Sports equipment swing training aid incorporating a reversible thermochromatic leuco dye for providing a temporary visual swing-related feedback to a user and a method of use
First Claim
1. A golf club swing practice aid system for providing visible feedback relating to characteristics of a user'"'"'s swing of a golf club while attempting to strike a golf ball or attempting to strike a user-visualized imaginary golf ball with a golf ball contact end of the golf club, the practice aid system comprising:
- a strip of resilient substrate, the resilient substrate strip in the form of a thin planar adhesive tape having a first exposed textured surface, an opposite second substrate surface having an adhesive layer disposed thereon, wherein said resilient substrate strip is configured and otherwise sized and shaped for being adhesively secured to a bottom surface of said golf ball contact end of said golf club;
an impact pad having a topside constructed and configured for supporting the golf ball or user-visualized imaginary golf ball intended to be struck by said golf ball contact end while swinging said golf club; and
a reversible thermochromic leuco dye integrated into a surface area of said impact pad topside along which frictional contact is made between said surface area of said impact pad topside and said exposed textured surface of said thin planar adhesive tape when said user swings said golf club such that said exposed textured surface of said resilient substrate strip makes frictional contact with said surface area of said impact pad, said reversible thermochromic leuco dye having the characteristic of temporarily displaying a visibly noticeable color change resulting from an increase in temperature generated from said frictional contact,wherein, during the process of swinging said golf club and striking said impact pad with said exposed textured surface of said resilient substrate strip, said frictional contact is increased by the presence, as compared to the absence, of contact of said exposed textured surface of said resilient substrate strip with said impact pad topside surface area and thereby the temperature increase of said thermochromic leuco dye is enhanced such that a resulting enhanced depth of color change along said entire contact surface area of said impact pad topside is produced that increases the visibility of a temporarily visible contact path made in said reversible thermochromic leuco dye on said impact pad topside during said swing.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sports mat system incorporating a reversible thermochromic leuco dye includes an impact pad portion having a reversible thermochromic leuco dye incorporated into it in order to provide a temporary visual indication of the path of a sports apparatus swing. The impact portion changes color with a temperature change due to frictional contact between the pad and the equipment being swung, in order to visually illustrate the swing path of the club along with the club head/face orientation during impact. In another implementation, a racquet is provided incorporating a reversible thermochromic leuco dye into a portion of racquet strings to temporarily visually illustrate the contact area between the racquet face and a ball being struck, in order to provide the user with feedback relating to characteristics of their swing.
16 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A golf club swing practice aid system for providing visible feedback relating to characteristics of a user'"'"'s swing of a golf club while attempting to strike a golf ball or attempting to strike a user-visualized imaginary golf ball with a golf ball contact end of the golf club, the practice aid system comprising:
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a strip of resilient substrate, the resilient substrate strip in the form of a thin planar adhesive tape having a first exposed textured surface, an opposite second substrate surface having an adhesive layer disposed thereon, wherein said resilient substrate strip is configured and otherwise sized and shaped for being adhesively secured to a bottom surface of said golf ball contact end of said golf club; an impact pad having a topside constructed and configured for supporting the golf ball or user-visualized imaginary golf ball intended to be struck by said golf ball contact end while swinging said golf club; and a reversible thermochromic leuco dye integrated into a surface area of said impact pad topside along which frictional contact is made between said surface area of said impact pad topside and said exposed textured surface of said thin planar adhesive tape when said user swings said golf club such that said exposed textured surface of said resilient substrate strip makes frictional contact with said surface area of said impact pad, said reversible thermochromic leuco dye having the characteristic of temporarily displaying a visibly noticeable color change resulting from an increase in temperature generated from said frictional contact, wherein, during the process of swinging said golf club and striking said impact pad with said exposed textured surface of said resilient substrate strip, said frictional contact is increased by the presence, as compared to the absence, of contact of said exposed textured surface of said resilient substrate strip with said impact pad topside surface area and thereby the temperature increase of said thermochromic leuco dye is enhanced such that a resulting enhanced depth of color change along said entire contact surface area of said impact pad topside is produced that increases the visibility of a temporarily visible contact path made in said reversible thermochromic leuco dye on said impact pad topside during said swing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification