GB2413287A

GB2413287A - Golf training system

Info

Publication number: GB2413287A
Application number: GB0408860A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Isom
Original assignee: ISOM PRINTERS Ltd D
Current assignee: ISOM PRINTERS Ltd D
Priority date: 2004-04-21
Filing date: 2004-04-21
Publication date: 2005-10-26
Also published as: GB0408860D0

Abstract

A golf training system comprises a flat-topped mat 2, preferably of polycarbonate, and a paper sheet 4. The paper sheet has a matt or silk coating 8, preferably comprising china clay (kaolin) and latex or other resilient material, on the exposed surface. The exposed surface also has printed images, including at least one image of a golf ball (12, Fig 2). Other printing may give measurement scales, and direction indicators and alignment marks for the golfing swing (Fig 2). The reverse surface of the sheet 4 may be gummed 6 for fixing to the mat 2. A training ball 20 may be used with the mat.

Description

24 1 3287

GOLF SWING TRAINER

The invention relates to a golf swing trainer and particularly to a golf swing trainer in the form of a practice mat.

There are a number of prior practice mats that trace and record the path of a golfer's swing.

US6,361,449 describes a device including a golf club having a tube having a hole in the club head. As the golf club is swung, a thin jet of water issues from the hole by centrifugal force and impacts on a mat, showing the swing path of the club head.

This system is expensive to manufacture and generally impractical, especially since it cannot be used with the golfer's regular clubs.

GB2327046 describes a golf club practice mat with nap or pile fibres which are brushed to create a mark caused by passage of the golf club head during a swing.

Although this system can be used with regular clubs, it is expensive to manufacture and does not provide a permanent record of the swing. Moreover, the mat needs to be brushed after each swing to erase the previous trace, which is inconvenient.

US2003/216189 describes a golf practice mat having a base element and a carbon paper or carbonless paper on the element. The golf club when swung leaves a mark on the carbonless paper. One problem with this system is that the carbon or carbonless paper is quite expensive.

According to the invention, there is provided a golf training system according to claim The prior art US2003/216189 uses self-marking paper, in particular carbonless paper.

As is known in the art, such paper generally includes small pockets of at least two chemicals that react to produce a dye when the pockets are disturbed. Such self- marking paper is expensive.

The inventors have realised that it is not necessary to use carbon paper, carbonless paper, also known as no-carbon paper, or indeed any other kind of self-marking paper such as wax paper. Instead, it is possible to use a printed image on particular kinds of non self-marking paper.

The system may be used with any club and there is no need to ink the club.

A benefit of the invention is that the ink may lightly marls the bottom of the club allowing further information about the swing to be obtained, in particular which part of the club head hit the mat. This provides infonnation which may be used to determine if the club is correct for the user, including in particular whether the lie angle of the club head to the shaft suits the user's swing. This can be of aid in specialist club fittings and will certainly help in determining club suitability The coating is preferably a mixture of clay, preferably china clay, elastic and/or lubricating material, preferably latex, with optionally other components loading. In preferred embodiments, the amount of clay in the coating exceeds 50%.

Some suitable paper is commercially available, sold as "art paper".

Experiments have shown that particularly good results are obtained when the paper used is non-shiny,preferably matt. Gloss paper does not give as good results and is too reflective causing glare makmg ball impressions difficult to see; silk paper may be used although it is less preferred than matt.

The darkening of the paper when a golf club swing is taken on the paper is surprisingly visible. Although the inventors do not wish to be bound by any particular theory, they beheve that the invention works because the impact of the club head on the rough coating on the paper smoothes the surface roughness of the coating on the paper. The mk remains attached to the surface but because of the smoothing of the rough surface the ink is spread out and hence occupies more area viewed from above.

Experiments by the inventors have shown that the best results are obtained when the printed image is printed using a process that uses multiple small dots, for example a four colour printing process or a digital printing process, on a substantially white sheet of paper. In this case, when a swing is taken on the printed ball, a dark image of the stroke appears on the paper.

Accordingly, preferably the printed image is relatively light, not dark, not darker than the four colour equivalent of colour Pantone 383. The image may be of light green, for example representing a very light shade of grass.

The printed image may conveniently include a plurality of golf ball images so that each sheet may be used more than once.

Preferably, the printed image includes indicia. The indicia may include an arrow indicating the direction of swing pointing in a longitudinal direction, lines at an angle of between 20 and 40 to the longitudinal direction passing through the middle of the printed golfball images, and/or one or more measurement scales extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction to enable the lateral offset of the swing to be measured.

In a preferred embodiment, markings are provided behind the ball in the longitudinal direction to indicate correct club placement (address) prior to the swing. The markings may in preferred embodiments be provided by a measurement scale printed behind the ball in the longitudinal direction. For the user's convenience, where there are measurement scales printed both in front of an behind the printed image of the ball, the measurement scale printed behind the ball may be printed darker to indicate that this is the scale that is to be used for alignment. Alternatively, an additional line or mark may be provided.

A simple gum may be applied to the rear of the paper sheet of the type that becomes sticky when moistunsed, to enable the paper sheet to be attached to the mat. Such a gum can be readily affixed to the paper sheet.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described, purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure I shows the golf training system; and Figure 2 shows the printed Image on one sheet.

Referring to Figure 1, the golf training system according to the embodiment includes polycarbonate mat 2 and malt paper sheet 4. The paper sheet 4 has a coating 8 principally of china clay, also including latex and some other components, for example filler, loading including mineral matter, titanium dioxide and/or calcium carbonate.

Polycarbonate is chosen for the mat because of its ability to withstand impacts by golf 1 5 clubs.

The mall paper sheet 4 has gum on its rear 6 and a printed image printed on the coating 8. The paper allows a high quality printed image.

Figure 2 shows a black-and -white the printed image which is printed in a four colour process using multiple small dots. For clarity, background 10 is shown in white though it is of light green and has a number of golf balls 12 printed thereon. As well as the balls, a number of codicil are printed on the paper. Longitudinal lines 14 and arrow 15 indicate the direction of swing. Markings 16 inclined at an angle of about 30 to the longitudinal lines are labelled "out" at one end of the line and "in" at the other. Latera] measurement scales 18 are provided longitudinally spaced from each ball image 12 and show millimeters offset from the centre of the printed golf balls 12.

The system may be used with no balls at all, the player aiming at the images and simply measuring the swing.

It can also be used in conjunction with light balls (sponge or plastic) for indoor or garden use or with golf balls for outdoor use. This allows the actual flight of the golf ball to be reviewed and compared with the mark left by the club head on the paper.

S In use, a sheet if a ball is being used ball 20 is placed on one of the printed golf ball images 12. The image and/or ball is then struck with a conventional golf club. Where the club strikes the paper, a dark mark is clearly visible on the paper. The indicia allow the position and shape of the mark to be more accurately determined, enabling easier identification and hence correction of any flaws in the swing.

For example, the system allows the identification of common faults where the golfer is swinging "out to in" and "in to out". The labelling of the markings 16 "out" and "in" assists in the determination - if the stroke is along the line labelled "out" at the start of the stroke and "in" at the end of the stroke then the stroke is outside-in, whereas if the stroke is along the line labelled "in" at the start of the stroke and "out" at the end of the stroke the stroke is outside in.

The lateral measurement scales allow an easy indication of how far off line the swing is.

Some ink transfers to the club head and this allows the point of contact of the club head on the paper sheet to be determined. This allows a determination of whether the club head hits the sheet at the correct location, or whether the club head is "toe down" or "heel down". This allows the user to check that the club is correct for the particular user's swing, and in particular whether the lie angle (the angle between the shaft and head of the club) is con-ect.

From reading the present disclosure, other variations and modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. Such variations and modifications may involve equivalent and other features which are already known in the design, manufacture and use of golf training apparatus and which may be used in addition to or instead of features described herein. Although claims have been formulated in this application to particular combinations of features, it should be understood that the scope of disclosure also includes any novel feature or any novel combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly or implicitly or any generalization thereof, whether or not it mitigates any or all of the same technical problems as does the present invention. The applicants hereby give notice that new claims may be formulated to any such features and/or combinations of such features during the prosecution of the present application or of any further applications derived therefrom.

Claims

1. A golf training system, comprising: a flat-topped mat; a paper sheet having a matt or silk coating, the paper not being self-marking, for fixing to the top of the mat, the paper sheet having a printed image of at least one golf ball on

a printed background on the matt or silk coating.

2. A golf training system according to claim 1 wherein the coating comprises clay and elastic material.

3. A golf training system according to claim 1 wherein the coating comprises china clay and latex.

4. A golf training system according to any preceding claim wherein the paper sheet is of matt or silk art paper.

5. A golf training system according to any preceding claim wherein the paper sheet is gummed on the rear for fixing to the mat.

6. A golf training system according to any preceding claim further comprising inertia printed on the sheet, the Alicia Including: an indicator indicating the direction of swing pointing in a longitudinal direction; and hnes at an acute angle to the longitudinal direction passing through the middle of the printed golf ball images.

7. A golf training system according to claim 6 wherein the indicia further include one or more measurement scales extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction to enable the lateral offset of the swing to be measured.

8. A golf training system according to any preceding claims further comprising alignment marks longitudinally spaced behind the printed golf balls.

9. A golf training system according to any preceding claim wherein the printed image is of multiple small dots.

l O. A golf training system according to any preceding claim further comprising a training ball.

] 1. A golf training system according to any preceding claim wherein the mat is of polycarbonate.

l O l 2. A paper sheet for use in golf training by affixing to flattopped mat, the sheet comprising a paper base; a mall or silk coating, the paper not being self-marking, for fixing to the top of a golf training mat; and a printed image of at least one golf ball on a background printed on the matt or silk coating.

13. A paper sheet according to claim 12 wherein the coating comprises ceramic material and resilient material.

14. A paper sheet according to claim 13 wherein the ceramic material is china clay and the resilient material is latex.

15. A paper sheet according to any of claims 12 to 14 wherein the paper sheet is gummed on the rear for fixing to the mat.

16. A paper sheet according to any of claims 12 to 15 further comprising indicia printed on the sheet, the indicia including: an indicator indicating the direction of swing pointing in a longitudinal direction; and lines at an acute angle to the longitudinal direction passing through the middle of the printed golf bal] images.

l 7. A paper sheet according to claim 16 wherein the indicia further include one or more measurement scales extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction to enable the lateral offset of the swing to be measured.

l 8. A paper sheet according to any of claims 12 to l 7 further comprising d alignment marks longitudinally spaced behind the printed golf balls.