PUTTING AID TO GENERATE PROFESSIONAL PUTTING POSTURE
A golf training putting aid that attaches to or is built into any putter club head to assist with self-teaching and development of professional putting fundamentals of posture and stroke. The removable aid will produce a professional, consistent, and repeatable putting posture through muscle memory habits with immediate visual feedback.
This utility patent application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/429,128, filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Dec. 2, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSUREGolf is a popular worldwide sport. It is unique and challenging for many reasons including its use of various clubs that must be mastered in order to drive a golf ball from a tee into a fairway then onto a putting green and finally into a cup using the fewest shots possible. The typical golf bag includes a driver, as many as nine wedges and irons, and a putter. Depending on a fairway's length, the average golfer usually learns to drive the golf ball from tee to putting green in three or four shots. Putting, however, remains many golfers' nemesis even after years of playing. Many golfers commonly “three putt” on the putting green due to bad putting habits, which cause “birdies” and even a “par” on a given hole to remain elusive. As the old saying goes, “Drive for show, putt for dough.”
Bad putting habits are difficult to identify and correct without instruction or feedback from a seasoned or professional golfer. Professional lessons can be expensive and unfortunately, even after lessons, bad putting habits can return after a brief time away from golfing.
What is needed in the game of golf is a training aid that teaches professional muscle memory habits and quickly reinstates professional putting fundamentals before the next round of golf.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSUREThe present disclosure is directed in general to devices that are compatible with assorted styles and brands of putters. The devices may be used with left- or right-handed putters to teach and establish professional muscle memory habits for golfers and to reinstate professional putting fundamentals before every round of golf.
One device according to the present disclosure is a removable putting aid that teaches professional muscle memory habits and quickly confirms professional putting fundamentals, to include posture and stroke, with an emphasis on posture, before the next round of golf. Through repetition and regularized use, the golfer will be taught the necessary muscle memory to form a habit that consistently repeats the professional putting posture without the use of the putting aid during a normal round of golf.
According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a putting aid may include a reflective body having a major body axis and a minor body axis, the major body axis being aligned with a first horizontal axis in a horizontal plane; a spirit level having a major level axis and a minor level axis, the major level axis being aligned with a second horizontal axis normal to the first horizontal axis in the horizontal plane; and attachment means for connecting the reflective body to a putter head.
The reflective surface may be a mirror or polished metal and may include assorted colors, lines or etchings to create a reflective window for a golfer to see a reflection of his eyes when properly positioned over a golf ball. When the spirit level is balanced simultaneously with the reflection of the golfer's eyes, a professional putting posture is achieved.
Other embodiments include the foregoing and other elements and steps described herein, and their equivalents, in various combinations.
Additional objects and advantages of the present subject matter are set forth in, or will be apparent to, those of ordinary skill in the art from the description herein. Also, it should be further appreciated that modifications and variations to the specifically illustrated, referenced, and discussed features, processes, and elements hereof may be practiced in various embodiments and uses of the disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter. Variations may include, but are not limited to, substitution of equivalent means, features, or steps for those illustrated, referenced, or discussed, and the functional, operational, or positional reversal of various parts, features, steps, or the like. Those of ordinary skill in the art will better appreciate the features and aspects of the various embodiments, and others, upon review of the remainder of the specification.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present subject matter, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which:
As required, detailed embodiments are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary and may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, as well as their equivalents.
In general, the present disclosure provides a putting aid that teaches a professional, consistent, repeatable, putting posture through muscle memory. The putting aid enables a golfer to recreate the proper putting posture and stroke each time the golfer addresses a golf ball.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as is commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. In the event that there is a plurality of definitions for a term or acronym herein, those in this section prevail unless stated otherwise.
Wherever the phrase “for example,” “such as,” “including” and the like are used herein, the phrase “and without limitation” is understood to follow unless explicitly stated otherwise. Similarly, “an example,” “exemplary” and the like are understood to be non-limiting.
The term “substantially” allows for deviations from the descriptor that do not negatively impact the intended purpose. Descriptive terms are understood to be modified by the term “substantially” even if the word “substantially” is not explicitly recited.
The term “about” when used in connection with a numerical value refers to the actual given value, and to the approximation to such given value that would reasonably be inferred by one of ordinary skill in the art, including approximations due to the experimental and or measurement conditions for such given value.
The terms “comprising” and “including” and “having” and “involving” (and similarly “comprises”, “includes,” “has,” and “involves”) and the like are used interchangeably and have the same meaning. Specifically, each of the terms is defined consistent with the common United States patent law definition of “comprising” and is therefore interpreted to be an open term meaning “at least the following,” and is also interpreted not to exclude additional features, limitations, aspects, etcetera. Thus, for example, “a device having components a, b, and c” means that the device includes at least components a, b and c. Similarly, the phrase: “a method involving steps a, b, and c” means that the method includes at least steps a, b, and c.
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; in the sense of “including, but not limited to”.
Any discussion of prior art in the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
The various embodiments of the disclosure and/or equivalents falling within the scope of present disclosure overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or provide a useful alternative.
Detailed reference will now be made to the drawings in which examples embodying the present subject matter are shown. The detailed description uses numerical and letter designations to refer to features of the drawings. The drawings and detailed description provide a full and written description of the present subject matter, and of the manner and process of making and using various exemplary embodiments, so as to enable one skilled in the pertinent art to make and use them, as well as the best mode of carrying out the exemplary embodiments. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated to show details of particular components. Thus, the examples set forth in the drawings and detailed descriptions are provided by way of explanation only and are not meant as limitations of the disclosure. The present subject matter thus includes any modifications and variations of the following examples as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
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Once a golfer has practiced a few minutes with the aid 10 shown in
A removable putting aid, comprising a reflective body having a major body axis and a minor body axis, the major body axis being aligned with a first horizontal axis in a horizontal plane; a spirit level having a major level axis and a minor level axis, the major level axis being aligned with a second horizontal axis normal to the first horizontal axis in the horizontal plane; and attachment means for connecting the reflective body to a putter head.
Embodiment 2The removable putting aid of embodiment 1, wherein the reflective body is a mirror.
Embodiment 3The removable putting aid of any one of embodiments 1-2, wherein the reflective body includes at least two lines thereon to form a reflective eye window therebetween.
Embodiment 4The removable putting aid of any one of embodiments 1-3, wherein the reflective body is shaped to form a reflective eye window.
Embodiment 5The removable putting aid of any one of embodiments 1-4, wherein the attachment means is selected from the group consisting of a magnet, an adhesive, a hook and loop fastener and combinations thereof.
Embodiment 6The removable putting aid of any one of the foregoing embodiments, wherein, the reflective body and the spirit level are disposed in the horizontal plane.
Embodiment 7A putting aid, comprising a reflective body having a major body axis and a minor body axis, the major body axis being aligned with a first horizontal axis in a horizontal plane; a level having a major level axis and a minor level axis, the major level axis being aligned with a second horizontal axis normal to the first horizontal axis in the horizontal plane; and an attachment device for connecting the reflective body to a putter head.
Embodiment 8The putting aid of embodiment 7, wherein the reflective body has a mirror surface.
Embodiment 9The putting aid of embodiments 7-8, wherein the reflective body includes at least two indicators disposed thereon to form a reflective eye window therebetween.
Embodiment 10The putting aid of any one of embodiments 7-9, wherein the reflective body is shaped to form a reflective eye window.
Embodiment 11The putting aid of any one of embodiments 7-10, wherein the attachment device includes a magnet.
Embodiment 12A method for creating a professional putting posture, the method comprising providing a putting aid having a spirit level disposed in a horizontal plane, the spirit level having an oscillating bubble therein, the putting aid further having a reflective surface and an attachment device connected proximate the reflective surface; attaching the putting aid to a putter head with the attachment device; leveling the bubble; while maintaining the level bubble, bending from waist toward the putter head; and while maintaining the level bubble, reflecting eyes in the reflective surface.
Embodiment 13The method of embodiment 12, wherein the attachment device is one of a magnet, a hook and loop fastener and an adhesive.
Embodiment 14The method of embodiments 12-13, wherein the putter head includes a pocket and the putting aid is attached at least partially within the pocket.
Embodiment 15The method of embodiments 12-14, further comprising moving hands ahead of a ball at the putter head to create a forward press to an intended putting line.
While the present subject matter has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing may readily produce alterations to, variations of, and equivalents to such embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is by way of example rather than by way of limitation, and the subject disclosure does not preclude inclusion of such modifications, variations and/or additions to the present subject matter as would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Claims
1. A removable putting aid, comprising:
- a reflective body having a major body axis and a minor body axis, the major body axis being aligned with a first horizontal axis in a horizontal plane;
- a spirit level having a major level axis and a minor level axis, the major level axis being aligned with a second horizontal axis normal to the first horizontal axis in the horizontal plane; and
- attachment means for connecting the reflective body to a putter head.
2. The removable putting aid as in claim 1, wherein the reflective body is a mirror.
3. The removable putting aid as in claim 1, wherein the reflective body includes at least two lines thereon to form a reflective eye window therebetween.
4. The removable putting aid as in claim 1, wherein the reflective body is shaped to form a reflective eye window.
5. The removable putting aid as in claim 1, wherein the attachment means is selected from the group consisting of a magnet, an adhesive, a hook and loop fastener and combinations thereof.
6. The removable putting aid as in claim 1, wherein, the reflective body and the spirit level are disposed in the horizontal plane.
7. A putting aid, comprising:
- a reflective body having a major body axis and a minor body axis, the major body axis being aligned with a first horizontal axis in a horizontal plane;
- a level having a major level axis and a minor level axis, the major level axis being aligned with a second horizontal axis normal to the first horizontal axis in the horizontal plane; and
- an attachment device for connecting the reflective body to a putter head.
8. The putting aid as in claim 7, wherein the reflective body has a mirror surface.
9. The putting aid as in claim 8, wherein the reflective body includes at least two indicators disposed thereon to form a reflective eye window therebetween.
10. The putting aid as in claim 7, wherein the reflective body is shaped to form a reflective eye window.
11. The putting aid as in claim 7, wherein the attachment device includes a magnet.
12. A method for creating a professional putting posture, the method comprising:
- providing a putting aid having a spirit level disposed in a horizontal plane, the spirit level having an oscillating bubble therein, the putting aid further having a reflective surface and an attachment device connected proximate the reflective surface;
- attaching the putting aid to a putter head with the attachment device;
- leveling the bubble;
- while maintaining the level bubble, bending from waist toward the putter head; and
- while maintaining the level bubble, reflecting eyes in the reflective surface.
13. The method as in claim 12, wherein the attachment device is one of a magnet, a hook and loop fastener and an adhesive.
14. The method as in claim 12, wherein the putter head includes a pocket and the putting aid is attached at least partially within the pocket.
15. The method as in claim 12, further comprising moving hands ahead of a ball at the putter head to create a forward press to an intended putting line.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 27, 2017
Publication Date: Jul 25, 2019
Applicant: 911 GOLF, LLC (North Platte, NE)
Inventor: Casey A. Schiel (North Platte, NE)
Application Number: 16/327,989