Golf swing analyzer and analysis methods

• US 8,715,096 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2012
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Robert Cherbini
• Original Assignee: Michael Robert Cherbini
• Inventors: Cherbini, Michael Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Brewster, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsu, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US13/474,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20120295726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 473/131, 473/151, 473/223, 473/224, 473/221, 473/226, 473/231
• US Class Current: 473/219
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

A golf club including a swing analyzer includes an accelerometer that measures acceleration in three directions, a magnetometer/gyroscope unit, a processor unit that converts the measured acceleration and golf club movement during a non-ball-striking or ball-striking swing into an estimated carrying distance of a golf ball when struck by the golf club based on swing position and a type of the golf club, and a display that displays the estimated carrying distance as a function of swing position to the golfer. The accelerometer, magnetometer/gyroscope unit, and processor unit may be mounted in a handle at a grip end of the golf club. The estimated carrying distance calculation may be performed at a unit separate from the golf club and capable of performing this calculation for several golf clubs with which it communicates via cooperating communications unit.

Claims

1. A golf club, comprising:

an accelerometer that measures acceleration;

a processor unit coupled to said accelerometer and that converts acceleration measured by said accelerometer during a plurality of swings for a plurality of swing positions into an average estimated carrying distance of a golf ball when struck by the golf club based a number of swings taken at the same one of plurality of swing positions and a type of the golf club, said processor unit determining the average estimated carrying distance by converting acceleration measured by said accelerometer during each swing into a respective estimated carrying distance of the golf ball and then averaging the estimated carrying distances of the golf ball; and

a display coupled to said processor unit and that is controlled by said processor unit to selectively display the average estimated carrying distance as a function of one of the plurality of swing positions, said display having an exposed display surface visible from an exterior of the golf club.

2. The golf club of claim 1, further comprising a handle having a grip end, said accelerometer and said processor unit being part of a swing analyzer tool mounted in said handle at said grip end.

3. The golf club of claim 2, wherein said swing analyzer tool further comprises a power source that provides power to said accelerometer and said processor unit when necessary.

4. The golf club of claim 2, wherein said swing analyzer tool further comprises a magnetometer unit coupled to said processor unit for determining at least a club face position at impact with a golf ball and a club position before impact and subsequent to impact.

5. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said processor unit is input with the type and characteristics of a golf club.

22. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said accelerometer measures acceleration in three directions.

6. A method for displaying estimated carrying distance of a golf ball as a function of one of a plurality of swing positions for a golf club, comprising:

in a training stage, for each of at least one of the plurality of swing positions,

measuring, using an accelerometer on the golf club, acceleration of the golf club;

converting, using a processor unit, the measured acceleration into an estimated carrying distance of a golf ball when struck by the golf club based on a number of swings taken at the same one of the plurality of swing positions and a type of the golf club;

repeating the acceleration measuring and converting steps for each one of the plurality of swing positions to obtain a plurality of estimated carrying distances for the same one of the plurality of swing positions; and

averaging the plurality of estimated carrying distances for each one of the plurality of swing positions; and

storing an average estimated carrying distance for each one of the plurality of swing positions in a data storage unit; and

selectively displaying on a display the average estimated carrying distance as a function of the one of the plurality of swing positions.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the training stage involves the plurality of different swing positions.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising inputting the type and characteristics of a golf club to the processor unit.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of measuring acceleration of the golf club comprises measuring acceleration in three directions.

23. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of converting the measured acceleration into an estimated carrying distance of the golf ball comprises converting the measured acceleration into an estimated carrying distance of the golf ball using a processor on the golf club.

24. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of measuring acceleration of the golf club comprises measuring acceleration of the golf club during a non-ball-striking swing.

25. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of storing the average estimated carrying distance for each position of the plurality of swing positions in a data storage unit comprises storing the average estimated carrying distance for each of the plurality of swing positions in a data storage unit on the golf club.

26. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of displaying on a display the average estimated carrying distance as a function of at least one of the plurality of swing positions comprises displaying on a display on the golf club, the average estimated carrying distance as a function of the at least one of the plurality of swing positions.

27. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of measuring acceleration of the golf club comprises measuring acceleration in three directions during a non-ball-striking swing, the step of converting the measured acceleration into an estimated carrying distance of the golf ball comprises converting the measured acceleration into an estimated carrying distance of the golf ball using a processor on the golf club, the step of storing the average estimated carrying distance for each of the at least one of the plurality of swing positions in a data storage unit on the golf club, and the step of displaying on a display the average estimated carrying distance as a function of at least one of the plurality of swing positions.

10. A golf swing analysis arrangement, comprising:

at least one golf club, each of said at least one golf club comprising;

an accelerometer that measures acceleration; and

a first communications unit that transmits the measured acceleration; and

a unit separate and apart from the at least one golf club and that comprises;

a second communications unit arranged to communicate with the first communications unit of each golf club and receive the measured acceleration;

a processor unit that converts the received measured accelerations for a plurality of swings for a number of swings taken at the same one of a plurality of swing positions into an average estimated carrying distance of a golf ball when struck by the golf club based on the one of the plurality of swing positions and a type of the golf club, said processor unit determining the average estimated carrying distance by converting acceleration measured by said accelerometer during each swing into a respective estimated carrying distance of the golf ball and then averaging the estimated carrying distances of the golf ball; and

a display coupled to said processor unit and that is controlled by said processor unit to enable display of the average estimated carrying distance as a function of one of the plurality of swing positions.

11. The arrangement of claim 10, wherein said at least one golf club comprises a plurality of golf clubs.

12. The arrangement of claim 10, wherein said separate unit further comprises a storage unit that stores information about the carrying distance of each club as a function of the one of the plurality of swing positions.

13. The arrangement of claim 10, wherein said accelerometer and said first communications unit are part of a swing analyzer measurement portion arranged in a grip end of a handle of each golf club.

14. The arrangement of claim 10, further comprising a magnetometer unit coupled to said processor unit for determining at least a club face position at impact with a golf ball and a club position before impact and subsequent to impact.

15. The arrangement of claim 13, wherein said swing analyzer measurement portion further comprises an additional processor unit arranged to control transmission of measured acceleration from said golf club.

16. The arrangement of claim 13, wherein said swing analyzer measurement portion further comprises a power source that provides power to said accelerometer and said first communications unit, when necessary.

28. The arrangement of claim 10, wherein said an accelerometer measures acceleration in three directions.

17. A method for enabling a golfer to obtain estimated carrying distance of a golf ball as a function of for at least one golf club, comprising:

in a training stage, for each of at least one a plurality of swing positions,

measuring, using an accelerometer/magnetometer/gyroscope unit on the golf club, acceleration, club face data and swing data of the golf club;

transmitting, using a first communications unit on the golf club, the measured acceleration, club face data and swing data to a second communications unit on a separate unit;

repeating the acceleration measuring and transmitting steps for each swing position to obtain a plurality of estimated carrying distances for the same one of the plurality of swing positions; and

converting, using a processor unit at the separate unit, the measured acceleration, club face data and swing data provided by the first communications unit of each golf club into an estimated carrying distance of a golf ball when struck by that golf club based on the one of the plurality of swing positions and a type and characteristics of that golf club;

averaging, at the processor unit of the separate unit, the plurality of estimated carrying distances for each one of the plurality of swing positions for each golf club; and

selectively displaying the average estimated carrying distance for each golf club as a function of a number of swings taken at one of the plurality of swing positions,

whereby the average estimated carrying distance of a golf ball when struck by each golf club is available as a function of the swings taken at the same one of the plurality of swing positions.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising inputting the type of each golf club to the processor unit.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of measuring acceleration, club face data and swing data of the golf club of the golf club comprises measuring acceleration in three directions.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising storing the average estimated carrying distance for each of the plurality of swing positions for each golf club in a data storage unit on the separate unit.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of measuring acceleration, club face data and swing data of the golf club of the golf club comprises measuring acceleration of the golf club during a non-ball-striking swing.