Method of matching a golfer to a golf club

• US 5,591,091 A
• Filed: 08/03/1995
• Issued: 01/07/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lloyd E Hackman
• Original Assignee: Lloyd E Hackman
• Inventors: Hackman, Lloyd E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US08/511,090
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 273/77 A, 473/289, 473/409, 473/407
• US Class Current: 473/289
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/005 Club sets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/002 Resonance frequency related characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand

Abstract

The club length and club frequency attributes of each of a plurality of golf clubs in inventory are obtained and the data are arranged in a two dimensional array. The golfer'"'"'s swing frequency for a test club of a particular test club length is measured. An inventory club is selected, from the inventory array having substantially the same length as the test club and having the closest frequency to the golfer'"'"'s swing frequency of any inventory club in that array of that length.

This process can be employed for one or more clubs. Alternatively, only a few club lengths can be tested to obtain swing frequencies for those clubs. The swing frequencies of any intermediate, untested club lengths are interpolated by standard numerical analysis or obtained by plotting the data points and connecting them with a curve.

Claims

1. A method for matching a golfer to an inventory golf club, the method comprising:

(a) manufacturing an inventory array of golf clubs, each inventory club having attributes of club length and final natural frequency, the inventory of clubs including clubs at discrete intervals of length and at discrete intervals of frequency in a two dimensional array of club length and club frequency attributes; and

then

(b) measuring the swing frequency of the golfer'"'"'s swing with a test club having a club length substantially equal to the length of an inventory club; and

then

(c) selecting for the golfer an inventory club having a length substantially equal to the test club length and having a natural frequency closer to the golfer'"'"'s measured swing frequency than any other club in the inventory array which has length substantially equal to the test club length.

11. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

(a) measuring the swing frequency of the golfer'"'"'s swing with three test clubs, a first test club having length shorter than the others, a second test club having length intermediate the others and a third test club having length greater than the others;

(b) plotting a data point on a graph of frequency versus club length for each of the three clubs; and

(c) selecting for the golfer a set of clubs from the inventory array.

12. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the manufacturing step further comprises manufacturing an array of clubs of standard club length.

2. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein steps (b) and (c) are repeated for a plurality of different club lengths.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2 and further comprising interpolating at least one intermediate inventory club from the inventory array of clubs, said intermediate inventory club having a club length and a club frequency different from a length and a frequency of a first test club for which the natural frequency was measured, the difference between the frequencies of the intermediate and test clubs being substantially proportional to the difference between the lengths of the intermediate and test clubs.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the discrete intervals of length in the array are between one fourth inch and one inch, and the discrete intervals of frequency are between 4 and 12 cycles per minute.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4, wherein the discrete intervals of club length are one half inch and the discrete intervals of frequency are 8 cycles per minute.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5 and further comprising:

(a) storing the length and frequency attributes of each club in the inventory array of clubs as a data structure in a memory of a computer having a central processor, display and interfacing input and output peripherals; and

(b) storing each measured swing frequency in association with the test club length for each measured frequency.

7. A method in accordance with claim 2, further comprising constructing a graph of natural frequency versus club length and plotting a data point on the graph at the natural frequency and club length values of each inventory club.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7, further comprising storing a matrix of data points, each data point representing the natural frequency and club length of at least one inventory club, the data points spaced apart at discrete intervals of between one fourth inch and one inch of club length and between 4 and 12 cycles per minute of frequency.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the discrete intervals of club length are one half inch and the discrete intervals of frequency are 8 cycles per minute.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9 and further comprising the step of constructing lines between data points and the step of interpolating at least one intermediate inventory club having a club length and a club frequency different from a length and a frequency of a first test club, the difference between the frequencies of the intermediate and test clubs being substantially proportional to the difference between the lengths of the intermediate and test clubs.