Patent Grant
8641548
The invention relates generally to adjustable golf equipment systems, methods, and computer-readable media and to systems and methods for optimizing golf equipment parameters (e.g., club or ball specifications) to a specific user and/or for a specific round of golf.
Beginning about 2008, golf's rulemaking authorities changed the Rules of Golf to allow an increased number of options for making golf clubs “adjustable.” This change in the Rules of Golf has led to a variety of new golf club constructions, particularly for drivers and fairway woods. As some examples, many golf clubs now are designed with mechanisms that allow the head and shaft to be easily disconnected and reconnected, optionally, to exchange shafts or heads with respect to one another, to change various angles (e.g., face angle, loft angle, lie angle, etc.), etc. In some commercially available structures, releasable golf club head and shaft connection technology is coupled with other customization options, such as the ability to engage one or more different weights with weight ports or other weight receiving elements on the club head to adjust the weighting characteristics of the club. Technology also is available to allow for variations in the physical positioning of weights on a golf club head. In some known and commercially available golf clubs, the overall length of the shaft also may be adjusted.
These customization and adjustability options for golf club settings can provide a number of possible settings and/or orientations of parts for a single golf club. But these customization and adjustability options can be somewhat daunting for a player, who must work to determine which setting(s) is (are) best for their game. Moreover, determining the best settings can be a time consuming endeavor, and many casual golfers do not have the desire or practice time available to properly test and determine the best settings for their game. Therefore, many golfers with adjustable golf club technology will find particular settings or other arrangement of parts that they like and then forever keep their club fixed with those settings and arrangements. Such users are not necessarily getting the most out of the customizable and adjustable golf club technology that they have purchased.
Additionally, club and/or ball fitting, even on an individual level, is not necessarily a “one-size-fits-all” situation. A golfer's swing may vary on any given day (e.g., due to swing changes they are working on, due to injury or soreness, etc.), thus making the adjustable golf club settings, golf club selections, or golf ball selections for one round not necessarily optimal for the golfer in another round. Also, the optimal adjustable golf club settings or equipment selections for a given round of golf may change for an individual golfer depending on various factors, such as the weather, the golf course design, the daily golf course set up, the golf course condition, and the like. Most golfers are not well versed with information relating to these numerous details to enable then to reliably select the best adjustable golf club settings and/or golf equipment selections (e.g., clubs or balls) that can take this type of additional information into account.
Accordingly, systems and methods that would help golfers determine which adjustable golf club settings and/or other equipment options are best for their game, optionally at any give time, for any given round, and/or at any desired golf course, would be a welcome advance in the art.
The following presents a general summary of some aspects of the present invention in order to provide a basic understanding of this invention. This summary is not intended as an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the invention in a general form as a prelude to the more detailed description provided below.
In general, aspects of this invention relate to systems, methods, and computer readable media used to change and control settings for adjustable golf clubs and/or used to select optimal golf equipment options. Such setting adjustment systems may alter one or more of: lie angle, loft angle, face angle, shaft stiffness, shaft kickpoint location, weighting, weight positioning, face flexibility, maximum face flex location, etc. Such equipment options may include club selection, club set configuration, club shaft selection, ball model selection, etc.
Systems, methods, and computer readable media according to at least some aspects of the invention may use various types of data, information, and input to determine the appropriate settings or other options, including, for example, one or more of: ball launch monitor data, swing path data, weather input data, course condition input data for a location of play, course design input data for a location of play, daily course layout input data for a location and a time of play, golfer past performance data (e.g., recent past performance, past performances at the location of play, past performance during an ongoing round of golf (i.e., on earlier played holes), etc.), current adjustable club setting information, shaft flex information, ball model information, and information indicating specific holes to be played.
Such systems, methods, and computer readable media may be used, for example, when purchasing or testing a new product, before play begins (optionally at the golf course's practice tee on the day of play), during the course of play (e.g., at the start of one or more individual holes on the golf course), and/or even during the course of an individual golf swing.
These and other additional aspects of this invention will become more evident from the detailed description of the invention provided below.
A more complete understanding of the present invention and certain advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the following detailed description in consideration with the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numbers indicate the same or similar features, and wherein:
A general description of aspects of the invention followed by a more detailed description of specific examples of the invention follows.
A. General Description of Various Aspects of the Invention
1. Basic Adjustable Golf Club Setting and/or Golf Equipment Selection Aspects and Features
At least some aspects of this invention relate to systems for automatically providing golf club setting adjustment information and/or golf equipment selection information customized for a specific player. Such systems may include, for example, one or more of the following: (a) a computer input system for receiving golf ball launch data relating to one or more golf swings by a golfer using a golf club; (b) a computer processing system for generating adjustable golf club setting data and/or golf equipment selection data at least in part based on the golf ball launch data; (c) a computer output system for outputting data indicative of adjustable golf club setting information for the golf club and/or golf equipment selection information based on the data generated by the computer processing system; (d) a golf ball launch monitoring system in communication with the computer input system for generating the golf ball launch data; (e) a transmission system for transmitting the golf ball launch data from the golf ball launch monitoring system to the computer input system; and/or (f) an output system operatively coupled with the computer output system for outputting the adjustable golf club setting information and/or golf equipment selection information in a user perceptible manner (e.g., such as via an audio display, a video display, a textual or alpha-numeric display, a cellular telephone display screen, a golf GPS device display screen, etc.). When recommending a golf club set for use by the golfer, systems and methods according to at least some examples of this invention may recommend for at least two clubs from the golfer's personal inventory to be used by the golfer in a future round of golf, and in some examples, at least 8 clubs, at least 13 clubs, or even all 14 clubs.
The data indicative of the adjustable golf club setting information may include any desired type of adjustable club setting information. As some more specific examples, the adjustable golf club setting information may include one or more of:
The data indicative of golf equipment selection information may include any desired golf equipment specification or parameter. As some more specific examples, golf equipment selection information may include: selecting one or more shafts from a plurality of shafts in the equipment inventory available to the golfer (e.g., higher flex v. stiffer flex, different kickpoint locations, etc.); selecting one or more club heads from a plurality of club heads in the equipment inventory available to the golfer (a 9° driver head v. a 10° driver head); selecting one or more clubs (e.g., a fourteen club set, a driver, a putter, a thirteen club set (all clubs except putter or driver), a set of wedges, a set of hybrids and/or fairway woods, etc.) from a plurality of clubs in the equipment inventory available to the golfer (e.g., replace a high lofted wedge with another hybrid or fairway wood or vice versa, etc.); selecting one or more ball models for use in the round (e.g., a higher spin ball v. a lower spin ball); etc. The “equipment inventory available to the golfer” may represent the overall equipment already owned by the golfer or otherwise available for his/her use (e.g., systems and methods according to this invention may help the golfer select the best 14 (or fewer) clubs for a given round of golf based on all of the clubs owned by the golfer and/or otherwise available for his/her use).
Additional potential features of this aspect of the invention relate to methods of operating and/or using the systems described above, e.g., to provide adjustable golf club setting information and/or golf equipment selection information customized to a specific golfer. Such methods may include at least some steps performed by a computer (such as receiving input data, transmitting output data, collecting sensor data, storing data, processing data, generating output, displaying output, etc.).
Still additional aspects of this invention may relate to non-transitory computer readable media that include computer executable instructions stored thereon for operating the hardware systems and/or performing the methods described above (and described in more detail below). Such non-transitory computer readable media may include instructions stored thereon for performing the following steps: (a) receiving golf ball launch data relating to one or more golf swings by a golfer using a golf club; (b) generating adjustable golf club setting data and/or golf equipment selection data at least in part based on the golf ball launch data; (c) outputting data indicative of adjustable golf club setting information for the golf club (e.g., of the types described above) and/or golf equipment selection information based on the data generated by the computer processing system; (d) generating the golf ball launch data; (e) storing the golf ball launch data in a computer memory; and/or (f) outputting the adjustable golf club setting information and/or golf equipment selection information in a user perceptible manner (e.g., in any of the various manners described above, using any of the various devices described above). The computer readable media may constitute any desired type of computer memory or hardware.
2. Providing Suggested Adjustable Golf Club Setting Information and/or Golf Equipment Selection Information Utilizing Additional Input
Additional aspects of this invention relate to other types of systems for providing golf club setting adjustment information and/or golf equipment selection information that seek to tailor the setting adjustments and/or equipment recommendations for play at a specific course, at a specific time, and/or based on recent performances by the golfer. Such systems may include, for example, one or more of: (a) a computer input system for receiving input data selected from the group consisting of: weather input data relating to a location of a golf course to be played, course condition input data relating to the location (e.g., the golf course) to be played, course design input data relating to the location to be played, daily course layout input data for the location to be played, golfer past performance input data, and input data relating to golfer's past performance at the location to be played; (b) a computer processing system for generating adjustable golf club setting data for a golf club and/or golf equipment selection data at least in part based on the input data; (c) a computer output system for outputting data indicative of adjustable golf club setting information and/or golf equipment selection information for the golfer based on the data generated by the computer processing system; and/or (d) an output system operatively coupled or in communication with the computer output system for outputting the adjustable golf club setting information and/or golf equipment selection information in a user perceptible manner, (e.g., an audio display system, a video display system, a computer display screen, etc.). Optionally, if desired, systems according to at least some examples of this invention also may receive computer input indicating current club setting input data, and the computer processing system will generate the adjustable golf club setting data at least in part based on the current club setting input data. When the input data includes golfer past performance data, that past performance data may include data indicating the adjustable golf club settings used by the golfer during that past performance. When recommending a golf club set for use by the golfer, systems and methods according to at least some examples of this aspect of the invention may recommend for at least two clubs from the golfer's personal inventory to be used by the golfer in a future round of golf, and in some examples, at least 8 clubs, at least 13 clubs, or even all 14 clubs.
The weather input data used by systems and methods according to at least some examples of this aspect of the invention may include, for example, one or more of: current weather information for a location of play, predicted weather information for the location of play over a time of play, current wind speed information for the location of play, predicted wind speed information for the location of play over the time of play, current wind direction information for the location of play, predicted wind direction information for the location of play over the time of play, prevailing wind direction information for the location of play, prevailing wind direction information for the location of play over the time of play, average wind speed information for the location of play, chance of precipitation for the location of play over the time of play, and a predicted precipitation amount for the location of play over the time of play.
The course condition input data for the location of play used by systems and methods according to at least some examples of this aspect of the invention may include, for example, one or more of: recent past weather information, fairway grass height or thickness information, rough grass height or thickness information, fairway hardness information, rough hardness information, recent fairway watering information, recent rough watering information, fairway speed information, and rough speed information. This type of information may be generated by or make use of, for example, ball movement distance within the grass observed after a standard propulsion event (e.g., in a manner akin to green speed measurements made using a “Stimpmeter” or other green speed measuring device).
The course design input data for the location of play used by systems and methods according to at least some examples of this aspect of the invention may include, for example, one or more of: a number or percentage of holes having a dogleg left design, a number or percentage of holes having a dogleg right design, a number or percentage of holes having a straight design, a number or percentage of holes having a preferred right-to-left ball flight direction, a number or percentage of holes having a preferred left-to-right ball flight direction, locations of hazards, locations of out of bounds, hill location information, hill slope information, fairway location or boundary information, a number of forced carries, a location of forced carries, and ball flight distance required to clear any forced carries.
The daily course layout input data for the location of play used by systems and methods according to at least some examples of this aspect of the invention may include, for example, one or more of: tee marker position information for plural individual holes, pin placement information for plural individual holes, hole lengths for plural individual holes, distances to hazards or out of bounds areas for plural individual holes, and distances to clear hazards or out of bounds areas for plural individual holes.
The golfer's past performance input data used by systems and methods according to at least some examples of this aspect of the invention may include, for example, one or more of: ball flight information (or ball launch data) for the golfer during one or more previous rounds, number of out of bounds shots hit left by the golfer during one or more previous rounds, number of out of bounds shots hit right by the golfer during one or more previous rounds, number of left side located hazards hit by the golfer during one or more previous rounds, number of right side located hazards hit by the golfer during one or more previous rounds, number or percentage of fairways missed left by the golfer during one or more previous rounds, number or percentage of fairways missed right by the golfer during one or more previous rounds, number or percentage of greens missed left by the golfer during one or more previous rounds, number or percentage of greens missed right by the golfer during one or more previous rounds, number or percentage of fairways missed short by the golfer during one or more previous rounds, number or percentage of fairways missed long by the golfer during one or more previous rounds, number or percentage of greens missed short by the golfer during one or more previous rounds, and number or percentage of greens missed long by the golfer during one or more previous rounds. If desired, this input data may relate to just recent rounds, rounds within a specific time frame, rounds (optionally recent rounds) on the specific course to be played, rounds played with certain equipment, etc.
Optionally, if desired, systems according to at least some examples of this invention also may receive computer input indicating specific holes to be played by the golfer on the golf course, and the computer processing system will then generate the adjustable golf club setting data and/or golf equipment selection data at least in part based on the input data indicating the specific holes to be played. If desired, systems of this type could be provided directly at the golf course to be played, e.g., on a driving range at or near the course, even right on the tee of the driving range.
Additional potential features of this aspect of this invention relate to methods of operating and/or using the equipment described above, e.g., to provide golf swing, golf equipment selection, and/or adjustable golf club setting information. Such methods may include at least some steps performed by a computer (such as receiving input data, transmitting output data, collecting sensor data, storing data, processing data, generating output, displaying output, etc.). Still additional aspects of this invention may relate to computer readable media that include computer executable instructions stored thereon for operating the hardware systems and/or performing the methods described above (and described in more detail below).
3. Systems for Automatically Adjusting One or More Settings of an Adjustable Golf Club
Still additional aspects of this invention relate to adjustable golf club systems that include one or more of: (a) an input system for receiving golf ball launch data relating to one or more golf swings by a golfer using a golf club; (b) a computer processing system for generating adjustable golf club setting data at least in part based on the golf ball launch data; (c) a golf club setting adjustment system engaged with or temporarily engagable with the golf club; and (d) a transmission system (wired or wireless) for transmitting adjustable golf club setting information to the golf club setting adjustment system, wherein the adjustable golf club setting information is the adjustable golf club setting data or data derived from the adjustable golf club setting data. The golf club engages with the golf club setting adjustment system, and this system automatically alters one or more adjustable settings of the golf club based on the determined adjustable golf club setting information.
Some or all of such systems, including the golf club setting adjustment mechanism, may be at least partially integrated into the golf club structure and/or may be provided as one or more devices that are separate from (and temporarily engagable with) the golf club. The setting adjustment system may alter one or more of: lie angle, loft angle, face angle, shaft stiffness, shaft kickpoint location, weighting, weight positioning, face flexibility, maximum face flex location, etc. When at least partially separate from the golf club, the separate component(s) may be provided at a golf club adjustment station that includes structure for engaging the golf club. This golf club adjustment station may be provided at a retail setting, at the practice tee on individual golf courses, and/or even on one or more individual holes at the golf course (e.g., at one or more tees).
Systems and methods according to this aspect of the invention also may use any of the input systems and/or input data described above, including ball launch monitor data, weather input data, course condition input data for a location of play, course design input data for a location of play, daily course layout input data for a location and a time of play, golfer past performance data (e.g., recent past performance, past performances at the location of play, past performance during an ongoing round of golf (i.e., on earlier played holes), etc.), current adjustable club setting information, and/or information indicating specific holes to be played.
Additional potential features of this aspect of this invention relate to methods of operating and/or using the equipment described above, e.g., to provide golf swing information and/or adjustable golf club setting information. Such methods may include at least some steps performed by a computer (such as receiving input data, transmitting output data, collecting sensor data, storing data, processing data, generating output, displaying output, etc.). Still additional aspects of this invention may relate to computer readable media that include computer executable instructions stored thereon for operating the hardware systems and/or performing the methods described above (and described in more detail below).
4. Systems for Automatically Adjusting One or More Settings of an Adjustable Golf Club “On the Fly”
Additional aspects of this invention relate to systems for adjusting golf club settings “on the fly,” i.e., during the course of a swing. Such systems may include a golf club, comprising one or more of: (a) a golf club head; (b) a shaft engaged with the golf club head; (c) a grip member engaged with the shaft; (d) a senor system (e.g., one or more accelerometers or gyrometers) engaged with at least one of the golf club head, the shaft, or the grip member, wherein the sensor system produces input data regarding the swing path of the golf club and/or the golf club orientation during the swing; (e) an input system for receiving input data regarding the swing path of the golf club and/or the golf club orientation during the swing from an external source; (f) a computer processing system engaged with at least one of the golf club head, the shaft, or the grip member, wherein the computer processing system performs at least one function selected from the group consisting of: receiving input data regarding swing path of the golf club and/or the golf club orientation during a swing, receiving input data regarding a first change to an adjustable golf club parameter, generating data regarding swing path of the golf club and/or the golf club orientation during the swing, and generating data regarding the first change to the adjustable golf club parameter, and wherein the computer processing system additionally transmits golf club parameter change information based on the data regarding the swing path, the data regarding the golf club orientation, and/or the data regarding the first change; and/or (g) a golf club parameter adjustment system included with at least one of the golf club head, the shaft, or the grip member. The golf club parameter adjustment system receives the golf club parameter change information from the computer processing system and changes at least a first parameter of the golf club such that the first parameter is at a first setting at a beginning of the swing and at a second setting different from the first setting at a ball strike time during the swing.
The golf club parameter(s) may be adjusted in any of the manners described above and any of the manners described in more detail below, including, for example, adjustment of lie angle, loft angle, face angle, shaft stiffness, shaft kickpoint location, weighting, weight positioning, face flexibility, maximum face flex location, etc. Additionally, systems of this type also may use any of the additional input data described above, including, for example, one or more of: ball launch monitor data from previous swings, weather input data, course condition input data for a location of play, course design input data for a location of play, daily course layout input data for a location and a time of play, golfer past performance data (e.g., recent past performance, past performances at the location of play, past performance during an ongoing round of golf (i.e., on earlier played holes), etc.), current adjustable club setting information, and information indicating the specific hole being played.
Additional potential features of this aspect of this invention relate to methods of operating and/or using the equipment described above, e.g., to provide golf swing information and/or adjustable golf club setting information. Such methods may include at least some steps performed by a computer (such as receiving input data, transmitting output data, collecting sensor data, storing data, processing data, generating output, displaying output, etc.). Still additional aspects of this invention may relate to computer readable media that include computer executable instructions stored thereon for operating the hardware systems and/or performing the methods described above (and described in more detail below).
Specific examples of the invention are described in more detail below. The reader should understand that these specific examples are set forth merely to illustrate examples of the invention, and they should not be construed as limiting the invention.
B. Specific Examples of Systems and Methods According to the Invention
The various figures in this application illustrate examples of features of systems and methods of optimizing adjustable golf club settings and/or golf equipment selection in accordance with examples of this invention. When the same reference number appears in more than one drawing, that reference number is used consistently in this specification and the drawings to refer to the same or similar parts throughout.
1. General Background Information Relating to this Invention
The axis of the interior chamber of the shaft adapter 112 (which receives the shaft 106) may be offset with respect to the axis of the exterior of the shaft adapter 112 (which fits into the interior of the club head adapter 110). This offset angle may be, for example, about 2°. In this manner, rotation of the shaft 106 (and its attached shaft adapter 112) with respect to the club head hosel 102 changes the orientation of the club head face with respect to the shaft 106. Through this structure, rotation of the shaft 106 with respect to the club head hosel 102 can be used to change and control one or more of the lie angle, loft angle, and/or face angle of the club head. This rotation is illustrated schematically in
Currently available NIKE commercial adjustable golf club products have 8 or 32 rotational positions available, as described above. The head/shaft connection rotational orientation is the only adjustability feature in these commercially available clubs. Even this relatively straightforward adjustment system and mechanism, however, can be daunting and overwhelming for some golfers, as it can be difficult for a golfer to know or predict, with any degree of certainty, whether the specific settings are optimum for a given day of play and/or for a given golf course (especially when the player is unfamiliar with the golf course). Moreover, if printed information regarding the differences produced at the different settings is not available to the golfer, the golfer may be reluctant to make any setting changes (for fear of making the settings worse instead of more optimum).
Other commercially available products have more adjustable parts and/or more potential settings. For example,
Still other adjustability options are available. As shown in
Another commercially available golf club 600 is illustrated in
As is evident from the discussion of
Accordingly, aspects of this invention seek to provide better information to the golfer to enable them to more readily set the adjustable golf club settings on their clubs in a manner designed to help optimize the club parameters for play.
2. Example Golf Club Adjustability and/or Equipment Selection Systems and Methods According to this Invention
The ball launch monitoring equipment 708, the video camera equipment 710, and/or other available sensors can provide various types of input data to an input port 714a of a computer 714 (e.g., any desired type of input port, including wired or wireless connections). The various sensors may provide the necessary or desired data and/or the processing system 714p of the computer 714 may calculate the necessary or desired data based on the input data from one or more sensors. Examples of data that may be measured or calculated include, but are not limited to: club head speed at ball contact, face angle at ball contact, club head path, ball launch speed, ball spin (back spin, side spin, etc.), ball launch angle, ball flight path, ball curvature, ball deviation from center, carry distance, total distance, apex height, and apex distance.
The computer processing system 714p will take the input data and generate adjustable golf club setting data based on the sensor input and/or the calculated ball flight data. Any desired algorithm can be used to generate the golf club setting data. For example, if the sensor data indicates an outside-to-inside club head path (especially at ball contact) with an open club face, the computer processing system 714p may generate adjustable golf club setting data indicating that the club face should be closed somewhat from a neutral position (e.g., 0.5°, 1°, 1.5°, 2°, or even more), optionally depending on the severity of the outside-to-inside club head path, the amount of imparted sidespin on the ball, etc. Also, if necessary to improve the ball's flight (e.g., its initial launch angle, its spin, etc.), the data might indicate that the loft angle of the club should be adjusted upward or downward. The computer processing system 714p also may receive input data indicating the type (e.g., make, model, etc.) of golf ball B to be used by the player 704, which information also may impact the ball flight (and thus the optimum club settings). The input data also may include the type of adjustable club being used (e.g., make, model, etc.) by the player, such as the types shown in
Once determined by the computer processing system 714p, the computer system 714 may generate appropriate output data and transmit it to an output device 716 via output port 714b. Any type of output port 714b and/or connection between the computer system 714 and the output device 716 may be used without departing from the invention, including a wired or wireless connection using any desired transmission protocol. As one specific example, the output device 716 may be a computer monitor and/or computer speaker in operative connection with the computer system 714 in a conventional manner, e.g., to provide an audio and/or digital display. The output device 716 may be located at or near the location of the range tee 702 (e.g., with an output device 716 for each hitting bay 706, with multiple hitting bays 706 sharing a single output device 716, with a single output device for the entire driving range, etc.). If desired, this same output device 716 may display launch monitor data or other information regarding the user's individual swings, e.g., as data is being collected for determining the adjustable golf club settings. As another example, the output device 716 may be the golfer's cellular telephone or other portable electronic device (such as a golf GPS device), and the communication therewith may be wireless, optionally over a cellular telephone network, the Internet, or other communication network.
The output provided via the output device 716 in at least some examples of systems and methods according to this invention may provide recommendations to the golfer as to which particular adjustable golf club settings should be used on the adjustable golf club based on the ball launch data and/or other collected data. As some more specific examples, the adjustable club setting information output to the golfer may include information relating to one or more of: a suggested lie angle setting for the golf club; a suggested loft angle setting for the golf club; a suggested face angle setting for the golf club; suggested weighting parameters for the golf club (e.g., suggested weighting for one or more specific weight locations on the golf club, suggested weight positions for one or more weights to be engaged with the golf club, weight selection information for one or more weight port locations on the golf club head, etc.); suggested relative positioning (e.g., rotational position) of the golf club head with respect to the golf club shaft (e.g., to control a lie angle, a face angle, and/or a loft angle of the golf club); suggested rotational positions of one or more hosel rings; suggested size and/or selection of one or more shaft length spacers; suggested rotational position of one or more sole plate members; suggested shaft stiffness/flexibility information; suggested shaft kickpoint location information; information suggesting an orientation of an adjustable sole member with respect to a golf club head with which it is to be engaged; suggested face flexibility information; suggested maximum face flexibility location information; etc.
As noted above, the computer system 714 also may generate output indicating golf equipment recommendations for the player, for the upcoming round, based on the input data. A variety of different equipment selection options may be provided without departing from this invention, such as shaft flexes (e.g., for use on clubs with interchangeable shafts), different club heads (for use on clubs with interchangeable heads), different ball models, etc. As another example, the computer system 714 may have access to input data indicating an individual player's inventory of clubs (e.g., all golf clubs owned by and/or available to the individual player for use on a given day). Then, given the input data from the player's measured swings (as well as any other input data provided as described below), the system may make recommendations for the player as to which 14 clubs from the player's personal inventory to carry for that given round (e.g., replace a high lofted wedge with a fairway wood or hybrid, if the course is long or wet (or vice versa); replace one or more low lofted irons with hybrid clubs, etc.). Such equipment recommendations also may take into account the individual's past performances with that specific piece of equipment and/or on the specific course to be played.
The following Table provides some more specific examples of the manner in which the output may be provided and/or the potential content of the output for the various club structures described above in conjunction with
Once the necessary club setting adjustments are made, if desired, the golfer can again hit balls on the driving range tee 702, optionally using the sensing technology illustrated in
If desired, golf clubs or other components of systems in accordance with at least some examples of this invention may include one or more levers, switches, buttons (or other appropriate mechanical adjusting mechanisms or computer input devices) to allow for rapid and minor (or “fine tuning”) adjustments in one or more parameters (e.g., moving a lever from one position to another toggles a club setting between a first value and a second value, for example, to change the face angle by 0.5° or to change a loft angle by 0.5°, no matter the actual angle setting). Then, as the golfer works on optimizing the ball flight, he/she can also make quick, minor, fine tuning adjustments to this parameter (e.g., without removing the head from the shaft, without removing a weight from the head or shaft, without changing an amount of weight on the head or shaft, without changing a position of a weight on the head or shaft, etc.), quickly hit another shot, and then determine whether they like the first position or second position better (e.g., akin to an eye examination where the doctor flips lenses between two positions and the patient states whether Option 1 or Option 2 is more clear). This quick, small adjustment feature can help players maintain a more consistent swing and rhythm as they test small variations in the settings (e.g., they can quickly hit another shot after a minor adjustment without completely removing the head from the club or making a major and rhythm disrupting adjustment to the club) and can help them better “dial in” or fine tune to the most optimal settings. The term “minor” adjustment as used herein, when applied to change of an angle of a golf club head (e.g., lie angle, loft angle, face angle, etc.), unless otherwise noted, means adjustment of the angle from its previous setting by 1° or less. In some specific systems and methods, minor adjustments of an angle may be by 0.75° or even 0.5° or less. Also, “minor” adjustments, as used herein, can typically be completed within 5 seconds, optionally without removing the head from the shaft, without removing a weight from the head or shaft, without changing an amount of weight on the head or shaft, and/or without changing a position of a weight on the head or shaft.
Golf clubs and systems with “minor” adjustment features, as noted above, also may include one or more major club head adjustment systems for changing the club head parameters. Such major club head adjustment systems may be activated and used, for example, by removing the head from the shaft and adjusting their rotational positions with respect to one another, by changing the positions of movable weights, by removing or interchanging weights, by changing the orientation of rotatable disks or other parts of the club head, by adding or changing shaft extension elements, etc. (e.g., adjustment systems as described above in conjunction with
As with the system 700 of
The system 800 of
Additionally or alternatively, although not specifically identified in
Weather conditions can greatly impact ball launch conditions and ball flight/roll during play. For example, when it is cold, the ball may not travel as far as in warm conditions. Additionally, wind speed and wind direction can dramatically affect ball flight. Accordingly, it would be desirable to use adjustable golf club settings and/or specific equipment that optimize ball flight and/or roll for the golfer under the existing and/or predicted weather conditions for the round to be played (e.g., to bias the club to produce a low, boring trajectory; to bias the club to produce a high, wind-riding trajectory; to bias the club for inducing a more right-to-left ball flight; to bias the club for inducing a more left-to-right ball flight; to select a more or less “spin” model golf ball; to select a harder or softer golf ball model; to select specific clubs from an available club inventory; etc.). Therefore, in systems and methods in which the computer system 714 receives and utilizes weather input data 802 at least in part to generate the club setting and/or equipment selection information, the weather input data 802 may include one or more of: current weather information for a location of play, predicted weather information for the location of play over a time of play, current wind speed information for the location of play, predicted wind speed information for the location of play over the time of play, current wind direction information for the location of play, predicted wind direction information for the location of play over the time of play, prevailing wind direction information for the location of play, prevailing wind direction information for the location of play over the time of play, average wind speed information for the location of play, chance of rain (or other precipitation) over the time and at the location of play, amount of rain (or other precipitation) expected over the time and at the location of play, predicted temperature over the time of play, etc.
Course conditions also can greatly impact ball travel during play. For example, when the course is very dry or when the grass has been recently mown, the ball may roll farther (as compared to a very wet course and/or in deeper grass). Accordingly, it would be desirable to use adjustable golf club settings and/or to select golf equipment that optimize ball flight/roll for the golfer under the course conditions existing or expected at the time of play (e.g., to bias the club to produce a ball flight to generate more roll, more carry distance; to select balls or clubs to produce a more boring trajectory; etc.). Therefore, in systems and methods in which the computer system 714 receives and at least in part utilizes course condition input data 804, the course condition input data 804 may include one or more of: recent past weather information (e.g., dates and amounts of recent rainfalls, etc.); green, fairway, and/or rough height or thickness information (e.g., last mow date, mowing height, etc.); green, fairway, and/or rough hardness information; recent green, fairway, and/or rough watering information (e.g., when last watered, amount of water applied, etc.); green speed information (e.g., from Stimpmeter); fairway speed information; rough speed information; changes in conditions over the area of the course; etc.
The course design and individual hole designs also may influence the type of shot that a golfer should attempt to hit and/or preferred ball flight characteristics that will increase the player's chances for playing the hole with a minimum number of strokes. Accordingly, it would be desirable to use adjustable golf club settings and/or golf equipment selections that optimize ball flight for the golfer tailored to the course/hole designs that the golfer will face during the course of a round of golf (e.g., to bias the club to help produce a low trajectory; to bias the club to produce a high trajectory; to bias the club for inducing a right-to-left ball flight; to bias the club for inducing a left-to-right ball flight; to select equipment (clubs or balls) from an available inventory to produce a particular type of ball flight; etc.). This feature could be particularly advantageous for golfers playing a new or unfamiliar course. Accordingly, for systems and methods in which the computer system 714 receives and at least in part utilizes course design or map input data 806, the course design or map input data 806 may include one or more of: a number or percentage of holes having a dogleg left design, a number or percentage of holes having a dogleg right design, a number or percentage of holes having a straight design, a number or percentage of holes having a preferred right-to-left ball flight direction, a number or percentage of holes having a preferred left-to-right ball flight direction, locations of hazards, locations of hazards with respect to the location of the pin, locations of out of bounds, hill location information, hill slope information, fairway location or boundary information, a number of forced carries, a location of forced carries, and a ball flight distance required to clear any forced carries.
Additionally, for systems and methods in which the computer system 714 receives and at least in part utilizes daily course layout input data 808 for a location and a time of play, the daily course layout input data may include one or more of: tee marker position information for one or more holes, pin placement information for one or more holes, hole lengths (yardages), distances to hazards or out of bounds areas on individual holes, and distances to clear hazards or out of bounds areas on individual holes.
Moreover, systems and methods according to at least some examples of this invention may use this type of course design input data 806 and/or the daily course layout data 808 in combination with other data, such as the weather input data 802 and/or the course condition data 804 to determine recommended club setting information and/or golf equipment (clubs or balls) selection information. For example, changes in club setting information (e.g., to bias the club for particular ball flight characteristics) may be indicated if certain holes on the golf course will be playing against the predicted wind direction, with the predicted wind direction, in a right-to-left cross wind direction, or a left-to-right cross wind direction. Certain equipment selections also may be more optimum (e.g., including another hybrid v. a fourth wedge, using a specific model ball, etc.) under certain play/use conditions.
As noted above, in some example systems and methods according to this invention, the computer system 714 also may receive and at least in part utilize past performance input data 810 for the individual golfer 704 to generate the adjustable golf club setting data and/or golf equipment selection data. In such systems and methods, the golfer past performance input data 810 may include at least one of: ball flight information for the golfer 704 during one or more previous rounds (e.g., typically a left-to-right flight path, typically a right-to-left flight path, etc.); a number or percentage of out of bounds shots hit left by the golfer 704 during one or more previous rounds; a number or percentage of out of bounds shots hit right by the golfer 704 during one or more previous rounds; a number or frequency of left located hazards hit by the golfer 704 during one or more previous rounds; a number or frequency of right located hazards hit by the golfer 704 during one or more previous rounds; a number or percentage of fairways missed left by the golfer 704 during one or more previous rounds; a number or percentage of fairways missed right by the golfer 704 during one or more previous rounds; a number or percentage of greens missed left (e.g., in regulation) by the golfer 704 during one or more previous rounds; a number or percentage of greens missed right (e.g., in regulation) by the golfer 704 during one or more previous rounds; a number or percentage of fairways missed short by the golfer 704 during one or more previous rounds; a number or percentage of fairways missed long by the golfer 704 during one or more previous rounds (e.g., including fairways in which the golfer 704 drove it through a dogleg); a number or percentage of greens missed short (e.g., in regulation) by the golfer 704 during one or more previous rounds; and a number or percentage of greens missed long (e.g., in regulation) by the golfer 704 during one or more previous rounds. The player performance data 810 also may be limited to rounds played within a predetermined recent time frame, rounds played since a swing change or a lesson, a specific number of recently played rounds (e.g., the last 2 or 3 rounds), and/or rounds (recent or otherwise) on the specific golf course to be played. The player performance data 810 also may be correlated to the specific equipment used (e.g., balls or clubs) and/or the adjustable settings used during the past performance(s).
Optionally, in the system 800 of
Typically, no single adjustable club head setting and/or equipment selection will be optimum for play of an entire round of golf on a given course, e.g., because the holes will run in various different directions, the holes have different set ups and features, etc. Systems and methods according to examples of this invention may provide club settings and equipment recommendations determined to be best for the majority of the holes (by any desired algorithm), optionally given the course design, weather, daily layout, and other conditions, as described above. These settings and recommendations, however, may not be optimal for all holes (e.g., very suitable for dogleg right-to-left holes but not as good for dogleg left-to-right holes). Some examples of systems and methods according to this invention may provide the player with warning information as to the holes and/or locations within the course where the settings may not be optimum and/or where special care should be exercised (e.g., specifically noting holes that dogleg the opposite way from the biased flight direction provided by the club head's settings, specifically noting holes with close out of bounds in the biased flight direction provided by the club head's settings, etc.). This information may enable the player to adjust his/her aiming points to minimize a poor result on those holes. As another example, systems and methods according to some examples of this invention could print out a customized yardage book for the player prior to the round that, in addition to providing yardages and course information, takes into account the club's settings, the player's past performance(s), the player's typical carry distances for various clubs, and the like, and optionally provides the player with customized hole-by-hole information, such as layup/go for it recommendations (e.g., to clear hazards), club selection recommendations (from the tee), aiming point suggestions, and the like. As another option, systems and methods according to at least some examples of this invention could take player performance information into account during the round and provide play recommendations at each specific holes. In this manner, systems and methods according to the invention may function somewhat like a personal caddy.
As described above, systems and methods according to at least some examples of this invention may provide recommendations for a ball for an individual player to play prior to a round, with the recommendation optionally based on one or more of: the individual course being played, the conditions of play (e.g., weather, course conditions, daily course layout, course design, etc.), the player's past performance (in general and/or on this specific golf course), etc. Systems and methods according to the invention are not limited to ball recommendations under these circumstances. As additional examples, if desired, systems and methods according to at least some examples of this invention may make new ball recommendations on a daily basis (e.g., based on the information above and/or optionally, based at least in part on the player's recent swings and/or swings on the range immediately prior to play). Additionally or alternatively, if desired, the ball recommendations may change during the course of the round, e.g., even on a hole-by-hole basis, if desired. The player could be advised of ball change recommendations, e.g., through an output device provided as part of a golf cart, through the player's cellular telephone or pager, via a golf GPS yardage system, or the like. Such systems may request that the player advise the system (as an input) of the type of ball being played so that systems and methods according to the invention can correlate the play of individual holes to the type of golf ball being played.
The computer 906 may be any desired device without departing from this invention, including the launch monitor itself (or a computer associated with the launch monitor), a separate computer running a fitting or adjustment session, or a computer in communication with one of these types of computers, such as a cellular telephone, a golf GPS type device, another user carried device, a cart mounted device, or the like. As another option, the computer 906 may receive input from a variety of other computers or sources to produce the adjustable golf club setting data and/or for sending it to the club head 900.
If desired, the wireless communication illustrated in
Other golf club parameters also may be adjusted using systems and methods according to at least some examples of this invention. As some additional examples, golf clubs may have various shaft stiffness adjustment parameters and mechanisms.
In the example structure shown in
As some more specific examples, the exterior of the assembly 1206 may be threaded, and those threads may interact with internal threads provided on the chamber interior 1202 of the shaft 1200. The adjustment system 1208 may include a motor, shaft, or other device that rotates the assembly 1206 with respect to the shaft interior 1202, which in turn moves the assembly in the axial direction A along the shaft interior 1202.
Face flex characteristics are additional parameters that may be controlled using systems and methods according to at least some examples of this invention.
The stop elements 1306 may be mounted on arms 1308 (e.g., telescoping arms, flexible arms, or the like) or may be otherwise movable with respect to the rear surface 1302R of the ball striking face 1302F (e.g., movable along rails or other structures provided on, at, or near the rear surface 1302R), so that the stop element(s) 1306 may be located at multiple positions with respect to the rear surface 1302R of the face 1302F. Moreover, the location(s) of the stop element(s) 1306 may be controlled by a computer 1310, and the appropriate location(s) of the stop element(s) 1306 may be optimized to provide a maximum COR response to the club face 1302 for a specific user. Any desired type of input may be provided to the computer 1310 to determine the optimum location(s) of the stop element(s) 1306, including any of the various types of input data described above in conjunction with
As some more specific examples of this aspect of the invention, while hitting balls, sensors included in systems and methods according to at least some examples of this invention (e.g., impact sensors, cameras, launch monitor equipment, etc.) may note a player's tendency to hit the ball at certain locations on the face 1302 (e.g., toward the toe, toward the hosel, high, low, etc.). A player's tendencies in this regard also can potentially be determined using impact tape, powder, or other similar substances on the face 1302. If a player's general or predominant contact location can be determined, the stop elements 1306 can be positioned, under computer 1310 control, somewhat away from that location C to enable maximum or increased flex of the face at that location (which in turn will produce a maximum or increased COR response by the club head 1300, which should result in maximum or increased ball flight distance).
Comparisons of
Other appropriate locations for one or more stop element(s) 1306 with respect to the face 1302 may be determined for other off center hits through the use of routine experimentation. Also, the stop element(s) 1306 need not directly contact the rear side 1302R of the face 1302 at all times, although they may do so, if desired. In some example structures in accordance with this invention, the stop element(s) 1306 may be positioned somewhat spaced from the rear surface 1302R of the face 1302 in order to provide a maximum COR response at all ball/club face contact positions, at least at lower swing speeds. The stop element(s) 306 may be positioned so that they interact and support the rear surface 1302R of the face 1302 only under certain circumstances. For example, the stop element(s) 306 may be positioned so that at high swing speeds excessive face flex is prevented to thereby prevent cracking, caving in, or other failure of the face 1302. As another example, stop element(s) 306 may be positioned so as to prevent flexure of the face 1302 beyond a point at which the COR response of the face 1302 would violate the Rules of Golf (e.g., produce a COR response greater than 0.83). In this manner, the face can be made as thin as possible in order to maximize the flex and COR response at all (or more) swing speeds while still maintaining the structural integrity of the project and potentially keeping the product within the Rules of Golf
Also, if desired, the computer systems of
Various figures provided above illustrate golf club products equipped with motors or other systems that communicate with a computer and translate the adjustment data to actual changes in golf club settings. This type of arrangement is not a requirement. Rather, if desired, golf clubs, like golf club head 1450 illustrated in
Operation of this example adjustment station 1500 will be described in more detail in conjunction with
Activating the lock switch 1512 (or other desired action, such as pushing a START button) also can initiate the adjustment process. Optionally, the first step in the process may be to determine the current club head settings for the various angles or other parameter(s) to be adjusted (e.g., so systems and methods according to the invention will know how much adjustment is necessary). If desired, the adjustment station 1500 may be equipped with sensors that can make the necessary determinations of the existing settings (e.g., for the existing face angle setting, loft angle setting, lie angle setting, shaft flexibility setting, face flexibility setting, etc.). Alternatively, the existing setting information may be provided to the processing system 1502 as some of the input data. As yet another alternative, if desired, the adjustment information sent to processing system 1502 may have already taken into account any existing setting information. As still another alternative, if desired, the processing system 1502 could query or request setting information from memory or other electronics provided as part of the golf club structure.
Next, the actual physical adjustment process is initiated. First, the adjustment mechanisms 1510A and 1510B are activated (if necessary) to engage the adjustment screws 1552 (or other mechanisms) provided on the club head 1550 (or other club component). Examples of this are shown in
A wide variety of changes to the specific mechanisms, the adjustment steps, the adjustment station, and the like may be made from the specific examples shown in
In the above description, aspects of this invention have been described primarily for use at a driving range or other ball hitting station, e.g., immediately prior to a round of golf, at a retail or purchase point location, or the like. The invention is not limited to use at these specific locations. As another example, if desired, club adjustment stations 1500 of the types described above in conjunction with
As shown in
As another example, as illustrated in
System 1700 is not limited to changing face flexibility, but rather, any desired club parameter can be changed in response to club path data or other data without departing from this invention. For example, if sensors in accordance with the invention determine that the club face angle is somewhat open as it approaches ball contact, mechanisms can be activated in the head to attempt to close (square) the face at ball contact (e.g., of the types shown in
The system 1750 of
As noted above, systems and methods according to aspects of this invention rely on data transmissions and communications between various devices. Any desired types of communications are possible without departing from this invention, including infrared transmissions, Bluetooth transmissions, cellular telephone or other radio communications, hard wired connections, networked connections, etc. Appropriate communications and transmission equipment and/or protocols may be provided and used for each portion of the transmission, and such communications and transmission equipment may be readily selected and configured by those skilled in the art.
Of course, many modifications to the adjustable club setting systems and/or methods may be made without departing from the invention. For example, the data collected, its use, and/or its presentation to the users may vary widely without departing from this invention. With respect to the methods, additional steps may be added, various described steps may be omitted, the content of the steps may be changed and/or changed in order, and the like, without departing from the invention. Therefore, while the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described structures and methods. Thus, the spirit and scope of the invention should be construed broadly as set forth in the appended claims.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20130184089 A1 | Jul 2013 | US |
