Golf Club Alignment Device
An alignment device for attachment to a golf club includes a pair of elongate guide rods removably connected to a striking face of a golf club head having a toe region and a heel region, the pair of elongated guide rods being relatively spaced to enable a golf ball to be positioned therebetween. A pair of connection plates attaches the pair of elongate guide rods to the striking face and an adhesive layer for mounting the connection plates to the striking face. A removable connecting means connects the proximal end of each of the pair of elongate guide rods with the pair of connection plates.
This application claims priority from the U.S. provisional application with Ser. No. 62/215,899, which was filed on Sep. 9, 2015. The disclosure of that provisional application is incorporated herein as if set out in full.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURETechnical Field of the Disclosure
The present embodiment relates generally to golfing equipment, and more particularly, to a device to improve a golfer's stroke and aim when putting or driving a golf ball toward a designated target.
Description of the Related Art
Certain existing golf putters have been developed with various features to assist the golfer in properly aligning the club and the ball prior to putting the ball toward a distant target during training and actual play. Such features have included projections integral with or removably connectable to conventional putters that extend forwardly of the striking surface or area of the putter to bracket the “sweet spot” of the putter and provide some visual alignment between the putter and the distant target. Other prior features include slots, alignment marks, and so on for enhancing alignment between the putter and the ball.
Alignment devices which extend forward of the face of the golf head are particularly helpful for teaching a golfer the proper position of the striking portion of the face plate with respect to the golf ball and the hole during practice or training. However, such devices are not permissible during play under current United States Golf Association (USGA) regulations. Ideally, it would be desirable for a golfer to be able to use the same putter or other golf club for both practice and play so that the reflexes and muscle memory learned with one putter during practice can be used during play without the added difficulty of adapting to a different putter.
Therefore, there is a need for an alignment device for quickly and effectively installing and removing the alignment device for a golf club. Moreover, such a needed device would provide a pair of elongate guide rods removably connected to a striking face of a golf club head. Such a needed device would have a pair of connection plates to attach the pair of elongated guide rods to the striking face. Such a needed device would further have multiple uses, such as allowing the golfer to more easily follow the path of a swing, to easily indicate the angle of a wedge, and to be adaptable to multiple golf club types, including those not made from a ferromagnetic material. The present embodiment accomplishes these objectives.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURETo minimize the limitations found in the prior art, and to minimize other limitations that will be apparent upon the reading of the specification, the preferred embodiment of the present invention provides an alignment device for attachment to a striking face of a golf club head that includes a pair of elongated guide rods having a first guide rod and a second guide rod, the first guide rod and a second guide rod each having a proximal end and a distal end. The pair of elongated guide rods is relatively spaced to enable a golf ball to be positioned therebetween. The alignment device further comprises a pair of connection plates to attach the pair of elongate guide rods to the striking face, each of the pair of connection plates including a first face and a second face. The first face of each of the pair of connection plates includes an adhesive layer for mounting the pair of connection plates to the striking face. The second face of each of the pair of connection plates includes a removable connecting means to connect the proximal end of each of the pair of elongated guide rods with the pair of connection plates. The pair of connection plates is attached between the guide rods and the striking face of the golf club head. Further, the pair of connection plates is relatively spaced to enable a golf ball to be positioned therebetween. The first guide rod is connected to the toe region and the second guide rod is connected to the heel region of the golf club head respectively.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a golf putter comprising a golf club head comprises a toe region, a striking face and a heel region. A pair of elongate guide rods is removably connected to the striking face. The pair of elongate guide rods includes a first guide rod and a second guide rod. The pair of elongate guide rods has a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end of each of the guide rods are connected to the toe region and heel region of the golf club head respectively.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention the golf putter or other golf club may further comprise a pair of connection plates attached to the striking face and which serve as intermediary between a non-ferromagnetic face and magnetic guide rods. Further, the placement of the guide rod on the shaft of the golf club can assist the golfer with tracing the arc or movement of a golf swing.
A first objective of the present invention is to provide a pair of elongate guide rods removably connected to a striking face of a golf club head.
A second objective of the present invention is to provide a pair of connection plates to attach the pair of elongate guide rods to the striking face.
A third objective of the present invention is to provide a removable connecting means to connect the proximal end of each of the pair of elongate guide rods with the pair of connection plates.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide an adhesive layer for mounting the pair of connection plates to the striking face.
These and other advantages and features of the present invention are described with specificity so as to make the present invention understandable to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Elements in the figures have not necessarily been shown to scale in order to enhance their clarity and improve understanding of these various elements and embodiments of the invention. Furthermore, elements that are known to be common and well understood to those in the industry are not depicted in order to provide a clear view of the various embodiments of the invention, thus the figures are generalized in form in the interest of clarity and conciseness.
The foregoing summary as well as the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be best understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures, wherein like designations denote like elements throughout the figures, and wherein:
It is noted that the figures are intended to depict only typical embodiments of the invention and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope thereof. It is further noted that the figures are not necessarily to scale. The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSIn the following discussion that addresses a number of embodiments and applications of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features. However, any single inventive feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or only address one of the problems discussed above. Further, one or more of the problems discussed above may not be fully addressed by any of the features described below.
As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. “And” as used herein is interchangeably used with “or” unless expressly stated otherwise. As used herein, the term ‘about” means +/−5% of the recited parameter. All embodiments of any aspect of the invention can be used in combination, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words ‘comprise’, ‘comprising’, and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to”. Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural and singular number, respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “wherein”, “whereas”, “above,” and “below” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of the application.
The description of embodiments of the disclosure is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed. While the specific embodiments of, and examples for, the disclosure are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the disclosure, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize.
Referring now to the
The alignment device 10 itself is shown best at
In this embodiment, the guide rods 14 and are preferably of solid cylindrical construction with a diameter of about 0.25 inch and a length of about two inches. However, it will be understood that the guide rods 14 may be hollow and/or of any shape such as conical or triangular, square, oval, or hexagonal in cross section, and so on. Preferably, the guide rods 14, are installed equidistantly from the sweet spot 38 so that the golf ball 32 may be aligned with the sweet spot 38 during use. It will be further understood that the elongate guide rods 14 may be of any diameter or cross dimension and length. The larger diameter end of the guide rods 14 contains a small magnet, preferably of neodymium or similar type. Positioning the magnet with in the proximal end of the guide rods 14 with the larger diameter allows the guide rods 14 to be securely seated against the striking face 12 of the golf club 20, but without leaving any marks or changing the golf club 20 in any way. In this manner, the elongate guide rods 14 may be installed for practice or training and readily removed for playing so as to conform with USGA regulations. Accordingly, the muscle coordination and reflexes learned with a particular golf club during training can continue to be used without the necessity of adapting to a different golf club during play.
Referring now to the
The width of the area between the guide rods 14 may be selected to accommodate either beginning golfers or those with intermediate or advanced skills, since a narrower area requires greater maneuvering skill than a wider area.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, the pair of connection plate 26 is in the form of a thin disk of magnetically attractive material and may be installed on the striking face 12 of the golf club 20 utilizing the magnetization of the pair of guide rods 14 to the connection plates 26. Alternatively, at least a distal end 24 of each guide rods 14 may be magnetized or include a magnet, the guide rods 14 may stick to the connection plates 26. The connection plate 26 is required for each of the guide rods 14 and at least one connection plates 26 are shown in the
The adhesive layer preferably comprises double-sided adhesive tape that permanently attaches the connection plates 26 to the striking face 12. However, the adhesive layer may be formulated to removably attach the connection plates 26 to the striking face 12. The adhesive layer may alternatively comprise an adhesive coating on the connection plates 26 and/or may be formulated to removably attach the connection plates to the striking face 12. Moreover, the adhesive layer may be replaced with other removable connecting means such as hook and loop fasteners, inter-engaging tabs, and so on.
The guide rods 14 are preferably of solid cylindrical construction with similar dimensions. However, the guide rods 14 may be hollow and/or of any shape, diameter or cross dimension and/or length.
The alignment device 10 is especially advantageous when it is impractical to form bores in the club head and/or when the head is constructed of a non-magnetic material. Accordingly, the connection plates 26 together with the adhesive layer can be positioned at any position on the striking face 12 and the guide rods 14 can be removably connected to the connection plates 26 to ensure that the golf ball 32 is struck at the sweet spot 38 and in the intended direction during training. Prior to actual play, the guide rods 14 and, if desired, the connection plates 26 and accompanying adhesive layer can be removed so that the same club can be used for both training and playing as previously described.
In one embodiment, magnets are positioned inside the hollow interior at the proximal end of each guide rods 14. The magnets are preferably permanently connected to the guide rods 14 through adhesive bonding, although other connecting means may be used, such as press-fitting and so on. Each magnet may be constructed of any magnetic material as long as it is sufficiently strong for holding the guide rod during swinging and striking.
In yet another embodiment, the guide rods 14 may be affixed to a wedge type golf club 20 (see
In yet another embodiment, depicted in
In accordance with a further embodiment, depicted in
It will be understood that the term “preferably” as used throughout the specification refers to one or more exemplary embodiments of the invention and therefore is not to be interpreted in any limiting sense. In addition, terms of orientation and/or position as may be used throughout the specification denote relative, rather than absolute orientations and/or positions.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It will be understood, therefore, that the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but also covers modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been presented for the purpose of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in the structure of the golf club head of the above teachings. It is intended that the scope of the present invention not be limited by this detailed description, but by the claims and the equivalents to the claims appended hereto.
Claims
1. An alignment device for attachment to a golf club, the alignment device comprising:
- a pair of elongate guide rods removably connected to a striking face of a golf club head comprises a toe region and a heel region, the pair of elongated guide rods being relatively spaced to enable a golf ball to be positioned therebetween; and
- a pair of connection plates to attach the pair of elongate guide rods to the striking face.
2. The alignment device of claim 1 wherein each of the pair of elongate guide rods has a proximal end and a distal end.
3. The alignment device of claim 1 wherein the pair of elongate guide rods includes a first guide rod and a second guide rod.
4. The alignment device of claim 1 wherein each of the pair of connection plates includes a first face and a second face.
5. The alignment device of claim 1 wherein the first face of each of the pair of connection plates includes an adhesive layer for mounting the pair of connection plates to the striking face.
6. The alignment device of claim 1 wherein the second face of each of the pair of connection plates includes a removable connecting means to connect the proximal end of each of the pair of elongate guide rods with the pair of connection plates.
7. The alignment device of claim 1 wherein the pair of connection plates is attached between the guide rods and the striking face of the golf club head.
8. The alignment device of claim 1 wherein the first guide rod is connected to the toe region and the second guide rod is connected to the heel region of the golf club head respectively.
9. The alignment device of claim 1 wherein the pair of connection plates is a thin disk.
10. An alignment device for attachment to a golf club, the device comprising:
- a pair of elongate guide rods includes a first guide rod and a second guide rod, the first guide rod and a second guide rod has a proximal end and a distal end, the pair of elongated guide rods being relatively spaced to enable a golf ball to be positioned therebetween; and
- a pair of connection plates to attach the pair of elongate guide rods to the striking face, each of the pair of connection plates includes a first face and a second face.
11. The alignment device of claim 10 wherein the first face of each of the pair of connection plates includes an adhesive layer for mounting the pair of connection plates to the striking face.
12. The alignment device of claim 10 wherein the second face of each of the pair of connection plates includes a removable connecting means to connect the proximal end of each of the pair of elongate guide rods with the pair of connection plates.
13. The alignment device of claim 10 wherein the pair of connection plates is attached between the guide rods and the striking face of the golf club head.
14. The alignment device of claim 10 wherein the pair of connection plates is relatively spaced to enable a golf ball to be positioned therebetween.
15. The alignment device of claim 10 wherein the first guide rod is connected to the toe region and the second guide rod is connected to the heel region of the golf club head respectively.
16. The alignment device of claim 10 wherein the pair of connection plates is a thin disk.
17. A golf putter comprising:
- a golf club head comprises a toe region, a striking face and a heel region; and
- a pair of elongate guide rods removably connected to the striking face.
18. The golf putter of claim 17 wherein the pair of elongate guide rods provide haptic feedback to the user,
19. The golf putter of claim 17 wherein the each of the pair of elongate guide rods has a proximal end and a distal end.
20. The golf putter of claim 17 wherein the proximal end of the guide rods are removably connected to the toe region and heel region of the golf club head respectively.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 8, 2016
Publication Date: Mar 9, 2017
Inventor: Clinton "Bud" Wilcox (Grass Valley, CA)
Application Number: 15/260,120