Balance training footwear
A method and apparatus for footwear that may be used for balance training or muscle strengthening, particularly, for example, in the game of golf. The footwear includes a sole having a toe portion and a heel portion, each of the toe and heel portions including an upper surface and a lower surface. The toe and heel portions may form an integrated sole and/or a coupling mechanism may be provided that adjustably couples the toe portion to the heel portion. At least one of the toe portion and heel portion includes an angled edge adjacent to the lower surface that allows pivoting of the footwear in a forward pivot direction, a backward pivot direction and/or a side cant direction. The footwear may be a sandal having straps for being worn over a shoe and/or may be incorporated into a sole during the manufacture of a shoe.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/823,611, filed Jun. 28, 2007 (pending), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/488,283, filed Jul. 18, 2006 (pending), which are all incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELDThis application is directed to the field of balance training and muscle strengthening and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for balance training footwear.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIt is known that special footwear may be used to provide a rocking motion that allows for exercise, muscle strengthening and other therapeutic effects. (See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,206,558 to Bivona; 5,339,542 to Kim; 5,507,106 to Fox; 5,826,351 to Tsuji; and 6,421,935 to Bartlett, which are all incorporated herein by reference.)
Further, maintaining balance is a desirable skill in many athletic games and events. In particular, in the game of golf, maintaining proper balance during a golf swing may result in a swing having improved accuracy, consistency and/or power.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide for a system that facilitates balance training and muscle strengthening and that may be used to improve athletic performance, for example, as in the game of golf.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to the system described herein, footwear for balance training or muscle strengthening includes a sole having an upper surface, a lower surface, a front portion, a back portion and at least two side portions. At least one of the front portion and the back portion includes an angled edge portion adjacent to the lower surface that allows pivoting of the sole in a forward to backward direction. At least one side of the sole includes a angled side edge portion that allows canting of the sole in a side to side direction. The footwear may include at least one attachment mechanism for positioning the sole on a shoe or foot. The footwear may be a shoe and further include an upper coupled to the sole. The sole may include a toe portion and a heel portion and a coupling mechanism that adjusts a spacing between the toe portion and the heel portion to control a size of the sole and which may be a threaded rod, a portion of which is received by each of the heel and toe portions.
The angled edge portion of the front portion or back portion may be angled in a range of approximately 10 degrees to approximately 50 degrees. The angled side edge portion of the side portion may be angled in a range of approximately greater than 0 degrees and less than or equal to approximately 10 degrees. Both the front portion and the back portion may include an angled edge portion. The angled portions of the front, back and/or side portions may have a non-linear profile. The side portion may include a medial side edge having a first side edge portion and a lateral side edge having a second angled side portion. The first and second angled side edge portions of the medial side edge and lateral side edge may be disposed off center from a centerline of the sole and may be at different angles from each other, including 6 to 8 degrees on one side edge and 0 to 4 degrees on the other side edge. At least one spike may be disposed on the lower surface of the sole.
According further to the system described herein, a method of balance training or muscle strengthening includes providing a pair of footwear. Each piece of footwear of the pair of footwear includes a sole that is pivotable in a side cant direction and at least one of: a forward pivot direction and a backward pivot direction. Each piece of footwear may include a sole having a toe portion and a heel portion, each having an upper and a lower surface. The size of the footwear may be adjusted by altering a spacing between the toe portion and the heel portion using a coupling mechanism. A front portion of the sole may include a front angled edge portion and a back portion of the sole may include a back angled edge portion. The sole may include at least one angled side edge portion on at least one of a medial side of the sole and a lateral side of the sole.
According further to the system described herein, a method of manufacturing balance training footwear includes providing a sole having an upper surface, a lower surface, a front portion, a back portion and at least two side portions. At least one angled edge portion may be manufactured adjacent to the lower surface in at least one of: a front portion of the sole and a back portion of the sole. At least one angled side edge portion may be manufactured adjacent to the lower surface along at least one of the side portions. Both the front portion of the sole and the back portion of the sole may include at least one angled edge portion, and both of the at least two side portions may include at least one angled side edge portion. The sole may be manufactured with a toe portion and a heel portion that are adjustably coupled. The angled side edge portion of at least one side portion may have a non-linear profile. The at least one side portion may include a medial side edge having a first angled side edge portion and a lateral side edge having a second angled side edge portion, and the first and second angled side edge portions of the medial side edge and the lateral side edge are disposed off center from a centerline of the sole. The first angled side edge portion of the medial side edge may be at a different angle than the second angled side edge portion of the lateral side edge.
Embodiments of the system are described with reference to the several figures of the drawings, described as follows.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not meant to be restrictive of the system described herein. It may be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. References cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Referring now to the figures of the drawing, the figures comprise a part of this specification and illustrate exemplary embodiments of the described system. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the system may be shown schematically or may be exaggerated or altered to facilitate an understanding of the system.
In various embodiments, the sole of the sandal may be one inch thick, but may range from one-half inch to one and one-half inches in thickness. The core material of the sole may vary and may include 50% wood fiber with 50% polyethylene composite, PVC, nylon, wood, aluminum, fiberglass, rubber, and/or any other appropriate material, such as any hard machineable material. The upper and lower surfaces may have a frictional or no-slip surface 112, 122 either applied or impregnated based on the particular core material used. For example, the surfaces 112, 122 may include a dense foam or rubber surface that partially or fully forms to the contact surface of an applied shoe or foot, thereby facilitating the frictional or no-slip functionality of the interface between the sandal and the applied shoe or foot.
The sole may be split into two portions, approximately the same size, as the toe portion 110 and the heel portion 120. The two portions 110, 120 may be connected by the coupling mechanism 130, such as installing an installed threaded insert or drilling and taping the sole material (shown as an internal cavity 132, see
A comparison of
The sandal 100 may include side spikes 172 attached to springs 170 that may be seven-eighths inch in diameter by seven-eighths to one and one-quarter inches in height with a wire size that may range between 0.05 and 0.14 inches, although other ranges are possible. In one embodiment, the standard size is 0.08 inches. The player's weight and/or strength may determine what wire size is comfortable for the player. The springs 170 may be compression or wave springs with equal or varying spring rates, for example as measured in pounds/inch and/or load measured in pounds.
The springs 170 may be useful in connection with training of the golfer. On the back swing, the golfer may feel the sensation of compressing the springs loading the players weight properly on the back foot. On the forward swing, the springs 170 may help to force the golfer to transfer the weight to the front foot and keep it there, while remaining balanced with proper weight distribution throughout the swing. The springs 170 may be press fit into a seven-eighths inch hole drilled one-quarter to three-eighths inches deep. Spacers may be placed in the hole under the spring if more projection is desired.
Alternatively, the spikes 172 may be inserted, without springs, directly onto the flat portion of the sole which comes in contact with the ground. The spikes 172 may be threaded, or inserted through another means, into each bottom portion, front and back halves, of the sandal. It is also contemplated to use springs 170 without spikes.
Other configurations of the springs and spikes are possible and contemplated herein. For example,
Alternatively, a similar configuration as described above may be incorporated into the top surface of the sandal, that is, the surface in contact with the golfer's shoe.
It is further contemplated herein that spring configurations may be provided that facilitate the forward and backward pivot angling of the sandal. For example,
The top face of the sandal's sole which comes in contact with the shoe's sole may have a recessed area 150 on both front corners (see
Referring now back to
The straps described herein may be one or more of the following mechanisms: hook and loop, a buckle system with a ladder lock, quick release cam, metal cam anchor, and/or a sure lock metal tooth buckle system. Other appropriate mechanisms may also be used. The strap mechanisms may provide proper tightening while minimizing risk of unintended release. A buckle system 146 is illustrated in
The size of the sandal 100 may be adjusted for length of the player's foot using the size control features of the coupling mechanism 130, as described elsewhere herein. The sandal may reach the center of the ball of the foot to the front third of the foot's heel. The sizing may be varied based on the balancing requirements of the player.
The following describes an example method for attaching the sandal to a shoe. The toes and ball of the foot may be placed firmly on the ground. The sandal may be placed against the sole of the shoe, and the front portion may be wedged down to the ground between the ground and the ball of the foot. The front toe strap may be attached firmly. Then, the heel strap may be attached firmly. Finally, the ankle strap may be attached firmly to the foot. The process may be repeated for the other foot. The sandals are now on properly and ready for use.
The following embodiment details the use and benefits of the sandals during a golf swing (described for a right handed golfer). First, a golfer (or other user) places their feet a comfortable distance apart with the front foot's toe pointing partway towards the target. With hands and club in front, the golfer may be positioned in the proper balanced posture. For a few practice swings, the golfer may use swings of partial power or intensity to become comfortable with the sandals before commencing the primary swing. On the back swing, the golfer may get the feeling of weight shifting to the back foot. The weight shift may compress the springs in the sandal. Thus, the golfer's body may be balanced but the majority of the golfer's weight is on the back foot and the golfer's body is coiled backwards onto the back leg, thereby storing power for the swing. The golfer's hands and club should be over the right shoulder at the top of the back swing. With the back swing completed, the golfer may then start the forward swing with a hip turn and weight shift from the back to the front foot, while the sandals force the golfer to maintain balance. The club head path is desirably kept inside the target line throughout the swing until impact with the ball. Generally, the head of the club should be kept heading towards, or just to the right of, the target as long as possible. The swing is usually finished with the golfer's hands and club over the left shoulder with the golfer's weight primarily on the left foot.
In
The angles 512, 512′ of the medial side portions 502, 502′ and the angles 514, 514′ of the lateral side portions 504, 504′ may be substantially equal or may be different in order to facilitate balance training functions. In various embodiments, each of the angles 512, 512′ and the angles 514, 514′ may be in a range from greater than zero degrees to approximately ten degrees. For example, each of the angles 512, 512′ may be in a range of five to eight degrees, and specifically approximately six or seven degrees, and each of the angles 514, 514′ may be in a range of zero to four degrees, and specifically two or three degrees. Balance training for purposes of improving a golf swing may be facilitated, in some instances, by having the angles 512, 512′ of the medial side portions 502, 502′ be larger than the angles 514, 514′ of the lateral side portions 504, 504′ for the soles 500, 500′ for each of the front foot and back foot in a golfing stance. Alternatively, in other instances, balancing training may be facilitated by having the angles 512, 512′ of the medial side portions 502, 502′ be smaller than the angles 514, 514′ of the lateral side portions 504, 504′. For example, the angles 512, 512′ may be in the range of zero to four degrees, and specifically approximately two or three degrees, and the angles 512, 512′ may be in the range of five to eight degrees, and specifically approximately six or seven degrees. Angles other than those specifically mentioned above may be used to facilitate balance training in accordance with the system described herein, including angles greater than 10 degrees as further discussed elsewhere herein.
While swinging, the importance of achieving good balance and weight distribution may be conveyed to the golfer by the feel of the footwear. Over the course of the swing, a proper swing path, from inside to out, may be maintained, during which, while the golfer attempts to maintain his balance, the footwear provides balance training, muscle strengthening and builds desirable muscle memory. As detailed herein, the golfer may be forced to maintain balance to address the forward and backward pivoting provided by the footwear, and/or the golfer may be forced to maintain balance to address the side canting provided by the footwear. As a result of utilization of the present system, the golfer may gain and foster foundational swing skills through mental awareness of desirable swing dynamics.
Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the specification or practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.
Claims
1. A sandal for providing balance training during a golf swing, comprising:
- a sole having an upper surface, a lower surface, a front portion, a back portion, wherein the lower surface includes at least two side cant portions, wherein the front portion of the sole includes a forward angled edge portion adjacent to the lower surface that allows pivoting of the sole in a forward direction, wherein the back portion of the sole includes a backward angled edge portion adjacent to the lower surface that allows pivoting of the sole in a backward direction, wherein the at least two side cant portions of the lower surface allow canting of the sole in a side to side direction, wherein the at least two side cant portions include a medial side portion and a lateral side portion, wherein an angle of the medial side portion from horizontal is different than an angle of the lateral side portion from horizontal by at least one degree and facilitates balance training during the golf swing, and wherein the medial side portion and the lateral side portion are divided by a dividing interface disposed on the lower surface that has a non-linear profile; and
- a frictional surface disposed on the upper surface of the sole, wherein the frictional surface is made of a material that forms to a contact surface of a golf shoe applied to the upper surface of the sole and that facilitates non-slip of the golf shoe with respect to the upper surface of the toe portion and the upper surface of the heel portion during the golf swing.
2. The sandal according to claim 1, wherein at least one of: the forward angled edge portion or the backward angled edge portion has a non-linear profile.
3. The sandal according to claim 1, wherein said sole includes a toe portion with the front portion and heel portion with the back portion, the sandal further comprising:
- a coupling mechanism that couples said toe portion to said heel portion and allows adjustment of a spacing between the toe portion and the heel portion.
4. The sandal according to claim 5, wherein said coupling mechanism includes a threaded rod, and wherein said toe portion and said heel portion receive at least a portion of said threaded rod.
5. The sandal according to claim 1, further comprising:
- at least one strap attached to said sole that secures the golf shoe to the upper surface of the sole.
6. The sandal according to claim 1, wherein the at least two side cant portions are each angled in a range of approximately 10 degrees to approximately 50 degrees with respect to the lower surface.
7. The sandal according to claim 1, wherein the forward angled edge portion and the backward angled edge portion are each angled in a range of approximately 10 degrees to approximately 50 degrees.
8. The sandal according to claim 1, further comprising:
- at least one spring disposed on the lower surface of the sole.
9. The sandal according to claim 1, further comprising:
- at least one spike disposed on the lower surface of the sole.
10. The sandal according to claim 1, further comprising:
- at least one recess disposed in the upper surface of the sole that is sized and positioned to accommodate a spike of the golf shoe applied to the upper surface.
11. A method for using a sandal to provide balance training during a golf swing, comprising:
- affixing the sandal to at least one golf shoe that is worn by a golfer during the golf swing, the sandal including: a sole having an upper surface, a lower surface, a front portion, and a back portion, wherein the lower surface includes at least two side cant portions, wherein the front portion of the sole includes a forward angled edge portion adjacent to the lower surface that allows pivoting of the sole in a forward direction, wherein the back portion of the sole includes a backward angled edge portion adjacent to the lower surface that allows pivoting of the sole in a backward direction, wherein the at least two side cant portions of the lower surface allow canting of the sole in a side to side direction, wherein the at least two side cant portions include a medial side portion and a lateral side portion, wherein an angle of the medial side portion from horizontal is different than an angle of the lateral side portion from horizontal by at least one degree and facilitates balance training during the golf swing, and wherein the medial side portion and the lateral side portion are divided by a dividing interface disposed on the lower surface that has a non-linear profile; and a frictional surface disposed on the upper surface of the sole, wherein the frictional surface is made of a material that forms to a contact surface of the golf shoe applied to the upper surface of the sole and that facilitates non-slip of the golf shoe with respect to the upper surface of the toe portion and the upper surface of the heel portion during the golf swing.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one of: the forward angled edge portion or the backward angled edge portion has a non-linear profile.
13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the sole includes a toe portion with the front portion and heel portion with the back portion, the sandal further including:
- a coupling mechanism that couples said toe portion to said heel portion and allows adjustment of a spacing between the toe portion and the heel portion.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said coupling mechanism includes a threaded rod, and wherein said toe portion and said heel portion receive at least a portion of said threaded rod.
15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:
- at least one strap attached to said sole that secures the golf shoe to the upper surface of the sole.
16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the at least two side cant portions are each angled in a range of approximately 10 degrees to approximately 50 degrees with respect to the lower surface.
17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the forward angled edge portion and the backward angled edge portion are each angled in a range of approximately 10 degrees to approximately 50 degrees.
18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:
- at least one spring disposed on the lower surface of the sole.
19. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:
- at least one spike disposed on the lower surface of the sole.
20. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:
- at least one recess disposed in the upper surface of the sole that is sized and positioned to accommodate a spike of the golf shoe applied to the upper surface.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 18, 2011
Publication Date: Dec 8, 2011
Inventor: Adam C. Battaglino (Marlborough, MA)
Application Number: 13/199,059
International Classification: A43B 5/00 (20060101);