Putting stroke training device

• US 4,900,030 A
• Filed: 05/06/1988
• Issued: 02/13/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bradley L. Houtz
• Original Assignee: Bradley L. Houtz
• Inventors: Houtz, Bradley L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coven, Edward M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US07/191,012
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 273/35 R, 273/32 R-32 C, 273/32 H, 273/183 R-183 B, 273/183 E, 273/186 R, 273/186 C, 273/187 R-187 B, 273/188 R-188 A , 273/186 C-186 D, 273/189 R, 273/191 R-191 B, 273/192, 273/195, 273/26 R, 272/101, 272/102, 434/252, 135/67
• US Class Current: 473/258
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0694 Visual indication, e.g. Indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/09 Adjustable dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/36211 Mechanical guides guiding the club head end during the complete swing, e.g. rails
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3676 for putting A63B69/3608, A63B69/3661, A63B69/3667 and A63B69/3697 take precedence

Abstract

A device for improving putting strokes used by golfers includes a guide member which is spaced from the ground for sliding contact with the back side of a putter shaft. The guide member includes a straight section in regions overlying a target area of the ball, and also includes a curved rearward section so that the club swings through a natural pendulum motion during the back swing and down swing of the putting stroke. In preferred embodiments, the guide member is provided with a number of matched pairs of spaced apart indicia which may be visually observed by the golfer to ensure that the putting stroke is balanced and extends equal distances on opposite sides of the ball target area. Advantageously, the device is foldable to a collapsed, relatively small profile for transport or storage, and also may be set up in a reversed orientation for use by left-handed golfers.

Claims

1. In a practice putting device for use by a golfer holding a golfing putter by the handle thereof for aiding the golfer in developing a pendulum-like putting stroke, the putter having a putter head and a shank portion adjacent thereto, said device comprising:

a frame including

a base portion configured for supportive contact with a planar support surface,

a pair of elongated, upright, support portions and means pivotally coupling said upright portions with said base for selective, relative, pivotal shifting of said upright portions and said base portion;

a shank portion-engaging guide member presenting a generally C-shaped configuration and presenting a pair of arcuate sections and a straight section for engaging the putter shank portion in order to guide said portion and thereby the putter head along a path defined by said member;

means pivotally coupling said guide member with said upright portions for selective, relative, pivotal shifting of said guide member and said upright portions;

means shiftably coupling said base portion, upright portions, and guide member including means for shifting movement relative to one another for shifting between a storage position in which said base, upright portions, and guide member are pivotally shifted to lie generally in a common plane for compact storage of said device, and a golf practice position in which said shank portion guide member is disposed in a spaced relationship relative to the support surface and in which said guide member defines the sole path for contact with and guiding of the golfing putter shank portion while the golfer holds the handle of the putter; and

a plurality of indicia pairs defined on said guide member with the respective indicia of each of said pairs lying equiidistant from and on opposed sides of a center portion defined on said straight section thereby defining the limits of a respective, corresponding plurality of pendulum - like putting strokes.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1, further including means for connecting said guide member with said frame for selective movement of said guide member about a generally horizontal axis to any selected one of a number of inclined positions relative to a vertical axis.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 2, wherein said frame includes an upright portion interconnecting said guide member and said base portion and including means extending between said upright portion and said guide member for retaining the latter in said selected inclined disposition.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 1;

and including releasable means for substantially preventing pivotal movement between said base portion and said upright portion of said frame.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 1, wherein said base portion of said frame has a generally overall C-shaped configuration and co-operates with said guide member to define a user'"'"'s standing area therebetween.