US2723125A - Attachment for golf clubs - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 8, 1955 L. M. COMEE 2,723,125

ATTACHMENT FOR cow CLUBS Filed Sept. 15, 1952 FIG.1

INVENTOR LOWELL M COML E A T TORNE V United States ATTACHMENT FOR GQLF CLUBS Lowell M. Comee, Scarsdale, N. Y. Application September 15, 1952, Serial No. 399,726

6 Claims. (Cl. 273-186) Another object of the invention is to provide a practice device for attachment to a golf club for giving audible indication of the position and timing of the club during movement of club when used for practice swings.

Another object of the invention is to provide a practice device for attachment to a golf club to develop the kinesthetic sense of uniform acceleration of the club.

Another object of the invention is to provide a practice device for attachment to a golf club to develop the kinesthetic sense of the proper relationship between club head and hands while in motion otherwise known as timing.

The present invention may be used with any form of golf club. It is of particular advantage in practicing the stroke employed in putting and may be used to develop the complete swing used for that purpose. Its use with clubs other than the putter has its principal merit in developing a sensitivity for uniform acceleration and the kinesthetic feeling of the proper relationship between club head and hands while in motion.

It is well recognized that an important part of a game of golf is played on the green and that the stroke to roll a golf ball as in putting is a delicate and exacting operation. The movement of the club head, when putting, is through a relatively short are but the control of the club head and its relation to the ball at the instant of impact requires practice to develop the necessary accuracy and sense of rhythm or timing. Use of the present device will develop precision. It will also establish the relationship between the length of arc in the swing and the distance the ball is to travel after being struck.

The present invention provides a device including a body movable through a selected path relative to the position of the shaft of a golf club whereby the position of the movable body relative to the club shaft serves to indicate the correct or incorrect position and motion of the club when traveling through the arc of the swing.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following description together with the accompanying drawings illustrating one practical embodiment of the invention in which;

Fig. 1 shows an elevational front View of a golf club as held for practice with the device constructed in accordance with the present invention attached thereto;

Fig. 2 shows an elevational front view of the device shown substantially actual size and attached to a club shaft;

Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 2;

' atent O Fig. 4 is a view taken on line IV-IV in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of Fig. 2; and,

Fig. 6 shows a modification of one of the parts of the device.

As pointed out above, the present device, which in the drawing is indicated as a whole by the reference charactor 10, may be used with any type of golf club. For the purpose of illustration it is shown with a putter 11 in Fig. 1. The device 10, includes a tubular member or guide 12 closed at its ends by walls or stop members 13 and 14. Within the member 10 is a spherical body or indicator 15 which may be a metal ball or balls, such for example as a ball bearing of less outside diameter than the inside diameter of the tubular member 12.

The member 12 may be of transparent material such as glass or plastic and bowed slightly so that it may be positioned to cause the indicator to move'by gravity to the lowest part of the tubular member 12 or to a rest position midway between the ends of member 12. For the purpose of holding the member 12 in a selected position on the club shaft, the member is mounted in a bracket 16 comprising a sheet metal plate 17. At opposite ends of the plate are pairs of cars 18 and 19 bent to encircle and grip the member 12 and hold it with its ends or end walls 13 and 14 equi-distant from the vertical center line of plate 17. The member 12 is so positioned that the axis of the bowed member lies in a plane parallel to the surface 21 of plate 17 and with the lowest point of the arc on horizontal center line 29. Thus when the member 12 is held so that the center line 20' is horizontal the indicator 15 will come to rest at a point midway between the ends 22 and 23 of plate 17. Any variation that disturbs the horizontal position of the member 12 will. result in a movement of the indicator 15 registering such variation and the degree as measured by the distance the indicator moves in either direction.

The gauge orindicating member 12 may be attached to a golf club by any suitable means. The present embodiment provides pairs of spring fingers 21 and 22 which may be integral and formed from the sheet metal plate 17. Each pair of fingers serves as a clip and are so aligned that when snapped around the shaft 24 of club 11 the tubular member 12 will be positioned in the same relation to the axial line of the shaft as it is positioned with relation to vertical center line above described.

To indicate when the club is moving under the acceleration of gravity, and therefore at its natural period of vibration, and correspondingly, with the minimum of effort on the part of the player, the present device is located at the center of gravity of the club. This may be quickly determined by extending the finger of one hand and balancing the club across it. The point on the shaft where the balanced club rests on the finger is the location of the center of gravity.

In advanced stages of practicing, the device may be moved farther up the shaft to indicate uniform acceleration at greater speeds than that produced by the acceleration of gravity. Or, it may be moved farther down the shaft to indicate uniform acceleration at speeds less than that produced by the acceleration of gravity.

The spring fingers 21 and 22 are then snapped around the shaft thereby attaching the plate 17 and member 12 to the club as at 25 Fig. 1. The plate 17 may then be adjusted about the shaft until it lies in a plane transverse to the face 26 of club head 27. When the device is attached to the shaft and club held with its axial line in a selected vertical plane the indicator 15 will, by reason of gravity, come to rest midway between end walls 13 and 14 of member 12.

Although the member 12 is shown in the form'of a tube, it may be a trough shape guide member 19 as shown in Fig. 6 in which case the movement of the indicator between steps 20 and T20 may be viewed through slot 14. The guide 19' may be attached to shaft 24 by suitable clips similar to the attaching means for tubular member 12.

Owing =to'the fact that the ball-isfree withinithe guided member, any tilting :of the tubeior guide allows the indi- Gator .to fall. As the club is :swung back and forth the indicators vertical movement follows the laws of free fall :of :a body under the acceleration of gravity. The

guides direct .its course .-into an are similar to that of a user'tozswingthe :clubinsynchronism with themovement of the indicator. The degreeto which this is accomplished is .shown by the extent :to 'which .the indicator remains between guage .marks 28, or in such position that the indicator does not .make contact with the end walls or stops during the swing of the club.

Asthe user becomes skilled in maintaining the indicator :between the guage marks or end Walls, his muscular reaction ibecomes schooled in .producing a uniform acceleration of .the club while maintaining the club in its correctirelationship withthe golf ball.

After the sensing of smooth acceleration has been acquired based upon the pendulum action of the club, it can be'extended to .higher speeds accompanying a longer arcand greater force applied to the club.

As the .clubis swung back andforth in practice the user has visible indication as to whether or not the club is being :held :and swung iproperlyby watching the indicator 15. .If .the indicator remains midway between the ends of thezmember .12 the stroke isbeing performed properly.

As the arc of .swing becomes greater and as the user becomes more skilled in using the device it becomes desirable to transfer the .focus of :his eyes from the indicator in the device toiixing .his eyes on the spot Where the golf ball will be in normal play. Motion of the indicator inside the guides producesenough sound .to signal that the club .is;no.t synchronized with the motion of the indicator. The stroke may then be adjusted to eliminate the discrepancy which also eliminates the sound.

If desired to .give :more sound,;more than :one ball may be aused. It 'is for :this :reason :that :the single :ball :shown in the iillustrationis referred to as the indicator.her.ein.

.Although one practical embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and :described, it will be :evident that various :modifications may he made therein without departing from the spirit Jandscopeof .the -inventionzas setforthiin the :appended claims.

Whatds claimed :is:

1. An attachment for a golf club :compfisingran elongated aguide member .having .bottom ;and.side walls, stop members integral withsaid guidermember'and positioned at opposite sides of a :point midway between the ends of said guide member, means ;for attaching saidaguidememher .to theshaft-of a golf club withtthenxialiline :of :said shaft perpendicular 'to .the :axial .line of :said guide memher at said point midway between the ends of .said :guide member and 'a 'body :movable :freely by gravity ireciprocally'between the walls ofsaid guidememberfand between said stop ,smembers upon "a swinging movement of said shaft.

2- An attachment for .a golf dlub comprising an elongated tubular guide "member having=end walls ;to :provide stop members for limiting the degree of movement of a body movable by gravity within said guide.member, means midway between said stop members for attaching the shaft of a golf club to said guide member with the axial line of said shaft perpendicular to the axial line of said guide member, a body movable reciprocally in said guide member upon a swinging movement of said shaft.

3. An attachment for a golf club comprising an elongated transparent guide member having bottom and side walls, stop members integral with said guide member and positioned at opposite sides of a point midway between the ends of said guide member, to limit the degree of movement of 'abody'insaid guide member, means for attaching said guide member to the shaft of a golf club with the axial line of said shaft perpendicular to the axial iine of said guide member at said point midway between the ends of said guide member and a body movable freely by gravity reciprocally between the walls of said guide member upon a swinging movement of said shaft.

4. An attachment for a golf club comprising-an elongated tubular bowed guide member having end walls to provide stop members fora body movable by gravity within said guide member, .rneans midway betweensaid stop members for attaching the shaft of a golf club to said ,guide member with the axial line of said shaft perpendiciilar to .the axial line of said guide member, a body movable reciprocally in said guide member between said stop members upon a swinging movement of said shaft.

'5. Anattachment fora golf club comprising a bracket includinga plate member, clips extending from one side of said plate for engaging the shaft of agolf club, clips extending from the other side of said plate, a bowed transparent guide member having bottom and side walls engaged by said last mentioned clips with the axial line of said :guide member perpendicular to the axial lineof said shaft :at a point midway between theends of said guide member, a spherical member movable freely by gravity in said guide member during a swinging movement of said shaft, said guide member having end walls to provide stop members to limit the degree of reciprocal movement of said spherical member.

:6. ,An attachment for a golf club comprising a bracket including a plate member, clips extending from one side of said plate for engaging the shaft of a golf club, clips extending from the other sideofsaid plate, a guide member having bottom and side walls engaged by said last mentioned clips with the axial line of said guide mem-' ber perpendicular to the axial line-of said shaft at a point midway between the ends of said guide member, an indicator member movable freely by gravity in said guide member during a swinging movement of said shaft, said guide member having end walls to provide stop'members to limitthe degree of reciprocal movement of said indicator member, said guide member having at least a portion of its'wall transparent whereby-the relative position of the indicator member may be observed during the swinging-'movement-of the shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 656,275 Streeter Aug. 21, l 00 845,704 Owen Feb. '26, 1907 1,020,074 Bell "Mar. 12, '1912 2,067,474 "Carbonara Jan. 12, 1937 2,168,885 Rickenbach Aug. 8, 1939 2,197,578 Darnell Apr. 16, 1940 2,384,453 Chaney Sept. 11, 1945 2,'482;015 McConnell 'Sep't. 1'31949 FOREIGN PATENTS 472,237 Great Britain Sept. 20, 15937

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