Apparatus and method for computing and outputting golf ball putting instructions

• US 7,887,427 B1
• Filed: 04/05/2007
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gary E. Schmidt, Philip A. Schmidt
• Original Assignee: Gary E. Schmidt, Philip A. Schmidt
• Inventors: Schmidt, Philip A., Schmidt, Gary E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hotaling, II; John M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsu; Ryan
• Application Number:
  US11/696,727
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 473/131, 473/151, 473198-199, 473252-253, 473/225, 473/241, 473/404, 473/407, 473/409, 473/174
• US Class Current: 473/173
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3676 for putting A63B69/3608, A63B69/3661, A63B69/3667 and A63B69/3697 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities

Abstract

Apparatus and a method for computing and outputting a putting backstroke instruction for a planned putt of a golf ball during recreational play. A computing means includes means for initializing or customizing according to a specific golfer putting on a specific golf green, the golfer putting at least one initializing putt a pre-selected distance on a level area of a green. During recreational play thereafter, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the golfer, for each segment of a planned putt enters the applicable grade and length. The computing means outputs to the golfer an instruction for the length of the backstroke recommended, i.e., required for the planned putt. Another embodiment of the invention requires the inputting of the length of the planned putt but excludes the inputting of the grade of the green.

Claims

1. A method for calculated putting, comprising the steps of:

establishing a first point across a pre-selected grade on a green surface that is a preselected number of pacing steps from a golf ball;

marking said first point;

putting said golf ball to said first point white noting a backstroke length effective for said putt;

initializing a pre-programmed computing means by inputting said backstroke length effective for said putt;

inputting into said computing means, for each segment of a planned putt on a specific green, the length of said each segment;

outputting for said planned putt from output means of said computing means the necessary length of backstroke to cause a putted ball to travel across said specific green close to a cup thereof, said necessary backstroke length which is dependent upon and varies responsive to said backstroke length effective to putt said golf ball to said first point input during said initializing step; and

putting with a backstroke modified in accord with said necessary length of backstroke;

further comprising the step of storing said preselected number of pacing steps as a number in said pre-programmed computing means prior to said inputting step; and

wherein the steps of storing said preselected number of pacing steps, establishing a first point, marking said first point, putting said golf ball, and initializing a pre-programmed computing means comprise initialization of said pre-programmed computing means that indirectly determines real-time green resistance.

2. The method of claim 1 including the further step of inputting into said computing means, for said each segment of a multi-segment planned putt, the grade and a number of paces of said each segment of a multi-segment planned putt.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said pre-selected grade is a level grade.

4. The method for calculated putting of claim 1, wherein said step of inputting said backstroke length effective for each putt further comprises the step of entering a number into said pre-programmed computing means representative of an estimate of a distance of said backstroke length.

5. The method for calculated putting of claim 1, further comprising the step of initiating said initialization of said pre-programmed computing means immediately prior to play.

6. A method for calculated putting, comprising the steps of:

storing a calibration number in a pre-programmed computing means;

establishing a first point across a pre-selected grade on a green surface that is a preselected number of pacing steps from a golf ball, said preselected number of pacing steps equal to said calibration number;

marking said first point;

putting said golf ball to said first point while noting a backstroke length effective for said putt;

initializing said pre-programmed computing means by inputting said backstroke length effective for said putt;

inputting into said computing means, for each segment of a planned putt on a specific green, a length of said each segment;

outputting for said planned putt from output means of said computing means the necessary length of backstroke to cause a putted ball to travel across said specific green close to a cup thereof, said necessary backstroke length which is dependent upon and varies responsive to said backstroke length and said length of said each segment; and

putting with a backstroke modified in accord with said necessary length of backstroke;

wherein the steps of storing, establishing, marking, putting, and initializing comprise initialization of said pre-programmed computing means that indirectly determines real-time green resistance.

7. The method for calculated putting of claim 6, wherein said step of inputting into said pre-programmed computing means further comprises, for said each segment of a multi-segment planned putt, inputting the grade and a number of paces of said each segment of said multi-segment planned putt.

8. The method for calculated putting of claim 6, wherein said pre-selected grade is a level grade.

9. The method for calculated putting of claim 6, further comprising the step of storing a preselected grade in said pre-programmed computing means prior to said inputting step.

10. The method for calculated putting of claim 6, wherein said step of initializing further comprises the step of entering a number into said pre-programmed computing means representative of an estimate of a distance of said backstroke length.

11. The method for calculated putting of claim 6, further comprising the step of calculating a necessary backstroke length to cause a putted ball to travel across said specific green close to a cup thereof, said necessary backstroke length which is dependent upon and varies responsive to said input length of said each segment and responsive to said entered backstroke length.

12. The method for calculated putting of claim 6, wherein said length of said each segment further comprises an ascertained number of paces required to traverse said each segment.

13. A method for calculated putting which factors real-time stimp resistance into an initialization procedure pre-programmed within a pre-programmed computing means, comprising the steps of:

storing a pre-selected number of paces and a pre-selected grade within said pre-programmed computing means;

initiating an initialization procedure pre-programmed within said pre-programmed computing means;

outputting from said pre-programmed computing means said pre-selected number of paces and said pre-selected grade, responsive to said initiating step;

establishing a first point across a pre-selected grade on a green surface that is said preselected number of paces from a golf ball;

marking said first point;

determining a backstroke length effective for putting said golf ball to said first point;

entering a number representative of said determined backstroke length into said pre-programmed computing means during said initialization procedure and thereby indirectly determining said real-time stimp resistance into subsequent calculations of backstroke length;

ascertaining, for each segment of a planned putt on a specific green, a number of paces required to traverse said each segment;

inputting into said computing means said ascertained number of paces required to traverse said each segment, said inputting step subsequent to said pre-programmed computing means initialization procedure;

calculating a necessary backstroke length to cause a putted ball to travel across said specific green close to a cup thereof, said necessary backstroke length which is dependent upon and varies responsive to said number of paces required to traverse said each segment and responsive to said entered backstroke length;

outputting for said planned putt from output means of said computing means said necessary backstroke length; and

putting with a backstroke modified in accord with said necessary length of backstroke.

14. The method for calculated putting of claim 13, wherein said step of inputting into said pre-programmed computing means further comprises, for said each segment of a multi-segment planned putt, inputting the grade of said each segment of said multi-segment planned putt.

15. The method for calculated putting of claim 13, wherein said pre-selected grade is a level grade.