Identification and use of golf club selectivity

• US 5,351,951 A
• Filed: 11/17/1992
• Issued: 10/04/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: George W. Hodgetts
• Original Assignee: George W. Hodgetts
• Inventors: Hodgetts, George W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US07/979,070
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 273/77 R, 273/77 A, 273/77 B, 273/81 R, 273/81.4, 273/187.5
• US Class Current: 473/409
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/00 Golf clubs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/002 Resonance frequency related characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand

Abstract

The selectivity or the damping factor or the bandwith of a golf club can be determined by stimulating a club and measuring the rate of decay of the displacement, velocity, or acceleration. The resulting information provides a measure of the risk of off-speed swings from using a particular golf club and enables a better fit to be accomplished between a golf club and a player.

Claims

1. A method of determining the selectivity Q of a golf club for use by a golfer to determine the relative risk factor associated with a particular club comprising:

(1) subjecting a golf club having a grip end and a club head attached to a stationary means at its grip end to an energy pulse to cause the club head end to oscillate;

(2) positioning two detectors below and equidistant from a line extending from the club grip end to the club head end before the club is oscillated for measuring the time it takes to complete an oscillation cycle;

(3) determining the velocity V of the oscillating club according to the formula;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">V=p/t.sub.2

wherein p is the distance between the two detectors and t₂ is the time in seconds during which it takes a given point of a club to travel from one detector to the other;

(4) thereafter calculating the rate of decay of club velocity by comparing successive velocity determinations using that rate in the velocity equation;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">V=e.sup.-α

t sin(2π

f.sub.o t)

wherein α

is the damping factor and t is the elapsed time;

(5) thereafter solving for Q in the formula Q=2π

.

2. A method for selecting the best clubs for a golfer among a plurality of clubs comprising the steps of:

(1) oscillating a first golf club over various frequencies and determining a natural frequency f_o for said club, each frequency in an oscillation relating to a distinct excursion;

(2) determining the selectivity Q for the first golf club, Q being a range of frequencies wherein each frequency in the range has an excursion equal to or greater than about 70% the excursion corresponding to the natural frequency f_o ;

(3) swinging each of a first set of golf clubs and measuring for each swing the speed of the swing;

(4) measuring the highest mean speed and determining the sigma for each club in step (3);

(5) terminating the swinging of the set of clubs in step (3) and terminating the measuring of the highest mean speed in (4) when the value of sigma is substantially constant;

(6) selecting a second set of gold clubs from the first set of golf clubs with the highest mean speed and smallest sigma, and determining a natural frequency f_o for each club in the second set; and

(7) selecting a club from the second set of clubs with a natural frequency f_o substantially similar to the natural frequency f_o of the first blue as determined in step (1) and a Q value that correlates to the sigma value determined in step (5).

3. The method of claim 2 wherein each of the first set of clubs has substantially the same Q values.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein termination of swinging takes place when sigma stabilizes at about 0.1 mph.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the correlation between Q and sigma in step (7) is such that the Q value of the club selected is slightly higher than the sigma value wherein both values are computed in the same units.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the correlation between Q and sigma in step (7) is such that the Q value of the club selected is significantly higher that the sigma value wherein both values are computed in the same units.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the correlation between Q and sigma in step (7), is such that the Q value of the club selected is significantly higher than the sigma value wherein both values are computed in the same units.

8. A method of choosing a golf club comprising evaluating the selectivity Q of the club wherein the value of Q is determined by:

(1) oscillating a first golf club over various frequencies and determining a natural frequency f_o for the club, each frequency in an oscillation relating to a distinct excursion;

(2) determining the selectivity Q for the first blue, Q being a range of frequencies wherein each frequency in the range has an excursion equal to or greater than about 70% of the excursion corresponding to the natural frequency f_o.

(3) repeating steps 1 and 2 for at least one additional golf club, and

(4) choosing a golf club having a specific selectivity Q.