Method for predicting a golfer's ball striking performance

• US 7,811,182 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Fan, Frank H., Ligotti, Peter III, Manwaring, Scott R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol; Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOSSER, ROBERT E
• Application Number:
  US11/762,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20070244667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 273/317.2, 382/106, 382/107, 348/61, 348/143, 348/207.99, 348/207.1, 348/207.11, 348/552, 473/406, 473/407, 473/223, 473/226, 473/199, 473/200
• US Class Current: 473/407
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0028 Tracking the path of an object, e.g. a ball inside a soccer pitch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0031 at the starting point
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/05 Image processing for measuring physical parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/24 Angular displacement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/35 Spin
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/74 with powered illuminating means, e.g. lights
• 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 43/008 with means for improving visibility, e.g. special markings or colours illuminating or reflecting means A63B43/06
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/36 for golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3614 using electro-magnetic, magnetic or ultrasonic radiation emitted, reflected or interrupted by the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3658 Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities

Abstract

A method for a predicting golfer'"'"'s performance is disclosed herein. The method inputs the pre-impact swing properties of a golfer obtained from a CMOS imaging system, a plurality of mass properties of a first golf club, and a plurality of mass properties of a first golf ball into a rigid body code. Ball launch parameters are generated from the rigid body. The ball launch parameters, a plurality of atmospheric conditions and lift and drag properties of the golf ball are inputted into a trajectory code. This trajectory code is used to predict the performance of a golf ball if struck by the golfer with the golf club under the atmospheric conditions. The method can then predict the performance of the golf ball if struck by the golfer with a different golf club. The method and system of the present invention predict the performance of the golf ball without the golfer actually striking the golf ball.

Claims

1. A method for predicting a golfer'"'"'s ball striking performance, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of golf club head properties for a first golf club head of a first golf club;

providing a plurality of golf ball properties for a first golf ball;

determining a plurality of pre-impact swing properties for the golfer using at least one CMOS camera, the CMOS imaging system having a sensor array with at least one megapixel in size, wherein the CMOS imaging system forms a region of interest operating at a frame rate of 1000 to 4000 frames per second prior to the golf club entering the field of view and then forms subsequent regions of interest as the golf club travels through the field of view;

inputting the plurality of golf club properties, the plurality of golf ball properties and the plurality of pre-impact swing properties into a rigid body code;

generating a plurality of ball launch parameters from the rigid body code;

providing a plurality of first atmospheric conditions;

providing a plurality of lift and drag properties for the first golf ball;

inputting the plurality of ball launch parameters, the plurality of first atmospheric conditions and the plurality of lift and drag properties into a trajectory code; and

generating a predicted performance from the trajectory code of the first golf ball if struck with the first golf club by the golfer under the first atmospheric conditions.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein predicting the performance comprises predicting the trajectory shape, the trajectory apex, the dispersion of the golf ball, the flight distance of the golf ball and the roll distance of the golf ball.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of golf club head properties comprises the mass of the first golf club head, the location of the center of gravity of the first golf club head relative to the impact location of the first golf ball, the inertia tensor of the first golf club head, the geometry of the face of the first golf club head, the bulge and roll radii of the face of the first golf club head, the loft of the first golf club head and the face center location of the first golf club head.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the plurality of golf club head properties further comprises the coefficient of restitution of the first golf club head when striking the first golf ball, and a spin coefficient of restitution of the first golf club head when striking the first golf ball.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of golf ball properties comprises the mass of the first golf ball, the moment of inertia of the first golf ball and the radius of the first golf ball.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the plurality of golf ball properties further comprises the coefficient of restitution of the first golf ball at a speed of 143 feet per second.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of atmospheric conditions comprises the temperature, the pressure, the density of the air, the viscosity of the air, the relative humidity and the wind velocity.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of pre-impact properties comprises the impact location, the motion of the golf club head and the orientation of the golf club head.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the motion of the golf club head is provided as a three-orthogonal axes representation of velocity.

10. The method according to claim 8 wherein the motion of the golf club head is provided as speed and a directional vector represented by an elevation angle and an azimuth angle.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of ball launch parameters generated comprises a ball velocity and a ball angular velocity.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of ball launch parameters generated comprises a launch angle of the golf ball, a side angle of the golf ball, a golf ball speed, a spin of the golf ball and a spin axis of the golf ball.

13. A method for predicting a golfer'"'"'s ball striking performance with a multitude of different golf clubs and a multitude of different golf balls, the method comprising:

using a CMOS imaging system to determine a plurality of pre-impact swing properties for the golfer based on the golfer'"'"'s swing with a first golf club, the CMOS imaging system having a sensor array with at least one megapixel in size, wherein the CMOS imaging system forms a region of interest operating at a frame rate of 1000 to 4000 frames per second prior to the golf club entering the field of view and then forms subsequent regions of interest as the golf club travels through the field of view;

inputting a plurality of mass properties of a first golf club, a plurality of mass properties of a first golf ball, and the plurality of pre-impact swing properties into a rigid body code, wherein the first golf club has a substantially square club head and a moment of inertia Izz ranging from 3500 g-cm² to 6000 g-cm²;

generating a first plurality of ball launch parameters from the first rigid body code;

inputting the first plurality of ball launch parameters, a plurality of atmospheric conditions and a plurality of lift and drag properties for the first golf ball into a trajectory code;

generating the performance from the trajectory code of the first golf ball if struck by the golfer with the first golf club under the plurality of atmospheric conditions;

inputting a plurality of mass properties of a second golf club, the plurality of mass properties of the first golf ball, and the plurality of pre-impact swing properties into the rigid body code, wherein the second golf club has a traditional club head shape;

generating a second plurality of ball launch parameters from the rigid body code;

inputting the second plurality of ball launch parameters, the plurality of atmospheric conditions and the plurality of lift and drag properties for the first golf ball into the trajectory code;

generating the performance from the trajectory code of the first golf ball if struck by the golfer with the second golf club under the first atmospheric conditions;

inputting the plurality of mass properties of the first golf club, a plurality of mass properties of a second golf ball, and the plurality of pre-impact swing properties into the rigid body code;

generating a third plurality of ball launch parameters from the rigid body code;

inputting the third plurality of ball launch parameters, the plurality of atmospheric conditions and a plurality of lift and drag properties for the second golf ball into the trajectory code; and

generating the performance from the trajectory code of the second golf ball if struck by the golfer with the first golf club under the atmospheric conditions.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the first golf ball is a two-piece golf ball and the second golf ball is a three-piece solid golf ball.

15. The method according to claim 13 wherein the first golf club is a driver with a golf club head composed of a multiple materials and the second golf club is a driver with a golf club head composed of a cast stainless steel alloy.

16. A method for predicting a golfer'"'"'s ball striking performance, the method comprising:

using a CMOS imaging system to determine a plurality of pre-impact swing properties for the golfer based on the golfer'"'"'s swing with a first golf club, the CMOS imaging system having a sensor array with at least one megapixel in size, wherein the CMOS imaging system forms a region of interest operating at a frame rate of 1000 to 4000 frames per second prior to the golf club entering the field of view and then forms subsequent regions of interest as the golf club travels through the field of view;

inputting a plurality of mass properties of the first golf club, a plurality of mass properties of a first golf ball, and the plurality of pre-impact swing properties into a rigid body code;

generating a plurality of ball launch parameters from the rigid body code;

inputting the plurality of ball launch parameters into a trajectory code; and

generating the trajectory shape, the trajectory apex, the dispersion of the golf ball, the flight distance of the golf ball and the roll distance of the first golf ball from the trajectory code if struck by the golfer with the first golf club under a first atmospheric conditions.

17. A method for predicting a golfer'"'"'s ball striking performance, the method comprising:

using a CMOS imaging system to determine a plurality of pre-impact swing properties for the golfer based on the golfer'"'"'s swing with a first golf club, wherein the plurality of pre-impact properties comprises an impact location, a motion of the golf club head and an orientation of the golf club head, the CMOS imaging system having a sensor array with at least one megapixel in size, wherein the CMOS imaging system forms a region of interest operating at a frame rate of 1000 to 4000 frames per second prior to the golf club entering the field of view and then forms subsequent regions of interest as the golf club travels through the field of view;

inputting a plurality of mass properties of the first golf club, a plurality of mass properties of a first golf ball, and the plurality of pre-impact swing properties into a rigid body code;

generating a plurality of ball launch parameters from the rigid body code;

providing a plurality of lift and drag properties for the first golf ball;

inputting the plurality of ball launch parameters and the plurality of lift and drag properties into a trajectory code; and

generating the trajectory shape, the trajectory apex and the dispersion of the golf ball from the trajectory code if struck by the golfer with the first golf club under a first atmospheric conditions.

18. A method for predicting a golfer'"'"'s ball striking performance, the method comprising:

using a CMOS imaging system to determine a plurality of pre-impact swing properties for the golfer based on the golfer'"'"'s swing with a first golf club, wherein the plurality of pre-impact properties comprises an impact location, a motion of the golf club head and an orientation of the golf club head, the CMOS imaging system having a sensor array with at least one megapixel in size, wherein the CMOS imaging system forms a region of interest operating at a frame rate of 1000 to 4000 frames per second prior to the golf club entering the field of view and then forms subsequent regions of interest as the golf club travels through the field of view;

inputting a plurality of mass properties of the first golf club, a plurality of mass properties of a first golf ball, and the plurality of pre-impact swing properties into a rigid body code;

generating a plurality of ball launch parameters from the rigid body code, wherein the plurality of ball launch parameters generated comprises a launch angle of the golf ball, a side angle of the golf ball, a golf ball speed, a spin of the golf ball and a spin axis of the golf ball;

providing a plurality of first atmospheric conditions;

providing a plurality of lift and drag properties for the first golf ball;

inputting the plurality of ball launch parameters, the plurality of first atmospheric conditions and the plurality of lift and drag properties into a trajectory code; and

generating the trajectory shape, the trajectory apex, the dispersion of the golf ball, the flight distance of the golf ball and the roll distance of the first golf ball from the trajectory code if struck by the golfer with the first golf club under the first atmospheric conditions.