Golf club weight pattern determination apparatus and recommendation apparatus

• US 10,201,740 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2017
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: Onuki, Masahide, Kono, Masaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kevin Y
• Application Number:
  US15/483,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20170291064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/34 Angular speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/46 Measurement devices associated with golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like for measuring physical parameters relating to sporting activity, e.g. baseball bats with impact indicators or bracelets for measuring the golf swing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3617 Striking surfaces with impact indicating means, e.g. markers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/362 electrical or electronic
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3638 Normal golf clubs with directly attached weights
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/0023 Measuring of sport goods, e.g. bowling accessories, golfclubs, game balls

Abstract

Provided is a weight pattern determination apparatus for determining, in a golf club having a head capable of mounting one or more weights in a plurality of mounting patterns, the mounting pattern suited to a golfer. The apparatus has an impact point specification unit and a pattern determination unit. The impact point specification unit specifies an impact point distribution of the golfer. The pattern determination unit determines a recommended pattern which is the mounting pattern that approximates a sweet area of the golf club to the impact point distribution. According to the first aspect of the present invention, the impact point distribution of the golfer is specified, and a mounting pattern is determined based on this impact point distribution.

Claims

1. A weight pattern determination apparatus configured to determine, in a golf club having a head capable of mounting one or more weights in a plurality of mounting patterns, the mounting pattern suited to a golfer, the apparatus comprising:

a data acquisition unit of a computer configured to acquire measurement data obtained by measuring a swing motion of the golf club by the golfer using a measurement device, the measurement device including at least one of an angular velocity sensor and an acceleration sensor attached to the golf club;

an impact point specification unit of the computer configured to calculate a feature amount of a waveform of the measurement data, estimate impact points on the head according to the feature amount, and specify an impact point distribution of the golfer; and

a pattern determination unit of the computer configured to determine a recommended pattern which is the mounting pattern that approximates a sweet area of the golf club to the impact point distribution, the recommended pattern being such a pattern that a position of the sweet area in the head is moved closer to the impact point distribution if the one or more weights are mounted in the head with the recommended pattern.

2. The weight pattern determination apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the impact point specification unit is configured to specify the impact point distribution, based on the measurement data.

3. The weight pattern determination apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the measurement device includes at least one of an angular velocity sensor and an acceleration sensor attached to the golf club.

4. The weight pattern determination apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the impact point specification unit is configured to calculate a feature amount of the impact point distribution, and

the pattern determination unit is configured to determine the recommended pattern, based on the feature amount.

5. The weight pattern determination apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the impact point specification unit is configured to calculate a feature amount of the impact point distribution, and

the pattern determination unit is configured to determine the recommended pattern, based on the feature amount.

6. The weight pattern determination apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the impact point specification unit is configured to calculate a feature amount of the impact point distribution, and

the pattern determination unit is configured to determine the recommended pattern, based on the feature amount.

7. The weight pattern determination apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the feature amount includes at least one of a position of the impact point distribution in a toe-heel direction, a position of the impact point distribution in an up-down direction, and a slope of the impact point distribution.

8. The weight pattern determination apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the feature amount includes at least one of a position of the impact point distribution in a toe-heel direction, a position of the impact point distribution in an up-down direction, and a slope of the impact point distribution.

9. The weight pattern determination apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the feature amount includes at least one of a position of the impact point distribution in a toe-heel direction, a position of the impact point distribution in an up-down direction, and a slope of the impact point distribution.

10. The weight pattern determination apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the pattern determination unit is configured to determine the recommended pattern, with reference to predetermined information for specifying, with regard to each of the plurality of mounting patterns, a position of the sweet area in a case where the mounting pattern is applied.

11. The weight pattern determination apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the pattern determination unit is configured to determine the recommended pattern, with reference to predetermined information for specifying, with regard to each of the plurality of mounting patterns, a position of the sweet area in a case where the mounting pattern is applied.

12. The weight pattern determination apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the pattern determination unit is configured to determine the recommended pattern, with reference to predetermined information for specifying, with regard to each of the plurality of mounting patterns, a position of the sweet area in a case where the mounting pattern is applied.

13. The weight pattern determination apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display control unit of the computer configured to display, on a display unit, a screen illustrating the head in a state in which the one or more weights are arranged as per the recommended pattern.

14. The weight pattern determination apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display control unit of the computer configured to display, on a display unit, a screen illustrating the head, a position of the impact point distribution on the head and a position of the sweet area in a case where the recommended pattern is applied.

15. A weight pattern recommendation apparatus configured to recommend, in a golf club having a head capable of mounting one or more weights in a plurality of mounting patterns, the mounting pattern suited to a golfer, the apparatus comprising:

a data acquisition unit of a computer configured to acquire measurement data obtained by measuring a swing motion of the golf club by the golfer using a measurement device, the measurement device including at least one of an angular velocity sensor and an acceleration sensor attached to the golf club;

an impact point specification unit of the computer configured to calculate a feature amount of a waveform of the measurement data, estimate impact points on the head according to the feature amount, and specify an impact point distribution of the golfer based on the estimated impact point;

a first display control unit of the computer configured to display, on a display unit, a first diagram illustrating a position of an impact point distribution of the golfer on the head; and

a second display control unit of the computer configured to display, on the display unit, a second diagram illustrating the head in which the one or more weights are arranged as per a recommended pattern which is the mounting pattern that approximates a sweet area of the golf club to the impact point distribution, the recommended pattern being such a pattern that a position of the sweet area in the head is moved closer to the impact point distribution if the one or more weights are mounted in the head with the recommended pattern.

16. The weight pattern recommendation apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the first display control unit and the second display control unit are configured to overlay and display the first diagram and the second diagram on a same screen.

17. The weight pattern recommendation apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:

a third display control unit of the computer configured to display, on the display unit, a third diagram illustrating a position of the sweet area in a case where the recommended pattern in the head is applied.

18. The weight pattern recommendation apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein the first display control unit and the third display control unit are configured to overlay and display the first diagram and the third diagram on the same screen.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a weight pattern determination program for determining, in a golf club having a head capable of mounting one or more weights in a plurality of mounting patterns, the mounting pattern suited to a golfer, the program causing a computer to execute the steps of:

acquiring measurement data obtained by measuring a swing motion of the golf club by the golfer using a measurement device, the measurement device including at least one of an angular velocity sensor and an acceleration sensor attached to the golf club;

calculating a feature amount of a waveform of the measurement data;

estimating impact points on the head according to the feature amount;

specifying an impact point distribution of the golfer based on the estimated impact point; and

determining a recommended pattern which is the mounting pattern that approximates a sweet area of the golf club to the impact point distribution, based on the impact point distribution, the recommended pattern being such a pattern that a position of the sweet area in the head is moved closer to the impact point distribution if the one or more weights are mounted in the head with the recommended pattern.

20. A weight pattern determination method for determining, in a golf club having a head capable of mounting one or more weights in a plurality of mounting patterns, the mounting pattern suited to a golfer, the method comprising the steps of:

specifying an impact point distribution of the golfer; and

determining a recommended pattern which is the mounting pattern that approximates a sweet area of the golf club to the impact point distribution, based on the impact point distribution, the recommended pattern being such a pattern that a position of the sweet area in the head is moved closer to the impact point distribution if the one or more weights are mounted in the head with the recommended pattern; and

mounting the one or more weights in the head according to the recommended pattern.