Patent Application
20240123294
The present invention relates to a putting stroke-selection system, particularly but not necessarily exclusively for use as a putting training aid. The invention also relates to a method of determining a putting stroke utilising said system, and to an attachment for a putter for implementing the system. A putter suitable for such a system is also provided.
One of the most challenging aspects of golf is reducing the number of strokes taken on a putting green. Players rarely miss a putt due to direction choice, but will often fail to select an appropriate stroke weight so as to miss the distance to the hole. One of the key factors in improving putting is the ability to land a first putt very close to the hole, so that a subsequent shot is very straightforward. This greatly reduces the risk of a three-putt or greater score on the putting green.
Practice mats are available commercially to train the golfer in the weighting of shots. However, this creates an artificial putting scenario, and the skills practiced on a mat may not necessarily be directly applicable in a real-world putting context.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for improving putting technique.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a putting stroke-selection system comprising: a putter having putter head and a putter shaft; a referencing indicium comprising a plurality of calibrated distance markers which is engaged or engagable with the putter shaft; and a stroke-length measurement tool having a stroke-length indicium thereon, the stroke-length indicium having a plurality of calibrated stroke-length markers thereon which correspond with the plurality of calibrated distance markers of the referencing indicium.
The present system provides a calibrated means of determining a horizontal distance between a golf ball and a hole, based on a visible vertical separation between the two as seen when the putter is held out in front of the player. The referencing indicium of the putter provides an indication of the stroke weight to be selected, and the stroke-length measurement tool helps the user to perform a correctly weighted shot. This acts as an excellent training aid for the player.
The putting stroke-selection system optionally further comprises a putter attachment which is releasably engagable with the putter, the referencing indicium being provided on the putter attachment.
The preferred embodiment of the invention is for a putter attachment which can be transferred from putter to putter. This maintains the calibration of the system regardless of whether the player elects to change putter, for instance.
Preferably, the putter attachment may be provided as an elongate member having a securing means for engaging with the putter shaft. Optionally, the securing means may comprise at least one of: a magnetic engagement element; a vice or clamp; or a fastener
Since the system utilises the visible vertical separation between the ball and hole as a means of inferring the horizontal distance therebetween, the most suitable place to mount the putter attachment is the putter shaft, which is vertical in most use conditions.
As an alternative, the referencing indicium may be provided directly on the putter shaft.
A putter having an integrated referencing indicium may have the advantage of maintaining the normal weight of the putter, whereas a putter attachment may slightly alter the feel of the putter in use, and thus alter the player's stroke weighting.
It may be preferably that an origin of the referencing indicium be provided at an in-use upper end thereof.
It has been found to be easier for the player to align the origin of the referencing indicium to the hole, rather than the ball, since this does not require the player to hold the putter in an abnormally high condition during visual inspection.
Optionally, an origin of the stroke-length indicium may be provided at a central portion of the stroke-length measurement tool. The stroke-length indicium may comprise a backswing indicium portion and a follow-through indicium portion.
Both backswing and follow-through are important for achieving optimum stroke potential for putting, and therefore it is preferred that both aspects be calibrated for, with the origin of the tool being aligned to the golf ball itself.
In a preferred embodiment, the stroke-length measurement tool may have a collapsible tool body. The stroke-length measurement tool may comprise at least one hinge to allow the tool body to be folded into a collapsed state.
Since the stroke-length measurement tool will likely exceed the length of a golf club, due to the need for calibration of the backswing and follow-through, it is preferred that the tool be collapsible in order to be easily received into a standard golf bag. A folding configuration may be the easiest way to achieve this.
Preferably, the plurality of calibrated distance markers and plurality of calibrated stroke-length markers may be provided as numerals on the referencing indicium and stroke-length indicium respectively.
Numeric indicators on the indicia will be the simplest manner of conveying information to the player, so that the stroke weight can be easily selected during play.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of determining a putting stroke, the method comprising the steps of: a] providing a putting stroke selection system in accordance with the first aspect of the invention; b] a user standing at a predetermined distance from a golf ball to be struck, co-linearly with the golf ball and a putting target; c] the user holding the putter so that the referencing indicium is aligned to the golf ball and the putting target in a vertical direction; d] using the referencing indicium, determining a visible vertical separation between the golf ball and the putting target using the plurality of calibrated distance markers; e] placing the stroke-length measurement tool next to the golf ball and aligned with the putting target; and f] determining a putting stroke to use based on a correspondence between the plurality of calibrated stroke-length markers and the vertical visible separation determined using the plurality of calibrated distance markers.
The present method provides a means of working out a horizontal distance from a golf ball to a hole or similar putting target, based on the visible vertical separation therebetween. There is a simple mathematical relationship between these two factors, which, if used to select a stroke weight, will reduce the likelihood of more than two putts being required to sink the golf ball. This method can therefore greatly improve the user's skills.
Optionally, the predetermined distance in step b] may be approximately 10 ft.
The typical calibration between the referencing indicium and the stroke-length indicium will be based on a distance of approximately 10 ft, or 3 m. If the user stands much closer than this, then the vertical separation will be too large to take a simple visual reading therefrom. Too much further away from the ball will make the vertical separation difficult to see.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a putter-shaft attachment comprising: an elongate member having a referencing indicium thereon; and securing means engaged with the elongate member for attachment to a shaft of a putter; the referencing indicium comprising a plurality of calibrated distance markers for allowing a user to visually infer a distance between a golf ball and a putting target and thus inform a putting stroke selection.
A putter-shaft attachment of this type has the advantage of being engagable with any putter, allowing users to retrofit the presently described system to their existing putter with which they wish to train.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of determining a putting stroke, the method comprising the steps of: a] engaging a putter-shaft attachment in accordance with the third aspect of the invention with a shaft of a putter; b] a user standing at a predetermined distance from a golf ball to be struck, co-linearly with the golf ball and a putting target; c] holding the putter so that the elongate member is aligned to the vertical distance between the golf ball and the putting target; and d] using the referencing indicium, visually inferring the distance between the golf ball and the putting target in order to inform a putting stroke selection.
A predetermined distance in step b] may be approximately 10 ft.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of determining a putting stroke, the method comprising the steps of: a] a user standing at a predetermined distance from a golf ball to be struck, co-linearly with the golf ball and a putting target; b] aligning a calibrated referencing indicium to the golf ball and the putting target in a vertical direction; c] using the referencing indicium, determining a visible vertical separation between the golf ball and the putting target using the plurality of calibrated distance markers; and d] determining a putting stroke to use based on the vertical visible separation.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention, there is provided a putter comprising: a putter head and a putter shaft; and a referencing indicium engaged or engagable with the putter shaft; the referencing indicium comprising a plurality of calibrated distance markers for allowing a user to visually infer a distance between a golf ball and a putting target when the user is holding the putter in a vertical condition, to thus inform a putting stroke selection.
The putter may further comprise a putter attachment which is releasably engagable with the putter shaft, the referencing indicium being provided on the putter attachment.
Said putter attachment may be provided as an elongate member having a securing means for engaging with the putter shaft.
The securing means may comprise at least one of: a magnetic engagement element; a vice or clamp; or a fastener.
Alternatively, the referencing indicium may be provided directly on the putter shaft.
An origin of the referencing indicium may be provided at an in-use upper end thereof.
According to a seventh aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of determining a putting stroke, the method comprising the steps of: a] providing a putter in accordance with the sixth aspect of the invention; b] a user standing at a predetermined distance from a golf ball to be struck, co-linearly with the golf ball and a putting target; c] holding the putter so that the referencing indicium is aligned to the vertical distance between the golf ball and the putting target; and d] using the referencing indicium, visually inferring the distance between the golf ball and the putting target in order to inform a putting stroke selection.
Optionally, the predetermined distance in step b] may be approximately 10 ft.
According to an eighth aspect of the invention, there is provided a putter stroke-selection system comprising: a putter in accordance with the sixth aspect of the invention; and a stroke-length measurement tool having a stroke-length indicium thereon, the stroke-length indicium having a plurality of calibrated stroke-length markers thereon which correspond with the plurality of calibrated distance markers of the referencing indicium
An origin of the stroke-length indicium may be provided at a central portion of the stroke-length measurement tool.
Preferably, the stroke-length indicium may comprise a backswing indicium portion and a follow-through indicium portion.
The stroke-length measurement tool may have a collapsible tool body.
The stroke-length measurement tool may comprise at least one hinge to allow the tool body to be folded into a collapsed state.
The plurality of calibrated distance markers and plurality of calibrated stroke-length markers may be provided as numerals on the referencing indicium and stroke-length indicium respectively.
According to a ninth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of determining a putting stroke, the method comprising the steps of: a] providing a putting stroke selection system as claimed in accordance with the eighth aspect of the invention; b] a user standing at a predetermined distance from a golf ball to be struck, co-linearly with the golf ball and a putting target; c] the user holding the putter so that the referencing indicium is aligned to the golf ball and the putting target in a vertical direction; d] using the referencing indicium, determining a visible vertical separation between the golf ball and the putting target using the plurality of calibrated distance markers; e] placing the stroke-length measurement tool next to the golf ball and aligned with the putting target; and f] determining a putting stroke to use based on a correspondence between the plurality of calibrated stroke-length markers and the vertical visible separation determined using the plurality of calibrated distance markers.
Preferably, the predetermined distance in step b] may be approximately 10 ft.
The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to
A putter shaft attachment 20 is provided which is formed as an elongate member 22 having a referencing indicium 24 thereon. The referencing indicium 24 is here a visible surface of the putter shaft attachment 20 on which indicators are marked.
A fastener 26 is provided as a securing means for holding the elongate member 22 onto the putter shaft 16. The elongate member 22 may be at least in part hollow so as to wrap around the putter shaft 16, with the securing means then holding the elongate member 22 in position. As an alternative, the putter shaft attachment 20 may have a curved or arcuate rear side, so as to matingly engage with the curvature of the putter shaft 16. This may help to reduce the bulk of the putter 12 when the putter shaft attachment 20 is engaged therewith. It will be appreciated that a variety of different shapes of attachment could be considered.
The securing means may be provided in the form of a fixed fastener, or a releasable fastener, and is preferably configured so as to rigidly hold the elongate member 22 tightly against the putter shaft 16 in use, so as not to affect the putting stroke. The securing means could also take the form of a vice or clamp, which may be spring-loaded, to automatically hold the putter-shaft attachment 20 onto the putter shaft 16. It will also be appreciated that a magnetic engagement element could be utilised, since the putter shaft 16 will typically be formed from a magnetic material.
It will be apparent that the putter-shaft attachment 20 need not be provided as a separate component, and indeed, the putter could have an appropriate referencing indicium integrated thereon. In other words, a putter having all of the features of the referencing indicium could be created.
The referencing indicium 24 comprises a plurality of calibrated distance markers 28 thereon which are preferably uniformly separated so as to create a measurement tool. For ease of comprehension, the distance markers 28 are numbered, since this will be the simplest means of conveying distance information to the player, but alternative designs could be considered, such as a colour-coding system which is indicative of stroke strength. The distance markers 28 are preferably provided in oversized font, so as to be easily readable at arm's length, even for players with poor vision.
It is preferred that the origin 30 of the referencing indicium 24 be positioned at an in-use upper end 32 of the putter-shaft attachment 20, with the distance markers 28 extending in one direction from the origin 30.
The term calibrated here does not necessarily mean calibrated to any specific unit of measurement, but instead refers to the calibration of the referencing indicium 24 with respect to a corresponding stroke-length measurement tool 34, such as that shown in
It will be clear that it is greatly preferred that the stroke-length markers 38 have a complementary form to the distance markers 28, so that a direct correlation between the two can be made. The calibration is such that, if used in accordance with the method described below, an inspected distance marker 28 of ‘10’ is determined using the referencing indicium, then a stroke weight of ‘10’ can be selected from the stroke-length markers 38 to inform shot selection.
The illustrated stroke-length measurement tool 34 here has an elongate body 40, which is preferably collapsible. The elongate body 40 here comprises four body portions 40a, 40b which are extendable into a linear state in an extended condition, and into a much smaller volume in a collapsed or contracted condition.
A central two body portions 40a are here connected by a first hinge 42, which may be a rotary hinge, with outer two body portions 40b being connected to the central body portions 40a via second hinges 44. The second hinges 44 may have a hinge axis which is perpendicular to a hinge axis of the first hinge 42. The first hinge 42 serves to bring the two halves of the stroke-length measurement tool 34 together, with the second hinges 44 allowing the outer body portion 40b to fold onto the central body portions 40a. This allows for collapse of the stroke-length measurement tool 34 into the condition shown in
The stroke-length indicium 36 has an origin 48 in a central portion of the stroke-length measurement tool 34, as best seen in
This can be visualised in detail from
It will be apparent that a skilled player, familiar with the use of the calibrated putter 12, may not require the stroke-length measurement tool 34, and therefore this is an optional component of the system 10.
The present system 10 has been designed with the aim of making the process for selecting the stroke strength simple for the user. This process is shown in
To use the system 10, the player holds the putter 12 out in front of them, when standing approximately 10 ft, or approximately 3 m, behind the golf ball 48, in a straight line to the hole through the golf ball 52. The player may make use of the putter 12 itself as a means for consistently measuring the same distance from the golf ball 52 for each putt. The putter 12 is then held up in front of the player, such that the origin 30 of the referencing indicium 24 is vertically level with the hole 54, as visible to the player. This is shown in
The player then makes note of where the golf ball 52 is visible on the referencing indicium 24, thus providing a vertical separation V which is indicative of the horizontal distance H between the golf ball 52 and the hole 54. In
The player then performs a stroke using the putter 12 by using the stroke-length measurement tool 34. They can perform a backswing based on the stroke-length marker 38 ‘9’ on the backswing indicum region 50a, and a follow-through base based on the stroke-length marker 38 ‘9’ on the follow-through indicum region 50b.
The mathematical relationship between vertical separation V and horizontal distance H is such that, once calibrated correctly, the putting stroke-selection system 10 should be applicable regardless of the horizontal distance H or the slope of the putting green.
It is noted that the relationship between vertical separation V and horizontal distance H is not sufficient to guarantee that a player will automatically make a putt successfully; however, the principle is that the first putt taken should be correctly weighted so as to make a second putt much simpler. The player should in theory be able to eliminate three-putt games.
Once the player has trained sufficiently with the putting stroke-selection system 10, then they will be able to play without the need for any training aids, which are unlikely to be legal in competitive play.
The utility of the putting stroke-selection system 10 can be seen in
This applies equally to sloped putting greens, as shown in
Similarly, the upward slope will make the hole 54 appear further from the golf ball 52, and thus, for a corresponding horizontal distance the vertical separation V′″ as viewed at the referencing indicium 24 is much larger. This is indicative of the greater force required in the stroke to overcome the effect of gravity.
Calibration of the distance markers and stroke-length markers to one another will be dependent on where the system advises the player to stand relative to the ball. In the depicted embodiments, the player is advised to stand 10 ft away from the ball when making the putt, and the system is calibrated accordingly. It will be apparent that a different standing position will result is a different calibration, and it is wholly anticipated that alternative calibration schemes can be envisioned within the scope of the present invention.
It is noted that the described embodiments refer to a hole as being the putting target, though this is not a strict requirement, and any suitable putting target can be used within the scope of the present invention.
It is therefore possible to provide a simple method for training a user in stroke selection for putting, which relies on a simple mathematical relationship between the horizontal distance from the ball to the hole on the putting green, and to the visible vertical separation between the two when the player stands a predetermined distance from the ball in line with the hole. A referenced putter and measurement tool, calibrated to one another, allows a user to take advantage of this effect, though a skilled player may not require the measurement tool in order to take advantage of the calibrated putter.
The words ‘comprises/comprising’ and the words ‘having/including’ when used herein with reference to the present invention are used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components, or groups thereof.
It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination.
The embodiments described above are provided by way of examples only, and various other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the field without departing from the scope of the invention as defined herein.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2103527.4 | Mar 2021 | GB | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/GB2022/050569 | 3/3/2022 | WO |
