Apparatus for obtaining compound bending data of a golf club
First Claim
1. An apparatus for obtaining compound bending data from the swinging of a golf club by a golfer, which comprises:
- a golf club including a shaft and a head having a club face defining a plane;
a first sensing device mounted on the golf club shaft in a first prescribed alignment with respect to the club face;
a second sensing device mounted on the golf club shaft in a second prescribed alignment with respect to the club face and angularly displaced from the first sensing device;
the first and second sensing devices detecting compound bending of the golf club in prescribed directions during successive increments of a period when the golf club is swung prior to and during impact of the club head with a golf ball;
the first and second sensing devices including facility for producing incremental data representative of the compound bending of the golf club in the prescribed directions during the period;
a calculator responsive to the production of the incremental data by the first and second sensing devices for analyzing the data and calculating various parameters related to the instantaneous compound bending of the shaft during the period which are representative of the bending of the shaft in the prescribed directions; and
a display responsive to and controlled by the calculator for displaying the calculated parameters.
18 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A data acquisition and display system 60 obtains a golfer'"'"'s downswing parameters during a swing analysis examination. The system 60 includes a specialized golf club 62 which generates data when swung in a downswing motion for a period of time defined as a downswing period which terminates upon impact by a club head 68 with a golf ball 56. As the club 62 is swung by a golfer whose swing is being analyzed, the club deflects in certain directions relating to toe up or toe down conditions, and leading or lagging conditions, of the head 68 of the club. The system 60, through hardware and software, responds to these downswing conditions and determines various performance parameters associated with the swing analysis of the golfer. The parameters are displayed on a monitor 94 and are used to form a graph 126 showing instantaneous deflection levels during the downswing period. The displayed parameters and the graph 126 can be printed by a printer 118. The system 60 can also be used to observe the trajectory of the golf ball 56 and determine the travel distance of the ball.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An apparatus for obtaining compound bending data from the swinging of a golf club by a golfer, which comprises:
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a golf club including a shaft and a head having a club face defining a plane; a first sensing device mounted on the golf club shaft in a first prescribed alignment with respect to the club face; a second sensing device mounted on the golf club shaft in a second prescribed alignment with respect to the club face and angularly displaced from the first sensing device; the first and second sensing devices detecting compound bending of the golf club in prescribed directions during successive increments of a period when the golf club is swung prior to and during impact of the club head with a golf ball; the first and second sensing devices including facility for producing incremental data representative of the compound bending of the golf club in the prescribed directions during the period; a calculator responsive to the production of the incremental data by the first and second sensing devices for analyzing the data and calculating various parameters related to the instantaneous compound bending of the shaft during the period which are representative of the bending of the shaft in the prescribed directions; and a display responsive to and controlled by the calculator for displaying the calculated parameters. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13)
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10. An apparatus for obtaining compound bending data from the swinging of a golf club by a golfer, which comprises:
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a golf club including a head and a shaft; a sensing device mounted on the golf club which detects compound bending of the golf club in prescribed directions during successive increments of a period when the golf club is swung prior to and during impact of the club head with a golf ball; the sensing device including facility for producing incremental data representative of the compound bending of the golf club in the prescribed directions during the period; a calculator responsive to the production of the incremental data by the sensing device for analyzing the data and calculating various parameters related to the instantaneous compound bending of the club during the period which are representative of the bending of the club in the prescribed directions; a calibrating device for flexing the shaft of the club to a prescribed position to pre-establish a defined response from the sensing device; an adjustment means within the calculator for adjusting the calculator to be calibrated with the defined response of the sensing device; and a display responsive to and controlled by the calculator for displaying the calculated parameters. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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14. An apparatus for obtaining compound bending data from the swinging of a golf club by a golfer, which comprises:
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a golf club including a head and a shaft; a sensing device mounted on the golf club which detects compound bending of the golf club in prescribed directions during successive increments of a period when the golf club is swung prior to and during impact of the club head with a golf ball; the sensing device including facility for producing incremental data representative of the compound bending of the golf club in the prescribed directions during the period; a first calculator responsive to the production of the incremental data by the sensing device for analyzing the data and calculating various parameters related to the instantaneous compound bending of the club during the period which are representative of the bending of the club in the prescribed directions; a display responsive to and controlled by the calculator for displaying the calculated parameters; a video camera and video recording media for recording the motion of the club as the club is being swung and for storing each incremental movement of the club during the successive increments of the period when the golf club is swung prior to and during impact with the golf ball; a second calculator for facilitating the selective capture of any incremental movement of the club; and the display being responsive to the selective capture of any incremental movement of the club for visually displaying as a still shot the club position at that increment of the period. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. An apparatus for obtaining compound bending data from the swinging of a golf club by a golfer, which comprises:
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a golf club including a head and a shaft; a sensing device mounted on the golf club which detects compound bending of the golf club in prescribed directions during successive increments of a period when the golf club is swung prior to and during impact of the club head with a golf ball; the sensing device including facility for producing incremental data representative of the compound bending of the golf club in the prescribed directions during the period; a calculator responsive to the production of the incremental data by the sensing device for analyzing the data and calculating various parameters related to the instantaneous compound bending of the club during the period which are representative of the bending of the club in the prescribed directions; a display responsive to and controlled by the calculator for displaying the calculated parameters; a high speed camera for taking a series of sequential still shots of the club being swung before and after impact by the head with the golf ball which provide a trajectory of the ball after impact; and the calculator being responsive to the series of sequential still shots and the trajectory of the ball for determining the travel distance the ball travels between impact of the head with the ball and impact of the ball with a distant surface at the end of the trajectory. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. An appartus for obtaining compound bending data from the swinging of a golf club by a golfer, which comprises:
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a golf club including a head and a shaft; a sensing device mounted on the golf club which detects compound bending of the golf club in prescribed directions during successive increments of a swinging motion of the golf club; means responsive to the detection by the sensing device of the compound bending of the club for developing a string of incremental data relating to deflection of the head in the plane thereof as the club is being swung, the deflection being referred to as the club toe deflection; means for analyzing the string of data and for determining the initiation of at least a portion of the swinging motion of the club referred to as "the downswing;
"a calculator responsive to the production of the incremental data by the developing means for analyzing the data and calculating various parameters related to the instantaneous compound bending of the club during the downswing which are representative of the bending of the club in the prescribed directions; and a display responsive to and controlled by the calculator for displaying the calculated parameters.
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20. An apparatus for obtaining compound bending data from the swinging of a golf club by a golfer, which comprises:
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a golf club including a head and a shaft; a sensing device mounted on the golf club which detects compound bending of the golf club in prescribed directions during successive increments of a swinging motion of the golf club; means responsive to the detection by the sensing device of the compound bending of the club for developing a string of incremental data relating to a lead or lag position of the head with respect to the shaft as the club is being swung, the deflection being referred to as the club lead/lag condition; means for analyzing the string of data and for determining the occurrence of the impact of the head with the ball to establish the termination of at least a portion of the swinging motion of the club referred to as "the downswing;
"a calculator responsive to the production of the incremental data by the developing means for analyzing the data and calculating various parameters related to the instantaneous compound bending of the club during the downswing which are representative of the bending of the club in the prescribed directions; and a display responsive to and controlled by the calculator for displaying the calculated parameters.
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21. An apparatus for obtaining compound bending data from the swinging of a golf club by a golfer, which comprises:
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a golf club including a head and a shaft; a sensing device mounted on the golf club which detects compound bending of the golf club in prescribed directions during successive increments of a swinging motion of the golf club; means responsive to the detection by the sensing device of the compound bending of the club for developing (1) a first string of incremental data relating to deflection of the head in the plane thereof as the club is being swung, the deflection being referred to as the club toe deflection, and (2) a second string of incremental data relating to a lead or lag position of the head with respect to the shaft as the club is being swung, the position of the head being referred to as the club lead/lag condition; means for analyzing the first string of data and for determining the initiation of at least a portion of the swinging motion of the club referred to as "the downswing;
"means for analyzing the second string of data and for determining the occurrence of the impact of the head with the ball to establish the termination of the downswing of the club; a calculator responsive to the production of the incremental data by the developing means for analyzing the data and calculating various parameters related to the instantaneous compound bending of the club during the downswing which are representative of the bending of the club in the prescribed directions; and a display responsive to and controlled by the calculator for displaying the calculated parameters. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification