Swing type athletic equipment and practice apparatus therefor

• US 5,779,555 A
• Filed: 12/05/1996
• Issued: 07/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hokuriku Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Hokuriku Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Fukuhisa, Kouji, Nomura, Kazuo, Ohara, Yozo
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US08/759,473
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 473/223, 473/224
• US Class Current: 473/223
• 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

Abstract

A practice apparatus for a swing type athletic equipment capable of permitting a practicer to accurately know a locus of a ball hit. A triaxial acceleration sensor is mounted in a head of a golf club. Acceleration data in three detection-axis directions outputted from the triaxial acceleration sensor are transmitted to a data processing unit through a data transmission unit arranged in the grip. The data processing unit analyzes a locus of a golf ball hit and swing thereof based on the acceleration data. Results of the analysis are displayed on a monitor.

Claims

1. A practice apparatus for a golf club including a grip and a head mounted through a shaft on said grip, comprising:

a triaxial acceleration sensor mounted on said head;

a ball discharge direction detection means for detecting a direction of discharge of a golf ball hit;

a data processing unit, for processing acceleration data in three detection-axis directions outputted from said triaxial acceleration sensor and for processing data outputted from said ball discharge direction detection means, to determine the direction of discharge of the golf ball, rotation thereof and the flying distance thereof resulting in display data representing the locus of the golf ball;

a data transmission unit for transmitting the data outputted from said triaxial acceleration sensor and the data outputted from said ball discharge direction detecting means to said data processing unit; and

a display means for displaying the locus of the golf ball in response to the display data received from said data processing unit.

2. A practice apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said triaxial acceleration sensor is so arranged on said head that an extension line of one of detection axes thereof passes through a sweet spot of said head.

3. A practice apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said data processing unit analyzes swing of the golf club based on said acceleration data in the three detection-axis directions outputted from said triaxial acceleration sensor.