GOLF TRAINING AID

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/681,860, filed on Aug. 11, 2024.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

This invention pertains generally to golf-training technology. More specifically, the invention is directed to technology to enable golfers to practice striking the ball with a club. The technology is suitable for space constrained applications.

In one aspect of the invention, a golf-swing training aid includes a base roughly in the shape of a spherical or torispherical dome, a central bearing attached to the base at the apex of the dome and providing an axis of rotation extending roughly normal to the surface of the dome at the apex, a swivel connected to the central bearing and providing an axis of rotation that is not parallel to the central bearing's axis of rotation, and a tether connected to the swivel at one end and a ball at the other end. The central bearing and swivel provide two distinct rotational degrees of freedom to the ball. When the ball is struck with a golf club in a direction roughly perpendicular to the central bearing's rotational axis, the ball and tether will rotate about that axis. This is the first rotational degree of freedom. The swivel allows the ball (and tether) to spin about the swivel's axis of rotation. This is the second rotational degree of freedom. The first rotational degree of freedom enables the user to practice striking a ball without the ball departing the immediate locale of the base because of the constraint of the tether. The second rotational degree of freedom enables the ball to travel in this constrained path while spinning without tangling the tether.

In another aspect of the invention, the swivel is connected to the central bearing with a loop connector. (A “loop connector,” as used herein, refers to connectors that provide a closed loop to maintain the connection and an opening in the loop to make the connection. This includes, for example, carabiners and quick links.) The loop connector provides a third axis of rotation that enables rotation of the tether up toward the central bearing's axis of rotation. This third rotational degree of freedom is distinct from the first rotational degree of freedom provided by the central bearing and the second rotational degree of freedom provided by the swivel. The third rotational degree of freedom enables the user to provide varying degrees of loft to the ball when striking the ball.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 is a top-perspective, three-dimensional representation illustrating an exemplary golf-swing trainer according to an aspect of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom-perspective, three-dimensional representation illustrating the exemplary golf-swing trainer.

FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating the exemplary golf-swing trainer.

FIG. 4 is a top view illustrating the exemplary golf-swing trainer.

FIG. 5 is a top-perspective, three-dimensional exploded representation illustrating the exemplary golf-swing trainer.

FIG. 6A-6E are various perspectives of an exemplary golf-swing-trainer base illustrating ornamental and functional features.

FIG. 7 is a 3D three-dimensional perspective illustrating an exemplary tether assembly.

FIG. 8 is a 3D perspective illustrating an exemplary ball.

FIG. 9 is a 3D perspective illustrating an exemplary ball assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the summary above, and in the description below, reference is made to particular features of the invention in the context of exemplary embodiments of the invention. The features are described in the context of the exemplary embodiments to facilitate understanding. But the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments. And the features are not limited to the embodiments by which they are described. The invention provides a number of inventive features which can be combined in many ways, and the invention can be embodied in a wide variety of contexts. Unless expressly set forth as an essential feature of the invention, a feature of a particular embodiment should not be read into the claims unless expressly recited in a claim.

Except as explicitly defined otherwise, the words and phrases used herein, including terms used in the claims, carry the same meaning they carry to one of ordinary skill in the art as ordinarily used in the art.

Because one of ordinary skill in the art may best understand the structure of the invention by the function of various structural features of the invention, certain structural features may be explained or claimed with reference to the function of a feature. Unless used in the context of describing or claiming a particular inventive function (e.g., a process), reference to the function of a structural feature refers to the capability of the structural feature, not to an instance of use of the invention.

Except for claims that include language introducing a function with “means for” or “step for,” the claims are not recited in so-called means-plus-function or step-plus-function format governed by 35 U.S. C. § 112(f). Claims that include the “means for [function]” language but also recite the structure for performing the function are not means-plus-function claims governed by § 112(f). Claims that include the “step for [function]” language but also recite an act for performing the function are not step-plus-function claims governed by § 112(f).

Except as otherwise stated herein or as is otherwise clear from context, the inventive methods comprising or consisting of more than one step may be carried out without concern for the order of the steps.

The terms “comprising,” “comprises,” “including,” “includes,” “having,” “haves,” and their grammatical equivalents are used herein to mean that other components or steps are optionally present. For example, an article comprising A, B, and C includes an article having only A, B, and C as well as articles having A, B, C, and other components. And a method comprising the steps A, B, and C includes methods having only the steps A, B, and C as well as methods having the steps A, B, C, and other steps.

Terms of degree, such as “substantially,” “about,” and “roughly” are used herein to denote features that satisfy their technological purpose equivalently to a feature that is “exact.” For example, a component A is “substantially” perpendicular to a second component B if A and B are at an angle such as to equivalently satisfy the technological purpose of A being perpendicular to B.

Except as otherwise stated herein, or as is otherwise clear from context, the term “or” is used herein in its inclusive sense. For example, “A or B” means “A or B, or both A and B.”

FIG. 1 is a 3D representation of an exemplary golf-swing training aid 100 from a top/right perspective. The training aid 100 includes a base 102 and a central bearing 114 attached to the top of the base 102 with a bolt 112. The central bearing 114 is connected to a ball 106 through a tether 104 and a swivel joint 108. In this example, the swivel joint 108 is attached to the central bearing 114 using a carabiner 110.

FIG. 2 is a 3D representation of the exemplary golf-swing training aid 100 from a bottom/right perspective. The bottom surface 102a of the base 102 may be configured for stability and/or protection. For example, the bottom surface 102a may comprise a rubber or fabric mat to prevent slipping or scratching. The base 102 may be constructed of a solid hefty material (e.g., a heavy weight rubber) or it may be configured with a fillable cavity that may be filled with a weighty material (e.g., sand or water). Preferably, the base 102, when configured for use, will be of such a mass as to prevent movement when the ball 106 is struck by a golf club. The exemplary training aid 100 is depicted with a fill port and plug 116 to enable the base 102 to be filled with sand when the plug is removed and to retain the sand when the plug is in place. In this example, a nut 118 is used to restrain the bolt 112 used to affix the central bearing 114 to the top of the base 102.

FIG. 3 is a 2D side view of the exemplary golf-swing training aid 100.

FIG. 4 is a 2D top view of the of the exemplary golf-swing training aid 100.

The training aid 100 includes three rotational degrees of freedom for the ball and tether. The first rotational degree of freedom 103 (indicated by dashed curved arrows in FIGS. 1 and 4) allows the ball 106 to travel in a roughly circular path about the central bearing 114. In use, a force 109 (indicated by a dashed arrow in FIG. 4) is applied to the ball 106 with a golf club. For instance, a user may wish to practice striking a ball with a driver and strikes the ball 106 as he would drive a golf ball on a golf course. Energy is transferred to the tethered ball 106 which then rotates 103 about the central bearing 114 due to the tether 104 attaching the ball 106 to the bearing 114. The ball 106 will rotate some a number of times about the bearing that depends on the driving force and the bearing resistance. The second rotational degree of freedom 105 (indicated by a dashed arrowed arc in FIG. 1) allows the ball to spin about its axis as the ball/tether rotates about the swivel joint 108. This helps prevent tangling of the tether 104 when the ball is struck to rotate about the central bearing 114. The third rotational degree of freedom 107 (indicated by a dashed curved arrow in FIG. 3) allows the ball 106 to rise and fall as it travels in a circular path about the central bearing 114. This third rotational degree of freedom 107 is enabled by a connection between the tether 104 and main bearing 114 at, e.g., the connection between the swivel joint 108 and central bearing 114 or between the tether 104 and swivel joint 108.

FIG. 5 is an exploded 3D representation of the exemplary golf-swing training aid 100 from a top perspective. FIG. 5 includes a cutaway section to illustrate the internal cavity of a sand-filled embodiment of a base 102. The central bearing 114 (e.g., KFL08) may be spaced apart from the top surface of the base 102 using an annular spacer 124 and washer 122 and affixed to the base 102 by running a shoulder bolt 112 through the bearing's 114 shaft hole, through a hole 102b in the base 102, through a washer 120, and into a nut 118. The nut 118 is tightened to secure the bearing 114 in place. Set screws (not shown) on the bearing 114 are used to tighten the bearing about the bolt 112. The ball 106 is attached to one end of the tether 104 using, e.g., a silicone-based adhesive to hold the tether in a hole in the ball 106. (An exemplary connection between a tether end 104a and the ball 106 is illustrated in FIG. 3, where the tether end 104b is in dashed line to indicate it is inside the ball 106.) The other end 104a of the tether 104 is connected to a swivel joint 108 (e.g., fishing swivel). The swivel joint 108 is in turn connected to the central bearing 114 using a carabiner 110. The base 102 is filled with sand (e.g., 5-10 pounds of dry sand) and the fill port is then closed with a plug 116.

In this exemplary embodiment 100 of the golf-swing training aid, the swivel 108 is illustrated as connected to the central bearing 114 using a carabiner 108. Alternatively, the swivel 108 could be attached to the central bearing 114 by other means, such as a bolt or pin or weld or adhesive or a hinge. Or the swivel 108 may be integral to the flange of the central bearing. In such alternative embodiments, the tether cord 104 may be connected to the swivel 108 directly, as illustrated, or through a link such as a carabiner or quick link or snap hook. In some embodiments, the swivel 108 may include one or more snap hooks or snap-fit connectors to connect to the tether 104, the central bearing 114, or both. In another embodiment, a swivel may connect a tether to the ball to enable the ball to spin independent of the tether. Similarly, a swivel may be used to connect a section of tether connected to the central bearing 114 to another section of tether connected to the ball 106 to enable independent rotation of the tether sections as the ball 106 spins.

FIG. 6A-6E are various views of an exemplary base 602 illustrating various ornamental and functional features of the base 602: FIG. 6A is a 3D perspective view, FIG. 6B is a side view, FIG. 6C is a top view, FIG. 6D is a 3D sectional view, and FIG. 6E is a bottom view. The top surface of the base 602 includes ornamental dimples 602c that are analogs to the dimples on a golf ball to roughly present the impression to an ordinary observer that the base 602, roughly in the shape a spherical cap/dome or a torispherical dome, is like a perimeter section of an oversized golf ball. The base 602 includes a functional hole 602b at the dome's apex that is configured for a bolt to engage a central bearing to secure it to the base and provide a rotational axis (as described above). As illustrated in FIG. 6D (a 3D sectional view of section A-A in FIG. 6A), the base 602 includes a cavity 602e which can be filled with, e.g., sand or water or some other weighting material, and a fill port 602d to access the cavity 602e. FIG. 6E is a bottom view illustrating a plug 616 in the fill port 602d on the bottom surface 602a of the base 602.

In one advantageous embodiment: (1) the base 602 is formed of 3 mm thick high density polyethylene (HDPE); (2) the base 602 bottom is circular with a diameter of about 26 cm (˜10.5″); (3) the base 602 has a height (center span) of about 5.5 cm (˜2.2″); and (4) the base 602 weighs about 3 kg (˜6.6 lbs) when filled with dry sand.

FIG. 7 is a 3D perspective illustrating an exemplary tether assembly 700 and FIG. 8 is 3D perspective illustrating details of the ball 706 of the tether assembly 700. The tether assembly 700 includes a tether cord 704 terminating at a first end in a loop 704b and at a second end in a knot or fold 704a. The first end 704a is configured to attach to a central bearing through, e.g., a swivel, snap hook, or carabiner, and may be formed by folding the cord 704 back on itself and binding with, e.g., a wire wrap, heat shrink, or an adhesive. The second end knot/fold 704b is inserted into a hole 706a in the ball 706 and held in place with an adhesive. (For sake of clarity, the ball 706 is presented as transparent in FIGS. 7 and 8.) The knot/fold 704b may be formed by folding the cord 704 back on itself and binding with, e.g., a wire wrap, heat shrink, or an adhesive or by looping the cord 704 about itself to form a knot.

In one advantageous embodiment: (1) the ball 706 is formed of an ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam for durability, elasticity, and resilience; (2) the ball 706 weighs about 3 grams (˜0.11 oz), though the mass of the ball can be tuned to the mass of the base as a heavier base will support the rotation of a heavier ball; (3) the ball 706 has a diameter of about 40 mm (1.57″); (4) the hole 706a in the ball 706 has a diameter of about 4.7 mm ( 3/16″) and a depth of about 2.5 cm (1″); (4) the cord 704 is an elastic strand with a nylon casing or coating; (5) the cord 704 has a diameter of about 4.7 mm (˜ 3/16″) and a length of about 29 cm (11.5″) after folding/knotting; and (6) the adhesive holding the tether cord end 704b in the ball 706 is a silicone-based adhesive for flexibility and elasticity.

FIG. 9 is a 3D perspective illustrating an exemplary ball assembly 900 that is configured to be a detachable component of a tether assembly. The ball assembly 900 includes a ball 906, similar to the balls 106 and 706 described above, and an attachment loop 907 that is configured to enable connection to a tether cord through, e.g., a carabiner, swivel, or corresponding cord loop. The attachment loop includes a loop end 907a, configured to connect to, e.g., a carabiner, and a fold/knot end 907b, configured to lodge in the hole of the ball 906. These are similar to the loop 704a and fold/knot 704b of the tether assembly 700 described above with reference to FIG. 7. Means other than the fold/knot 704b may be employed to lodge the attachment loop 907 (or tether 700) in the ball 906. For example, a barbed insert may be clamped or otherwise adhered to a cord, a barbed portion inserted into the hole in the ball, and adhered in place with an adhesive. Equivalently, an expanding anchor may be adhered to the cord, placed into the ball, expanded, and adhered in place. A common feature of these lodging means is that the portion that is lodged in the hole of the ball is larger than the hole at the surface of the ball. Preferably, the lodging means will be relatively soft and flexible and low mass to avoid damaging the club.

Other features may be included in a golf-swing training aid embodied as described herein. For example, a sensor for counting the number of rotations of the hit ball may be installed in the base. This sensor may be configured to, e.g., optically or electromagnetically monitor the central bearing, the swivel, the tether, or the ball to register the number of times the monitored component passes through a particular point. Another sensor may be included in the base and configured to optically or electromagnetically monitor the ball speed or club-head speed at the point of contact with the ball.

While the foregoing description is directed to the preferred embodiments of the invention, other and further embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the basic scope of the invention. And features described with reference to one embodiment may be combined with other embodiments, even if not explicitly stated above, without departing from the scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the claims which follow.