Golfing apparatus

• US 5,375,832 A
• Filed: 04/14/1993
• Issued: 12/27/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Innovative Golf Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Douglas C. Talbot, Douglas L. Spike, James L. Witler
• Inventors: Witler, James L., Talbot, Douglas C., Spike, Douglas L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US08/047,747
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 273/185 A, 273/184 R, 273/184 A, 273/185 R, 273/185 B, 273/183 R
• US Class Current: 473/199
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3605 Golf club selection aids informing player of his average or expected shot distance for each club

Abstract

A golfing apparatus includes a speed measuring mechanism, a saturation detector, either an acoustic trigger or an optical trigger, a correlator and a display. The speed measuring mechanism has a boresight disposed at an angle with respect to level ground so that it can be aimed at the golf ball while in flight. Either the acoustic trigger or the optical trigger generates a trigger signal in response to either the sound or the sight of the struck golf ball. The saturation detector detects movement of either a club head or the struck golf ball and provides an indication signal that there is a STRONG SIGNAL condition. The trigger signal and the indication signal are ANDED together in order to turn on the speed measuring mechanism to allow the measurement of the speed of the golf ball. The speed measuring mechanism measures the component of the speed of the golf ball which is parallel to the boresight. The correlator correlates the measured component of the speed of the golf ball for each club with a carry distance of the struck golf ball.

Claims

1. A golfing apparatus for determining the carry distance of a struck golf ball, said golfing apparatus comprising:

a. a speed measuring mechanism having a boresight disposed at angle in the range of zero degrees to twenty five degrees with respect to level ground so that it can be aimed at the struck golf ball while in flight wherein said speed measuring mechanism measures the component of the speed of the struck golf ball which is parallel to said boresight;

b. a correlator electrically coupled to said speed measuring mechanism whereby said correlator correlates said measured component of the speed of the struck golf ball for each club with an empirically derived multiplier for use in determining the carry distance of the struck golf ball;

c. a display electrically coupled to said correlator whereby said display displays said carry distance of the golf ball so that the golfer can determine how far the struck golf ball will carry in flight; and

d. a saturation detector which detects movement of either a club head or the struck golf ball in order to generate an indication signal of a STRONG SIGNAL condition thereby turning on said speed measuring mechanism to accomplish the measurement of the speed of the struck golf ball.

2. A golfing apparatus for determining the carry distance of a struck golf ball, said golfing apparatus comprising:

a. a speed measuring mechanism having a boresight disposed at angle in the range of zero degrees to twenty five degrees with respect to level ground so that it can be aimed at the struck golf ball while flight wherein said speed measuring mechanism measures the component of the speed of the struck golf bail which is parallel to said boresight;

b. a correlator electrically coupled to said speed measuring mechanism whereby said correlator correlates said measured component of the speed of the struck golf ball for each club with an empirically derived multiplier for use in determining the a carry distance of the struck golf ball;

c. a display electrically coupled to said correlator whereby said display displays the carry distance of the struck golf ball so that the golfer can determine how far the struck golf ball will carry in flight;

d. a trigger coupled to said speed measuring mechanism whereby said trigger generates a trigger signal in response to the golf ball being struck; and

e. a saturation detector which detects movement of either a club head or the struck golf ball in order to generate an indication signal of a STRONG SIGNAL condition so that said trigger signal and said indication signal are ANDED together thereby turning on said speed measuring mechanism to accomplish the measurement of the speed of the struck golf ball.

3. A golfing apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said trigger is an acoustic trigger which generates said trigger signal in response to the sound of the golf ball being struck.

4. A golfing apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said trigger is an optical trigger which generates trigger signals in response to the sight of the golf ball being struck.

5. A golfing apparatus for determining a carry distance of a golf ball which has a golfer has struck, said golfing apparatus comprising:

a. a speed measuring mechanism having a boresight disposed at angle in the range of zero degrees to twenty five degrees with respect to level ground so that it can be aimed at the golf ball while in flight wherein said speed measuring mechanism measures the component of the speed of the golf ball which is parallel to said boresight;

b. a correlator electrically coupled to said speed measuring mechanism whereby said correlator correlates said measured component of the speed of the golf ball for each club with an emperically derived multiplier for use in determining the carry distance of the golf ball;

c. a display electrically coupled to said correlator whereby said display displays the carry distance of the golf ball so that the golfer can determine how far the golf ball will carry in flight; and

d. a saturation detector which detects movement of either a club head or the struck golf ball and which provides an indication of a STRONG SIGNAL condition so that said STRONG SIGNAL condition allows the measurement of the speed of the golf ball to be taken.

6. A golfing apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said golfing apparatus includes a trigger coupled to said speed measuring mechanism whereby said trigger generates a trigger signal in response to the golf ball being struck thereby turning on said speed measuring mechanism to accomplish the measurement of the speed of the struck golf ball.

7. A golfing apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said trigger is an acoustic trigger which generates said trigger signal in response to the sound of the golf ball being struck.

8. A golfing apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said trigger is an optical trigger which in response to the sight of the golf ball being struck.

9. A golfing apparatus for determining the carry distance of a struck golf ball, said golfing apparatus comprising:

a. a speed measuring mechanism having a boresight disposed at angle in the range of zero degrees to twenty five degrees with respect to level ground so that it can be aimed at the struck golf ball while in flight wherein said speed measuring mechanism measures the component of the speed of the struck golf ball which is parallel to said boresight;

b. a correlator electrically coupled to said speed measuring mechanism whereby said correlator correlates said measured component of the speed of the struck golf ball with an emperically derived multiplier for use in determining the a carry distance of the struck golf ball; and

c. a speaker electrically coupled to said correlator whereby said speaker announces said carry distance of the golf ball so that the golfer can determine how far the struck golf ball will carry in flight.