Golf club swing training device

• US 5,941,779 A
• Filed: 03/26/1998
• Issued: 08/24/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dag H. Zeiner-Gundersen
• Original Assignee: Dag H. Zeiner-Gundersen
• Inventors: Zeiner-Gundersen, Dag H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US09/048,475
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 473/223, 473/224
• US Class Current: 473/224
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3685 Putters or attachments on putters, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence

Abstract

A device for improving the performance of a golfer, particularly the repetitive correct swinging of the club, is preferably mounted on a standard golf club shaft, in place of a conventional head, but alternatively could be made to be temporarily attached to the head or shaft of any standard golf club. The subject device has a housing containing two directional gyros, a power source, a set of sensors, and a like set of alarms responsive to the sensors to give an audible and/or tactile alarm when the golfer'"'"'s swing is outside that of each directional gyro'"'"'s predetermined and set rotating direction.

Claims

1. A device for improving the performance of a golfer, particularly the repetitive correct swinging of the club, comprising:

a housing for mounting on a standard golf club shaft and containing first and second directional gyros each driven by a respective electrical motor, said first and second gyros having their axes normal to each other with one axis lying in the plane of swing of the club and the other with its axis normal to said plane, sensor means responsive to each of said gyros, alarm means responsive to the sensor means, and an electrical power source connected to each said motor, said sensing and said alarm means;

whereby an alarm is given when a golfer swings the club along a path outside that of the directional gyro'"'"'s predetermined and set rotating direction.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein said device is mounted on a standard golf club shaft in place of a conventional head.

3. The device according to claim 1 further comprising means for attaching said device to the head or shaft of any standard golf club.

4. The device according to claim 1 wherein said alarm means includes an audible alarm emitting a first sound when the club is swung too far from the golfer and a second sound when the club is swung too close to the golfer.

5. The device according to claim 4 wherein said audible alarm is transmitted to a headset worn by the golfer.

6. The device according to claim 4 wherein said audible alarm is transmitted via radio to a golf pro observing the golfer.

7. The device according to claim 1 wherein said alarm means includes a tactile alarm emitting a first vibration when the club is swung too far from the golfer and a second vibration when the club is swung too close to the golfer.

8. The device according to claim 1 wherein each said directional gyro comprises a heavy flywheel mounted for rotation within a frame, and means for angularly adjusting said frame.

9. The device according to claim 1 wherein one of said at least one gyros is oriented with its axis of rotation normal to the plane of the swing so that the flywheel is rotating in the plane of the swing.

10. The device according to claim 1 wherein one of said gyros is oriented with its axis of rotation normal to the plane of the swing so that the flywheel is rotating in the plane of the swing and the other gyro is oriented with its axis of rotation in the plane of the swing so that the flywheel is rotating normal to the plane of the swing.

11. A method for training a golfer to have the correct swing comprising:

providing a housing containing first and second directional gyros, sensing means responsive to said gyros, and alarm means responsive to the sensing means to give an audible and/or tactile alarm when the golfer'"'"'s swing is outside that of the directional gyros'"'"' predetermined and set rotating directions, and a power supply connected to said gyros, said sensing means, and said alarm means.