Golf trainer for calculating ball carry

• US 4,844,469 A
• Filed: 10/05/1982
• Issued: 07/04/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Ogawa, Koji, Taguchi, Hiroaki, Yasuda, Yoshinori, Tsutsumi, Takao, Takase, Akio
• Primary Examiner(s): Lastova, Maryann
• Application Number:
  US06/432,877
• Time in Patent Office: 2,464 Days
• Field of Search: 273/1 M, 273/11 C, 273/48, 273/49, 273/54 A, 273/181 E, 273/181 F, 273/181 G, 273/181 H, 273/181 J, 273/186 R, 273/186 A, 273/186 B, 273/186 C , 273/186 D, 340/323 R
• US Class Current: 473/225
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/89 Field sensors, e.g. radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3605 Golf club selection aids informing player of his average or expected shot distance for each club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3661 Mats for golf practice, e.g. mats having a simulated turf, a practice tee or a green area

Abstract

A golf trainer includes magnetic sensors for detecting the passage of a golf club head and is provided with a device for electronically measuring the speed of the club. The carry of the ball is also calculated, except when the club selected for use is a putter, from data regarding the club selected and the characteristics of the speed of this club versus the carry of the ball.

Claims

1. A golf trainer;

comprising;

at least one sensor for detecting a swinging golf club head to produce detection signals,

golf club selecting means for selecting a golf club head to be used with said golf trainer,

signal generating means for processing said detection signals to produce signals which permit calculation of the velocity of a head of said selected golf club,

converter means for processing output signals from the signal generating means and said golf club selecting means to calculate the velocity of the club head and to convert said velocity into data corresponding to the carry of a golf ball hit by said selected golf club,

a memory for storing data output by said converter means, and

display means for displaying the data stored in said memory.

2. A golf trainer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said converter means comprises a club data memory for storing predetermined club data individually set for various clubs,

a club data selector for selecting club data corresponding to the club selected by said golf club selecting means from the club data in said club data memory, and

a means for calculating the velocity of said club head by processing the signals from said signal generating means and for calculating said carry of the ball using said club data selected by said club data selector in a predetermined order of calculation.

3. A golf trainer as set forth in claim 1, wherein said converter means comprises a club data memory for storing predetermined calculation programs individually set for various clubs,

a club data selector for selecting a calculation program corresponding to a club selected by said golf club selecting means from the calculation programs in said club data memory, and

means for calculating the velocity of said club head by processing output signals from said signal generating means and for converting the velocity into data corresponding to the carry of the ball in accordance with the calculation program selected by said club data selector.

4. A golf trainer, comprising;

at least one sensor for detecting a swinging club head to produce detection signals,

golf club selecting means for selecting a golf club to be used with said trainer,

signal generating means for processing said detection signals to produce signals which permit calculation of the velocity of said club head,

converter means for processing output signals from said signal generating means and said golf club selecting means to calculate the velocity of said club head and to convert said velocity into data corresponding to the carry of a golf ball hit by the golf club selected by the golf club selecting means based on statistical data defining interrelationships between the velocity of a club head and the carry of a golf ball,

a memory for storing data output by said converter means, and

display means for displaying the data stored in said memory.

5. A golf trainer as claimed in claim 4, wherein said converter means comprises a club data memory for storing predetermined club data individually set for various clubs based on statistical data defining interrelationships between the velocity of a club head and the carry of a golf ball,

a club data selector for selecting club data corresponding to the club selected by said golf club selecting means from said club data in said club data memory, and

means for calculating the velocity of said club head by processing output signals from said signal generating means and for calculating the carry of the ball using said club head data selected by said club data selector in a predetermined order of calculation.

6. A golf trainer as set forth in claim 4, wherein said converter means comprises a club data memory for storing predetermined calculation programs individually set for various clubs based on statistical data defining interrelationships between the velocity of a club head and the carry of a golf ball,

a club data selector for selecting a calculation program corresponding to the club selected by said golf club selecting means from the calculation programs in said club data memory, and

means for calculating the velocity of the club head by processing output signals from said signal generating means and for converting said velocity into data corresponding to the carry of the ball in accordance with said calculation program selected by said club data selector.

7. A golf trainer, comprising;

a plurality of magnetic sensors disposed at a given interval in the direction of a golf club swing for generating outputs when the golf club passes said sensors,

pulse signal generating means for selecting zero-crossing points of said sensor outputs to produce a pulse signal at each zero-crossing point,

oscillator means for generating high frequency clock pulses,

time measuring means for counting the number of said clock pulses in an interval between a first and a second pulse signal generated asynchronously by said pulse signal generating means to measure the period of time it takes for said golf club to pass through said given interval,

club selecting means for selecting a golf club to be used with said trainer,

converter means for calculating the velocity of said club head from the period of time measured by said time measuring means and the distance between said sensors, and for converting said data into data corresponding to the carry of a golf ball hit by the golf club selected by said club selecting means,

a memory for storing data ouptut by the converter means, and

display means for displaying the data stored in said memory.

8. A golf trainer as set forth in claim 7, wherein said converter means comprises a club data memory for storing predetermined calculation programs individually set for various clubs,

a club data selector for selecting a calculation program corresponding to the club selected by said golf club selecting means from the calculation programs in the club data memory, and

means for calculating the velocity of the club head from both the period of time measured by said time measuring means and the distance between the sensors and for converting the velocity into data corresponding to the carry of the ball in accordance with the calculation program selected by said club data selector.

9. A golf trainer as set forth in claim 7, wherein said converter means comprises a club data memory for storing predetermined calculation programs which are individually set for various clubs based on statistical data defining interrelationships between the velocity of a club head and the carry of a golf ball,

a club data selector for selecting a calculation program corresponding to the club selected by said golf club selecting means from the calculation programs in said club data memory, and

means for calculating the velocity of said club head from both the period of time measured by said time measuring means and the distance between the sensors and for calculating, using the velocity of said club head and said club data selected by said club data selector, in a predetermined order of calculation, to obtain data corresponding to the carry of the ball.

10. A golf trainer, comprising;

at least one sensor for detecting a swinging golf club head to produce detection signals,

golf club selecting means for selecting a golf club head to be used with said trainer,

signal generating means for processing said detection signals to produce signals which permit calculation of the velocity of the club head,

converter means for processing output signals from the signal generating means and the golf club selecting means to calculate the velocity of the club head and to convert the velocity into data corresponding to the carry of a golf ball hit by the golf club selected by said golf club selecting means,

a memory for storing the output data of said converter means,

display means for displaying the data stored in said memory, and

means for preventing the said display means from displaying the carry of the ball when a putter is selected by said club selecting means.

11. A golf trainer, comprising;

at least one sensor for detecting a swinging club head to produce detection signals,

golf club selecting means for selecting a golf club to be used,

signal generating means for processing said detection signals to produce signals which permit calculation of the velocity of the club head,

converter means for processing output signals from the signal generating means and the golf club selecting means to calculate the velocity of the club head and to convert the velocity into data corresponding to the carry of a golf ball hit by the golf club selected by the golf club selecting means based on statistical data defining interrelationships between the velocity of a club head and the carry of a golf ball,

a memory for storing data output by said converter means,

display means for displaving the data stored in said memory, and

means for preventing the display means from displaying the carry of the ball when a putter is selected by said club selecting means.

12. A golf trainer, comprising;

a plurality of magnetic sensors disposed at a given interval in the direction of a golf club swing for generating respective outputs when the golf club passes the sensors,

pulse signal generating means for selecting zero-crossing points of the outputs of the sensors to produce a pulse signal at each zero-crossing point,

oscillator means for generating a high frequency clock pulses,

time measuring means for counting the number of clock pulses in an interval between a first and a second pulse signal generated asynchronously by said pulse signal generating means to measure the period of time it takes for the golf club to pass through said given interval,

club selecting means for selecting a golf club to be used,

converter means for calculating the velocity of the club head from both the period of time measured by said time measuring means and the distance between the sensors and for converting the data into data corresponding to the carry of a golf ball hit by the golf club selected by said club selecting means,

a means for storing data output by said converter means,

display means for displaying the data stored in said memory, and

means for preventing the display means from displaying the carry of the ball when a putter is selected by said club selecting means.

13. A golf trainer, comprising;

at least one sensor for detecting a swinging golf club head to produce detection signals,

golf club selecting means for selecting a golf club head to be used with said trainer,

signal generating means for processing said detection signals to produce signals which permit calculation of the velocity of the club head,

converter means for processing the output signals from the signal generating means and the golf club selecting means to calculate the velocity of the club head and to convert the velocity into data corresponding to the carry of a golf ball hit by the golf club selected by said golf club selecting means,

a memory for storing the data output by said converter means,

display means for displaying the data stored in said memory, and

a means for producing a reset signal which resets said memory upon production of said detection signals.

14. A golf trainer as set forth in claim 13, wherein said means for producing a reset signal operates to produce such reset signal when a velocity of the club head as calculated by said converter means is within a predetermined range.

15. A golf trainer as set forth in claim 13, wherein said means for producing a reset signal operates to produce such reset signal when a velocity of the club head as calculated by said converter means is in excess of a predetermined value.

16. A golf trainer, comprising:

at least one sensor for detecting a swinging club head to produce detection signals,

golf club selecting means for selecting a golf club to be used with said trainer,

signal generating means for processing said detection signals to produce signals which permit calculation of the velocity of the club head.

converter for processing output signals from the signal generating means and the golf club selecting means to calculate the velocity of the club head and to convert the velocity into data corresponding to the carry of a golf ball hit by the golf club selected by the golf club selecting means based on statistical data defining interrelationships between the velocity of a club head and the carry of a golf ball,

a memory for storing data output by said converter means,

display means for displaying the data stored in said memory, and

means for producing a reset signal which resets said memory upon production of said detection signals.

17. A golf trainer, comprising;

a plurality of magnetic sensors disposed at a given interval in the direction of a golf club swing for generating respective outputs when the golf club passes thereover,

pulse signal generating means for selecting zero-crossing points of the outputs of the sensors to produce a pulse signal at each zero-crossing point,

oscillator means for generating high frequency clock pulses,

time measuring means for counting the number of the clock pulses in an interval between first and second pulse signals generated asynchronously by said pulse signal generating means to measure the period of time it takes for the golf club to pass through said interval between said sensors,

club selecting means for selecting a golf club to be used with said trainer,

converter means for calculating the velocity of the club head from both the period of time measured by said time measuring means and the distance between the sensors and for converting said data into data corresponding to the carry of a golf ball hit by a golf club selected by said club selecting means,

a memory for storing data output by said converter means,

display means for displaying the data stored in said memory, and

means for producing a reset signal for resetting said memory when said sensors produce said output signals.

18. A golf trainer, comprising;

a plurality of sensors for detecting a swinging golf club head to produce detection signals,

golf club selecting means for selecting a golf head to be used with said trainer,

signal generating means for processing said detection signals from said sensors to produce signals which permit calculation of the velocity of the club head,

converter means for processing output signals from the signal generating means and the golf club selecting means to calculate the velocity of the club head and to convert the velocity into data corresponding to the carry of a golf ball hit by a golf club selected by the golf club selecting means,

a memory for storing the data output by said converter means,

display means for displaying the data stored in said memory,

means for determining an order in which the club head passed said sensors, and

discrimination means for receiving the output from the determining means and comparing said output with a predetermined pattern, said discrimination means producing a signal causing said converter means to calculate the velocity of the club head when the output and the pattern coincide with each other.

19. A golf trainer, comprising;

a plurality of sensors for detecting a swinging golf club head to produce detection signals,

golf club selecting means for selecting a golf club head to be used with said trainer,

signal generating means for processing said detection signals from said sensors to produce signals which permit calculation of the velocity of the club head,

converter means for processing output signals from the signal generating means and the golf club selecting means to calculate the velocity of the club head and to convert the velocity into data corresponding to the carry of a golf ball hit by a golf club selected by the golf club selecting means on statistical data defining interrelationships between the velocity of a club head and the carry of a golf ball,

a memory for storing the data output by said converter means,

display means for displaying the data stored in said memory,

means for determining the order in which the club head passed said sensors, and

discrimination means for receiving an output from said determining means and comparing said output with a predetermined pattern, said discrimination means producing a signal causing said converter means to calculate the velocity of the club head when the output and the predetermined pattern coincide with each other.

20. A golf trainer, comprising;

club selecting means for selecting a golf club to be used with said trainer,

a plurality of magnetic sensors disposed at a given interval in the direction of a golf club swing for generating respective outputs when the golf club passes said sensors,

pulse signal generating means for selecting zero-crossing points of said outputs of said sensors to produce a pulse signal at each zero-crossing point,

oscillator means for generating high frequency clock pulses,

time measuring means for counting the number of clock pulses in an interval between first and second pulse signals generated asynchronously by said pulse signal generating means to measure the period of time it takes for the golf club to pass through said interval between said sensors,

converter means for calculating the velocity of the club head from both the period of time measured by said time measuring means the distance between the sensors and converting said data into data corresponding to the carry of a golf ball hit by a golf club selected by said club selecting means,

a memory for storing data output by said converter means,

display means for displaying the data stored in said memory,

means for determining the order in which the club head passed said sensors, and

discrimination means for receiving the output from said determining means and comparing said output with a predetermined pattern, said discrimination means producing a signal causing said converter means to calculate the velocity of the club head when the output and the predetermined orders coincide with each other.