IE20170057A1 - A putting practice device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a passive or unpowered putting practice device having a target hole into which a golf ball is to be hit and which device is adapted to return a golf ball to a player both when a golf ball misses the hole and also when the golf ball is hit into the hole, the device including a ramp adapted to be secured at an angle to the horizontal when placed on a playing surface and incorporating a blind hole in the ramp, a base of the hole being inclined in use to the horizontal to allow a golf ball to roll out of the hole under the influence of gravity and back down the ramp so as to be returned to the player. <Figure 1>

Description

The present invention relates to a putting practice device, and in particular a passive or unpowered device having a target hole into which a golf ball is to be hit and which device is adapted to return a golf ball to a player both when a golf ball misses the hole and also when the golf ball is hit into the hole.

Background of the invention The game of golf is a sport and leisure activity enjoyed by millions of people worldwide and is played on a almost endless variety of courses and conditions. Even on the same golf course every game played is different and challenging, and this challenge is one of the reasons why the game is so popular with players. The game requires a player to master the use of various types of club and to play on various surfaces, from fairway to rough and from bunker to the putting green, and under various conditions from wind, rain, etc. Proficiency in the game of golf thus requires hundreds of hours of play, although access to a golf course and sufficient free time are not always available to players, which can hinder progress in mastering the game.

As a result there are a vast number of golfing aids and practice systems available to players, in particular which allow a player to practice one or more aspects of the game of golf without being on a golf course, many of such devices allowing a player to practice one or other aspect of the game while indoors, for example at home or the like. One of the more common forms of such practice systems are putting practice apparatus which generally take the form of an artificial golf hole which may be placed on the ground at a distance from the player and into which the player may then practice putting a golf ball. Many of these systems will simply retain the golf ball in the hole if the player successfully holes the ball, requiring the player to then walk to the hole to retrieve the golf ball before taking another practice shot. Some other more complex systems incorporate ball return mechanisms which may be powered or have otherwise complex mechanisms built in to the apparatus.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved putting practice device.

Summary of the invention According to the present invention there is provided a putting practice device comprising a ramp adapted to be secured at an angle to the horizontal when placed on a playing surface; and a blind hole in the ramp, a base of the hole being inclined in use to the horizontal to allow a golf ball to roll out of the hole under the influence of gravity and back down the ramp.

Preferably, the ramp is arranged to be oriented in use at an angle to the horizontal of between 15° and 35°, more preferably between 20° and 30°, and most preferably at 22°.

Preferably, the base of the hole is arranged to be oriented in use at an angle to the horizontal of between 0.5° and 5°, more preferably between 1° and 3 °, and most preferably at 2°.

Preferably, the putting practice device comprises a receptacle defining the hole, the receptacle being releasably securable to the ramp.

Preferably, the putting practice device comprises a plurality of interchangeable receptacles defining holes of different diameters.

Preferably, the putting practice device comprises an upstanding rim surrounding the base of the hole other than at a downstream side of the hole.

Preferably, the ramp comprises a front end and a rear end, the hole being located adjacent the rear end.

Preferably, the ramp comprises a pair of opposed side walls defining a pair of lateral edges of the ramp.

Preferably, the ramp comprises a rear wall defining the rear end.

Preferably, the rear wall joins the pair of sidewalls.

Preferably, the rear wall is curved.

Preferably, the ramp defines an arcuate area provided between the hole and the rear end along which a golf ball may travel.

Preferably, the ramp surface flares outwardly from the rear to the front end.

Preferably, the device comprises a support mounted to the ramp and arranged to secure the ramp in the inclined orientation.

Preferably, the support is operable to allow the angle of inclination of the ramp to be varied.

Preferably, the support is displaceable between a working or deployed state securing the ramp in the inclined orientation and a collapsed state.

Preferably, the putting practice device comprises an elongate strip of material to simulate a putting surface leading to the ramp.

Brief description of drawings The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a putting practice device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 illustrates a number of replaceable receptacles defining holes of varying diameter which may be used with the putting practice device illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 3 illustrates a rear perspective view of one of the replaceable receptacles for use with the putting practice device; Figure 4 illustrates an enlarged portion of an upper end of the putting practice device, with the receptacle removed therefrom; Figure 5 illustrates a front perspective view of the receptacle illustrated in Figure 3; Figure 6 illustrates a rear perspective view of the putting practice device, showing a support in a deployed state; Figure 7 illustrates a side perspective view of an upper end of the putting practice device in the absence of the receptacle and showing the support in the deployed position; Figure 8 illustrates a perspective view of an under side of the upper end of the putting practice device with the receptacle located aligned and locked for use; Figure 9 illustrates a side view of the arrangement shown in Figure 8; Figure 10 illustrates a sectioned side elevation of the putting practice device showing the path of a golf ball along the device; Figure 11 illustrates a perspective view of the device; and Figure 12 illustrates the perspective view of Figure 11 and showing the path of a golf ball along the device.

Detailed description of the drawings Referring now to the accompanying drawings there is illustrated a putting practice device, generally indicated as (10), which allows a person to practice their putting skills without the need to be on a golf course or putting green, and can advantageously be used indoors, for example in the home or the like. The putting practice device (10) is extremely simple to set up and use, is light weight and collapsible and thus portable, and may therefore be transported with ease, allowing players to practice their putting game regardless of their location. The putting practice device (10) is preferably moulded from a plastic or the like and is thus light weight, portable, inexpensive and simple to operate. Any other suitable material or combination of materials may however be employed.

The putting practice device (10) comprises a ramp (12) which has a planar upper or working surface and which includes a hole (14) therein into which a golf ball G may be putted in order to improve a player’s aim and stroke length. The putting practice device (10) further comprises a leg (16) which is hingedly mounted to the ramp (12) in order to allow the leg (16) to be displaced between a deployed state as illustrated in Figures 1, 6 and 7 and a collapsed state folded flat against the underside of the ramp (12) as illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. Although the leg (16) is hingedly mounted to the ramp (12) in the preferred embodiment illustrated, it will be appreciated that any other suitable mounting may be employed which facilitates the above displacement. It is also envisaged that the leg (16) may be immovably mounted to the ramp (12) although such a configuration would be less user friendly in terms of transporting and storing the device (10) when not in use.

In the deployed state the leg (16) is operable to position the upper surface of the ramp (12) at an inclined angle A (see FigurelO) to the horizontal when the putting practice device (10) is placed on a playing surface or the like. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the putting practice device (10) the leg (16) is arranged to orient the ramp (12) at an angle A to the horizontal of 22° although it will of course be appreciated that this angle may be varied without effecting the underlying functionality of the putting practice device (10). This angle of 22° has however been found to be the optimum angle in order to return a golf ball G to a player standing at a distance typically of between 0.5 meters to 4 metres from the front end (18) of the ramp (12) as hereinafter described. One effective practice technique is for a player to start by standing close to the ramp (12) and over successive putts to move further and further back. It will also be understood that the surface on which the device (10) is place may have a major influence on the distance the golf ball G will be returned after rolling back down the ramp (12). A thick pile carpet will have a significantly shorter return than a hard surface such as wood or tiling. In order to negate this variable the practice device (10) may comprise an elongate mat (not shown) having a smooth surface to provide optimum return of the ball G. The mat (not shown) may also be marked at fixed intervals along the length of the mat. The mat then ensures consistent results regardless of the surface on which the device (10) is used.

The putting practice device (10) may also be adapted to allow the leg (16) to be locked at a number of positions between the deployed and collapsed states in order to allow the angle A of inclination of the ramp (12) to be adjusted. Thus while the putting practice device (10) is primarily intended to be used on a horizontal playing surface, it could potentially be used on a sloped surface and the inclination of the ramp (12) and other aspects of the device 10 may therefore require adjustment in order to provide optimal playing conditions.

The ramp (12) comprises a front end (18) which in use is located in contact with the playing surface and preferably includes a sharp or tapered edge in order to provide a smooth transition between the playing surface and the face of the ramp (12). The ramp (12) further comprises a rear end (20) which in use is elevated above the playing surface due to the inclination of the ramp (12) to the horizontal. In the preferred embodiment illustrated the rear end (20) is of arcuate shape, more preferably semi-circular, and thus acts as a guide to redirect over hit golf balls around the top section of the ramp above the hole (14) and back down the ramp to the player, as described in greater detail hereinafter.

The putting practice device (10) further comprises a pair of opposed side walls (22) which define the lateral edges of the ramp (12), the side walls (22) preferably extending from the front end (18) along the full length of the ramp (12), before forming a rear wall (24) which defines the rear end (20) of the ramp (12). The height of the side walls (22) and rear wall (24) are chosen in order to retain a golf ball G on the ramp (12) regardless of the direction and/or speed of travel of the golf ball G.

The hole (14) is preferably defined by a receptacle (26) which is releasably retained in a corresponding opening (28) in the surface of the ramp (12), the opening (28) and receptacle (26) being suitably designed to allow the receptacle (26) to be locked in place during use of the putting practice device (10). For example the receptacle (26) may be provided with an array of radially extending tabs (30) while the opening (28) is provided with corresponding slots (32) around the rim of the opening (28) on the underside of the ramp (12) and into which the tabs (30) may be located. Once the tabs (30) are located in the slots (32) the receptacle (26) may be rotated through a short arc in order to displace the tabs (30) fully into the slots (32) in order to lock the receptacle (26) in position by a simple press fit. This locked position can then be simply reversed in order to allow the receptacle (26) to be removed as necessary.

The putting practice device (10) preferably comprises an array of interchangeable receptacles (26) which each define a hole (14) of different diameter, such that smaller diameter holes (14) may be located in the ramp (12) in order to increase the difficulty in putting a golf ball into the hole (14). In order to swap between the different receptacles the above described process of locking and unlocking a receptacle is employed.

Each receptacle (26) comprises a base (34) and an upstanding rim (36) surrounding the base (34) other than at a forward or downstream side of the hole (14) for the reasons set out hereinafter, thereby defining a blind hole (14) into which a golf ball G may be putted. As the hole (14) defined by the receptacle (26) drops downwardly from the sloped or inclined upper face of the ramp (12) the upstanding rim (36) is highest at the rear or upstream side of the hole (14), before tapering downwardly as the rim extends around the hole (14) towards the front or downstream side therefore, at which point the rim (36) is absent such as to provide an unobstructed transition between the upper surface of the ramp (12) and the base (34). This allows a golf ball to enter the hole (14) unimpeded in order to simulate putting a ball into a real hole, while also allowing a golf bail to roll back out of the hole (14) and down the ramp (12) as hereinafter described. The tall rear portion of the upstanding rim (36) will serve to arrest a ball that enters the hole (14), in particular if a ball has been slightly over hit.

The base (34) is arranged to be oriented, when the putting practice device (10) is located on a playing surface, at an angle B (see FigurelO) to the horizontal and sloping in the same general direction as the surface of the ramp (12), such that the base (34) slopes upwardly in direction between the front end (18) and the rear end (20) of the ramp (12). The base (34) thus effectively defines a further ramped surface within the main ramp (12) and inclined in the same general direction but with a lesser angle of inclination. The angle B of inclination of the base (34) is preferably relatively shallow, and in a particularly preferred embodiment is inclined at an angle of 2° to the horizontal when the putting practice device (10) is located on a playing surface. It will however be appreciated that this angle may be varied without altering the underlying functionality of the putting practice device (10).

While the receptacle (26) and thus the hole (14) defined thereby may be located at any position on the surface of the ramp (12) it is preferred that the hole (14) is located towards or adjacent the rear wall (24). This location for the hole (14) will both increase the difficulty in putting a golf ball G into the hole (14) and will also provide a suitable length of ramp (12) for returning a ball to the player either when the hole (14) is missed or when a golf ball G is putted into the hole (14). The hole (14) is preferably centrally located on a longitudinal axis of the ramp (12) and a distance from the rear end (20) which provides an arcuate or curved portion of the ramp (12) above and surrounding the rear of the hole (14). The rear wall (24) follows this curved path in order to provide a barrier to a golf ball rolling off the rear end (20) of the ramp (12), and serves to guide an over hit golf ball above and around the back of the hole (14) to be then returned down the ramp (12) along the respective sidewall (22).

Thus in use a player stands a suitable distance back from the front end (18) of the ramp (12), for example 3 to 4 metres, and places a golf ball on the playing surface or supplied mat (not shown).

The player then putts the golf ball G towards the putting practice device (10) with the aim of putting the golf ball into the hole (14). When the golf ball G is not on target it will travel up the ramp (12) and will be constrained by the side walls (22), and if the golf ball G has sufficient speed it will be directed by either side wall (22) and the rear wall (24) to travel around the arcuate strip of ramp (12) behind the hold (14) before returning back down the ramp (12) to be returned to the player.

If the golf ball G does not have sufficient speed to travel all the way up the ramp (12) it will simply roll back down the ramp (12) and again be returned to the player. In the event that the player is on target and putts the golf ball G into the hole (14), the angular inclination of the base (34) of the hole (14) will mean that once the rear portion of the upstanding rim (36) arrests the forward momentum of the golf ball the inclination of the base (34) will allow the golf ball G to roll back down out of the hole (14), which is facilitated by the absence of the upstanding rim (36) at the downstream side of the hole (14), wherein the ball will then roll back down the ramp (12) to the player. In this way regardless of whether the player's practice shot is on target or not the golf ball G will be returned to the player thus ensuring that the player does not have to continually walk to the putting practice device (10) to retrieve the golf ball when a successful shot is made. This additionally allows the player to maintain a fixed stance between shots and thus to then make only fine tuning adjustments to their stance, grip or power when hitting the next shot in order to perfect their putting.

The putting practice device (10) of the present invention thus provides an extremely simple yet effective means of practising the putting aspect of a player’s game.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described herein but can be amended or modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (17)

Claims

1. A putting practice device comprising a ramp adapted to be secured at an angle to the horizontal when placed on a playing surface; and a blind hole in the ramp, a base of the hole being inclined in use to the horizontal to allow a golf ball to roll out of the hole under the influence of gravity and back down the ramp.

2. A putting practice device according to claim 1 in which the ramp is arranged to be oriented in use at an angle to the horizontal of between 15° and 35°, more preferably between 20' and 30°, and most preferably at 22°.

3. A putting practice device according to claim 1 or 2 in which the base of the hole is arranged to be oriented in use at an angle to the horizontal of between 0.5° and 5°, more preferably between Γ and 3 °, and most preferably at 2°.

4. A putting practice device according to any preceding claim comprising a receptacle defining the hole, the receptacle being releasably securable to the ramp.

5. A putting practice device according to claim 4 comprising a plurality of interchangeable receptacles defining holes of different diameters.

6. A putting practice device according to any preceding claim comprising an upstanding rim surrounding the base of the hole other than at a downstream side of the hole.

7. A putting practice device according to any preceding claim in which the ramp comprises a front end and a rear end, the hole being located adjacent the rear end.

8. A putting practice device according to claim 7 in which the ramp comprises a pair of opposed side walls defining a pair of lateral edges of the ramp.

9. A putting practice device according to claim 7 or 8 in which the ramp comprises a rear wall defining the rear end.

10. A putting practice device according to claim 9 in which the rear wall joins the pair of sidewalls.

11. A putting practice device according to claim 10 in which the rear wall is curved.

12. A putting practice device according to any of claims 7 to 10 in which the ramp defines an arcuate area provided between the hole and the rear end along which a golf ball may travel.

13. A putting practice device according to any of claims 7 to 11 in which the ramp surface flares outwardly from the rear to the front end.

14. A putting practice device according to any preceding claim comprising a support mounted to 5 the ramp and arranged to secure the ramp in the inclined orientation.

15. A putting practice device according to claim 14 in which the support is operable to allow the angle of inclination of the ramp to be varied. 10

16. A putting practice device according to claim 15 in which the support is displaceable between a working or deployed state securing the ramp in the inclined orientation and a collapsed state.

17. A putting practice device according to any preceding claim comprising an elongate strip of 15 material to simulate a putting surface leading to the ramp.