Electrical golf club swing monitor

• US 3,992,012 A
• Filed: 10/20/1975
• Issued: 11/16/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ian R. Campbell
• Original Assignee: Ian R. Campbell
• Inventors: Campbell, Ian R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US05/623,945
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 273/186 R, 273/195 A, 273/186 C, 273/183 A, 273/181 E
• US Class Current: 473/225
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3623 for driving A63B69/3608, A63B69/3658, A63B69/3661, A63B69/3667 and A63B69/3691 take precedence

Abstract

A device for analysing the swing of a golf club having a base, said base having a ball support area, side spin detectors above said base with their free ends adjacent said ball support area for contact by a club head as it passes over said ball support area of said base in a swing with more than a predetermined amount of deviation wherein said side spin detectors comprise side spin resilient whiskers flexible to the passage of a club head thereacross; an electric circuit associated with each of said side spin resilient whiskers operable on flexing of its respective resilient whisker from a standby to an active condition; and an electric alarm for each of said side spin resilient whiskers responsive to the operation of its respective circuit to an active condition to indicate operation to the active condition. A timing device is provided to automatically return the circuit to a standby condition. Additional indicators are located above and below the side spin indicators to tell the golfer whether the club swing is high or low.

Claims

1. A device for recording the deviation of travel of a golf club head from a desired path, the device having a base and said base having a ball support area, and the device having deviation detectors above said base with their free ends adjacent said ball support area for contact by a club head as it passes over said ball support area of said base in a swing with more than a predetermined amount of deviation, wherein said detectors comprise:

laterally extending resilient whiskers flexible to the passage of a club head thereacross, the whiskers being supported at their fixed ends with respect to the base and having their free ends at the edge of said path, there being at least four of said whiskers, two on each side of said path extending generally toward the path;

an electric circuit associated with each of said resilient whiskers and each circuit including a contact engageable by its respective resilient whisker on flexing, and the circuit being operative upon such engagement to go from a standby to an active condition;

an electric indicator for each of said circuits and operative while said circuit is in an active condition to indicate flexing of the whisker associated therewith; and

timing means in each electric circuit for maintaining it in active condition for a predetermined time after engagement of said contact by said whisker, and then automatically returning the circuit to standby condition.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, and having first height detector means responsive to contact by said club head and mounted on said base with their upper extremities not more than 1/8 of an inch above said base, said first height detectors being behind said ball support area.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, in which said first height detector means comprises electricity conducting wires spaced apart transversely of the direction of swing and disposed to be electrically connected by the passage of the metallic base of a golf club head thereover, an electric circuit connected to said first height detector wires operable on electrical connection of said wires from a standby to an active condition, and an electric indicator for said first height detector means responsive to operation of its electric circuit to the active condition to indicate operation to the active condition.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, and having second height detector means, said second height detector means including a resilient height whisker with its free end adjacent said ball support area at a height above said laterally extending resilient whiskers, said height whisker being flexible to the passage of a club head thereacross.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4 an electric circuit associated with said resilient height detector whisker and including a contact engageable by said whisker on flexing to go from a standby to an active condition, and an electric indicator for said height detector means responsive to operation of its electrical circuit to the active condition to indicate operation to the active condition.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, and having first height detector means on said base which comprise electricity conducting wires spaced apart transversely of the direction of swing and disposed to be electrically connected by the passage of the metallic base of the golf club head thereover, an electric circuit connected to said first height detector wires operable on electrical connection of said wires from a standby to an active condition, and an electric indicator for said first height detector means responsive to operation of its electric circuit to the active condition to indicate operation to the active condition.