Golf club with impact display
First Claim
1. A golf training club for use by a golfer, comprising:
- a shaft having a grip end and a tip distal from the grip end;
a club head affixed to the shaft proximate the tip of the shaft and having a face plate for striking a golf ball, wherein the face plate defines a plurality of holes extending therethrough, and wherein each hole is adapted to allow ambient light to enter from outside the club head and to pass into the hole;
a plurality of optical sensors for detecting contact between the face plate and the golf ball, wherein each optical sensor is positioned within the club head absent contact with the face plate and extends at least partially into a uniquely associated hole of the plurality of holes, wherein each optical sensor is operable to detect the substantial absence of ambient light passing into the hole uniquely associated therewith that may occur when the golf ball and face plate are in contact during a hit of the golf ball with the club head, and wherein each optical sensor is adapted to produce an electrical signal in response to detecting a substantial absence of ambient light;
electronics mounted within the shaft for receiving at least one electrical signal from the optical sensors during a hit of the golf ball and for processing the at least one received electrical signal to determine the location of contact between the face plate and the golf ball; and
a display for displaying at least the location of contact between the face plate and the golf ball.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A golf training club comprising optical sensors, electronics and a display to provide visual feedback related to how a golfer strikes a golf ball. The club includes a shaft having a grip end and a tip distal from the grip end. The club has a club head affixed to the shaft proximate the tip that has a face for striking a golf ball. The optical sensors are embedded in the head and generate signals representative of the contact between the face and ball. The electronics, mounted within the shaft'"'"'s grip end, process the sensor signals to determine the location of the contact between the face and ball. The display is operable to show such location. The electronics also process the sensor signals to determine whether the ball is tending to slice or hook by detecting lateral movement of the ball during contact with the face.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A golf training club for use by a golfer, comprising:
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a shaft having a grip end and a tip distal from the grip end;
a club head affixed to the shaft proximate the tip of the shaft and having a face plate for striking a golf ball, wherein the face plate defines a plurality of holes extending therethrough, and wherein each hole is adapted to allow ambient light to enter from outside the club head and to pass into the hole;
a plurality of optical sensors for detecting contact between the face plate and the golf ball, wherein each optical sensor is positioned within the club head absent contact with the face plate and extends at least partially into a uniquely associated hole of the plurality of holes, wherein each optical sensor is operable to detect the substantial absence of ambient light passing into the hole uniquely associated therewith that may occur when the golf ball and face plate are in contact during a hit of the golf ball with the club head, and wherein each optical sensor is adapted to produce an electrical signal in response to detecting a substantial absence of ambient light;
electronics mounted within the shaft for receiving at least one electrical signal from the optical sensors during a hit of the golf ball and for processing the at least one received electrical signal to determine the location of contact between the face plate and the golf ball; and
a display for displaying at least the location of contact between the face plate and the golf ball. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A golf training club for use by a golfer, comprising:
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a shaft having a grip end and a tip distal from the grip end;
a club head affixed to the shaft proximate the tip of the shaft and having a face plate for striking a golf ball, wherein the face plate defines a plurality of holes arranged in a pattern and extending therethrough, and wherein each hole is adapted to allow ambient light to enter from outside the club head and to pass into the hole;
a plurality of optical sensors embedded within the club head and separated from the face plate for detecting contact between the face plate and the golf ball, wherein each optical sensor is positioned to receive ambient light passing into a corresponding hole that is optically coupled therewith, and wherein each optical sensor is operable to produce an electrical signal in response to the corresponding hole being substantially covered by the golf ball during a hit of the golf ball with the club head;
electronics for processing signals received from the plurality of optical sensors and for analyzing at least one characteristic of the contact between the face plate and the golf ball during a hit of the golf ball with the club head; and
a display for displaying the at least one characteristic of the contact between the face plate and the golf ball, and wherein the display includes a plurality of individually illuminable elements visible at the grip end of the shaft and arranged in a pattern corresponding to that of the plurality of holes such that each of the individually illuminable elements uniquely corresponds in one-to-one correspondence with a particular hole of the face plate. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification