Golf club fitting method and system

• US 5,911,636 A
• Filed: 01/16/1998
• Issued: 06/15/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Southeast Golf, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Southeast Golf, Inc.
• Inventors: Schmoll, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US09/007,923
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 473/409, 473/239, 473/246, 473/266
• US Class Current: 473/266
• 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

A method of fitting a golf club includes the step of acquiring at least one recorded image of a person swinging a trial golf club to hit a golf ball approximately at the time the club impacts the ball. The recorded image is analyzed to determine an optimal geometry of the club. The information is used to determine an optimum length of a fitted club. A system for fitting a golf club includes a camera positioned with respect to a golf ball supporting surface for recording an image of a person hitting the ball. A monitor interconnected to the camera displays the image and a grid generator generates a grid on the monitor for use in making measurements to fit the club.

Claims

1. A method of fitting a golf club, comprising the steps of:

(a) acquiring at least one recorded image of a person swinging a trial golf club to hit a golf ball approximately at a time the club impacts the ball;

(b) analyzing the at least one acquired image to determine a horizontal projection of a shaft of the trial golf club;

(c) analyzing the at least one acquired image to determine an angle of elevation between the shaft and the horizontal reference plane;

(d) determining an optimum length of a fitted club from the horizontal projection of the shaft and the angle of elevation of the shaft.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of repeating steps (a)-(d) for plural golf clubs.

3. A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said step of repeating comprises repeating steps (a)-(d) for each golf club in a complete set of golf clubs selected by the person for playing the game of golf.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of providing a surface on which the golf ball rests until impact by the golf club which is constructed to minimize club deformation at impact.

5. A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein said step of providing a surface comprises the step of providing a mat having deformable foam covered by synthetic grass turf.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of acquiring at least one image comprises acquiring said image from a vantage selected from at least one of to a front and to a rear of the person.

7. A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said step of acquiring at least one image comprises recording plural images during a course of at least one swing of the trial golf club and selecting from among said plural images said at least one image acquired approximately at the time the club impacts the ball.

8. A method as set forth in claim 6 further comprising the step of acquiring an image of the person swinging the trial golf club at approximately the time the club impacts the ball from a vantage overhead of the person.

9. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of overlaying a calibrated grid on said at least one image in relation to the horizontal reference plane for use in at least one of said analyzing steps.

10. A method as set forth in claim 9 wherein said step of overlaying a grid comprises causing the grid to appear on a monitor superimposed on said selected one image.

11. A method as set forth in claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

analyzing said at least one image to determine the angle of elevation between the horizontal reference plane and a bottom edge of a head of the golf club;

determining an optimum angle between a club head and a shaft of the fitted club to make the bottom edge substantially lie in the reference plane.

12. A method of fitting a golf club, comprising the steps of:

(a) acquiring at least one recorded image approximately at a time the club impacts a ball;

(b) analyzing said at least one image to determine an angle of elevation between a horizontal reference plane and a bottom edge of a head of the golf club;

(c) determining an optimum angle between a club head and a shaft of the fitted club to make the bottom edge substantially lie in the reference plane.

13. A method as set forth in claim 12 further comprising the steps of analyzing said at least one image to determine a horizontal projection of a shaft of the trial golf club, analyzing said at least one image to determine the angle of elevation between the shaft and the horizontal reference plane, and determining an optimum length of a fitted club from the horizontal projection of the shaft and the angle of elevation of the shaft.

14. A method as set forth in claim 12 further comprising the step of repeating steps (a)-(c) for plural golf clubs.

15. A method as set forth in claim 12 further comprising the step of providing a surface on which the golf ball rests until impact by the golf club which is constructed to minimize club deformation at impact.

16. A method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said step of acquiring at least one image comprises acquiring said image from a vantage selected from at least one of to a front and to the rear of a person.

17. A method as set forth in claim 16 further comprising the step of acquiring an image of the person swinging the trial golf club at approximately the time the club impacts the ball from a vantage overhead of the person.

18. A method as set forth in claim 12 further comprising the step of overlaying a calibrated grid on said at least one image in relation to the horizontal reference plane for use in at least one of said analyzing steps.

19. A system for fitting a golf club for a person, the system comprising:

a surface for supporting a golf ball thereon constructed and arranged so that a person may swing a trial club for hitting the golf ball from the surface;

a camera for recording an image of the person swinging the trial club at least at the moment of impact of the trial club with the golf ball on the supporting surface, the camera being positioned in relation to the surface to record an image from one of a front and rear of the person swinging the trial club;

a monitor interconnected with the camera for displaying the recorded image;

means for measuring from the recorded image a horizontal projection of a club shaft on a reference plane and an angle of elevation between the reference plane and shaft of the club.

20. A system as set forth in claim 19 wherein the surface comprises a mat including deformable foam covered by synthetic grass turf, the surface being thereby constructed to minimize deflection of the trial club at impact.