Games using tangible projectile – Golf – Practice swingable implement or indicator associated with...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-08
2001-05-15
Passaniti, Sebastiano (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Golf
Practice swingable implement or indicator associated with...
C473S223000, C473S235000, C473S409000, C124S003000, C124S044600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231452
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to golf instructional or training devices used to improve putting and other strokes around the green.
2. Background Information
Most golfers would agree and statistics show that during a round of golf the majority of strokes are taken around and on the green. Knowing that any improvement in this area would have an enormous effect on a their overall score, golfers have attempted to improve their putting skills by many different methods: namely different styles and components of putters, putting methodology and putting training devices.
Unfortunately the putting devices that have been presented to the public have only focused on individual segments of the putting stroke. Frequently they involved attaching something either to the putter itself, to the golfer, or some restrictive means of connecting both the putter and golfer together. These devices when attached were awkward and cumbersome: and to use these devices the golfer had to adjust to unusual or unnecessary positions; in effect jeopardizing the golfer's sense of touch and feel. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4085936 to Patterson 1978, had a hook like extension that needed to be pulled to operate the mechanism during the training movement itself; unfortunately this would illustrate what we are talking about as an unnatural, jerky movement that would interfere with the smoothness of the stroke. Any movements required by the inherent design of the training device other that the one being trained should have only the tiniest effect on the smoothness of the total movement.
Since all golfers have different physical characteristics and their approach to putting varies, any training aid that constrains the golfer in order to make them fit a particular method will be ineffective. As we observe the acknowledged great players of all time, we find that they all had different styles of swinging and putting. We see that Bobby Jones, for example, had a very wristy putting stroke. Current instruction would actually teach just the opposite of his stroke, one where the wrists do not vary from their initial configuration during the whole stroke. So we can see there is a need to accommodate all types of putters, no matter what their individual style. For a training device to be helpful it must allow the users to complete their distinctive individual action without restraint. The golfer's usual stance, grip and feel should not be affected by the training device. Also the training device must have feedback on the most important aspects of putting, distance and direction.
The art of putting is composed of two things, direction and distance. Directional control is further broken down into squareness of the clubhead at separation of the ball from the clubhead and direction of the stroke. Most golfers concentrate on one or the other and this causes them to miss putts. A training device that would give golfers a sense of the feel of both acceleration variance, squareness at impact, with the clubhead and shaft moving down the target line at separation, without limiting their personal putting style, and with instant feedback as to the path and distance of the ball would be very helpful.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for training the movements of the body to properly execute a golfing stroke and, in particular, to a method and apparatus which enables the golfer to simulate a putting stroke that allows the golfer to concentrate on varying the acceleration of the club at impact for distance control while at the same time learning how to square the club up at impact and swing down the target line for accuracy control, without limiting the golfer's personal style.
It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for training a golfer to learn the dual elements of distance and direction at the same time; as a corollary to the foregoing object, it is an important aim of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for training a golfer to properly execute a putting stroke that advantageously promotes the use of the individual player's natural instincts of touch and feel and allows the player to move and putt freely unencumbered by any restraints or having to perform any extraneous motions that substantially detract from the motion being trained.
One of the best ways to learn the feel of distance and direction control is to pitch golf balls underhanded towards a hole on the green from various distances. This gives you a feel of how much force to impart to the golf ball to get it to travel up to the hole, and of course, wherever your hand and ball are aimed and the direction your arm is swinging when you release it, that's where it goes. When you do this, it advantageously allows the use of the player's natural instinct of feel, thing and touch to be heightened; instead of relying on mentally controlling the action. You don't worry about the positions your hands and wrists are in, you don't consciously try to direct the motions of your body; you just sense the speed and direction and time of release that is required to get it to and into the hole. You would never see anyone stab or jab or “yip” such a pitch to a hole, yet when presented with a putter and a ball, these occur frequently to golfers.
As a corollary to the foregoing objects, it is an important aim of this invention to provide an apparatus and method to simulate an underhanded pitching of golf balls to the hole by providing a training club whereby a golfer can instantly attach a ball to the face of the club and then instantly release that ball thru means of a pressure switch controlled magnet. The present invention then, thereby in effect equates the arm and the shaft together, the training head and hand, and the instantaneous releasing action of the hand to the instantaneous releasing action of the magnet and ball.
Another important object of the invention is to provide immediate visual and tactile feedback on where the stroke would have sent a golf ball by observing the amount of force it takes to send the ball a certain distance after it has been released from the training head; this enables the golfer to develop a sense of feel for the variations of speed so critical to applying distance control in putting. The golfer also gets immediate feedback by observing the direction the ball travels after release indicating whether or not the training head was square and the swing was down the target line at release.
Still another important object of the invention is to develop the golfers' natural sense of timing, tempo and rhythm as the player learns how to properly operate the training club. Unless the golfer applies the appropriate timing and touch to the motion of releasing the ball in the correct manner, along the intended target line, the ball will not roll forward towards its intended target in the required manner.
Another important object of the invention is to provide a club provided with a components similar to and weighted similar to a normal golf club, so that when the golfer goes back to his regular equipment, the feel of his training will actually transfer to play on the golf course.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a training club that doesn't require any additional extraneous and excess movements associated with its use. With the present invention, you just grab the club, bring the face of the electromagnet in contact with the ball and press the actuating switch, and you're ready to practice. There's no bending over, picking up the ball and having to manually attach it to the training head. There's nothing to distract the user away from a smooth and undisturbed stroke with the training device. For example, the actuating switch that releases the magnetically influenced ball from the training head on our training device only requires the golfer's thumb to release pressure and travel upwards approximately less than one si
Hunter Robert M.
Passaniti Sebastiano
LandOfFree
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