Golf free swing measurement and analysis system

• US 8,221,257 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2011
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Golf Impact, LLC
• Original Assignee: Golf Impact, LLC
• Inventors: Davenport, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Application Number:
  US13/225,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20110313552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 318 Days
• Field of Search: 473/131, 473150-154, 473/199, 473219-223, 473/266, 473/342, 473/409, 463/3, 463 36- 39, 434/252, 273/108.2, 702/41
• US Class Current: 473/223
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0006 Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/00 Golfing accessories
• 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 71/0619 Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills

Abstract

The presented invention relates to a method for determining the effectiveness of a golfer'"'"'s swing without the requirement of the club head making contact with a golf ball. More specifically, the present invention relates to a measurement and analysis system comprising a first module that attaches to the club head and captures measurement data and relative position data during the entire swing, further first module wirelessly communicates bi-directionally with a second module that is further connected to a user interface device and computational engine where feedback results are calculated and conveyed to the golfer. The system provides comprehensive feedback for swing characterization including detailed swing timing metrics, dynamic club head orientation and motion metrics and dynamics shaft action metrics all referenced to the spatial domain.

Claims

1. A golf swing measurement and analysis system comprising:

a) a golf club comprising a shaft, a club head, and the club head further comprising a club head top surface and a club head face;

b) a first module that is;

i) attachable to and detachable from said club head top surface, and contains electronics to provide electronic functions comprising;

(1) a means for measuring acceleration in three separate orthogonal directions exclusively, defining a measurement axes coordinate system; and

(2) a wireless transceiver with means for measuring received signal strength from a second module wireless transmission signal transmitted from a predetermined location and transmitting synchronized acceleration and received signal strength measurements out of the first module wirelessly as first module transmitted measurements;

c) a means for aligning said first module on said club head top surface defining an alignment of said first module, and a means for attaching said first module to said club head top surface;

d) said second module that is located at said predetermined location, the second module comprising a housing that contains electronics to provide electronic functions comprising;

i) an antenna;

ii) a wireless radio frequency transceiver electrically connected to said antenna that receives a signal carrying said first module transmitted measurements and transmits said second module wireless transmission signal to said first module;

iii) and a means of further transmission of said first module transmitted measurements as second module second transmitted measurements to a computational engine having one or more input/output port formats and a display;

e) a golf swing model stored on the computational engine comprising;

i) multiple levers including at least one rigid lever and at least one non-rigid lever; and

ii) a means for inputting constants based on a golfer and the golf club;

f) a first computational algorithm that operates on said computational engine that interprets said second module second transmitted measurements, said first module transmitted measurements, and said acceleration measurements within boundary conditions of said golf swing model;

detects if said first module alignment is misaligned; and

calibrates said first module transmitted measurements based on said acceleration measurements;

g) a second computational algorithm that operates on said computational engine that interprets said first module transmitted measurements and said acceleration measurements or said first module transmitted measurements and said acceleration measurements calibrated by the first computational algorithm within boundary conditions of said golf swing model to define a dynamically changing relationship time line between an inertial axes coordinate system defined by said golf swing model and said measurement axes coordinate system during a golf swing; and

h) a third computational algorithm that operates on said computational engine that interprets said first module transmitted measurements and said signal strength measurements made at said first module and defines a dynamic spatial relationship between a time line of said club head travelling on a non-linear travel path and the predefined location and correlates the dynamic spatial relationship to said dynamically changing relationship time line between said inertial axes coordinate system and said measurement axes coordinate system during a golf swing.

2. A golf swing analysis system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a means for calculating a dynamically changing characteristic of club head velocity for a substantial portion before, through and after a maximum velocity of said club head in correlation to the dynamic spatial relationship of said club head to said predefined location.

3. A golf swing analysis system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a means for calculating a dynamically changing characteristic of toe down angle for a substantial portion before, through and after a maximum velocity of said club head in correlation to the dynamic spatial relationship of said club head to said predefined location.

4. A golf swing analysis system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a means for calculating a dynamically changing characteristic of club face angle for a substantial portion before, through and after a maximum velocity of said club head in correlation to the dynamic spatial relationship of said club head to said predefined location.

5. A golf swing analysis system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a means for calculating a dynamically changing characteristic of swing radius for a substantial portion before, through and after a maximum velocity of said club head in correlation to the dynamic spatial relationship of said club head to said predefined location.

6. A golf swing analysis system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a means for calculating a dynamically changing characteristic of club head spatial acceleration for a substantial portion before, through and after a maximum velocity of said club head in correlation to the dynamic spatial relationship of said club head to said predefined location.

7. A golf swing analysis system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a means for calculating a dynamically changing characteristic of club head radial acceleration for a substantial portion before, through and after a maximum velocity of said club head in correlation to the dynamic spatial relationship of said club head to said predefined location.

8. A golf swing analysis system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a means for calculating a dynamically changing characteristic of shaft flex lag lead angle for a substantial portion before, through and after a maximum velocity of said club head in correlation to the dynamic spatial relationship of said club head to said predefined location.

9. A golf swing analysis system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a means for calculating a dynamically changing characteristic of wrist cock angle for a substantial portion before, through and after a maximum velocity of said club head in correlation to the dynamic spatial relationship of said club head to said predefined location.

10. A golf swing analysis system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a means for calculating a line that is coincident with a swing plane during the golf swing and a swing plane angle.

11. A golf swing measurement and analysis system comprising:

a) a golf club comprising a shaft, a club head, and the club head further comprising a club head top surface and a club head face;

b) a first module that is;

i) attachable to and detachable from said club head top surface, and contains electronics to provide electronic functions comprising;

(1) a means for measuring acceleration in three separate orthogonal directions exclusively, defining a measurement axes coordinate system; and

(2) a wireless transmitter for transmitting acceleration measurements out of the first module wirelessly as first module transmitted measurements;

c) a means for aligning said first module on said club head top surface defining an alignment of said first module and a means for attaching said first module to said club head top surface;

d) a second module that is placed at a predetermined location and contains electronics to provide electronic functions comprising;

i) a wireless transceiver that receives said first module transmitted measurements at a single antenna;

ii) a means for measuring signal strength of a wireless signal carrying said first module transmitted measurements; and

iii) a controller for synchronizing said first module transmitted measurements and said signal strength measurements of said wireless signal carrying said first module transmitted measurements, wherein the wireless transceiver transmits synchronized measurements between said first module transmitted measures and said signal strength measurements as second module second transmitted measurements;

e) a means for receiving said second module second transmitted measurements at a computational engine external to said second module, the computational engine having one or more input/output port formats and a display;

f) a golf swing model stored on the computational engine comprising;

i) multiple levers including at least one rigid lever and at least one non-rigid lever; and

ii) a means for inputting constants based on a golfer and the golf club;

g) a first computational algorithm that operates on said computational engine that interprets said second module second transmitted measurements and said first module transmitted measurements within boundary conditions of said golf swing model;

detects if said first module alignment is misaligned; and

calibrates said first module transmitted measurements;

h) a second computational algorithm that operates on said computational engine that interprets said second module second transmitted measurements and said first module transmitted measurements or said first module transmitted measurements calibrated by the first computational algorithm within boundary conditions of said golf swing model to define a dynamically changing relationship time line between an inertial axes coordinate system defined by said golf swing model and said measurement axes coordinate system during a golf swing; and

i) a third computational algorithm that operates on said computational engine that interprets said second module second transmitted measurements and defines a time delay between said first module transmitted measurements based on an acquisition time of said acceleration measurements and said second module second transmitted measurements, further based on an acquisition time of said signal strength measurements; and

defines a dynamic spatial relationship between a time line of said club head and the predefined location and correlates the dynamic spatial relationship of said club head with said time delay removed from said dynamically changing relationship time line between said inertial axes coordinate system and said measurement axes coordinate system during a golf swing.