The present invention relates generally to a device that aids golfers in improving their putting by encouraging a proper stance and pendulum motion during the swing, ultimately leading to a lower golf score.
Putting training aids are well known as illustrated by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,857,570, 6,129,639, 2,754,125, 5,037,100, 6,755,751, 5,007,646, 3,269,733, 6,702,690, 5,150,904, and 7,160,201. Each of these devices is designed to change the golfers putting stroke to that of a pendulum swing. In general the above patents recommend the use of a metal frame, a heel or toe guide, or a shaft guide to direct the putter along a straight line along the back and forward swing.
The “Eyes-Over-the-Ball” putting aid offers a new and novel approach, different from the above, on correcting poor putting strokes. The first step is to evaluate the golfers putting stance. Secondly, the device leads the golfer to the correct stance—that is the eyes are directly over the ball or in the vicinity thereof. This position with the eyes over the ball allows and encourages the golfer to swing the putter back and forth in a straight line. Furthermore most golfers will be able to accomplish the transition from an arc swing to that of a pendulum swing and they do not need the frames or guides that are costly and cumbersome to use.
The “Eyes-Over-the-Ball” putting aid teaches the amateur golfer to diagnosis his or her stance problem via a color coded stance evaluator, while prior art does not cover this area. The device leads the golfer to the correct stance, and it provides a vehicle for the golfer to practice swinging the putter with a motion that approaches a straight back and straight forward motion. The stance is the key element in the conversion from an arc putter swing to a pendulum swing and in turn, an improvement in putting.
Previous patents do not cover diagnosing the golfer's stance problems and how to correct them, but rather jump to the solution, that is, how to generate a putter stroke that follows a pendulum motion. Furthermore they require a frame for the complete stroke, both heel and toe or shaft guides to accomplish this end.
We contend that most golfers will be able to swing the putter in a pendulum motion, if their putting stance problems are identified, corrections applied, and a vehicle is provided that returns them to the correct position for each stroke. There is a distinct possibility that the frames and guides suggested by the previous patents will slow down or inhibit the overall progress of a golfer as they change from an arc swing to that of a pendulum swing.
Golf is a sport enjoyed by many people, including a large number of amateurs who have yet to master the basics of golfing. Putting, in particular, proves to be a challenge for many amateur golfers. A proper putting stance will position a golfer's eyes over the ball, while the swing will ideally have minimal opening on the back and forward swing, following a pendulum stroke. While most golfers exhibit a stance that is too far from the ball, there are some that tend to stand too close to the ball. Despite various aids to improve their putting, many amateur golfers do not keep their eyes over the ball and swing in an arc motion, with large arc-openings on the front and back swing. These issues are linked; when the eyes are off center (from as little to one inch and past six inches), the subsequent stroke opens along the back and front swing, forming an arc motion when viewed from above. While this can result in good contact with the ball, it requires hitting the ball at the center of the stroke, such that the putter face is perpendicular to the intended putting line. Conversely, when the eyes are correctly positioned directly over the ball, the golfer is encouraged to swing the putter back and forth along a straight line.
A more likely result of an arc swing is that the putter face strikes the ball before or after the center of the stroke, resulting in the ball travelling to the left or right of the intended putting line. Related to the stance, numerous other factors affect a golfer's swing, including the length of the putter (often they are too long), the wingspan of the golfer, and the position of the hands on the putter. Since putting represents 50% of the golf game, perfecting the stance and related issues provides a huge boost to an amateur's game. To improve one's putting, focus must be placed on distance and direction. Distance is a function of the subconscious, as it is based on how much force a golfer applies to the stroke. Direction depends on multiple factors, such as the slope of the green and the stroke. The slope of the green is an external factor, and in a sense cannot be “corrected”. The stroke, however, is a key ingredient of putting and can be corrected. While different persons have different natural strokes, ranging from figure eights to straight lines, the ideal stroke is the straight line or “pendulum stroke”.
The prior art, rather than allowing the golfer to assume a natural stance and stroke, artificially force the golfer into the proper stance and stroke. While these solutions work for some, they are avoided by others for numerous reasons, mainly that they are too cumbersome and costly. Some amateurs eschew these solutions because they view the solutions as too complex or simply believe that their stroke needs no improvement. There exists a need for an inexpensive, simple, and convenient apparatus for improving one's putting stance and stroke.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that provides color-coded visual cues to indicate if a golfers stance is too close, too far, or properly distanced from a ball. It is a further object of the present invention to improve a golfer's putting by improving their stance and swing. It is a further object of the present invention to help a golfer correct an arc putter swing to the ideal pendulum putting swing.
All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
The present invention is a tool for aiding a golfer in improving their putting stance and swing. The present invention provides visual cues to help a golfer check their distance from the ball. The present invention comprises a clip 1, an arm 2, a mount 3, an indicator block 4, and a spring-loaded axle 5, all of which minus the spring-loaded axle are depicted in
Visible in
In the preferred embodiment, the first jaw 12 and the second jaw 13 utilize an interference fit to secure the clip 1 to the shaft 61 of a golf club 6. In other embodiments, variations of this attachment may be pursued, such as using a clamp. However, while other methods of securing the clip 1 are possible, the interference fit provides an inexpensive, simple, and user-friendly way of securing the clip 1. It is for these reasons that the interference fit is utilized by the preferred embodiment.
The arm 2, which is connected to the clip 1 in one of two stable configurations, comprises a floor 21, a track 22, a stop 23, a first notch 24, and a second notch 25. The arm 2 is illustrated in
Potentially, a second barrier could be connected to the open end of the track 22, thus securing the mount 3 between the stop 23 and the second barrier. While this would greatly reduce the possibility of accidently sliding the mount 3 off the track 22, it would also make accessing or replacing the mount 3 much more difficult. Whether an embodiment employs the second barrier or not, the general function of the arm 2 remains the same, allowing the arm 2 to be effectively used as part of the present invention.
Securing the arm 2 to the clip 1 is the spring-loaded axle 5, seen in
The spring-loaded axle 5 can be assembled in a number of ways, an example of which is shown in
The mount 3 comprises a carriage 31, a rod 32, a spacer 33, and a cap 34, as shown in
The indicator block 4 comprises a top face 41, a first lateral face 42, a second lateral face 43, and a channel 44, as seen in
In the preferred embodiment the visual cues are color based, since different colors are easily recognizable and processed by a user. The colors used in the preferred embodiment are green for the top face 41, yellow for the first lateral face 42, and red for the second lateral face 43. While other embodiments could use different colors or different visual cues (such as differing striped patterns), the simplicity of colors leads to them being utilized in the preferred embodiment. However, other embodiments can use any type of cue, even audio, as long as it serves the function of indicating a correct or incorrect putting stance.
The present invention is designed to attach to the shaft 61 of a golf club 6, and is usable for both left-handed golfers and right-handed golfers, depending on which end of the shaft 61 the clip 1 is attached to. The spring-loaded axle 5 allows the arm 2 to rotate 180 degrees between two stable positions. By rotating the arm 2, the spring-loaded axle 5 is put into extension. While in extension, the spring wants to return to its equilibrium position, creating a force that pulls the floor 21 and web 11 together. In areas where the floor 21 and the web 11 are flat, this force is not strong enough to prevent rotation; thus, the arm 2 can be rotated between the stable positions. However, when the first ridge 14 is aligned with the first notch 24 and the second ridge 15 is aligned with the second notch 25, the force created by the extended spring compresses the spring and pushes the ridges into their aligned notches. This prevents further rotation of the arm 2 unless the spring is again extended, which disengages the ridges from the notches. The spring constant of the spring will be high enough to prevent the ridges and notches from disengaging from each other during regular use, such as golfing, but low enough that a person can easily extend the spring in order to switch between the two stable configurations. The first stable configuration occurs when the first ridge 14 aligns with the first notch 24 and the second ridge 15 aligns with the second notch 25. The second configuration, which rotates the arm 2 180 degrees with respect to the first configuration, occurs when the first ridge 14 aligns with the second notch 25 and the second ridge 15 aligns with the first notch 24.
The present invention is designed to help a golfer correct their putting stance and stroke. More specifically, the present invention helps golfers stand the correct distance from the golf ball and swing the putter in a straight line, rather than a slightly curved swing that afflicts many amateurs. The present invention is secured to a the shaft 61 of a golf club 6 by means of the clip 1. The present invention is designed to be secured so that the clip 1 is attached to the rear section of the shaft 61, such that the arm 2 faces a rearward direction. For a right-handed golfer, this means the arm 2 should be pointing towards the right of the club, while a left-handed golfer will have the arm 2 pointing towards the left of the club. This orientation is important as it does not interfere with the ball during putting; if the arm 2 faced the front of the golf club 6 then the present invention would hit the golf ball during the swing. If the clip 1 is connected properly, the rod 32 and indicator block 4 will not only be perpendicular to the track 22, they will also be perpendicular to the head of the golf club 6.
Once the clip 1 has been used to attach the present invention to the shaft 61, the mount 3 is adjusted so that the arm 2 is centered in relation to the head of the putter. This is enabled by the engagement of the mount 3 to the track 22, which allows the mount 3 to slide along the track 22. Using this functionality of the present invention, a golfer is able to center the arm 2 in relation to the head. With the arm 2 centered, the golfer can then use the indicator block 4 to gauge their distance from the ball, as subsequently described. Since the indicator block 4 is capable of rotating, gravity will insure that the top face 41 of the indicator block 4 always faces directly upwards, even when standing on hills, bunkers, or other inclines and uneven surfaces. This allows the top face 41 to be used a positive feedback indicator 411; if a golfer is standing the proper distance from the ball, they should only see the top face 41, and the corresponding first color 412. An example of the proper stance distance is depicted in
While the preferred embodiment describes a clip 1 that attaches the present invention to a golf club 6, the key functionality of the present invention is the gravity-induced oscillation of the indicator block 4 about the rod 32 and the translational movement of the mount 3 along the track 22. These capabilities are important as they allow the indicator block 4 to be centered with the head of the club, as well as rotate when the golfer is standing on non-flat surfaces such that the indicator block 4 still properly indicates whether the golfer's stance is too close, too far, or the correct distance from the ball. In other embodiments, the present invention can utilize different components to attach to the shaft 61 of the golf club 6, or even be directly attached to the head. For example, if the mount 3 is attached directly to the head, the clip 1 and the arm 2 would become unnecessary as the mount 3 would be centered as it's connected, negating the need for adjustments along the track 22. To attach the mount 3 to the head, matching hook-and-loop fasteners could be placed on the top of the head and on a bracket of the mount 3. Alternatively, the mount 3 could be magnetized, allowing it to attach to metallic heads. As long as these and other attachment methods allow the indicator block 4 to oscillate about the rod 32 and be centered in relation to the head, a number of variations on the preferred embodiment can be implemented.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 61/642,148 filed on May 3, 2012.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61642148 | May 2012 | US |