One end of the telescopic shaft 12 can include an end cap 15 for closing an end of the hollow outer shaft 12a, which also allows comfortable placement against the golfer's chest while using the swing guide 10. The cap in this embodiment has beveled sides and can be formed from any suitable material, such as plastic, steel or wood. However, the portion pressed against a golfer's chest is preferably flat as this will facilitate a preferred method for using the swing guide 10. That is, when used to train a golf swing, as set forth in greater detail in the examples below, the cap 15 is preferably substantially flat, i.e., non-arcuate, so that the golfer is readily made aware of any pivoting of the telescopic shaft 12 about the golfer's chest when an incorrect golf swing is being performed. In other embodiments, radial extensions from the cap 15 may be included as these extensions can indicate to a golfer when a golf swing is being performed incorrectly, i.e., by sensing an uneven pressure distribution across the chest.
The shaft extension 18 may be used to connect the swing guide 10 to the golf club by, e.g., press-fitting it into the open hollow butt end 7. The shaft extension 18 may also be fixed to the golf club 1 by gluing it into the hollow opening in the butt end 7 or by other attachment methods. The shaft extension 18 of
In one embodiment, the shaft extension 18 is inserted into the butt end 7 with a modified grip being installed on the club to accommodate the device. In one example of the connection between the golf club 1 and the swing guide 10, the open butt end 7 and the proximal end of the shaft extension 18 are sized to provide an interference fit between the shaft extension 18 and the golf club 1. In another example of the connection between the golf club 1 and the swing guide 10, the inner portion of the butt end 7 and the outer portion of the proximal end of the shaft extension 18 are threaded to allow mounting of the swing guide 10 to the golf club 1.
As mentioned above, the hinge 16 pivotally connects the telescopic shaft 12 to the shaft extension 18. The hinge is a one-axis hinge. That is, the hinge 16 permits relative rotation between the extension 18 and telescopic shaft 12 about only one axis of rotation. The hinge 16 can be integral with the inner shaft 11 of the telescopic shaft 12. The hinge 16 is used to allow proper angular placement of the end cap 15 against the golfer's chest when the golfer is positioned at address. This allows the swing guide 10 to accommodate golfers of various heights, postures and/or arm lengths. The hinge 16 preferably includes a tightening and loosening feature, such as a wing nut, to hold the swing guide 10 in one position with respect to the golf club 1. The wing nut is tightened to secure the telescopic shaft 12 and shaft extension 18 in a set configuration, and loosened to adjust the angle of the telescopic shaft 12 and golf club 1 with respect to each other as needed to adjust the angle θ. Referring to
The swing guide 10 can be used to optimize the natural athletic component of the golfer's swing so that the golfer feels comfortable with the swing and can repeat the swing successfully. The golfer can adjust the telescopic shaft 12 to the appropriate length and angle to fit the golfer's physical dimensions and natural address position. This ensures a custom fit, which maximizes the golfer's chances to develop a fundamentally sound and natural athletic swing, discussed in more detail below.
In one embodiment, a specialized golf club is used with the swing guide 10. The golf club has a head at one end and grip end at the opposite end. The golf club can be made from any material, and preferably the same material a normal golf club used in play, in order to provide the golfer with the appropriate feel of the golf club. The shaft can be round in cross section and tapered from the grip to the head. The shaft can be formed from steel or a lighter in weight carbon-fiber and resin composite, for example. The head can be formed from a standard club head material. Alternatively, the head can be a driver, fairway wood, or any iron, wedge or putter. The grip end can be made from standard grip material so that the golfer can have a firm hold on the device.
In another embodiment, the swing guide is adaptable to be used with any golf club, including woods, irons, and putters, so that the golfer can practice his or her swing for any of the different course situations requiring the use of a specific club. The training device is further adaptable for use with shafts having one of the six degrees of stiffness, such as L (Ladies), A (Seniors), R (Regular), F (Firm), X (Extra Firm), and S (Stiff).
In another embodiment, the swing guide can be installed into a specially weighted, shortened version of a golf club, which allows practice swinging indoors under a low ceiling. The club head is typically weighted with this embodiment to mimic the weight and feel of a standard regulation golf club. In other embodiments, the swing guide can be installed into a heavily weighted version of a regulation golf club, which allows training for both technique and exercise. While a normal golf club weighs approximately 1 lb or less, the exercise version can be made in weights of more than 1 lb.
The swing guide 10 illustrated in
As such, golf is no different from other hitting or throwing sports. Shortstops don't spend thousands of hours tweaking minute movements in an effort to turn a double play. They are simply taught to use the basic athletic movements, at an early age, and toss the ball to the second baseman. Movements like hitting a baseball, tennis ball, hockey puck, or chopping down a tree all have a few basic athletic movements that nearly anyone can learn in a short time. Top professionals use these same movements to make the golf swing powerful and effortless. Unfortunately, classic golf instruction has in many cases destroyed a person's natural athletic ability with outdated swing thoughts such as “keep your head still”, “keep your left (or right) arm straight”, and “turn”. Golfers stifle their own natural ability by using these thoughts and complicating a simple athletic movement. These kinds of detailed thoughts are not needed to know how to hit or toss a ball in other sports. Nor should they be needed in golf.
According to another aspect of the disclosure, a method for training a golf swing places emphasis on developing an athletic, natural “feel” for a golf swing, rather than a mechanical swing constructed from the combination of details, e.g., head still, arms straight, etc. According to this aspect of the disclosure, a golfer trains a swing that is easy to repeat, more reliable on the “off-days” and thus easier to correct because the swing is ingrained from repetition of a natural underhanded throwing, hitting or swinging motion, not the details comprising that motion. A golfer need not be consciously aware of these details once an athletic swing is trained. Therefore, the golfer can be less burdened on the golf course with having to recall every nuance in a golf swing when a correction is needed.
The disclosed training method encourages the golfer to use his arms and his entire body in synchronization, which simplifies the movements and allows him/her to feel their own athletic abilities. This is accomplished by focusing the golfer on a “triangle”, as illustrated in phantom in
In the golfer's address position,
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In other embodiments, a method for training a golf swing may be practiced for a putting stroke, chipping or pitching stroke, a “punch” shot or other varieties of golf swings. Because the elements of an athletic swing for these other swings are understood in viewing the foregoing, in particular, maintaining a triangle, the method is equally applicable to these other strokes. Hence, for a putting stroke, the golfer once again places the end 14 against the center at address, and swings the putter face back and through while maintaining contact with center and without pivoting the end 14 about the center.
Although the invention has been described based upon these preferred embodiments, it would be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions would be apparent, while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention. In order to determine the metes and bounds of the invention, therefore, reference should be made to the appended claims.
Claims
1. An apparatus for learning a golf swing, comprising:
- a golf club including a striking face, a golf club grip, and a shaft having a first longitudinal axis;
- a rigid longitudinal member having a second longitudinal axis and extending rearwardly of the grip; and
- a hinge portion connecting the longitudinal member to the shaft, wherein the hinge portion has a first configuration that fixes the angle formed between the first and second longitudinal axes, and a second configuration that permits rotation of the longitudinal member relative to the shaft.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hinge portion permits relative rotation of the longitudinal member and shaft about only one axis.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the hinge portion is disposed rearwardly of the grip.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hinge is in the first configuration, the angle is greater than 10 degrees and less than 90 degrees.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the hinge is in the first configuration, the angle is greater than 15 degrees and less than 80 degrees.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal member includes a telescopic shaft that is adjustable in length to accommodate golfers of varying height, arm length and/or posture.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the longitudinal member further includes a substantially flat end adapted for being placed against a chest of a golfer when a golf swing is performed.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the end is immovable relative to telescopic shaft.
9. An apparatus for learning a golf swing, comprising:
- a golf club including a striking face, a shaft having a first longitudinal axis and terminating at a butt end of the golf club; and
- a rigid longitudinal member connected at the butt end, extending rearwardly of the shaft and including a second longitudinal axis forming a fixed, acute angle with respect to the first longitudinal axis, and a terminal end distal of the shaft and immovable relative to the longitudinal member.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the longitudinal member is connected to the butt end by a hinge that permits rotation of the longitudinal member relative to the shaft about only one axis.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the hinge includes a locking portion.
12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the longitudinal member comprises a telescopic shaft.
13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the fixed angle is greater than 10 degrees and less than 90 degrees.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the fixed angle is greater than 15 degrees and less than 80 degrees.
15. A method of training a golfer to swing a golf club, the golf club having a striking face, a gripping portion, and a shaft having a first longitudinal axis, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a substantially elongate member connected to the golf club and having a second longitudinal axis that forms a fixed, acute angle with the first axis, and an end disposed rearward of the gripping portion;
- placing the end against the golfer's chest when the golfer is positioned in a golf club swinging posture; and
- swinging the golf club while maintaining the contact between the end and chest.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein after the golf club striking face has reached approximately the height of the golfer's waist, further comprising the step of withdrawing the free end from the sternum as the golfer breaks the left or right elbow.
17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of disengaging a locking member maintaining the fixed angle formed between the first and second axes, changing the angle to a new angle, and then fixing the new angle prior to swinging the golf club.
18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of adjusting the length of the elongate member prior to swing the golf club.
19. The method of claim 15, wherein the providing a substantially elongate member connected to the golf club includes connecting the substantially elongate member to one of a driver, putter, iron or utility club.
Type: Application
Filed: May 24, 2007
Publication Date: Nov 29, 2007
Inventor: JAMES F. DELPINE (New Bern, NC)
Application Number: 11/753,282
International Classification: A63B 69/36 (20060101);