WO1983001578A1

WO1983001578A1 - Golf club and other hand-swung articles

Info

Publication number: WO1983001578A1
Application number: PCT/AU1982/000182
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gerald Frederick Hogan
Original assignee: Gerald Frederick Hogan
Priority date: 1981-11-10
Filing date: 1982-11-10
Publication date: 1983-05-11

Abstract

The invention relates to articles that are swung when in use, such as sporting articles or tools. As exemplified with a golf club the centre of gravity of the club is moved along the shaft (1) away form the head (7) by increasing the weight at the end (4) of the shaft (1). This can be done by a heavy insert (3).

Description

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"GOLF CLUB AND OTHER HAND-SWUNG ARTICLES" The human body is a mechanical structure that is capable of motion, powered by muscular contraction and controlled by an incredibly complex form of computer, the brain. Because of the manner of its construction it operat through a system of levers and the only force that it can generate must originate from the principles of leverage. Whatever other force forms are considered it must always be remembered that they are reactive or secondary to the primar force that created the original energy, that of leverage.

BACKGROUND ART In the golf swing the clubhead is accelerated to pea velocity by the actions of muscles and levers, it is therefore quite reasonable to assume that the principles of leverage are applicable to it.

For all force there must be equal and opposite resistance.

In the golf swing the resistance is found in the lef side from the foot right through to the hand. The left hand which is above the right on the final lever, the shaft, applies resistance to the driving force of the right shoulder, arm and hand as the club enters the final zone of acceleration to impact.

The acceleration of the head from the top of the swing to impact is massive, for it must travel from zero to speed in access of 100 mph at the ball, all in about 2/10ths of a second. It is not 'power', as such, that is needed it is pure acceleration which is achieved through the correct application of .leverage in an ordered sequence of motion. Stop action or series photography shows the wrist cock of the top class players retained until very late in th downswing. In the final segment prior to impact the handsmove just a few inches but the clubhead moves many feet, in the same time span. The path traced by the clubhead in the full swing is not a circle in the strict sense but, for our purposes, let us consider it as such for the moment. Peak acceleration can only attain maximum velocity at one tiny segment of that

If

OM circle. If that peak is 100 mph say six feet from the ball, it will have fallen to about 80 mph at the ball.

Kinetic energy in the clubhead is proportional to th mass and also to the velocity squared. To increase the energy it is sound reasoning to increase velocity for it is squared factor. In the physical sense any decrease in mass has only very minor effect but in the psychological it has a vast bearing.

Muscular contraction is not a constant output, it varies according to the task to be performed and the output is allocated by the brain in preprogramming. If a club feel heavy our sub-conscious urge is to lash with it from the ver beginning of the swing down in order to achieve the speed we know we need at the bottom. The wrists release very early and peak velocity is attained much too soon. If, on the other hand, the club feels light headed and very easy to swing then that panic riddent urge to 'lash from the top*^* is not there. The lashing effect is at the bottom, where it should be. This also has a marked effect on accuracy for that primal urge is usually accommodated by a lunge of the right shoulder out and around instead of calmly down and under.

It is an object of this invention to produce a golfclub that achieves the objects set out in the foregoing. Of course the invention is equally applicable to other sporting items such as bats, racquets etc., and to tools suc as axes etc. However, the invention will be described with reference to golf clubs but it is not intended to be limited thereto. Therefore the general term "An article to be swung in use" as used in the claims is defined as meaning in this specification sporting items such as clubs, bats, racquets and the like and tools such as axes, picks and the like and other similar items.

In one general form the objects of the invention are achieved by increasing the weight of the club at or near the grip end of the shaft.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION The invention in its broadest form comprises an article to be swung in use comprising a handle or shaft adapted to be gripped towards one end by one or both hands and a head or body portion connected towards the other end o the handle or shaft, characterised in that the handle or shaft is given additional weight to move the static balance point of the article as a whole towards the gripped end of the handle or shaft away from the head or body.

Generally speaking the weight would be placed as nea to the end of the shaft as possible so that static balance point or the centre of gravity of the club as a whole is moved up the shaft as much as possible. The weight may take any suitable form such as a metal insert in the hollow end o the shaft. This would not effect the appearance or the grip of the club in any way. BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In the accompanying drawing the shaft 1 has a grip 2 at one end and a metal insert 3 is fitted in the hollow end of the shaft.

Another inventive concept will now be described. Th presently used weights for clubheads is more or less the optimum for maximum efficiency. In this inventive concept the clubhead weight is rearranged to increase the "mass" effect on the movement of the ball when struck.

In one form this is achieved by reducing the size of the hosel 5 and the equivalent weight is added to the club¬ head. The weight in the clubhead is rearranged in a special manner. There is an optimum stricking position on the club face of all clubs, commonly called the "sweet spot". The mass behind the sweet spot is so arranged that it is greatly reduced directly behind the sweet spot but is increased around this area. This means that if the ball is struck directly by the sweet spot then the mass all round the sweet spot will contribute to its motion. If, on the other hand the ball is struck slightly off the sweet spot there is still a large mass directly behind it and its motion will not be greatly affected.

In the drawing if the sweet spot is at 6 on the head 7 the extra mass 8 will be built up at the back of the club around the sweet spot postion 6 and the area 9 inside the built-up area 8 will be greatly reduced in mass.

In the final product the useful mass at impact will not be less than that of a conventional club, it will in fac be slightly more although the feel will be much lighter. It will weigh less but the concentration of mass will be centered around the area of impact and not over the entire head and hosel.

In this way the equation for kenetic energy will be altered in both factors, the mass (useful to impact) will be increased and the velocity will be considerably increased. The advantages to be derived from the club of the invention are as follows:

(1) Because of the counter-balanced effect the club will be much easier to swing. This produces several very useful side effects.

(a) Less physical energy will be expanded by the golfer to achieve the effect he desires. (b) The backswing is much easier to execute because the weight of the bead at the end of the shaft feels much lighter.

(c) The backswing also becomes shorter and therefore easier to control and easier to execute.

(d) Because of the physiopshychological effec the downswing is far easier to 'time' and peak acceleration is attained later and nearer the impact zone. (2) The golfer has no direct control over the clubhead, he has direct control over his body, arms and hand and, through his hands, over the club. The additional weigh in his hands and vastly lessened feel of weight in the clubhead makes him far more conscious of controlling his hands and allowing the clubhead to be no more than a reactio to his physical performance.

(3) Force/resistance. The weight is in his left hand which makes it heavier and able to offer more resistanc to the applied force of the right. With added resistance more force can be effectively applied.

(4) The additional weight in the hands tends to sl down their speed and this greatly facilitates the late release of energy and acceleration.

(5) The speed of the head at impact dictates, to a marked degree, the amount of spin imparted to the ball. Since velocity has increased so too has backspin.

(6) Since kinetic energy has increased in proporti to energy expended distance increases relative to physical effort. This is important to the 'average golfer' who canno hit one or two thousand balls a week. He will hit the ball further with more spin and not have to exert more effort in doing so. (7) With the final release much later in the downswing the face of the club is less lofted and this ensures a more direct transfer of energy into the ball. It shouid be pointed out that the face of the club never strike the ball exactly at the horizontal equator but always at som point below it. The lower the impact, the more glancing the blow, the less the energy is transferred and the more ineffective the strike.

(8) An immense gain in confidence and satisfaction. If a golfer used to bash his driver and his three wood in th vague hope of reaching a particular par 4 in 2 he was naturally under extreme pressure. With a gain in distance o some 10% he now KNOWS he can reach it with a drive and 4 or iron.

(9) Less total expenditure of energy. Because his required effort is less on each shot he will not tire as quickly towards the end of a round and will not be exhausted at the end of it.

The clubs to be manufactured in accordance with this invention will approximate the conventional appearance of those already being produced. In the intended head design the aim is to concentrate the most useful mass behind and immediately surrounding the selected impact area on the face of the clubs. The weights finally selected for each individual clubhead throughout the range of golf clubs will be constant in manufacture so that each driver head will weigh the same, each five iron head the same and so forth. The weights of the different heads in the progression from driver through t sandwedge will differ fractionally and progressively, becoming heavier as the loft of the club increases and the shaft length decreases.

The selected lofts and lies of the clubs to be manufactured will approximate current standards of productio Another object of the invention is to balance each club against the other throughout the range of the accepted full set of clubs. This is achieved by inserting weight int the hollow top or grip end of the shaft. The greater the weight inserted the closer the point of static balance moves towards the grip end of the club. The formula used is based on the point selected to achieve static balance of the individual club when it is balanced acrosrs an edge so that the shaft lies horizontal. When optimum static and dynamic feel is achieved in such a selected club within a set of clubs all clubs within the set are then counter-balanced so that the distance from the point of balance to the grip end of the clubs is constant throughout the range of the set of clubs. This point does vary for clubs designated as wood clubs and those designated as iron clubs. The wood clubs will have the constant distance so described from point of static balance to end of grip but this will differ from the length selected for that of the iron clubs. In this manner there will be a selected balance point for all woods within a set of woods and for all irons within a set of irons.

The basic principle involved is that there exists an optimum mass of clubhead required for maximum impact potential with the ball at the greatest speed attainable.

The aim of the invention is to maintain such optimum mass for collision but to alter the feel and dynamic weight of the club. The further the point of static balance is moved

- ^CIsI?I towards the grip end of the club by the insertion of weight at the grip end, the lighter the head feel of the club and the easier and faster the head can be swung.

Although all individual clubheads through the range will be constant in weight, sets of clubs will be produced accommodate the individual needs of different golfers. By slight alteration of that accepted point of static balance from set to set feel can be altered accordingly. A set of clubs that suit a strong player may be, or feel to be, too heavy for a weaker player. The weaker player would require that a slightly heavier weight be inserted into the grip end of the club and the point of static balance would then be moved closer to the hands. The resultant clubs, although slightly heavier overall, actually feel lighter in the head and easier to swing.

In this manner the very powerful effects of human psychology in terms of balance and feel are accommodated in the individual, what we accept as being easier to accomplish does become easier. The golf clubs are to be produced in sets that vary in weight feel as described so that the purchaser has a selection to meet his personal needs. There shall be approximately five standard sets of differing feel and balance. This is very simply achieved by altering the point of static balance from set to set by the use of slightly different series of counter-balance weights in the clubs. The intended purchaser need only test one club from a given set to make his selection and then all other clubs required in the chosen range will be automatically matched to feel, weight and balance to his selected club.

In this manner a series of counter-balance weights means a given set of weights progressively designed to create the constant distance previously described from point of balance to end of grip. Such a series relates to that set of weights required to so balance a given set of clubs. Five such series will result in five slightly different sets of clubs in terms of feel and balance.

Where the need arises for a set of clubs to be manufactured that are longer than standard the feel of head weight can be controlled by additional weight inserted into the grip end, according to the needs of the individual concerned.

In this manner the formula is exceedingly simple. I is the correct selection of the optimum point of static balance to achieve the static and dynamic feel desired in th sets of clubs and the use of correct counter-balance to establish it as a constant within the full range of the set of clubs.

Claims

AMEND D CLAIMS[received by the International Bureau-on 09 March 1983 (09.03.83); original claims 1 to 6 cancelled; new claims 1 to 8 follow]

1. An article to be swung in use comprising a handle or shaft adapted to be gripped towards one end by one or both hands and having a head or body portion at the other end of the handle or shaft, characterised in that the static balance point of the article as a whole is moved towards the gripping end of the handle or shaft by adding weight to said gripping end and removing weight from the head or body.

2. An article as claimed in claim 1 wherein the weight added to said gripping end is a piece of metal.

3. An article as claimed in claim 1 wherein the weight added to the gripping end is about the same as that taken from the head or body so there is little change in the overall weight.

4. An article as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherei the article is a golf club.

5. A golf club as claimed in claim 4 wherein the weight of the hosel is reduced.

6. A golf club as claimed in claim 5 wherein part of the weight removed from the hosel is placed around but no directly behind the sweet-spot.

(new₎ 7. A golf club as claimed in claim 6 wherein part o the weight removed from the hosel is placed in the weight added to the gripping end of the shaft.

(new) 8. A set of golf clubs each club being according t claim 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein the distance from the static balance point to the gripping end of each club is the same throughout_, the set.