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FIELD
At least some embodiments disclosed herein relate, in general, to athletic training devices and more specifically to training golf swing form and strength.
BACKGROUND
There remains a persistent need in the field of invention containing golf swingrelated devices, a need to correct an error known as “hitting from the top.” The following is an excerpt from “Harvey Penick's Little Red Book,” [begin quoted passage]: “Hitting From the Top:
PROBABLY THE BIGGEST fault for all players has dozens of different names around the world. In England it is called Casting, which is a good description because the movement you make with your right arm and hand is similar to casting with a fly rod.
Hitting From the Top is what happens when you reach the top of your backswing, and start back down to the ball by throwing your hands at it. Many golfers play their whole lives Hitting From the Top. Some have managed to play well despite this flaw. There are players on the professional tour who get outside the ball on their downswing, which is about the same thing as Hitting From the Top. But just because some players are athletic enough to make this move and get away with it, doesn't make it any less disastrous for the average golfer. No one has ever found an instant cure for this particular ailment.
I know five ways that have been successful for me.
- The first and simplest is to make the student try to hit the ball on the toe of the club for a while. This is often a one-aspirin remedy for the sickness.
- Another simple one is to place two balls on the ground about two inches apart and have the student hit the inside ball without touching the other.
- A third and still simple method is for me to hold a shaft about a foot off the ground in front of the student and have him swing beneath it.
- The fourth cure, the strongest and most basic, is to make the student learn to hook the ball. Strengthen the grip, rolling both hands to the right in exaggerated fashion. Tell the student to go ahead and hook the ball clear off the practice range. I don't care if it's a pulled hook or a big wild hook, just as long as it is a hook. I tell the student to rotate the left forearm to the right C going back. Sometimes I have the student think of rotating the entire left arm. This fans the clubhead open on the backswing. Then bring the club down rotating the left arm and hand (the right hand automatically becomes involved) to the left and close the clubface hard at impact. This process produces some of the most screaming fishhook-looking shots you ever saw. But to hit these fishhooks, the student has to come into the ball from the inside. Once a student learns to create
- hooks at will, he has usually stopped Hitting From the Top. The problem now becomes curing the hook. But this is relatively easy.
- The fifth method is a slow-motion drill, and it's such an important drill that I want to hold it apart and explain it in a piece of its own. I was demonstrating these methods at a PGA teaching.
The Slow-Motion Drill
THE SLOW-MOTION DRILL is a drill you can do at home, and it takes much patience and many repetitions, but the time you spend at it will pay off on the golf course. Mickey Wright practiced this drill often. As an all-purpose drill that is good for whatever ails your golf swing, this is probably the best. You can do it indoors, so you can do it in bad weather or at night. When I say slow motion, I mean really slow, slow motion. If you think you are doing it in slow motion, do it even slower.
Swing the club very slowly to the top of the backswing. Always keep your eye on the blade of grass or the pattern in the carpet that represents the golf ball; watching the clubhead go back is a terrible habit you can accidentally pick up in this drill and take to the course with you. As you reach the top of the backswing, replace your left heel solidly on the ground and at the same time bring your right elbow in close to your body. Very, very slowly. Bring the club down in extreme slow motion about one third of the way toward the ball. Then stop a moment and hold it and feel it. Now start from your holding position and do it again-swing slowly to the top, plant the left heel, bring the right elbow close to the body, and stop about one third of the way toward the ball. Do this four times in a row. Don't get impatient and speed up. Very slowly is the key. After four repetitions, go ahead and make the full swing at last still in very slow motion-into a high finish with the elbows out front and your head coming up slowly as if to watch a good shot. Hold the pose. Feel it. Now do the whole thing again and again and again. What is happening is that your golfing brain and your muscles are learning to start your downswing by planting your weight and moving your lower body to the left, and you are coming to the ball from inside with your hands quiet, trailing and still cocked, not leading and spending energy.
Your golfing brain and your muscles learn just as well from repeating the swing in slow motion as from whapping away on the range. In fact, it can be higher quality learning because no mistakes are being made in the slow motion swing.” [end of quote]
SUMMARY
In view of the persistent need in the art discussed above, the inventor believes that he has conceived a solution in the form of the various described embodiments of the present invention, which follow. By using the device embodiments, a golfer or user performs a “Slow Motion Drill,” and controls each and every aspect of golf swing movement. Especially transition from the backswing to downswing. This is the most critical move in the golf swing.
Practicing the slow motion drill with resistance trains the proper muscles that are involved in the full swing, building strength, power, and writes the proper golf swing motion (move) into the muscle memory with great efficiency.
Specifically, in particular, a device comprising: a force vectoring carriage translatable with respect to an upright constraint path defined by a proximal end and a distal end, a bias rope anchored to the force vectoring carriage, a remote biasing force source, configured to bias the force vectoring carriage toward the proximal end, and a working rope extending through the force vectoring carriage to a grip anchor, the working rope configured to impose counter-biasing force upon the force vectoring carriage by a user imposing motion upon the grip anchor during performance of a golf club swing, and translate the force vectoring carriage toward the distal end, such that a user is loaded against uncontrolled performance of the golf club swing in a manner that effects repeatable performances of a slow motion drill.
According to a further aspect, a device for performing a golf swing having a backswing portion and a downswing portion, the device comprising: a force vectoring carriage translatable with respect to an upright constraint path defined by a proximal end and a distal end, a bias rope anchored to the force vectoring carriage, a remote biasing force source, configured to bias the force vectoring carriage toward the proximal end, and a working rope extending through the force vectoring carriage to a grip anchor, the working rope configured to impose counter-biasing force upon the force vectoring carriage by a user imposing motion upon the grip anchor during performance of a golf club swing, and translate the force vectoring carriage toward the distal end, such that a user is alternately loaded against a bias force during the backswing portion of the swing and alternately loaded against a working force during the downswing portion of the swing, to effect repeatable performance of the golf swing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements.
FIGS. 1A-C show side, front-perspective, and rear-perspective views, respectively, of an exemplary embodiment of a golf swing training device in accordance with the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a golf swing training device in use to train a golf swing in accordance with the present disclosure, with a user in a starting position.
FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a golf swing training device in use to train a golf swing in accordance with the present disclosure, with a user in a backswing position.
FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a golf swing training device in use to train a golf swing in accordance with the present disclosure, with a user in a downswing position.
FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a golf swing training device in use to train a golf swing in accordance with the present disclosure, with a user completing a downswing to a final position.
FIG. 6 is a diagram of the working components of an exemplary embodiment of a golf swing training device in accordance with the present disclosure.
FIG. 7 is a diagram of the working components of an exemplary embodiment of a golf swing training device in accordance with the present disclosure, with an inclined motion and inclined vertical constraint path.
FIGS. 8A-D illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a golf swing training device in use to train a golf swing in accordance with the present disclosure, with a user in a starting position, a user in a backswing position, a user in a downswing position, and a user in a final position, respectively.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following description and drawings are illustrative and are not to be construed as limiting. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding. However, in certain instances, well known or conventional details are not described in order to avoid obscuring the description. References to one or an embodiment in the present disclosure are not necessarily references to the same embodiment; and, such references mean at least one.
Reference in this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features are described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirements for some embodiments but not other embodiments.
The present disclosure relates to golf swing training devices.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure enable practice of a golf swing and specifically a slow motion drill or slow motion swing drill.
Referring now to FIGS. 1A-C, what is shown is an exemplary embodiment of a golf swing training device 1. FIG. 1A shows a side view, FIG. 1B shows a front-perspective view, and FIG. 1C shows a rear-perspective view, of the device 1. The device 1 comprises a force vectoring carriage 3 translatable with respect to an upright constraint path 5 defined by a proximal end 2 and a distal end 4, a bias rope 7 anchored to the force vectoring carriage 3 and a remote biasing force source 9, configured to bias the force vectoring carriage 3 toward the proximal end 2, and a working rope 8 extending through the force vectoring carriage 3 to a grip anchor 11 (not visible in FIGS. 1A-C, it is disposed proximate the proximal end 23 of the working rope 8 see FIGS. 2-5), configured to impose counter-biasing force upon the force vectoring carriage 3 by a user imposing motion upon the grip anchor 11 during performance of a golf club swing, and translate the force vectoring carriage 3 toward the distal end 4. In cumulative effect, a user is loaded against uncontrolled performance of the golf club swing in a manner that effects repeatable performance of a “slow motion drill.”
Specifically, here, the upright constraint path 5 comprises a first vertical rail 13 and second vertical rail 15. Other contemplated embodiments may comprise an alternative singular or multiple number of rails, more than two. As arranged here, the force vectoring carriage 3 is between the two rails 13 and 15, bounding its lateral movement and the rails 13 and 15 comprise a pair of contact flanges 17 and 19, bounding the outward movement of the force vectoring carriage 3 (with respect to movement out of the space between the rails 13 and 15). In the sense of forces between the force vectoring carriage 3 and the upright constraint path 5, the upright constraint path 5 comprises the rails 13 and 15 as well as the flanges 17 and 19.
The swing-training movement for this particular embodiment of the device 1 is effected by the shown arrangement of the force vectoring carriage 3 and bias rope 7 and working rope 8. Here, the bias rope 7 is anchored to the force vectoring carriage 3, while the working rope 8 courses through the force vectoring carriage 3 with a pulley 21 carried thereon that is configured to allow the working rope 8 to pass through the carriage 3 when the grip anchor 11 (affixed to a proximal end 23 of the working rope 8, see FIGS. 2-5) is moved away from the upright constraint path 5.
The remote biasing force source 9 is affixed to a distal end 25 of the bias rope 7. The bias rope 7 is affixed at a proximal end 26 to the force vectoring carriage 3.
Here, the remote biasing force source 9 is a captured-gas pneumatic cylinder, but this should be considered non-limiting upon the variety of embodiments contemplated. The present invention contemplates a variety of types of force sources, such as gravity-opposed weights, friction-resistance linear resistance devices, such as a weighted brake, damping-resistance linear resistance devices, such as a hydraulic or pneumatic vented cylinder, and deflection/offset-based resistance devices, such as springs, captured compressed-fluid/gas cylinders, and levered or coiled spring devices. Selection of the specific type of force source should be made by consideration of the cost, size, weight, and personal preference or other training circumstance particular to the desired embodiment. For example, one advantage of a captured gas cylinder is that it may be modally vented, allowing for a modal or load-based switchability or blending, between damping (velocity) resistance and spring (distance/position) resistance, relative to the movement of the user.
One desirable such embodiment would be a gas cylinder of fixed, completely closed volume. Depending upon size and specification, a gas cylinder allows for an exponential force response, with incremental increase in deflection. Consider such a gas cylinder for its load characteristics, with respect to review of FIGS. 2-5. Configured this way, with the remote biasing force source (Not shown in FIGS. 2-5, see 9, FIG. 1), initial deflections, relevant to initial swing movements, would be under only a small resistance, taking up slack and prompting initial tension to resist and then succumb-to, to start a swing (see FIG. 2), but then allows for smoothly increasing, minimal resistance, primarily ensuring that there is no slack in the bias rope 7, such as during the reversal of movement at the end of a backswing and beginning a downswing (see FIG. 3). With further deflections, relevant to downswing motions, the resistance would increase to meaningful amounts that challenge the user and counter looseness in middle-swing body movements (see FIG. 4). Finally, toward the end of the range of motion of a cylinder, relevant to pushing the final increments of a downswing, with less change in body articulation, the load would reach a level of force that helps a user to hold their form and merely add force to the swing, at the same body orientation (see FIG. 5).
Referring to FIGS. 2-5, what is shown is an exemplary embodiment of a golf swing training device 1, in use to train a golf swing in accordance with the present disclosure, with a user in a series of successive positions. Nominally, respectively to FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5, these are: a starting position, a backswing position, a downswing position, and completing a downswing to a final position. More specifically, though, each of these figures shows the nominal position as an initial position in dotted lines, and there is overlaid a successive position in solid lines, to show the movement being achieved as the user passes through the positions. For each succeeding figure, the dotted-line position of the user is the same position as the solid-line position of the user in the respectively preceding figure.
In reviewing each of FIGS. 2-5, consider them to be a series of images showing exemplary steps of a method of the present invention, biasing a force vectoring carriage 3 upwardly (in an upward direction) along an upright constraint path 5, with a remote biasing force source (not shown, see 9, FIGS. 1A-C) via a bias rope 7 from the force source (see 9, FIGS. 1A-C), with a working rope 8 coursing through the carriage 3 with a pulley (21, see FIGS. 1A-C), such that a free end (proximal end 23) of the working rope 8 extends from the carriage 3, transversely to the upright constraint path 5. Movement of the user's hands cause the proximal end 23 and working rope 8 to move both vertically (with respect to the length of the path 5, between the proximal 2 and distal ends 3) and horizontally (away from the device 1, as the working rope 8 plays out of the carriage 3) and defining a virtual resistance plane, in which the user experiences resistance as he moves his hands. The user is shown holding a mock handle, to further the realism of the activity, but it is not strictly necessary to the device or methods.
Referring now to FIG. 2, the user begins by standing at a starting position, with his feet spaced apart from one another in a direction that is parallel to the virtual resistance plane. The user is facing a direction that is transverse to the resistance plane, and the user is physically offset from the constraint path 5 by a predetermined starting offset distance and the free end (proximal end 23) of the working rope 8 is depending from the user's hands with a grip anchor 11, against a preload amount of force, with the user's arms and hands at a starting position.
Then, the user backswings, moving the grip anchor 11 towards the carriage 3, (decreasing the preload force), allowing the bias rope (7, See FIGS. 1A-C) to raise the carriage 3, until the user is in a checkswing or backswing position/orientation. This decreases offset distance from the upright path 5, and sets the user in approximately a backswing position, ready to begin a downswing.
Consider that the hands of the user are not actually literally constrained to a strictly vertical plane fixed at the moment of the start of the swing. Instead, consider the plane as being defined by the position of the grip anchor 11, and the upper and lower bounds of the movement of the carriage 3. This plane is parallel to the working rope 8 where it extends from the carriage 3, and the user is only relatively defined. As stated above, the feet of the user are offset from one another in a direction that is parallel to the plane at the starting position, but is not continuously constrained, as the plane essentially moves, when the natural motion of the user's body causes the grip anchor 11 to move through an arc that deviates, transversely, relative to the device 1.
Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the user is shown downswinging (and continuing to downswing, respectively) the grip anchor 11 away from the carriage 3, increasing the load on the working rope 8, and lowering the carriage 3. FIG. 3 begins with the user in the backswing position and ends in a downswing position. FIG. 4 begins in the same downswing position as the end of the motion shown in FIG. 3 and ends at a completion of the downswing position. Note that with each of these two progressions, the force vectoring carriage 3 descends, and more of the working rope 8 is pulled outward, through the carriage 3, but the carriage 3 descends progressively less, as the rope is proportionately further drawn. This means that, while the load on the working rope 8 is increasing, there is a tradeoff occurring, of a tailoring off of the rate of increase in load, while the user experiences a longer sweep of movement against a less-fluctating load, with each increment of movement.
Referring now to FIG. 5, the user is shown moving from a completed downswing position to a final position. This could be called a “follow through,” position, but it is specifically not like the “follow through,” of a typical golf swing, because it is made against an increase of load, and comes to a stop with the user's hands forced into a trailing position. Specifically, here, the user is shown twisting their torso to play more of working rope 8 through the force vectoring carriage 3 until the grip anchor 11 is approximately the same as the original offset distance at the beginning of the backswing (see FIG. 2).
FIG. 5 essentially shows a step of strength-building, which conditions the user to build strength for applying force that is useful throughout the motion of a downswing, in an artificially-tensed portion of a swing, where the user might otherwise just be releasing a lesser force. While tensed in this position, the user's leading arm is extended and the trailing arm is tightly held to the torso, a posture of the limbs that, when practiced, results in better downswing form, when merely conventionally swinging a golf club. When a user swings a golf club after such training, the motion of the club is more controlled and is held through an arc under the backswing pressure for longer, before striking a ball, resulting in longer and straighter drives.
The invention contemplates that the length of the working rope 8, bias rope 7, pulley 21, and general proportions of the device 1 are all configured so that the carriage 3 will approach a height approximately equal to the mid-torso or waist of the user for performance of the motion shown in FIG. 5, and therefore is contemplated to be adjustable in position/shape/or scale of components, to facilitate this motion for a variety of users.
FIG. 6 shows a diagram arrangement of an embodiment similar to the device 1 shown in FIG. 1, more explicitly depicting the combination of both a separate weight for a first remote force source (“Weight”) and a pneumatic cylinder for a second remote source (“Resistance”).
FIG. 7 shows a diagram of an embodiment with an alternative arrangement of components that compromises a force vectoring carriage (“Shuttle”) with an inclined motion and inclined vertical constraint path and which also locates a first resistance force source (“Resistance”), a pneumatic cylinder, to directly act upon the carriage, in addition to comprising a second remote force source, weights (“Weight”), acting via a bias rope. While FIGS. 6-7 and FIGS. 1-5 suggest a linear constraint path (5, FIGS. 1-5), other contemplated embodiments allow for a path and/or the movement of the force vectoring carriage to be curved or have a progression between a proximal end and distal end (see 2, 4, FIGS. 1-5, 8A-D) other than a strictly linear shape.
The invention recognizes the existence of pneumatic cylinders with adjustable properties for amounts of force and with features to allow for the forces to be applied in any particular way along any particular length of travel.
While the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1-5 is contemplated to function purely by the relative loads of the remote force source (9, FIGS. 1A-C) and properties of the carriage 3 and pulley 21 and the bias rope 7 and working rope 8, the invention does contemplate embodiments which use braking forces to cause the force increase that produces the training effect that occurs in FIG. 5. For example, an embodiment similar to that shown in FIGS. 1-5 may also comprise features appended-to or shape the carriage 3, such that it encounters an increase in friction or otherwise brakes the carriage when it arrives at a position along the path 5 that is of relevant height, with respect to the height of the user, and/or may be adjustable, so that the friction force or braking effect may occur at a predetermined height, or be selectable by the user, to tailor the use of the device for the user's height and/or strength, such as to halt the carriage at approximately the elbow height of a user. In some contemplated embodiments, the upright constraint path is configured to impart a braking force to the force vectoring carriage as a function of the component of the force carried in the working rope 8 that is transverse to the direction of movement of the force vectoring carriage 3 along the path 5, such as when the grip anchor is pulled perpendicularly to the path 5.
Referring now to FIGS. 8A-D, what is shown is an exemplary embodiment of a golf swing training device 1 in use to train a golf swing in accordance with the present disclosure. In consecutive order, FIGS. 8A-D respectively shown a user in a starting position, a user in a backswing position, a user in a downswing position, and a user in a final position, respectively.
Similar to the device 1 shown in FIGS. 1-5, here there is an alternative exemplary embodiment of a golf swing training device 1, also comprising a force vectoring carriage 3, a bias rope 7, a remote biasing force source 9, a working rope 8, and a grip anchor 11. The carriage 3 is constrained to an upright constraint path 5 having a proximal end 2 and distal end 4. Here, the remote biasing force source 9 is a weight. Therefore, the bias rope 7 is attached to the remote biasing force source 9 at a distal end 25 of the bias rope 7, and the bias rope 7 is attached to the force vectoring carriage 3 at a proximal end 26 of the bias rope 7. The working rope 8 extends through the force vectoring carriage 3, and is attached at a distal end of the working rope 8 to a fixed position on the device 1, and attached at a proximal end of the working rope 8 to a grip anchor 11 that is affixed to the user's hands.
Unlike FIGS. 1-5, in the present device 1, there is a working force source 27 connected to the force vectoring carriage 3 that is configured to provide working force against the downswing portion of a golf swing. Here, the working force source 27 is represented as a velocity-responsive hydraulic/pneumatic cylinder damper, but other devices are contemplated, such as a flywheel or a paddlewheel captured in a fluid vessel, with or without one-way clutch mechanisms, so that the motion of the user during the downswing portion of a golf swing would be performed against the resistance of a working force, without impeding a backswing portion of the golf swing. For various embodiments, the working force source is configured to provide force according to the speed of movement of the downswing portion of the golf swing. Alternative embodiments contemplated can rearrange the working force source 27 to connect to the working rope 8 itself, rather than through the carriage 3.
Through the progression of FIGS. 8A-D, we can see that the user is alternately loaded against a bias force during the backswing portion (from FIG. 8A to FIG. 8B) of the swing and alternately loaded against a working force during the downswing portion (from FIG. 8B to FIG. 8C, and through to FIG. 8D) of the swing. Logically, “working force,” may be a net force that comprises forces from the working force source 27 and the remote force source 9, so the forces are distinct in nature, but are not exclusive of one another. For example, during a backswing portion (FIG. 8A to FIG. 8B), with the working force source 27 not burdening the motion of the user, the remote force source, a weight, is the only source of force in action, while during a downswing portion (FIG. 8B-8D), the “working force,” is predominantly supplied by the working force source 27, and while this comparatively diminishes the bias force, the net force does not necessarily require the bias force to be zero. Therefore, the user is alternately loaded against a bias force during the backswing portion of the swing and alternately loaded against a working force during the downswing portion of the swing, but the two force sources are not required to act exclusively, in order to achieve that function.
In the foregoing specification, the disclosure has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will be evident that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope as set forth in the following claims. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative sense rather than a restrictive sense.
Patent Application
20250065210
