Games using tangible projectile – Golf – Practice projectile
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-16
2004-05-04
Chiu, Raleigh W. (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Golf
Practice projectile
Reexamination Certificate
active
06729969
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a Golfing Aid.
In particular, this invention relates to a golfing aid which provides visual feedback to the golfer about their golf stroke.
BACKGROUND ART
It is well known, that golf requires a great deal of practice. This practice involves a large amount of repetition of the fundamental aspects of the game. It is currently necessary to undertake large amounts of practice to become a competent golfer.
The need for practice is particularly true in relation to putting. Putting is the element of the game which can truly make or break a round. Bad putting, for example three-putting can ruin an entire hole regardless of how good the approach shots have been.
To become a better putter you need to strike the ball with a smooth motion. It is also necessary to address the ball correctly and maintain the putter head perpendicular to the line required. If any one of these elements is not right the putting stroke will be defective and result in the ball being mis-hit.
As putting is such an important part of the game golfers undertake large amounts of putting practice. This putting practice has traditionally been undertaken by repetitively hitting the golf ball across a surface towards a receptacle —generally a cup or a hole. A player develops a consistent stroke which allows them to hit the golf ball accurately only after large amounts of practicing this repetitive motion.
A large amount of practice is required, as this type of practice does not provide instant visual feedback to the golfer about their golfing stroke. Ideally there would be a golfing aid which would allow a golfer to instantly see how they are mis-hitting and incorrectly addressing the ball.
U.S. Pat. No's. 3,918,720, 4,278,254, 5,595,546 and 5,885,165 have all attempted to provide a solution to this problem in ways similar to the invention disclosed in this patent.
U.S. Pat. No 3,918,720 discloses a pair of balls that are spaced substantially apart. These balls are made from solid rubber and are not regulation golf balls. The balls are spaced apart by a rigid shaft that connects the two complete balls. This configuration means that if a golfer makes an inaccurate stroke premature contact with the surface of one ball the putting aid will roll in an arc with a large radius clearly indicating a mis-hit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,254 discloses embodiments similar to '720. This patent allows for two or three complete balls to be attached by a central shaft projecting through the balls. The shaft protrudes through the outer skin of the outer balls.
There is an alternate construction for this patent which involves one golf ball having a pair of wheels attached to a shaft going through the middle of the golf ball, these wheels have a greater diameter than the golf ball. The wheels and golf ball are fixed together and roll as an integral unit. This product also if mis-hit causes the balls to roll in an arc with a large radius.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,546 is a putting aid comprising of two golf balls connected in an abutting relationship. These balls are connected by a threaded connector which extends into holes formed in the abutting surface of the golf ball. The threaded connector allows the golf balls to be affixed to each other and a relationship whereby the distance between the centres of the two golf balls is less than the length of the putter face. This also means the aid rolls in an arc if mis-hit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,885,165 provides a putting aid which is similar to the '546 patent in that two balls are fixed together in an abutting relationship. However, this patent includes a pivotal assembly, as opposed to a threaded connector. This pivotal assembly allows the balls to rotate independently of each other, and therefore react more dramatically to an incorrect stroke.
Other aspects of the game are also critical to the completion of a successful round.
Golfers recognise that although putting has the potential to cause a player to drop the most shots it is necessary to have a complete game. A golfer needs to be able to drive a ball straight and long, and chip the ball accurately from shorter ranges.
A golfer needs to practice a full compliment of shots, however both chipping and driving practice takes a considerable amount of space. A golfer needs to either practice in a park or at a driving range.
In built up metropolitan areas this can often prove difficult as parks where a golfer is allowed to practice or driving ranges are not always readily accessible. This inaccessibility may be either due to location or the costs associated with commercial practicing ranges.
The inability of a number of golfers to practice in enough space to assess defects in their swing and contact with the ball hinders the development of their game. To rectify their inability to practice in the open a large number of golfers resort to practicing with hollow plastic balls. These plastic balls do not fly like regulation golf balls and therefore do not provide an accurate indication of the golfer's stroke. Further, the actual contact is not like that with a regulation golf ball, the forces involved are significantly less and thus does not allow a golfer to judge the weight necessary for a shot. These deficiencies result in a substandard practice session.
The prior art has a number of problems associated with it. Golf is very much a mental game. If a golfer gets out of a rhythm it can affect their game dramatically. Even minor changes in a golfer's psyche can result in several extra shots on their score card. Therefore, the object of a good golfing aid would be to enable practice to be as realistic as possible yet retain all the advantages of giving a clear indication of how the golfer has mis-hit their stroke.
Some of the prior art does not use real golf balls and therefore, cannot realistically reproduce the golfing situation or the realistic feel of striking a golf ball.
All of the prior art mentioned contains at least two completely spherical golf balls. The result of this is that while providing an indicator as to the problems associated with a putting stroke, the prior art does not adequately reproduce a realistic golfing situation. All of the prior art contains at least two balls which visually looks quite distinct from the single golf ball being putted under normal playing conditions.
Another problem associated with the prior art is that due to the presence of at least two complete golf balls there is a significant increase in weight. This significant increase in weight results in an artificial practice environment. If a golfing aid is at least twice as heavy as would be experienced under playing conditions the golfer will need to exert a significantly greater amount of force on the golf balls by hitting them harder. This in turn means that golfers are ill prepared when it comes to correctly weighting their shots which is as important in putting as correcting your swing and addressing of the ball to achieve the proper direction.
As all of the prior art contains at least two complete spherical golf balls the golfer needs to be a great deal more accurate if they wish to get the feeling of success by sinking the putting aid in either the hole, or receptacle they are using. This is particularly true if a golfer is practicing either chipping or driving. It is also a lot more difficult to sink a putting aid of this size, therefore the golfer will achieve a far lower success rate. This low success rate easily translates into frustration and the golfer is likely to give up practicing, thereby, not gaining the full benefit of the golfing aid.
The distance between the centres of the golf balls contained within the golfing aid corresponds to the difficulty to putt the golfing aid correctly. The further apart the centres of the golf balls used in the putting aid the harder it is to hit the golfing aid straight. Therefore, in the case of the prior art where the centres of the golf balls are spaced at least the diameter of a golf ball apart a golfing stroke will need to be virtually perfect for the golfi
Chiu Raleigh W.
DW Enterprises, LLC
Patton & Boggs LLP
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