Golf club face position detection system

• US 20050261069A1
• Filed: 05/19/2004
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James L. Shenoha, Kevin G. Weeks
• Original Assignee: James L. Shenoha, Kevin G. Weeks
• Inventors: Weeks, Kevin G., Shenoha, James L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,381,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/155
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3614 using electro-magnetic, magnetic or ultrasonic radiation emitted, reflected or interrupted by the golf club

Abstract

A golf club face position detection system incorporates a light beam reflected off the face of a golf club as the face strikes the ball which activates a circuit to capture the image of the reflected light beam against a target area thereby indicating horizontal and vertical angulation of the face at or near the time of ball contact.

Claims

1. The method of detecting and displaying the attitude of a golf club face at approximately the time of contact with the ball which comprises the steps of providing a laser beam generator aimed to intersect with the face of a club at a ball address point and to reflect from a surface feature associated with the clubface to a target zone, providing a surface at the target zone adapted to display the reflection of the laser beam and to thereby indicate face attitude of the club, detecting initial motion of the ball struck by the clubface at the address point, and activating a recording device to record the target surface condition at the time of detection of the initial movement of the ball.

2. The method of claim 1 including the step of providing an indicator associated with the target zone indicating detection of movement of the ball and recording said indication by said recording device.

3. A system for detecting and displaying the attitude of the face of a golf club at approximately the moment of striking a golf ball which comprises:

a laser having a beam redirected by a reflective surface associated with the face of a golf club at a ball address area, a motion detector detecting the motion of a ball positioned at the ball striking area, a target surface positioned to be intersected by a laser beam reflected from the club'"'"'s surface, the motion detector effective to output a signal upon detecting movement of the ball, the signal activating an indicator.

4. The system of claim 3 including a recording device effective to record the target surface at the time of activation of the motion detector.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the target surface includes a grid indicative of clubface attitude by position of the reflected laser beam at the grid.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein a recording device is adapted to record both the image of the target surface and the indicator.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the recording device is a camera having a lens focused at the target surface.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the clubface is provided with a reflective means adapted to reflect the laser beam.

10. The system of claim 4 wherein the indicator is a light and the camera is effective to capture the condition of the light.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the camera includes a viewing display.

9. A system for displaying clubface attitude of a golf club at the time of striking a golf ball comprising a golf club having a reflective surface portion, a golf ball positioned at and address position, a target surface positioned remote from the address position, a laser beam generator positioned to direct a laser beam to adjacent the address position for reflection by the reflective surface portion to the target surface, a motion detector effective to detect initial motion of the ball from the address position, the motion detector outputting a signal to activate an indicator to indicate initial movement of the ball, a camera effective to capture an image of the target surface upon impingement of the reflected laser beam against said surface.