Patent Application
20250213918
In various scenarios, users may desire to measure their performance against other individuals playing a sport. A common sport for comparison, that provides ready results is golf. Players may compare their shots to those that the pros take and may view, in some scenarios, that shots that professional golfers took and what their resulting score was. However, in the abstract, these comparisons may be lacking and not provide for training and avenues for improvement for the typical golfer.
In one embodiment, a method for training a golfer and providing a Swingscore includes, tabulating a plurality of model player data sets for a plurality of clubs to create a tabulated plurality of model player sets. The method further including capturing a user player data set for a plurality of clubs. The method further including comparing the user player data set of the plurality of model player data sets. The method further including determining a Swingscore based on the comparison. In one configuration, the Swingscore is determined by comparing two positions of a set of ten positions of the user player data set to corresponding two positions of the tabulated plurality of model player data sets. In another configuration the Swingscore is determined by comparing three positions of a set of ten positions of the user player data set to corresponding three positions of the tabulated plurality of model player data sets.
In one embodiment, a system for determining a Swingscore, includes a launch monitor, the launch monitor capturing club characteristics of a golf club swung by a user. The system further includes a Swingscore module, the Swingscore module determining a Swingscore based on the club characteristics. The system further includes a display module, the display module displaying the Swingscore to the user. Alternatively, the launch monitor captures the club characteristics in at least on of positions P1-P10. In one alternative, the positions P1-P10 include P1—the Address; P2—the Takeaway, P3—Backswing, P4—Top of Swing, P5—the Downswing (or transition), P6—Preimpact—the club position prior to impact, P7—Impact, P8—Release, P9, P10—Finish—final position of the club. In another alternative, the Swingscore module only utilizes positions P4-P7. Alternatively, the display module indicates a color, the color indicative of the Swingscore. In one alternative, the Swingscore is calculated on a basis of a velocity of the club. In another alternative, the Swingscore is calculated on a basis of a height of the club. Alternatively, Swingscore is calculated on a basis of a position of the face of the club. In another alternative, the display module provides an indication of an increase in the Swingscore based on an increase in the velocity of the club. Alternatively, the display module provides an indication of an increase in the Swingscore based on a correction to the height of the club. In another alternative, the display module provides an indication of an increase in the Swingscore based on a correction to the position of the face of the club.
In one embodiment, a method for determining a Swingscore, includes capturing club characteristics of a golf club swung by a user at a launch monitor. The method further includes determining a Swingscore based on the club characteristics at a Swingscore module. The method further includes displaying the Swingscore to the user at a display module. Alternatively, the launch monitor captures the club characteristics in at least on of positions P1-P10. In one alternative, positions P1-P10 include P1—the Address; P2—the Takeaway, P3—Backswing, P4—Top of Swing, P5—the Downswing (or transition), P6—Preimpact—the club position prior to impact, P7—Impact, P8—Release, P9, P10—Finish-final position of the club. In another alternative, Swingscore module only utilizes positions P4-P7. Alternatively, the method further includes comprising displaying a color indicative of the Swingscore with the display module. Alternatively, the Swingscore is calculated on a basis of a velocity of the club. In another alternative, Swingscore is calculated on a basis of a height of the club. Alternatively, the Swingscore is calculated on a basis of a position of the face of the club. In another alternative, the display module provides an indication of an increase in the Swingscore based on an increase in the velocity of the club. Alternatively, the display module provides an indication of an increase in the Swingscore based on a correction to the height of the club.
Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the embodiments of the Systems and Methods of creating a player swingscore and corresponding training plan. In many configurations, there are multiple positions of player swing monitored and recorded. In many configurations, there are considered to be ten positions for a golf swing. In various alternatives, more or fewer positions may be considered, monitored, and recorded by the Swingscore system. Additionally, even if information on the various positions are captured, only a subset of the positions may be used by the Swingscore system in calculating a Swingscore and providing an improvement plan. Generally, the ten positions include:
Throughout this disclosure, the various positions may be referred to by their “P number”. For instance, in many configurations, the Swingscore is calculated based on P4 and P7 and the characteristics of the swing in those positions. Primary characteristics of concern may include the velocity of the club, the height of the club, the position of the face of the club, and other characteristics. These characteristics, as well as characteristics concerning the ball or body position of the user may be used in the calculation of a Swingscore.
In one method of calculating a Swingscore, position P4 location and position P7 velocity are compared to a data set consisting of model player swings, that include position P1-P10. A variance from a model player swing is calculated for the various positions. In one alternative, a user may select a pro-golfer or swing model to be compared against. In many embodiments, the variance may be communicated via a colored indicator, such as a red, yellow, and green, indicating how close the swing was to the model player swing.
In many embodiments, variance on any position P1-P10 may be compared against other players in a database that have similar variance on any position. A predicted handicap may be created by comparing against similar players. Additionally, a predicted handicap improvement or Swingscore improvement is generated in some embodiments. The predicted improvement provides the user an indication of how much their handicap is likely to improve if a particular position of a swing is improved.
In many embodiments, the user 105 executes multiple swings that are captured by launch monitor 110. These swings are recorded and multiple frames are captured reflective of the positions P1-P10. Captures of these positions are presented to the user on computer 130 or mobile device 121 in many configurations. Additionally, characteristics of the swing of user 105 at each positions P1-P10 are calculated, typically including velocity and angle. Calculations and generation of position may occur at the launch monitor 110, at the mobile device, at the computer 130, at the communications system 120 which typically includes enterprise software providing for analysis or some combination thereof including one or more devices. Additionally, outside databases 140 may be accessed to provide the user 105 a side by side of their swing position at positions P1-P10 and an ideal position. The side by side images may include actual real life images of the ideal swing and the golfer swing or computer generated images. The computer 120 and the mobile device 121 may access information via a web interface.
Additionally, swing score or handicap may be calculated at the launch monitor 110, at the mobile device, at the computer 130, at the communications system 120 which typically includes enterprise software providing for analysis or some combination thereof including one or more devices. In some embodiments, the Swingscore is calculated for each positions P1-P10. In some embodiments, the Swingscore is an average for each positions P1-P10. In some alternatives, the Swingscore may be calculated on a club basis, with different scores being calculated for wedges, each iron, and each driver, etc. In one embodiment, a Swingscore is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the velocity of the swing of a user at one or more position P1-P10 and averaging the difference. In another embodiment, the Swingscore is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the angle to the ground of the swing of a user at one or more position P1-P10 and averaging the difference. In another embodiment, the Swingscore is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the angle to the ground and the velocity of the swing of a user at one or more position P1-P10 and averaging the difference. In another embodiment, the Swingscore is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the angle to the ground and the velocity and one or more additional variables of the swing of a user at one or more position P1-P10 and averaging the difference. Additional variables include by are not limited to the club face angle, the hip turn, the arm straightness, and other variables. Additionally, in many embodiments, the Swingscore may be correlated to handicap, by accessing records of golfers with similar Swingscores and returning an average or regression analysis of their handicap.
In many embodiments, a score is calculated. One exemplary method of calculating a swing score includes using the percentage difference from an ideal swing. In many configurations, this is determined based on the translation and rotational kinematic points of the user and the invisible forces and torques applied. For example, a position P5, the kinematics of the individual may be measured and compared to ideal, which may, for example include that the shoulders are closed by 30 degrees and tilted at a certain angle. Then the degree of difference may be determined. Further, the degree of difference at each of the points may be determined. A score out of some metric (such as a 1000 points) may be used to deliver the Swingscore. One such method would be to assign 100 points to each swing position and to aware 100 points if the position measured was a match and 1 less point for each percentage difference.
In alternatives, kinetic measures may be used alone or in addition to the kinematic points. In this context, kinetics generally refers to the speed and direction of the club and kinematics refers to the position of the user's body. In some embodiments the Swingscore is determined according to kinetics. In other embodiments, the Swingscore is determined according to kinematics. In some embodiments, the Swingscore is determined according to both kinematics and kinetics and sometimes weighted to favor one over the other.
In some alternatives, Keypoint relationships are utilized. Such a keypoint relationship includes the positional arrangement of the trailing wrist to the leading shoulder. In such a scenario, similar to the above, the percentage difference from the ideal keypoint relationship may be utilized to determine the Swingscore.
In some embodiments, club mass and physical properties (length, mass of head, center of gravity of the club), club head trajectory and the key points at the grip end of the club, club head speed, and other physical factors are used to modify the Swingscore to the extent they provide a better calculation of the final result.
Essentially, items used to calculate swing score may include 1. Kinematics; 2. Kinetics; 3. User input into the club; 4. Key point relationship; 5. Clubhead trajectory; and 6. The actual or calculated trajectory of the ball.
In many embodiments, parts of the system are provided in devices including microprocessors. Various embodiments of the systems and methods described herein may be implemented fully or partially in software and/or firmware. This software and/or firmware may take the form of instructions contained in or on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Those instructions then may be read and executed by one or more processors to enable performance of the operations described herein. The instructions may be in any suitable form such as, but not limited to, source code, compiled code, interpreted code, executable code, static code, dynamic code, and the like. Such a computer-readable medium may include any tangible non-transitory medium for storing information in a form readable by one or more computers such as, but not limited to, read only memory (ROM); random access memory (RAM); magnetic disk storage media; optical storage media; a flash memory, etc.
Embodiments of the systems and methods described herein may be implemented in a variety of systems including, but not limited to, smartphones, tablets, laptops, and combinations of computing devices and cloud computing resources. For instance, portions of the operations may occur in one device, and other operations may occur at a remote location, such as a remote server or servers. For instance, the collection of the data may occur at a smartphone, and the data analysis may occur at a server or in a cloud computing resource. Any single computing device or combination of computing devices may execute the methods described.
In various instances, parts of the method may be implemented in modules, subroutines, or other computing structures. In many embodiments, the method and software embodying the method may be recorded on a fixed tangible medium.
While specific embodiments have been described in detail in the foregoing detailed description, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure and the broad inventive concepts thereof. It is understood, therefore, that the scope of this disclosure is not limited to the particular examples and implementations disclosed herein but is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope thereof as defined by the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof.
