WO2008036927A2

WO2008036927A2 - Training device and method for golf

Info

Publication number: WO2008036927A2
Application number: PCT/US2007/079199
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lionell Spretz
Original assignee: Lionell Spretz
Priority date: 2006-09-21
Filing date: 2007-09-21
Publication date: 2008-03-27
Also published as: WO2008036927A3

Abstract

A device and method for improving the form and technique of a golfer when hitting a golf ball with a golf club, according to which indicia is provided on a sheet for providing an indication of the general direction that the ball is to be hit; and/or for giving an indication of the proper grip that the golfer's hands should take on the handle. The sheet is placed in the vicinity of the ball so that the golfer can view the indicia.

Description

TRAINING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR GOLF

Priority Claim / Related Application

[0001] This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/826464 filed September 21, 2006, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.

Background

Field of Invention

[0002] The disclosed subject matter is in the field of golf and, more specifically, a training device and method for improving the form and technique of a golfer when hitting a golf ball with a golf club.

Background

[0003] A proper and effective golf swing is required to hit a golf ball well consistently. The positioning of the hands and, more specifically, the rotation of the hands during the swing is an important and frequently misunderstood or ignored aspect of a proper golf swing.

Brief Description of the Drawing

[0004] The drawing is a diagrammatic view of an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

[0005] Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral 10 refers to a sheet of material having a generally rectangular exterior perimeter. The material used for sheet 10 is an implementation detail and sheet 10 can be fabricated from any of several materials. In some embodiments, the sheet 10 is a rigid or semi-rigid material such as any suitable vinyl, acrylic, or other suitable plastic material. In other embodiments, the sheet 10 may be a flexible or semi-flexible material such as a rubber or foam material.

[0006] Sheet 10 defines a generally rectangular interior portion 10a, which, in some embodiments, represents a cut-out portion of sheet 10. Interior portion 10a as shown in the drawing is bounded by and sheet 10 is comprised of substantially rectangular side panels 10b and 10c and a substantially rectangular end panel 1Od that cooperatively define a C-shaped embodiment of sheet 10. In one non-limiting implementation, the length of the sheet 10 could be approximately 30 inches, the width of the sheet could be approximately 20 inches, the length of the interior portion 10a could be approximately 25 inches, the width of the interior portion 10a could be approximately 10 inches, and the width of the side panels 10b and 10c, and end panel 1Od could be approximately 5 inches. In other embodiments, any or all of these dimensions could differ.

[0007] In the depicted embodiment, visibly detectable indicia, in the form of a series of arrows 14, are located on visible surfaces of the side panels 10b and 10c and end panel 1Od. In the depicted embodiment, the arrows 14 extend along, or parallel to, a longitudinal axis of the sheet 10, so that, when the sheet is used in a manner to be described, the arrows point to the general direction of a golf hole. The number, location, and size of arrows 14 is an implementation detail and other embodiments may have more or fewer arrows in different locations and of different sizes. Some embodiments may omit the arrows 14 entirely.

[0008] In the depicted embodiment, additional visibly detectable indicia, referred to herein as hand-positioning indicia, are located on visible surfaces of side panels 10b and 10c. The hand-positioning indicia shown in the drawing are in the form of a series of illustrations, in the form of sketches, drawings, photographs, or the like, showing, in sequence, a recommended proper position of the hands of a right-handed golfer on the golf handle during a golf swing. In the depicted embodiment, four hand-positioning indicia 16a, 16b, 16c and 16d are used. Hand positioning indicia 16a through 16d are representations of progressive positions of the hands and the club handle from the initiation of the backswing to the completion of the stroke. Thus, hand positioning indicia 16a through 16d indicate recommended positioning of the golfer's hands at selected stages in a golf swing.

[0009] In particular, hand -positioning indicia 16a, represents the position of the hands over the club handle when the golfer starts his or her backswing. Hand -positioning indicia 16d shows the position of the hands after the ball is driven and the swing is nearing completion or completed. Hand-positioning indicia 16b and 16c represent positions of the hands as the swing progresses from the position of illustration 16a to the position of illustration 16d.

[0010] In operation, and assuming a golf ball B is located on the ground and the golfer desires to hit the ball in a selected direction with a golf club, the sheet 10 is placed on the ground and the ball B is placed so that the ball lies within the interior portion 10a, preferably centered between side panels 10b and 10c and approximately 10 inches from end panel 1Od. The position of ball B within interior portion 10a may, however, vary depending upon golfer preference, the golfer's tendency to slice or hook, the club being used, and other factors. The sheet 10 is preferably placed such that the arrows 14 point generally in the direction of desired ball flight.

[0011] The golfer then takes a standard position to the side of the ball B and prepares for the swing. Prior to the backswing, the hand -positioning indicia 16a through 16d provide the golfer with a visual depiction of the proper position of the hands. This visual indication will beneficially remind the golfer to be conscious of the golfer's hand positioning. After the ball is hit by the club and the swing is completed, the golfer can view illustration 16d to see if his hand are properly aligned.

[0012] The hand -positioning indicia 16a through 16d as shown in the drawing emphasize the right hand "rolling" over the left hand, i.e., rotating around the left hand counter-clockwise as the club transitions from the back swing to follow through. This rolling of the hands beneficially results in a more consistent ball flight and a reduced frequency of a sliced or faded ball flight in which the ball flight bends unintentionally to the right (for a right handed player) of the intended ball flight after impact. The hand-positioning indicia on the left hand player side panel (10c) shows the left hand rolling clockwise over the right hand as the club transitions through impact to follow through to emphasize the same aspect of the swing. The visual reminder and the resulting awareness of hand positioning will result in a more consistently accurate ball flight, most desirably characterized by a slight or moderate "draw" in which the ball flight bends gently and controllably from right to left for a right handed player and from left to right for a left handed player.

[0013] Thus, the device and method of the present invention enables a golfer to improve his form and technique when hitting a golf ball with a golf club. Variations on the depicted embodiment include the material with which the sheet 10 is made as well as the shape and dimension of the sheet's elements. The thickness of the sheet can vary as well, which is less than the radius of a golf ball in some embodiments. The arrows 14 that are used on sheet 10 can vary in number, size, and location. Similarly, the number, size, and location of hand- positioning indicia 16a- 16b can vary. Some embodiments of the sheet 10 may include mechanisms to provide auditory or visual feedback when a swing is improper. In one such, embodiment, for example, sheet 10, may include light emitting or sound emitting devices that are activated when the club contacts sheet 10 during a swing. These embodiments would reinforce the feedback that the golfer would inherently receive during an improper swing when the club contacts the plastic, rubber, or other material of sheet 10. Some embodiments of sheet 10 may include additional markings that indicate, for example, a recommended positioning of the golf ball B within interior portion 10a. The color and brightness of sheet 10 may be customized to emphasize or deemphasize the visual presence of sheet 10a.

[0014] Some embodiments of sheet 10 may comprise separable side panels 10b and 10c and/or a separable end panel 1Od. In these embodiments, the separable panels may be connected together with interlocking components or simply laid upon one another. Some embodiments of the panels 10b, 10c, and 1Od may include complimentary contours that facilitate such interlocking or interconnecting. Some embodiments may omit the left handed illustrations or the right handed illustrations to produce a sheet 10 customized for one type of player.

[0015] Spatial references, such as "side", "end", "right", "angular", etc. are for the purpose of illustration only and do not limit the specific orientation or location of the structure described above.

[0016] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate many other variations and modifications of the embodiment described above that do not materially depart from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the following claims. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures.

Claims

ClaimsWhat is claimed is:

1. A device for improving the form and technique of a golfer when hitting a golf ball with a golf club, the device comprising: a sheet of material; first indicia on the sheet indicating the general direction of desired ball flight; and second indicia on the sheet indicating recommended positioning of the golfer's hands at selected stages in a golf swing.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the sheet comprises a first side panel, a second side panel, and an end panel, arranged in a C-shape defining an interior portion in which the ball can be placed.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the first indicia comprises at least one arrow extending on, or parallel to, the axis of the sheet.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the second indicia comprises at least one illustration showing recommended hand positioning of the golfer when the golf handle is gripped during a golf swing.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the second indicia comprises a series of illustrations that are progressive representations of the recommended hand positioning at selected stages in the golf swing.

6. A method for improving the form and technique of a golfer when hitting a golf ball with a golf club, the method comprising: providing first indicia on a sheet of material for giving a visual indication of the general direction that that ball is to be hit; providing second indicia on the sheet for giving a visual representation of the proper grip that the golfer's hands should take on the handle; and placing the sheet in the vicinity of the ball so that the golfer can view the first and second indicia.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the ball is located within a cut-out portion of the sheet.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the first indicia is at least one arrow extending on or parallel to the axis of the sheet.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the second indicia is at least one illustration showing the proper position that the hands of the golfer should take when the golf handle is gripped.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the second indicia is a series of illustrations that are progressive representations of the position of the hands that the golfer should take from the initiation of the backswing to the completion of the stroke.

11. A device for improving the form and technique of a golfer when hitting a golf ball with a golf club, the device comprising: a sheet of material defining an interior portion where the ball is to be placed; and indicia on the sheet visually indicative of recommended hand positioning at selected stages in a golf swing.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the hand positioning indicia emphasize a rotation of a first hand over a second hand as a swing transitions from impact with the ball to follow through.

13. The device of claim 11 further comprising directional indicia comprising at least one arrow extending on, or parallel to, an axis of the sheet and indicative of an intended direction of ball flight.

14. The device of claim 11 wherein the indicia comprises at least one illustration showing recommended hand positioning of the golfer when the golf handle is gripped.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the indicia comprises a series of illustrations.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the sheet of material comprises a rigid plastic material.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the sheet of material comprises a flexible rubber material.

18. The device of claim 11, further comprising a visual feedback mechanism operable to emit light when the sheet is contacted by a golf club during a golf swing.

19. The device of claim 11, further comprising an auditory feedback mechanism operable to generate an audible sound when the sheet is contacted by a golf club during a golf swing.

20. The device of claim 11, wherein the sheet comprises a pair of substantially rectangular separable side panels and a substantially rectangular end panel that cooperatively form a C-shaped sheet when properly positioned.