GB2066083A

GB2066083A - Golf training aid

Info

Publication number: GB2066083A
Application number: GB7943579A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1979-12-18
Filing date: 1979-12-18
Publication date: 1981-07-08

Abstract

The aid comprises a sheet of material (1) for placing on the ground, a desired stroke path (3) for a golf clubhead being indicated on the sheet, and a penalty member which may be of cylindrical form which is mounted on, or is mountable on, the sheet so that it is adjacent to one side of the path (3) and stands proud of the sheet (1) whereby it will be struck by the club head if the head is swung to the said one side of the path (3) to indicate an incorrect swing. Preferably, a further member such as an upstanding flange is provided which will be struck by the club head if the swing is such that it follows the desired path past the penalty member but then deviates from that path. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Golf training aid This invention relates to a golf training aid.

The present invention provides a golf training aid comprising a sheet of material for placing on the ground, a desired stroke path for a golf-club head being indicated on the sheet, and a member which is mounted on, or which is mountable on the sheet so that it is adjacent to one side of the said path, and so that it stands proud of the sheet when the sheet is on the ground whereby it will be struck by the club head if the head is swung to the said one side of the said path.

The training aid according to the invention has been designed to improve the swing of the player using it. A common fault with the novice player is to slice the ball. That is to say, the club face moves from outside to inside of the correct swing path as it strikes the ball. This can be corrected by the training aid if the player stands on the other side (that is to say, the side opposite the said one side) of the desired stroke path and uses the aid so that his swing follows that path. If the shaft is tilted outside the desired path, that is to say upwards and/or away from the user then as the stroke is completed the club head will strike the said member indicating to the user that he has not followed the desired path.

With practice, the user will gradually overcome this fault until his swing will naturally follow the desired path enabling him consistently to achieve the correct line of shot in actual play.

Preferably, the position of the said member relative to the said path can be adjusted. In this way the user can when first using the aid arrange the member at a relatively large spacing from the said path and, as his swing improves, he can then adjust the position of the member so that it is arranged closer to the said path.

Advantageously the said member is mounted in a slot in the sheet.

The said member may take various shapes and forms and, for example, it may be substantially cylindrical.

Advantageously the said member is arranged upstream of what would be the impact point along the stroke path and a further member is mounted on, or mountable on the sheet so that it is adjacent to the said one side of the said path and so that it stands proud of the sheet when the sheet is on the ground, the further member being arranged at, and/or downstream of the said impact point.

This further member is so positioned that it will be struck by the club head if the swing is such that it follows the desired path past the first-mentioned member but then deviates from that path between that member and the impact point and/or on the follow through. The further member therefore corrects hooking in actual play, that is to say, movement of the club face from inside to outside the correct swing path as it strikes the ball.

Preferably the further member is in the form of an upstanding flange arranged along one edge of the sheet.

Advantageously, a tee or a simulated tee is pro vided in the downstream region of the desired stroke path. This gives the user a definite target to aim at and further improves the usefulness of the aid. The simulated tee could be a mark on the sheet, but it is preferably an element which stands proud of the sheet in use. If a real tee is provided a ball which may be a real golf ball or a practive ball could be placed on the tee to create for the user conditions more akin to actual play.

Advantageously the tee is mounted, preferably emovably, in a slot or hole in the sheet.

Advantageously the sheet is provided with a stance guide. Preferably this takes the form of a line provided along one edge of the sheet, the feet being arranged parallel to that line when preparing for a practice swing.

It is of advantage if the sheet has a truncated corner to allow the feet of the user to be arranged on the ground adjacent to the sheet when the user is preparing for a practice swing.

A golf training aid constructed in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompany ing drawings wherein: Fig lisa plan view of the training aid, Fig 2 is a view from one end of the training aid, and Fig 3 is a view from the other end of the training aid.

Referring to the accompanying drawings the train ing aid comprises a sheet of material 1 which can take various forms for example it may be in the form of a rigid board or in the form of a mat which can be rolled up.

As will be evident from Fig 1 the sheet has been formed from a rectangular blank one corner of which has been truncated to form a curved edge 2.

A desired stroke path 3 for a golf club head is indi- cated on the sheet. The path 3 may be applied to the upper surface of the sheet, for example, by painting or it may be adhesively applied to that surface.

A slot 4 is formed in the sheet which lies substan tially parallel to the long edge 5 of the sheet. The slot is arranged to receive the peg-like end 6 of a sub stantially cylindrical penalty member7 (Fig. 2).

A line 8 is painted or adhesively applied along the edge portion 5 of the sheet.

Afurther penalty member9 in the form of an upstanding flange, which may be formed integrally - with the sheet 1, is arranged along part of the edge 5.

The upstanding flange extends between one end of the sheet 1 and a hole 10 arranged in the down stream region of the desired stroke path 3, the hole extending through the sheet 1. The hole 10 is arranged to receive a tee 11 (see fig 3) which has a base 12 and can be inserted through the sheet from the underside.

When using the training aid the user places his feet on the ground adjacent to the curved edge 2 the toes of the feet being arranged parallel to the stance guideline 8.

When first using the aid the penalty member7 will be arranged in the slot 4 so that it is in a position furthest from the desired stroke path 3.

If when the user swings the club the club head is swung outside the desired stroke path 3 then as the stroke is completed the club head will strike the member 7 indicating to the user that he has not fol lowed the desired path and his swing will result in slicing of the ball in actual play. With practice, the user will gradually overcome this fault and he will be able to improve his stroke by moving the penalty member 7 along the slot so that it gets closerto the stroke path 3.

The upstanding flange 9 is provided so that it will struck by the club head if the swing is such that although it follows the desired path past the penalty member7 it deviates from that path between the member 7 and the tee and/or on the followthrough.

Again this indicates to the user that he has not followed the desired path correctly and his swing will result in hooking of the ball in actual play.

as shown in fig 3 a ball 13 can be placed on the tee prior to the practice swing. This is not essential and a club head can be struck againstthe tee 11 itself.

As an example of suitable dimensions the length of sheet 1 may be 1000 mm., its maximum width may be 350 mm. its minimum width 150 mm., and its thickness may be 9 mm.

The length of the upstanding flange 9 may be 250 mm., its height above the sheet 1 50 mm. and its thickness 6 mm.

The distance between the edge 5 of the sheet and the axis of the hole 10 may be 65 mm.

The length of the slot may be 200 mm. and the spacing of the left hand end (as seen in fig 1 ) of the slot from the hole 10 may be 330 mm.

The spacing of the axis of the slot from the edge 5 of the sheet may be 65 mm. and its depth 9 mm.

The depth of the peg 6 is 9mm. and height of the penalty member 7 above the peg 220 mm., the diameter of the penalty member 7 being 65 mm.

Claims

1. A golf training aid comprising a sheet of material for placing on the ground, a desired stroke path for a golf-club head being indicated on the sheet, and a member which is mounted on, or which is mountable on the sheet so that it is adjacent to one side of the said path and so that it stands proud of the sheet when the sheet is on the ground whereby it will be struck by the club head if the head is swung to the said one side of the said path.

2. A golf training aid as claimed in Claim 1, in which the position of the said member relative to the said path can be adjusted.

3. A golf training aid as claimed in Claim 1 or in Claim 2, in which the member is mounted in, or mountable in a slot in the sheet.

4. A golf training aid as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, in which the said member is in the form of a cylinder.

5. A golf training as claimed any one of Claims 1 to 4, in which the said member is arranged upstream of what would be the impact point along the stroke path, and in which a further member is mounted on, or mountable on the sheet so that it is adjacent to the said one side of the said path and so that it stands proud of the sheet when the sheet is on the ground, the said further member being arranged at, and/or downstream of the said impact point.

6. A golftraining aid as claimed in Claim 5, in which the said further member is in the form of an upstanding flange arranged along an edge of the sheet.

7. A golf training aid as claimed in any one of Claims t to 6, in which a tee or a simulated tee is provided in the downstream region of the desired path.

8. A golftraining aid as claimed in Claim 7, in which, in use, the tee, stands proud of the sheet

9. A golf training aid as claimed in Claim 7 or Claim 8, in which the tee is mounted in a slot or hole in the sheet.

10. Agolftraining aidasclamed in anyone of Claims 1 to 9, in which the sheet is provided with a stance guide.

11. A golf training aid as claimed in Claim 10 which the guide is in the form of a line arranged along one edge of the sheet

12. A golftraining aid as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 11, in which the sheet has a truncated corner to allow the feet of the userto be arranged on the ground adjacent to the sheet.

13. A golf training aid substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.