Golf Clubs and Golf Club Heads

• US 20120277015A1
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: BOYD, Robert, STITES, John, LAFORTUNE, Mario A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,668,595 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/223
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0647 Visualisation of executed movements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/16 Angular positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/15 with identification means that can be read by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0003 Analysing the course of a movement or motion sequences during an exercise or trainings sequence, e.g. swing for golf or tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/00 Golf clubs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/005 Club sets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/10 : Non-metallic shafts
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/14 : Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/46 : Measurement devices associated with golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like for measuring physical parameters relating to sporting activity, e.g. baseball bats with impact indicators or bracelets for measuring the golf swing
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 : Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 : Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 : with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 : with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors

Abstract

Golf clubs according to at least some example aspects of this disclosure may include a golf club head and a shaft configured to engage with the golf club head which includes a grip engaged with the shaft. Further, the golf club may include a monitoring device, which includes an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer and a transmitter. Additionally, the monitoring device may be configured to determine data related to the characteristics of a golf swing. Further, the monitoring device may be configured to transmit the data related to the characteristics of a golf swing to a remote computer.

Claims

1. A golf club, comprising:

a golf club head;

a shaft configured to engage with the golf club head, including a grip engaged with the shaft; and

a monitoring device configured to be engaged with the golf club, comprising;

an accelerometer;

a gyroscope;

a magnetometer; and

a transmitter,

wherein the monitoring device is configured to determine data related to at least one characteristic of a golf swing,

wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit, to a remote computer, the determined data related to the at least one characteristic of the golf swing.

2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the golf club head is configured to receive and secure the monitoring device.

3. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the shaft is configured to receive and secure the monitoring device at the grip of the shaft.

4. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic of the golf swing is one of:

a velocity of the golf club or club head during a golf swing, an acceleration of the club or club head during a golf swing, an angle of the golf club or club head during a golf swing, a swing tempo, an impact of the ball with the golf club head during a golf swing, a swing path of the golf club during a golf swing.

5. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device includes a memory for storing the data.

6. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit data to the remote computer.

7. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device includes a microprocessor configured to calculate one or more golf metrics based on the data determined by the sensor.

8. The golf club of claim 7, wherein the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit the golf metrics to the remote computer.

9. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device is associated with an identification code which indicates the particular golf club in which the monitoring device is engaged, the identification code is included in the data transmitted by the monitoring device.

10. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the monitoring system includes an activation system configured to selectively activate the monitoring device.

11. The golf club of claim 10, wherein the activation system includes a detector for detecting whether the golf club is moved over a predefined speed or length of time and is configured to activate the monitoring device upon detecting movement over the predefined speed or length of time.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the activation system includes a detector for detecting an impact at a golf club head of the golf club and is configured to activate the monitoring device upon detecting the impact.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the transmitter is a transceiver, wherein the activation system is configured to activate the monitoring device upon receiving the signal from the remote computer.

14. The golf club of claim 1, further comprising:

a second monitoring device, comprising;

an accelerometer;

a gyroscope;

a magnetometer; and

a second transmitter,

wherein the second monitoring device is configured to determine data related to at least one characteristic of a golf swing,

wherein the second transmitter is configured to transmit, to a remote computer, the determined data related to the at least one characteristic of the golf swing.

15. The golf club of claim 14, wherein the golf club head is configured to receive and secure the first monitoring device, wherein the shaft is configured to receive and secure the second monitoring device at the grip of the shaft.

16. The golf club of claim 14, wherein the second monitoring device includes a memory for storing the data.

17. The golf club of claim 14, wherein the second transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit data to the remote computer.

18. The golf club of claim 1, further comprising a Global Positioning Satellite transceiver.

19. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the golf club head is one of a wood-type golf club head, an iron-type golf club head and a putter-type golf club head.

20. A system for providing feedback regarding aspects of a golf game, comprising:

a golf club including;

a golf club head;

a shaft configured to engage with the golf club head, including a grip engaged with the shaft; and

a monitoring device, comprising;

an accelerometer;

a gyroscope;

a magnetometer; and

a transmitter; and

a remote computer configured to receive data from the monitoring device,

wherein the monitoring device is configured to determine data related to at least one characteristic of a golf swing and also configured to transmit the data related to the at least one characteristic of a golf swing to the remote computer.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the at least one characteristic of the golf swing is one of:

a velocity of the golf club or club head during a golf swing, an acceleration of the club or club head during a golf swing, an angle of the golf club or club head during a golf swing, a swing tempo, an impact of the ball with the golf club head during a golf swing, a swing path of the golf club during a golf swing.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the monitoring device includes a memory for storing the data.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit data to the remote computer.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the monitoring device includes a microprocessor configured to calculate one or more golf metrics based on the data determined by the sensor.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit the golf metrics to the remote computer.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the remote computer includes a microprocessor configured to calculate one or more golf metrics based on the data received from the remote monitoring device.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the remote computer includes a memory configured to store the golf metrics.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the remote computer includes an audio or video means configured to communicate the golf metrics to the user.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the golf metrics include a graphical representation of the swing path of the golf swing from which the data was determined.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the transmission reception system of the remote computer is configured to transmit the golf metrics.

31. The system of claim 20, wherein the system is configured to identify the particular golf club in which the monitoring device is engaged based on the data transmitted by the monitoring device.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the monitoring device is associated with an identification code and the remote computer is configured to coordinate the identification code with a particular golf club, such that data transmitted from the monitoring device will be associated with the golf club in which the monitoring device is engaged.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the identification code is included in the data transmitted by the monitoring device.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the identification code is stored on the remote computer and the remote computer associates the data transmitted by the monitoring device with the particular golf club.

35. The system of claim 31, further comprising a second golf club configured to receive the monitoring device, wherein the monitoring device is configured to be interchangeable between the first golf club and the second golf club.

36. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a second monitoring device, comprising;

an accelerometer;

a gyroscope;

a magnetometer; and

a second transmitter,

wherein the second monitoring device is configured to determine data related to at least one characteristic of a golf swing,

wherein the second transmitter is configured to transmit, to the remote computer, the determined data related to the at least one characteristic of the golf swing.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the golf club head is configured to receive and secure the first monitoring device, wherein the shaft is configured to receive and secure the second monitoring device at the grip of the shaft.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein the golf club head is configured to receive and secure the first monitoring device and the golf club head is configured to receive and secure the second monitoring device.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein a toe end of the golf club head is configured to receive the first monitoring device and a heel end of the golf club head is configured to receive the second monitoring device.

40. The system of claim 36, wherein the second monitoring device includes a memory for storing the data.

41. The system of claim 36, wherein the second transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit data to the remote computer.

42. A method for providing feedback regarding aspects of a golf game, comprising:

providing a golf club which includes;

a golf club head;

a shaft configured to engage with the golf club head, including a grip engaged with the shaft; and

a monitoring device configured to be engaged with the golf club, comprising;

an accelerometer;

a gyroscope;

a magnetometer; and

a transmitter,

wherein the monitoring device is configured to determine data related to at least one characteristic of a golf swing,

wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit, to a remote computer, the determined data related to the at least one characteristic of the golf swing,

electronically receiving at the remote computer the determined data related to the at least one characteristic of the golf swing.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising calculating at the monitoring device, based on the data determined by the sensor, one or more golf metrics.

44. The system of claim 43, further comprising wirelessly transmitting the golf metrics to the remote computer.

45. The system of claim 42, further comprising calculating at the remote computer, based on the data received from the transmitter, one or more golf metrics.

46. The system of claim 45, further comprising storing at the remote computer one or more of the calculated the golf metrics.

47. The system of claim 46, further comprising presenting, at the remote computer, the golf metrics to a user.