Golf swing analysing apparatus

• US 5,474,298 A
• Filed: 04/08/1994
• Issued: 12/12/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Golfsmith Licensing LLC
• Original Assignee: Swingmaster Limited
• Inventors: Lindsay, Norman M.
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, JESSICA
• Application Number:
  US08/167,815
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 273/183.1, 273/186.1, 273/186.2, 273/35 R, 273/195 R, 273/184 R, 434/252
• US Class Current: 473/222
• 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: G01D 5/2033 controlling the saturation of a magnetic circuit by means of a movable element, e.g. a magnet

Abstract

A golf swing analyzing apparatus for detecting, measuring and/or displaying differences from a desired ideal golf swing is described. The apparatus comprises (a) one or two permanent magnets in spaced recess in one or more golf clubs, (b) a number of loops in a planar detector array close to the notional or actual ball position and (c) a readout device for picking up the various signals created as the magnets cross straight line portions of the loops and conveying them to indications of swing angle, club face angle, club face tilt, impact zone at the club face, speed acceleration, rake and so on. The magnitudes of speed, height sensitivity, and magnet strength permit such golf diagnostic equipment to be readily constructed and give usable displays of figures of (on a screen) outcome of the notional golf stroke.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting a golf swing'"'"'s deviations from desired ideal performance characteristics, comprising:

(a) at least one golf club comprising a club head, said club head comprising a club face;

(b) at least one permanent magnet attached to said club head at a predetermined location and orientation relative to said club face;

(c) a detector array comprising a ball-position indication, said detector array further comprising at least one sensor for detecting a magnetic field and producing at least one electrical signal upon detecting said magnetic field, said sensor located in a fixed position relative to a notional line corresponding to the desired ideal path of said club head over said ball position indication, said sensor comprising a magnet-sensitive boundary unit comprising at least one elongate portion in a fixed location and orientation relative to said notional line;

(d) circuitry electrically connected to said detector array for converting said electrical signals; and

(e) readout means, connected to said circuitry, to provide an indication of detected differences between the actual path of said club head and said desired ideal path.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said elongate portion is a substantially straight segment.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said elongate portion is a substantially straight line segment of a loop of electrically conductive material.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said golf club further comprises a sole, a back, a central plane defined as the plane in which a hit golf ball will initially generally travel when struck by said club face and at least one recess in said golf club in said central plane perpendicular to said club face, one of said permanent magnets located in each of said recesses.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said recess is located in the sole of said golf club.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said recess is located in the back of said golf club.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein two recesses are provided and said permanent magnets are oriented with opposed polarity.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein two recesses are provided and said permanent magnets are spaced apart at a distance of about 50 mm to 90 mm.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said permanent magnets have magnetic axes and said magnetic axes are substantially vertical to said detector array when said club head swings over said ball-position indication.

10. A golf club as claimed in claim 9 wherein two permanent magnets are provided, said magnets being oriented in opposed plurality.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said permanent magnets have magnetic axes and said magnetic axes are horizontal to said detector array wherein said club head swings over said ball-position indication.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said golf club is wood.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said golf club is an iron.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said golf club is a putter.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said permanent magnets are of the rare-earth-based type.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said permanent magnets are of the NdFeB type.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said permanent magnets are of the SECo₅ type.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said permanent magnets have a cylindrical shape of about 5 to 10 mm diameter and 3 to 10 mm length, and a BH product of about 50 to 350 kilojoules per cubic meter.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said elongate portion of said detector array comprises at least one straight segment of electrically conductive material located and positioned to intersect the plane defined by said desired ideal path.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said detector array comprises at least two elongate portions which intersect the plane defined by said ideal path.

21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein said elongate portions are parallel and perpendicular to said notional line.

22. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein said elongate portions are parallel and angled to said notional line.

23. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein said elongate portions are not parallel, and one of said elongate portions is perpendicular to said notional line.

24. An apparatus as claimed in claim 23 wherein the angle defined between said portions is between about 30°

and 60°

.

25. An apparatus as claimed in claim 23 wherein said elongate portions are segments of an equal number of continuous electrical loops.

26. An apparatus as claimed in claim 23 wherein said straight line segments are portions of separate electrical loops.

27. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said detector array comprises at least one electrical loop comprising said elongate portion, said elongate portion having two ends, said loop continuing from said ends in the general direction of said notional line.

28. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said detector array comprises a plurality of loops at predetermined locations and orientation in relation to said ball-position indication, said loops being electrically insulated from one another and collectively permitting at least two separate signals to be detected and convened for transmission to said readout means.

29. An apparatus as claimed in claim 28 wherein said loops are of about the same length in the direction of said notional line.

30. An apparatus as claimed in claim 28 wherein said elongate portion comprises a composite of aligned smaller length elongate portions of at least two different loops.

31. An apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein said golf club has a back, a side, a central plane defined as the initial plane in which a golf ball hit by said golf club will generally travel, wherein two of said permanent magnets are oriented with opposed polarity, said magnets having magnetic axes, said magnets being housed in said golf club and oriented with said axes substantially aligned yet spaced on both sides by a distance X from said central plane, wherein said detector array further comprises:

(a) three closely adjacent mutually aligned straight first elongate portions at right angles to said notional line, all of said elongate portions being segments of separate conductive loops, the middle of said loops being of elongate length less than X;

(b) two closely adjacent mutually aligned straight second elongate portions of separate conductive loops, parallel to and coordinated with said first elongate portions, of elongate lengths equivalent to the said first elongate portions; and

(c) two mutually parallel third elongate portions at an angle between about 30°

to 60°

to the said first and second elongate portions, in separate conductive loops, at a spacing intersecting with the first and second elongate portions of two of said first elongate portions and one of said second elongate portions respectively at points over which the further of said permanent magnets passes when said golf club passes along said notional line over the central of said first elongate portions.

32. An apparatus as claimed in claim 31 wherein said detector array, comprised of loops of subparagraphs (a) and (b), are separated from loops of subparagraph (c) by a thickness of insulating material.

33. An apparatus as claimed in claim 28 wherein said golf club has a back, a side, an axis parallel to the direction in which the golf club will travel and a central plane being defined as the plane in which a hit ball will generally travel, wherein said permanent magnets have magnet axes, the magnets being oriented with said axes vertical and at right angles to said direction of golf club travel during swinging, said permanent magnets being spaced apart at the sole of said golf club along said central plane, and in which said elongate portions of said detector array further comprise (a) first parallel straight segments spaced at a known distance and at right angles to said notional line and crossing said notional line at respective intersections and (b) second parallel straight segments at an angle to those first parallel straight segments and oriented to pass through said respective intersections.

34. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said detector array comprises loops which are composed of wire or flat conductive ribbon.

35. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said detector array comprises loops formed as tracks on a printed circuit board.

36. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said detector array comprises induced signal loops providing magnetically induced signals in response to movement of said golf club generally over said detector array and one or more additional compensating loops, of substantially the same size as said induced signal loops, said compensating loops serving to receive extraneous external electrical disturbances and provide a signal to neutralize and compensate for the same in the said induced signal loops.

37. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said detector array comprises a composite expanse of loops electrically insulated from one another and from the surroundings, the upper surface of said detector array having said ball-position indication.

38. An apparatus as claimed in claim 37 wherein said expanse comprises a rigid, impact resistant plate.

39. An apparatus as claimed in claim 37 wherein said expanse comprises a flexible mat.

40. An apparatus as claimed in claim 37 wherein said expanse has a periphery to allow placement around a golf ball standing in play.

41. An apparatus as claimed in claim 37 wherein low reluctance magnetic material means is located beneath said loops to enhance signal strength.

42. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said readout means comprises display means providing an audible indication of deviation of a swing from said desired ideal path.

43. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said readout means comprises display means providing a visual indication of deviation of a swing from said desired ideal path.

44. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said detector array comprises at least one loop for providing magnetically induced signals and wherein said readout means comprises display means for providing display of at least one parameter obtained by computation based upon signals received from said loops.

45. An apparatus as claimed in claim 44 wherein said display means is digital.

46. An apparatus as claimed in claim 44 wherein said display means is analog.

47. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said readout means includes a display screen showing a notional golf hole for display of a calculated representation of the travel of the notional ball hit with the recorded and analyzed golf swing.

48. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a full set of golf clubs provided with said permanent magnets.

49. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising a selected sub-set of golf clubs including at least one wood and at least one iron, each provided with said permanent magnets.

50. An apparatus as claimed in claim 49 wherein the selected sub-set of clubs further includes a putter.

51. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein movement of said golf club along said desired ideal path creates a movement of magnetic flux with respect to said detector array, said boundary unit being such that it intersects at least 50% of the theoretical maximum amount of said flux.

52. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said detector array comprises a loop having a length extending along said ideal path, the height of said ideal path, above said loop, being small compared to said length of said loop along said ideal path.

53. A mat for detecting a golf swing'"'"'s deviations from desired ideal performance characteristics, comprising:

a ball support surface;

a ball position indication on said ball support surface;

a detector array of electrical loops at predetermined locations and orientation in relation to said ball position indication;

said loops being electrically insulated from one another and collectively permitting at least two separate signals to be detected by movement relative to said ball position indication of a golf club having a permanent magnet attached thereto at a predetermined location and orientation;

each of said loops further comprising a magnet-sensitive boundary unit comprising at least one elongate portion in a fixed location and orientation to said ball position indication; and

signal transmission means for transmitting said electrical signals to a readout device.