Patent Application
20140342842
The present application claims benefit of Australian provisional application 2004905618 filed 28 Sep. 2004 and U.S. provisional application no. 60/669,364 filed 8 Apr. 2005.
The present invention relates to a golf putting practice device.
There are a number of variables involved in putting in the game of golf. Typically, the golfer first chooses a putting line along which to putt by assessing the slope of the green to determine what “borrow” is necessary so that if the putting line is predicted correctly and the ball is struck along the putting line at the correct pace, the ball will travel from where it is located on the green into the hole. The putting line is determined by a number of factors including the severity of slopes on the green and the speed of the green. Assuming the golfer is able to determine the correct putting line, the golfer must also strike the golf ball along the right putting line. To do so, the planar surface of the putter club head must be substantially perpendicular (or “square”) to the putting line on which the golfer strikes the ball when the ball is struck and the putter club head must be moving substantially along the putting line. For example, in the case of a straight putt where there is no borrow, the putting line will extend directly from the centre of the golf ball to the hole. If the ball is struck along the putting line, the ball should go in the hole. However, if it is not struck along the correct line it will miss the hole. The necessary degree of alignment of the putter depends on the length of the putt and it will be appreciated that as the putt gets longer alignment of the putter correctly becomes more important.
It will be appreciated that the mechanics of the human body are such that any club that is swung will tend to move in an arc around the player's body and hence, depending on the length of the player's back swing, will tend to move off the putting line. In order to strike the ball correctly, the player needs to have the club face square and the putting club travelling along the putting line.
It is not legal in golf to make any lines or marks on the green in order to aid in putting. Accordingly, it is necessary for golfers to practice their alignment if they wish to improve their putting. Putting is an activity that does not require much special equipment in order to be practiced and it can be practiced on practice surfaces such as floors that have an appropriate floor covering such as carpet. Typically when practicing golf, the golfer practices by aiming at a target.
It would be advantageous to provide a golf putting practice apparatus that enabled the user to practice alignment of the putter club head.
The invention provides a practice putting apparatus comprising:
In an embodiment said putting target comprises a golf ball return device for returning a ball that reaches a simulated golf hole towards the place from which it was struck.
In an embodiment said light source comprises a first light and a second light.
Preferably, each light emits a broad planar beam of light in a plane substantially perpendicular to said practice surface to thereby light said guide path.
Preferably, each light comprises a laser and a cylindrical prism.
In one embodiment, the first and second lights are mounted to a housing of said putting target device.
Preferably, said first and second lights are spaced apart whereby said guide path comprises a pair of spaced apart lines of light.
Thus, in use, a golfer can align the putter between the two lines of light.
Preferably, one or both of the lights is slidably mounted to the housing so that one or both of the lines of light can be moved.
Thus, the position of the lines can be adjusted to account for the size of the putter or any borrow of the practice surface.
In one embodiment, one or more of the lights may be detachably mounted to the housing.
In one embodiment, a first light is located on said housing and a second light is movable whereby it can be placed on the opposite side of the position where the putter is to be located relative to the target and aligned with the first light such that said guide path comprises a single line of light parallel to said putting line.
Preferably, said first light is slidably mounted to said housing to thereby allow adjustment of said line of light so that it is coincident with the putting line.
In another embodiment, said light source comprises a light mounted on a housing housing said putting target and a mirror to be placed on the opposite side to the target of the position where the putter is to be located and aligned relative to the light to reflect light from the light such that said guide path comprises a single line of light parallel to said putting line.
The apparatus may also include a timer for turning off at least part of said light source after a predetermined period of time.
In an embodiment said light source comprises a light mounted on a housing that houses that target, and said apparatus further comprises a launch mat from which the golf ball can be struck, the launch mat comprising alignment means that can be aligned along the guide path, and which provides a continuation of the guide path when the light source is blocked by the putter.
The alignment means may comprise linear markings on the mat.
The alignment means may comprise a linear indentation in the mat.
It is preferred in this embodiment that the light is centrally mounted relative to the target.
The apparatus may comprise an additional light source comprising first and second side lights mounted to either side of the target.
The apparatus may further comprise switching means for switching between at least first and second modes of operation, the side lights operating in the first mode and the central lights operating in the second mode.
Referring to
As illustrated in
The apparatus will now be explained in more detail with reference to
Light 120a consists of a mounting portion 121 that is slidably received within groove 122. The light has a laser 122 and a cylindrical prism 123 which projects a broad planar beam of light 125 which will define line 124a on the practice surface 40.
Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that any appropriate power source such as mains power or battery power can be used to power the return mechanism 104 and light 120a. Second light 120b is essentially of the same construction as light 120a, however, it typically has a broader base so it is easier to position. It will be more usual for light 120b to be battery operated as this makes it more convenient to move this light 120b into position. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that if light 120a is strong enough, light 120b can be replaced by a mirror to reflect the second portion 124b of the single line of light when aligned correctly. An advantage of the first embodiment is that the lines of light are on both the target side of the putter and behind the putter the line of light (as perceived by the golfer) is not interrupted by the golf ball or the putter head 50 so that no matter where the putter is located along line 124 the golfer will be able to perceive whether they have aligned their club face perpendicularly to the putting line.
Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a number of additional features can be incorporated into the apparatus. For example, the device may incorporate a timer which switches off the lights 120 after a fixed period such as five minutes after the device is turned on. This has the advantage of defining a strict practice period for the golfer (for example, if the golfer is practicing in their office) and also as acting as a power saving device. Further possible variations will be apparent from the description of the other embodiments.
A second preferred embodiment of a practice putting apparatus 200,220 is illustrated in
Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous minor variations can be made. For example, rather than mounting the lights within the groove, the lights can be mounted on a rail or, the first light can be mounted substantially within the housing, for example directly above return mechanism 104.
The light sources may also incorporate a means for adjusting the orientation of the light so that the line extends substantially in the region of where the putter is to be located. It will also be appreciated that one or more light sources may be fixed in position on the housing or that the light source may be configured to project a beam along different lines using diverting optics such as mirrors to vary the path.
Further, rather than a golf ball return device, the target could be in the form of a simulated hole in the region of dish portion 102 and the person could manually retrieve their balls. Other return mechanisms are also known in the art and can be substituted for the return mechanism of the preferred embodiment. These and other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. In particular, further modifications may incorporate features of other embodiments described herein.
A practice putting apparatus of a third embodiment is illustrated in
The apparatus also has a switching mechanism for switching the apparatus from a state in which it is off, to the first mode of operation illustrated in
Referring now to
The line markings may be the same colour as the light to thereby give the appearance of the guideline extending beyond the putter head 50 even when the putter blocks the light 324c from the light source 320c.
In a further embodiment, the alignment means may, additionally, or alternatively comprise an elongate depression in the mat 360 along which the golf ball can be struck in use.
Variation or further modifications of the third embodiment will be apparent to persons skilled in the art including variations employing features of the other embodiments.
