Practice golf club

• US 5,868,634 A
• Filed: 05/27/1997
• Issued: 02/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hi Z.U. Choi, Sung Min Choi
• Original Assignee: Hi Z.U. Choi, Sung Min Choi
• Inventors: Choi, Sung Min, Choi, Hi Zu
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US08/863,180
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 473/223, 473/224, 473/232, 473/233, 473/234, 473/238, 473/258
• US Class Current: 473/224
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 15/005 with a weight movable along the longitudinal axis of the club due to centrifugal forces
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0068 Comparison to target or threshold, previous performance or not real time comparison to other individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/51 Force
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/04 Movable ballast means A63B15/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3632 Clubs or attachments on clubs, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence; clubs for swinging exercises in general A63B15/00

Abstract

A practice golf club aids golf players in improving their stroke by indicating whether or not their swing generates an adequate amount of club head speed. This is achieved by utilizing the centrifugal force generated by a golf swing to actuate a piston located at the head of the golf club. If sufficient club head speed is attained and the piston is displaced a certain amount, a lamp momentarily blinks and an audible "click" can be heard to notify the user that the swing was indeed adequate. The components of the club include a piston, holding ball bearings, a return spring and an electrical circuit which contains a lamp and a ball bearing which is contacted by the piston when the piston is displaced by centrifugal force. The piston produces a second "click" when it is returned and strikes an upper piston chamber wall.

Claims

1. A practice golf club comprising:

a) a shaft having a first end, a second end, and an axis integrally positioned and extending longitudinally along said shaft;

b) a handle affixed to said first end of said shaft;

c) a centrifugally-activated mechanism affixed to said second end of said shaft opposite of said handle comprising;

1) a piston disposed in a piston chamber, said piston integrally and longitudinally positioned with respect to said axis of said shaft;

a. reciprocating action of said piston occurring along said axis of said shaft;

b. a plurality of holding ball bearings attached to said piston accommodated by a plurality of holding receptacles disposed on an inner wall of said piston chamber to restrict movement of said piston without ample centrifugal force;

2) said piston chamber having an upper piston chamber wall and a lower piston chamber wall;

3) a spring disposed between said piston and said lower piston chamber wall;

4) a lower contact conduit connected to said lower piston chamber wall, an upper contact conduit connected to the bottom of said piston, wherein the diameter of said lower contact conduit and said upper contact conduit are significantly smaller than diameter of said piston, wherein the diameter of said spring is larger than said diameters of said upper contact conduit and said lower contact conduit but smaller than diameter of said piston, allowing said upper and lower contact conduits to be inserted into each end of said spring thereby securing said spring between said piston and said lower piston chamber wall;

5) a power supply;

6) said power supply connected to a lamp receptacle via an electrical conduit, wherein said lamp receptacle accommodates a lamp;

7) said lamp receptacle connected to said lower piston chamber wall via an electrical conduit, said lower piston chamber wall connected to said lower contact conduit;

8) said power supply connected to a ball bearing via an electrical conduit, wherein when said practice golf club is swung generating sufficient centrifugal force, said plurality of holding ball bearings are loosened from said plurality of said holding receptacles, said piston is propelled away from said shaft and said upper contact conduit strikes said lower contact conduit, said piston comes into contact with said ball bearing, thereby allowing electricity to flow momentarily and activating said lamp momentarily, said spring causing said piston to reciprocate and strike against said upper piston chamber wall, thereby producing an audible sound to indicate the user of proper swing.

2. A practice golf club as mentioned in claim 1, wherein said electrical conduits are screws.

3. A practice golf club as mentioned in claim 1, wherein an aperture extends transversely through said piston proximally to the position of said plurality of holding ball bearings, wherein a spring is inserted into said aperture and two of said holding ball bearings are inserted into said aperture, one at each end, compressing said spring;

wherein varying the size of said spring varies the amount of force required to dislodge said two holding ball bearings from said plurality of holding receptacles.

4. A practice golf club as mentioned in claim 1, wherein said power supply is a plurality of AAA-sized 1.2 Volt batteries.