Swing measurement golf club with sensors

• US 8,784,228 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2012
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Morin, John, Margoles, Ryan, Johnson, Gregory D., Golden, Charles E.
• Primary Examiner(s): CUFF, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US13/677,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20130072316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 473/219, 473/222, 473/223
• US Class Current: 473/223
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0694 Visual indication, e.g. Indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2213/002 Infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/58 Measurement of force related parameters by electric or magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/36 for golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3623 for driving A63B69/3608, A63B69/3658, A63B69/3661, A63B69/3667 and A63B69/3691 take precedence
• 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 method relating to an improved fitting system for a golf club shaft is disclosed herein. More specifically, the present invention utilizes specific data gathered from the golfer'"'"'s golf swing itself to determine the best performing golf club shaft for this particular golf swing. Even more specifically, the present invention relates to the utilization of infrared motion capturing cameras to record the location data of a golf club shaft throughout a swing. Based on the location data captured, one or more dynamic behavioral characteristics can be calculated to determine one or more preferred shaft characteristics. Using the preferred shaft characteristics, a shaft can be recommended for the golfer having this particular golf swing. The current inventive fitting methodology is preferred to the archaic fitting method of using data gathered from the result orientated ball flight data together with a tedious process of having to try numerous different shafts.

Claims

1. A golf club comprising:

a grip at a proximal end of said golf club;

a club head at a terminal end of said golf club; and

a shaft connecting said grip and said club head, juxtaposed between said grip and said club head;

wherein said club head further comprises a sensor box;

wherein said sensor box further comprises a high range gyroscope having a measurement range of greater than about 2,000°

/sec, and

wherein a linear velocity of said club head is continuously calculated from a rotational velocity data gather from said high range gyroscope throughout the entire golf swing.

2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said high range gyroscope has a measurement range of greater than about 3,000°

/sec.

3. The golf club of claim 2, wherein said high range gyroscope has a measurement range of greater than about 5,000°

/sec.

4. The golf club of claim 3, wherein said high range gyroscope is a single-axis gyroscope.

5. The golf club of claim 4, wherein said sensor box further comprises a low range gyroscope having a measurement range of less than about 2,000°

/sec.

6. The golf club of claim 5, wherein said low range gyroscope has a measurement range of less than about 1,800°

/sec.

7. The golf club of claim 6, wherein said low range gyroscope is a tri-axis gyroscope.

8. The golf club of claim 7, wherein a linear velocity data of said sensor box is calculated from a data gathered from said high range gyroscope based on the equation

V=w*r,

wherein V equals said linear velocity data, w equals said gyroscope data, and r equals a radius of rotation.

9. The golf club of claim 7, wherein said sensor box further comprises;

an accelerometer;

a magnetometer;

a memory storage device; and

an antenna.

10. The golf club of claim 4, wherein said sensor box further comprises an accelerometer, wherein said accelerometer has a measurement range of between about ±

6 g'"'"'s and about ±

10 g'"'"'s.

11. The golf club of claim 10, wherein said accelerometer has a measurement range of between about ±

7 g'"'"'s and about ±

9 g'"'"'s.

12. The golf club of claim 11, wherein said accelerometer has a measurement range of about ±

8 g'"'"'s.

13. A golf club comprising:

a grip at a proximal end of said golf club;

a club head at a terminal end of said golf club; and

a shaft connecting said grip and said club head, juxtaposed between said grip and said club head;

wherein said sensor box further comprises;

an accelerometer;

a magnetometer;

a memory storage device;

an antenna; and

a high range gyroscope having a measurement range of greater than about 3,000°

/sec, and

wherein a linear velocity of said club head is continuously calculated from a rotational velocity data gather from said high range gyroscope throughout the entire golf swing.

14. The golf club of claim 13, wherein said sensor box further comprises a low range gyroscope having a measurement range of less than about 1,800°

/sec.

15. The golf club of claim 14, wherein said accelerometer has a measurement range of between about ±

6 g'"'"'s and about ±

10 g'"'"'s.