ZA200007337B - A golfing aid. - Google Patents

Description

Qa WO 99/64120 PCT/ZA99/0€0042

A GOLFING AID

Field of the invention

THIS INVENTION relates to an aid for assisting a golfer in improving his game.

Background to the invention

Golf, more than any other sport, requires that when the bal 1 is struck. it be struck perfectly each time. There is little margin for error. Failures to strike the ball correctly is at least going t© result in the ball travelling less than the optimum distance and at worst is goirag to mean that it will diverge from the intended track so substantially as to fall out of bounds.

The stance of the body, thse way in which it moves during swinging of the club. and the path followed by the club all contribute to a perfect swing.

Brief description of the invention

According to one aspect ¢ the present inventicn there is provided a golf aid which includes a horizontal bar, an anchorage attached to the bar and movable along the bar, and a flexible connector for connecting said anchoragge to a golf club.

Said bar can be hollow amd have an elongate slot therein, sai d anchorage comprising an element wh ich is within the hollow bar, the flexble connector passing through said slot.

Said slot is preferably wider at its ends than over that portion thereof which lies between the wider ends, said element being too large to pass through the smaller dimension central section of the slot but small enough to emerge from the siot from said end portions ) : 8 Said bar may be the cross bar of a substantially rectangular frame. : B Said frame may h ave a support frame positioned or positionable at an angle to the frame for permitting said frame to stand upon a surface, optionally having one or more strut provided between said frame and said support frame.

In one embodiment the support frame is pivotally mounted to the frame to permit the folding and unfolding thereof : : In another embodiment the support frame is removable from the 3 frame.

Said frame can al so carry protruding elements, there being friction means for holding said element s in positions in which they protrude from the bar. ’

Typically, at least some of said elements lie in the path of the club being swung in an arc adjacent the bar.

The frame may be provided with further protruding elements which indicate to a user the correctness of his stance, the parameters of his swing of the golf club and the alignment of his body relative to the ball.

The frame may imclude upright bars protruding upwardly from the frame.

The upright bars may be configured to assist the user in assuming the correct posture before performing a swing of the golf club. Like wise, the upright bars may assist the user in maintaining the correct posture during and/omr after performing the swing.

The upright bar may have one or more strut like projections locatable between the upright bar and the horizontal bar. The strut like projections may be pivotably rotatable about a pivot point located adjacent arm end of the upright bar.

The inv ention extends to a golf aid which includes detecting mean=s for detecting the passage of a portion of a golf club, for example, when it is beineg swung towards or away from a golf ball.

The detecting means may be in the form of one or more proximit y switches configured to detect the metallic portion of a golf club. However, th e . detecting means may be optical detecting means relying on the absorption Of reflection of light by the golf club to detect its passage. Even further, th e . detecting means may rely on a beam of light being broken by the passage of th e golf club between a light emitting and a light receiving portion of the detectin.g means.

At least some of the detecting means may be positioned on the protruding elements or on the upright bars.

However, some of the detecting means may be positioned on the frame itself or even on additional support platforms connected to said frame «or said support frame.

Those skilled in the art will realise that there are may other methods for detecting passage of the golf club during the swing, for example, : such as the image system of JVC™ Video Systems 900, 1300 and 2000, which : 5 record the users actions and permit analysis ther eof and advice thereon.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a horizontal bar for a golf aid, said horizontal bar including an anchorage attached to the bar and movable along the bar, and a flexible connector for connecting said anchorage to a golf club.

Typically such a horizontal bar would be provided for in D-I-Y : ‘format for constructing a golf aid as described above.

According to yet a further aspect of the invention, there is provided : ‘a method of aiding a user to achieve the correct posture or position for playing ) ‘golf, the method including the step of guiding the body of a user between a : number of guide points so as to achieve and/or maintain the correct posture or } position. )

The method may include the step of restricting the displacement of potions of the body of a user within pre-set parameters and, optionally, indicating to the user when those parameters have been violated.

The method may include restraining the body of a user within the pre-set parameters

\ 3 WO 99/64120 PCT/ZA99/000042

Brief description of the drawing s

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a pictorial sicle view of a golf aid in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is a pictorial front view of a golf aid in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 3 illustrates a bar of the golf aid in more detail; and

Figure 4 shows the friction clamps for maintaining the protruding elements on the frame.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2, the golf aid 10 illustrated ] comprises a rectangular tubular frame 11 having a horizontal cross bar 12 which is suitably supported at each esd on the remainder of the frame 11. In the } illustrated embodiment frame 11 is provided with a support frame, in the frorn of vertical legs 14 at an angle to the frame 11 and having rearwardly extending feet 16 which imparts stability to the golf aid.

Extending from the frame are protruding elements, in the form of horizontally protruding arms 38 protruding from the bar 12, and laterally and upwardly protruding arms 39 and 40 protruding from the frame 11 for indicate to a user the correctness of his stance, the parameters of his swing of a golf club 33 and the alignment of his body relative to the bail.

The frame 11 has upright bars 41 protruding upwardly from the frame 11. The upright bars 41 are be configured to assist the user in assuming , the correct posture before performing a swing of the golf club by aligning his shoulders therewith. Likewise, the upright bars 41 may assist the user in maintaining the correct posture during and/or after performing the swing.

The upright bars have strut like projections 42 locatable between " the upright bars 41 and the horizontal bar 12. The strut like projections 42 are pivotably rotatable about a pivot point 43 located adjacent an end of the upright bar 41.

As can be further seer with reference to Figure 3 (as well as

Figures 1 and 2), at the centre of the bar 12 there is a slot designated 20. The central part 22 of the slot 20 is relatively narrow when compared with the two tapered end sections of the slot 20 wehich end sections are designated 24. The : central part 22 of the slot is straight &and extends along the front face of the bar : 12. At each end the central part 22 curves upwardly and rearwardly to join the end sections 24 which are in the rear face of the bar 12. )

Within the hollow bar 12 there is an element 26 which is preferably in the form of a sphere or a cone. The element 26 is too large to pass through the central part 22 of the slot 20 but small enough to pass through the end sections 24.

A flexible connector in the form of a cord 28 has one end attached to the element 26. At the other end of the cord 28 there is a plug or pocket 30 which can be releasably connected to a socket or plug 32 connected to the golf club 33.

Claims (14)

. AMENDED SHEET \ - ® Claims

1. A golf swing training apparatus which includes: - a horizontal bar mounted on a support frame at about the hip height of a golfer, wherein said bar is at least partially hollow and has an elongate slot therein which is wider at its end portions than over that portion thereof vvhich lies between the ends ; - an anchorage attached to the horizontal bar and movable along the horizontal bar, said anchorage including an element which is within said hollow bar ard being too large to pass through the smaller dimension central portion of thes slot but small enough to emerge from the slot at said end portions; and - a flexible connector for connecting said anchorage to a golf club, vwhich flexible connector includes a cord.

2. A golf swing training apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including protruding elements extending away from the horizontal bar and sugpport frame into the path of the club being swung in an arc adjacent the horizontal bar and provided to indicate to a user the correctness of his stance , the parameters of his swing of the golf club and/or the alignment of his body relative to the ball.

3. A golf swing training apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including upright bars extending upwardly away from the horizontal bar to, in use, indicaate to the user the correctness of the back swing.

4. A golf swing training apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, which includers detecting means for detecting the passage of a portion of a golf club. .

5. A golf swing training apparatus as claimed in claim 4, whereir the detecting means are in the form of one or more proximity switches configured to detect the proximity of a metallic portion of a golf club.

: = AMENDED SHEET k

®

6. A golf swing training apparatus as claimed in claim 4, whereirs the detecting means is optical detecting means relying on the absorptio n or reflection of light by the golf club to detect its passage.

7. A golf swing training agoparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the detecting means relies on a beam of light being broken by the passage of the golf club between a light emittimg and a light receiving portion of the detecting means.

8. A golf swing training apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein at least some of the de tecting means are positioned on the protru ding elements or on the upright bars

9. A method of aiding a user to achieve the correct posture or positiom for a swing when playing golf, the rmethod including the steps of: - connecting a golf club by a flexible connector to a horizontal bar mounted at about hip height of the user; - swinging the golf club ir an arc adjacent the horizontal bar; - guiding the body of a user between a number of protruding elem ents extending away from the horizosntal bar into the path of the club being sw ung; and - indicating tc the user bys means cf displacement of or cortact wi the protruding elements the correctness of the user's stance, the parameters of the user's swing of the golf club and/or the alignment of the user's body.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, including the steps of: restricting the displacement of potions of the body of the user within pre-set parameters and indicat ing to the user when those parameters have been violated, which indicating i s by displacement of the protruding elememts.

. AMENDED SHEET ® 11. A method as claimed in claim 9, including the step of restricting the displacement of potions of the body of a user within pre-set parameters and indicating to the user when those parameters have been violated, which indicating is by triggering light or sound emitting indicators located on protruding elements.

12. A golf swing training apparatus as claimed in claim 1, substantially as herein described and illustrated.

13. A method of aiding a user to achieve the correct posture or position from a swing when playing golf, substantially as herein described and illustrated.

14. A new golf swing training apparatus or a new method substantially as herein described.