Golf swing head movement monitoring apparatus

• US 5,005,835 A
• Filed: 07/14/1989
• Issued: 04/09/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VSE Corp.
• Original Assignee: VSE Corp.
• Inventors: Huffman, Russell B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US07/379,811
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 273/183 B, 273/190 R, 273/190 A, 273/186 A, 273/DIG. 17, 340/575
• US Class Current: 473/209
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3608 Attachments on the body, e.g. for measuring, aligning, restraining A63B69/0059, A63B69/3673 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 273/17 Head mounted

Abstract

An electromechanical switch mounted on head gear at an angle to the horizontal and wired to a control unit placed adjacent to a golfer'"'"'s ear, adjustable for each particular golfer based on personal golf swing, capable of producing an audible sound at a predetermined time during a golfer'"'"'s swing and self resetting after the tone is sounded to teach consistency of swing and optimum head movement during swing. The audible sound is produced only upon proper rotational movement of the golfer'"'"'s head due to the angled positioning of the switch.

Claims

1. Apparatus for signifying an optimum motion profile of a golfer'"'"'s head about a rotational center which is in alignment with a golf ball along a line of sight plane perpendicular to horizontal ground in a static position of the golfer, said apparatus including an article of golfer'"'"'s headwear, a movable contact element, a sensing device engageable by said contact element, guide means for guiding movement of the contact element along a predetermined path from a position at rest to a limit position at which the contact element engages the sensing device, means mounting the guide means on the article of golfer'"'"'s headwear for controlling movement of the contact element along said path in response to said rotation of the golfer'"'"'s head during swing of a golf club from said static position of the golfer, adjusting means for locating the guide means on the mounting means at a predetermined angle relative to but not parallel with said horizontal ground in the static position of the golfer and signal generating means connected to a sensing device for indicating engagement of the contact element therewith and emitting a signal corresponding to achievement of said optimum motion profile during said swing of the golf club only when the contact element engages the sensing device.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said movement of the contact element occurs in response to acceleration force exerted thereon by said rotation of the golfer'"'"'s head in excess of opposing components of forces along the path of the guide means which are applied during said swing of the golfer'"'"'s club.

3. The device as defined in claim 2 wherein said acceleration force and the opposing components of the forces along the guide means are dependent upon by an adjusted angular relationship of the guide means to the horizontal ground in said static position of the golfer to establish said optimum motion profile.

4. The device as defined in claim 3 wherein said guide means comprises an elongated tube within which said movement of the contact element is confined, said tube having opposite abutment ends at which said position of rest and said limit position are respectively established and means fixedly mounting the sensing device at one of the abutment ends of the guide tube at which the limit position is established.

5. The device as defined in claim 4 wherein said mounting means is a head fitted element positioned on the golfer carrying the tube at said adjusted angular relationship with the horizontal ground to which the guide means is angularly adjusted through the angular adjusting means.

6. The device as defined in claim 5 wherein said line of sight plane intersects the guide tube intermediate said opposite abutment ends thereof.

7. The device as defined in claim 6 wherein said movable contact element is a sphere made of electrically conductive material.

8. Apparatus for monitoring movement of a golfer'"'"'s head relative to horizontal ground in a static position of the golfer, including an article of golfer'"'"'s headwear, a movable contact element, a sensing device engageable by said contact element, guide means for guiding movement of the contact element along a predetermined path from a position at rest to a limit position at which the contact element engages the sensing device, means mounting the guide means on the article for effecting said movement of the contact element along the path of the guide means in response to swing of a golf club, adjusting means for locating the guide means on the mounting means at a predetermined angular position of the path, relative to but not parallel with said horizontal ground, corresponding to an optimum motion profile of said movement of the golfer'"'"'s head and signal generating means connected to the sensing device for emitting a signal indicating achievement of said optimum motion profile during said swing of the golf club in response to said engagement of the sensing device by the contact element in the limit position thereof.

9. The device as defined in claim 8 wherein said movement of the contact element is induced by acceleration force applied thereto and opposed by components of forces along the angularly upward path of the guide means dependent on said predetermined angular position of the guide means.

10. The device as defined in claim 9 wherein said guide means comprises an elongated tube within which said movement of the contact element along the path is established, said tube having opposite abutment ends at which said position of rest and said limit position are respectively established and means fixedly mounting the sensing device at one of the abutment ends of the guide tube at which the limit position in established.

11. A motion profile detector adapted to be mounted on a golfer in a static position, including an article of golfer'"'"'s headwear, a guide tube having opposite abutment ends, means for mounting the tube on the article of headwear at an angle to the horizontal, a movable contact element displaceable within said guide tube between said opposite abutment ends thereof, means for adjustably positioning the guide tube in a predetermined angular orientation with respect to horizontal ground gravitationally holding the contact element in engagement with one of the opposite abutment ends in the static position of the golfer and sensing means for detecting engagement of the contact element with the other of the opposite abutment ends of the guide tube in response to displacement of the contact element under accelerating forces generated by rotation of the golfer'"'"'s head during swing of a golf club.

12. In combination with the detector as defined in claim 11, means responsive to said engagement of the contact element detected by the sensing means for indicating achievement of an optimum motion profile during said swing of the golf club.

13. A device for signifying an optimum motion profile of a golfer'"'"'s head about a rotational center housed in a cylindrical casing on an article of golfer'"'"'s headwear comprising:

a power source;

a first switch for enabling operation of said device;

a second switch connected at one end to said first switch for sensing optimum motion;

a moveable contact element for engaging said second switch upon optimum motion; and

audible signal means coupled to said power source and activated upon enabling of said first and second switches.

14. A device for signifying an optimum motion profile of a golfer'"'"'s head about a rotational center comprising:

a power source;

a first switch connected to one terminal of said power source, for enabling operation of said device;

a second switch, connected at one end to said first switch for sensing optimum motion;

a moveable contact element for engaging said second switch upon optimum motion;

earphones;

a transistor connected across said earphones; and

a plurality of resistors, connected to said transistor, for switching on said transistor upon engagement of said first and second switches generating an audible signal.