GOLF SWING MEASUREMENT SYSTEM, MEASUREMENT APPARATUS, AND MEASUREMENT METHOD

• US 20130305806A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation, Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hideo Matsunaga, Hirotada Iwade, Koji Takao, Takashi Saito
• Inventors: SAITO, Takashi, TAKAO, Koji, MATSUNAGA, Hideo, IWADE, Hirotada
• Application Number:
  US13/839,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20130305806A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/11.01
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/08 with special arrangements for obtaining a variable impact
• 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: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30204 Marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30221 Sports video; Sports image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30241 Trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments

Abstract

The system (1) for measuring a golf swing according to the present invention is provided with at least two image pickup apparatuses that each capture an image of a golf club (5) that includes at least one head identifier attached to the head and with a measurement apparatus that measures the force acting on the head of the golf club (5) based on position information of the at least one head identifier, the position information being acquired from the images of the golf club (5) captured during a swing.

Claims

1. A system for measuring force acting on a head of a golf club during a swing, comprising:

at least two image pickup apparatuses each configured to capture an image of the golf club, the golf club including at least one head identifier attached to the head for specification of a position on the head; and

a measurement apparatus configured to measure the force acting on the head of the golf club based on position information of the at least one head identifier, the position information being acquired from the images of the golf club captured by the image pickup apparatuses during the swing.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the measurement apparatus comprises:

an image acquisition unit configured to acquire the images of the golf club during the swing from the image pickup apparatuses;

a position information acquisition unit configured to recognize the at least one head identifier in the acquired images and to acquire position information of the recognized at least one head identifier; and

a measurement unit configured to measure, as the force acting on the head of the golf club, a centrifugal force and an inertial force acting on the head of the golf club based on the acquired position information.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the measurement unit measures the centrifugal force and the inertial force as the force acting on the head of the golf club by resolving the centrifugal force and the inertial force into components in a striking direction of the swing and a toe down direction.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the at least one head identifier is positioned for specification of an orientation and a center of gravity of the head,

the image pickup apparatuses capture the images of the golf club, the golf club including the at least one head identifier and at least one shaft axis identifier positioned for specification of a shaft axis of the golf club,

the position information acquisition unit acquires position information of the at least one head identifier and the at least one shaft axis identifier from the images, and

the measurement unit measures the centrifugal force and the inertial force as the force acting on the head of the golf club by resolving the centrifugal force and the inertial force into the components in the striking direction of the swing and the toe down direction based on the position information of the at least one head identifier and the at least one shaft axis identifier.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the measurement unit further measures, as the force acting on the golf club, torque acting on a shaft of the golf club based on the centrifugal force and the inertial force.

6. An apparatus for measuring force acting on a head of a golf club during a swing, wherein the apparatus measures the force acting on the head of the golf club based on position information of at least one head identifier attached to the head for specification of a position on the head, the position information being acquired from an image of the golf club captured during the swing.

7. A method for measuring force acting on a head of a golf club during a swing, comprising the steps of:

attaching at least one head identifier to the head for specification of a position on the head;

capturing an image of the golf club including the at least one head identifier;

acquiring position information of the at least one head identifier from the image of the golf club captured during the swing; and

determining the force acting on the head of the golf club based on the position information.