GOLFER'S IMPACT PROPERTIES DURING A GOLF SWING

• US 20080020867A1
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: MANWARING, SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US11/828,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20080020867A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/407
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0031 at the starting point
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/05 Image processing for measuring physical parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/16 Angular positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/24 Angular displacement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/35 Spin
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/89 Field sensors, e.g. radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/74 with powered illuminating means, e.g. lights
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0003 Analysing the course of a movement or motion sequences during an exercise or trainings sequence, e.g. swing for golf or tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/362 electrical or electronic
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3632 Clubs or attachments on clubs, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence; clubs for swinging exercises in general A63B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3658 Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities

Abstract

A method for determining a golfer'"'"'s golf club head orientation and impact location for a golf swing is disclosed herein. The method inputs the optimized values for the golf club head orientation and impact location, a plurality of golf swing properties of a golfer, a plurality of mass properties of a first golf club, and a plurality of mass properties of a first golf ball into a rigid body code. A plurality of calculated ball launch parameters is generated from the rigid body, which are compared to a plurality of actual ball launch parameters measured using a CMOS imaging system. The ball launch parameters are compared to each other to verify the optimized values. If the verification is not within a predetermined value, new optimized values are selected for the method. The method is repeated until the verification is within the value.

Claims

1. A method for determining a golfer'"'"'s impact properties during impact of a golf club with a golf ball, the method comprising:

obtaining a first optimization value, the first optimization value comprising an orientation of a golf club head of the golf club during impact with a golf ball and an impact location of the golf ball on a face of the golf club head;

measuring an angular velocity of the golf club and a linear velocity of the golf club during the golfer'"'"'s swing using a CMOS imaging system, the CMOS imaging system having a sensor array with at least one megapixel in size, wherein the CMOS imaging system forms a region of interest operating at a frame rate of 1000 to 4000 frames per second prior to the golf club entering the field of view and then forms subsequent regions of interest as the golf club travels through the field of view;

measuring a plurality of actual ball launch parameters using the CMOS imaging system;

inputting a plurality of golf club properties, a plurality of golf ball properties, the angular velocity of the golf club, the linear velocity of the golf club, and the first optimization value into a rigid body code;

generating a plurality of calculated ball launch parameters from the rigid body code; and

verifying the accuracy of the plurality of calculated ball launch parameters to actual ball parameters by obtaining a plurality of absolute values of the differences between each of the ball launch parameters of the plurality of calculated ball launch parameters and the plurality of actual ball launch parameters, weighting each of the plurality of absolute values of the differences to create a plurality of weighted values, and obtaining an error value from the root-mean-sum of the plurality of weighted values.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of golf club head properties comprises the mass of the golf club head, the location of the center of gravity of the golf club head relative to the impact location of the golf ball, the inertia tensor of the golf club head, the geometry of the face of the golf club head, the bulge and roll radii of the face of the golf club head, the loft of the golf club head and the face center location of the golf club head.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of golf ball properties comprises the mass of the golf ball, the coefficient of restitution of the first golf ball at a speed of 143 feet per second, the moment of inertia of the golf ball and the radius of the golf ball.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of actual ball launch parameters comprises a launch angle of the golf ball, a side angle of the golf ball, a golf ball speed, a side spin of the golf ball and a back spin of the golf ball.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of calculated ball launch parameters comprises a launch angle of the golf ball, a side angle of the golf ball, a golf ball speed, a side spin of the golf ball and a back spin of the golf ball.

6. The method according to claim 2 wherein the plurality of golf club head properties further comprises the coefficient of restitution of the golf club head when striking the golf ball, and a spin coefficient of restitution of the golf club head when striking the golf ball.

7. A method for determining a golfer'"'"'s impact properties during impact of a golf club with a golf ball, the method comprising:

a) providing an optimization value, the optimization value comprising an orientation of a golf club head of the golf club during impact with the golf ball and an impact location of the golf ball on a face of the golf club head;

b) measuring an angular velocity of the golf club and a linear velocity of the golf club during the golfer'"'"'s swing using a CMOS imaging system, the CMOS imaging system having a sensor array with at least one megapixel in size, wherein the CMOS imaging system forms a region of interest operating at a frame rate of 1000 to 4000 frames per second prior to the golf club entering the field of view and then forms subsequent regions of interest as the golf club travels through the field of view during the golfer'"'"'s swing;

c) measuring a plurality of actual ball launch parameters using the CMOS imaging system;

d) providing a plurality of golf club head properties for the golf club;

e) providing a plurality of golf ball properties for the golf ball;

f) inputting the plurality of golf club properties, the plurality of golf ball properties, the angular velocity of the golf club, the linear velocity of the golf club, and the optimization value into a rigid body code;

g) generating a plurality of calculated ball launch parameters from the rigid body code;

h) verifying the accuracy of the plurality of calculated ball launch parameters to actual ball parameters by obtaining a plurality of absolute values of the differences between each of the ball launch parameters of the plurality of calculated ball launch parameters and the plurality of actual ball launch parameters, weighting each of the plurality of absolute values of the differences to create a plurality of weighted values, and obtaining an error value from the root-mean-sum of the plurality of weighted values;

i) repeating steps d-h with different optimization values using non-linear optimization methods until the accuracy of the plurality of calculated ball launch parameters is verified to measurements in step c.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the optimization value for the orientation of the golf club head comprises the yaw of the golf club head, the pitch of the golf club head and the roll of the golf club head, all relative to the ground.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein the optimization value for the impact location of the golf ball with the golf club head comprises a X-coordinate relative to the center of a face of the golf club head and a Y-coordinate relative to the center of the face of the golf club head.

10. The method according to claim 7 wherein the optimization values are generated from the Powell non-linear optimization method.

11. The method according to claim 7 wherein the plurality of golf club head properties comprises the mass of the golf club head, the location of the center of gravity of the golf club head relative to the impact location of the golf ball, the inertia tensor of the golf club head, the geometry of the face of the golf club head, the bulge and roll radii of the face of the golf club head, the loft of the golf club head and the face center location of the golf club head.

12. The method according to claim 7 wherein the plurality of golf ball properties comprises the mass of the golf ball, the coefficient of restitution of the first golf ball at a speed of 143 feet per second, the moment of inertia of the golf ball and the radius of the golf ball.

13. The method according to claim 7 wherein the plurality of actual ball launch parameters comprises a launch angle of the golf ball, a side angle of the golf ball, a golf ball speed, a side spin of the golf ball and a back spin of the golf ball.

14. The method according to claim 7 wherein the plurality of calculated ball launch parameters comprises a launch angle of the golf ball, a side angle of the golf ball, a golf ball speed, a side spin of the golf ball and a back spin of the golf ball.

15. A method for determining a golfer'"'"'s impact properties during a golf swing, the method comprising:

inputting a plurality of golf club properties, a plurality of golf ball properties, an angular velocity of a golf club, a linear velocity of the golf club, and an optimization value into a rigid body code, wherein the optimization value is generated from a Powell non-linear optimization method;

generating a plurality of calculated ball launch parameters from the rigid body code; and

verifying the accuracy of the plurality of calculated ball launch parameters against a plurality of actual ball launch parameters measured using a CMOS imaging system, the CMOS imaging system having a sensor array with at least one megapixel in size, wherein the CMOS imaging system forms a region of interest operating at a frame rate of 1000 to 4000 frames per second prior to a golf ball entering the field of view and then forms subsequent regions of interest as the golf ball travels through the field of view.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the optimization value comprises an orientation of the golf club head during impact with a golf ball and an impact location of the golf ball on the golf club head.

17. A method for determining a golfer'"'"'s impact properties during a golf swing, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of golf club head properties for a golf club;

providing a plurality of golf ball properties for a golf ball;

providing a first optimization value, the first optimization value comprising an orientation of the golf club head during impact with a golf ball and an impact location of the golf ball on the golf club head;

measuring an angular velocity of the golf club and the linear velocity of the golf club during the golfer'"'"'s swing;

measuring a plurality of actual ball launch parameters;

inputting the plurality of golf club properties, the plurality of golf ball properties, the angular velocity of the golf club, the linear velocity of the golf club, and the first optimization value into a rigid body code;

generating a plurality of calculated ball launch parameters from the rigid body code; and

verifying the accuracy of the plurality of calculated ball launch parameters.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein the plurality of golf club head properties comprises the mass of the golf club head, the location of the center of gravity of the golf club head relative to the impact location of the golf ball, the inertia tensor of the golf club head, the geometry of the face of the golf club head, the bulge and roll radii of the face of the golf club head, the loft of the golf club head and the face center location of the golf club head.

19. The method according to claim 17 wherein the plurality of golf ball properties comprises the mass of the golf ball, the coefficient of restitution of the first golf ball at a speed of 143 feet per second, the moment of inertia of the golf ball and the radius of the golf ball.

20. The method according to claim 17 wherein the plurality of actual ball launch parameters comprises a launch angle of the golf ball, a side angle of the golf ball, a golf ball speed, a side spin of the golf ball and a back spin of the golf ball.

21. The method according to claim 17 wherein the plurality of calculated ball launch parameters comprises a launch angle of the golf ball, a side angle of the golf ball, a golf ball speed, a side spin of the golf ball and a back spin of the golf ball.

22. A method for determining a golfer'"'"'s impact properties during a golf swing, the method comprising:

b) providing an optimization value, the optimization value comprising an orientation of the golf club head during impact with a golf ball and an impact location of the golf ball on the golf club head;

b) measuring an angular velocity of the golf club and the linear velocity of the golf club during the golfer'"'"'s swing;

c) measuring a plurality of actual ball launch parameters, wherein the plurality of actual ball launch parameters comprises a launch angle of the golf ball, a side angle of the golf ball, a golf ball speed, a side spin of the golf ball and a back spin of the golf ball;

d) providing a plurality of golf club head properties for a golf club, wherein the plurality of golf club head properties comprises a mass of the golf club head, a location of the center of gravity of the golf club head relative to the impact location of the golf ball, an inertia tensor of the golf club head, the geometry of the face of the golf club head, a bulge and roll radii of the face of the golf club head, a loft of the golf club head and a face center location of the golf club head;

e) providing a plurality of golf ball properties for a golf ball, wherein the plurality of golf ball properties comprises a mass of the golf ball, a coefficient of restitution of the first golf ball at a speed of 143 feet per second, a moment of inertia of the golf ball and a radius of the golf ball;

f) inputting the plurality of golf club properties, the plurality of golf ball properties, the angular velocity of the golf club, the linear velocity of the golf club, and the optimization value into a rigid body code;

g) generating a plurality of calculated ball launch parameters from the rigid body code, wherein the plurality of calculated ball launch parameters comprises a launch angle of the golf ball, a side angle of the golf ball, a golf ball speed, a side spin of the golf ball and a back spin of the golf ball;

h) verifying the accuracy of the plurality of calculated ball launch parameters;

i) repeating steps d-h with different optimization values until the accuracy of the plurality of calculated ball launch parameters is verified.

23. The method according to claim 22 wherein the verifying the accuracy of the plurality of calculated ball launch parameters comprises:

obtaining a plurality of absolute values of the differences between each of the ball launch parameters of the plurality of calculated ball launch parameters and the plurality of actual ball launch parameters;

weighting each of the plurality of absolute values of the differences to create a plurality of weighted values; and

obtaining an error value from the root-mean-sum of the plurality of weighted values.

24. The method according to claim 22 wherein the optimization value for the orientation of the golf club head comprises the yaw of the golf club head, the pitch of the golf club head and the roll of the golf club head, all relative to the ground.

25. The method according to claim 22 wherein the optimization value for the impact location of the golf ball with the golf club head comprises a X-coordinate relative to the center of a face of the golf club head and a Y-coordinate relative to the center of the face of the golf club head.