Games using tangible projectile – Golf – Practice swingable implement or indicator associated with...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-12
2001-07-03
Graham, Mark S. (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Golf
Practice swingable implement or indicator associated with...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06254493
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to training devices which assist a golfer in learning to correctly swing a golf club and a training method using such devices. More particularly, the invention relates to golf swing training devices equipped with a plurality of lasers to provide an optical indication of the complete swing path action of a golf club, including the take-away, back swing and down swing as well as the orientation of the club face during the swing.
Training aids designed to assist golfers in developing a proper golf swing have included arm braces, gloves, tubular tracks and many other devices. More recently, optical devices using lights and lasers have been proposed. An example of such a device is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,941 issued to Morra which, although not prior art, discloses a particularly configured golf club having two small lights or lasers pointed in axially opposed directions, one being mounted in the upper end of the shaft and the other in the club head. By viewing the paths of light emanating from the club head and grip while striking a ball, the path of the club during the swing is visually represented. This allows one to see the variances in their swing from a proper swing plane and thus assists the golfer in learning how to correct his or her swing. However, the inclusion of the golf club head on the device may obscure the laser beam emanating from the lower end of the shaft and the shock of the impact of the head with a golf ball is likely to quickly damage the laser module in the club head. Another swing training device employing opposed lasers is found in applicant's copending application Ser. No. 09/033,438 entitled Dual Ended Laser Swing Aid. In that device, the shaft is shortened from the length of a regular golf club so that the head of the device will not visually obstruct the path of light emanating from the lower laser at the point of impact. The head on the device is configured so that it can not be used to actually strike a ball and is particularly weighted to give the foreshortened device the weight and balance of a conventional golf club.
While the aforesaid devices are very useful in teaching one the proper swing plane of a golf club, they do not provide the user with any feedback regarding the angular orientation of a club head during the swing. It is well known that even if a club is swung on a proper plane, an open club face at the point of impact with the ball will cause a ball to fade or even slice and a closed club face will cause the ball to draw or hook. Thus, while the instructional devices heretofore available may teach one how to swing the club on plane, they do not tell the user whether or not their club head would be square to the ball at impact which is necessary to execute a straight shot. It would be highly desirable if a golf swing training device not only enabled the golfer to visualize the golf club path to perfect a proper swing plane, but also provides the golfer with a visual representation of the orientation of the club head during the swing and, most importantly, through the point of impact with a ball. Such a device is found in the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, the golf swing training device of the present invention comprises a foreshortened shaft, a grip mounted on the upper end of the shaft, a head mounted on the lower end of the shaft, a first laser module mounted in the grip end of the shaft for directing a laser beam upwardly from the grip in co-axial alignment with the central axis of the shaft, and a pair of laser modules mounted in the head of the training device for directing a pair of spaced laser beams, preferably parallel, downwardly from the head in a diametrically opposed direction from the beam emanating from the grip. The two beams projecting from the head of the training device are disposed in a common plane with a downward extension of the central axis of the shaft such that a line drawn between the points of impact of the beams on the ground visually defines the footprint and thus the angular orientation of an imaginary club face. The shaft on the training device is substantially shorter than a conventional golf club shaft so that head is elevated from the ground so as not to obscure the golfer's view of the laser beams through the point of impact. The laser carrying head is preferably configured so that it can not be used to strike a golf ball which would damage the laser modules mounted therein and is weighted so as to give the training device with its foreshortened shaft the weight and balance of a conventional golf iron. The training device also includes a momentary on-off switch mounted in the grip for activating the laser modules upon the golf training device being held in a conventional golf grip.
The method of the present invention includes gripping the golf training device of the present invention and holding the training device in the customary “address” position, whereby the two lasers in the head will direct beams of light against the ground at the location where a golf ball would be if one were going to actually hit a ball with a conventional club. An imaginary line between the two illuminated dots (where the laser beams strike the ground) provides a visual indication of the angular orientation of an actual club face at the address position. By holding the training device with a conventional golf grip at the ball address position such that this imaginary line is square to the intended direction of ball flight and swinging the device in the same manner as one would swing a conventional club, a visual representation of the swing and club head orientation is provided to the golfer by the three lasers.
During the back swing of the training device, the laser beams emanating from the head and striking the ground will visually illustrate the path of the take-away portion of the swing and the orientation of the club head during the take-away. As the swing continues rearwardly, the single laser beam emitted from the grip end of the shaft illustrates the target or take-away line and thus cooperates with the two lasers in the head to define the swing plane of the rearward portion of the golf swing. On the down swing, the grip laser shows the target line and in cooperation with the two head lasers, illustrates the swing plane of the down swing. At the finishing point of the down swing, before impact with an imaginary ball and prior to the follow through, the two head lasers will not only show the swing plane line through the target line to impact, they also provide a visual representation of the orientation of a club face with respect to the ball location as the golfer swings the training device through the imaginary point of impact, thus also providing the golfer with information regarding the positioning of the hands through the swing. Finally, the path of the club at the “finish” of the swing is illustrated by the grip laser as its beam passes through the contact area. As a golfer should always look at the ball until impact, the golfer alone can observe all of the laser tracks provided by the training device through the impact area with or without the help of a video camera. If the laser lines do not conform to the correct paths and alignment, the golfer has a set of diagnostics on how to correct the various parts of the golf swing.
It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved training device which assists the golfer in correcting his or her golf swing.
It is a another object of the present invention to provide a golf swing training device which provides a continuous indication of the location and attitude of the grip and head of the golf club during a complete golf swing to provide a visual representation of the swing path of the club to assist the golfer in perfecting his or her swing.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a golf swing training device which tracks the angular orientation of the club face produced by the swing through the point of impact to assist
Gorden Raeann
Graham Mark S.
Lazereyes Golf, LLC
Lyon & Lyon LLP
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