Golf swing analysis apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A golf club head comprising:
- at least one permanently internal three-dimensional motional acceleration force sensor that simultaneously detects acceleration in three different directions while the golf club head is swinging;
at least two permanently internal impact pressure force sensors embedded in a non-conductive monolith structure that is embedded within a face of the golf club head; and
electronic circuitry including a controller, within the head, connected to the at least one three-dimensional motional acceleration force sensor and the at least two internal impact pressure force sensors, wherein the electronic circuitry simultaneously samples outputs from the at least two internal impact pressure force sensors, capturing at least two samples at substantially the same point in time that are used to describe a time-varying impact pressure force profile across the club head face during an impact between the club head face and a ball,wherein a first impact pressure force sensor, that is nearer to an outer edge of the club face where the club face meets a club head housing than a second impact pressure force sensor, is calibrated differently than the second impact pressure force sensor such that the electronic circuitry compensates for deformation pressure differences on the monolith.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and integrated golf club apparatus for directly measuring physical parameters of the golf club head motional acceleration swing forces, golf club head face, golf ball impact forces, and subsequent calculations of other metrics useful to a golfer'"'"'s understanding of the effectiveness of his or her golf swing and impact result in totality. The physical parameters that are directly measured include three dimensional motion force vectors of club head prior to, during and after impact and full impact pressure force profiles across the golf clubface with respect to time. The sensors are connected to electronics which condition, record and store the time varying sensors information electronically, then process and translate the information into one of several forms for delivery to a human interface function.
21 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A golf club head comprising:
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at least one permanently internal three-dimensional motional acceleration force sensor that simultaneously detects acceleration in three different directions while the golf club head is swinging; at least two permanently internal impact pressure force sensors embedded in a non-conductive monolith structure that is embedded within a face of the golf club head; and electronic circuitry including a controller, within the head, connected to the at least one three-dimensional motional acceleration force sensor and the at least two internal impact pressure force sensors, wherein the electronic circuitry simultaneously samples outputs from the at least two internal impact pressure force sensors, capturing at least two samples at substantially the same point in time that are used to describe a time-varying impact pressure force profile across the club head face during an impact between the club head face and a ball, wherein a first impact pressure force sensor, that is nearer to an outer edge of the club face where the club face meets a club head housing than a second impact pressure force sensor, is calibrated differently than the second impact pressure force sensor such that the electronic circuitry compensates for deformation pressure differences on the monolith. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 8, 9)
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5. A combination of a golf club and a human interface interactive with said club, said club comprising:
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a golf club shaft; a golf club head connected to said shaft wherein said head comprises; at least one permanently internal three dimensional motional acceleration force sensor, wherein the force sensor simultaneously detects acceleration in three different directions; and at least two permanently internal impact pressure force sensors embedded within a monolith in a club face; electronic circuitry including a controller internal to said head and connected to said sensors wherein said circuitry captures golf swing dynamics data from said sensors relative to said golf club striking a golf ball, wherein the electronic circuitry simultaneously samples outputs from the at least two internal impact pressure force sensors, capturing at least two samples at substantially the same point in time that are used to describe a time-varying impact pressure force profile across the club head face during an impact between the club head face and a ball, wherein a first impact pressure force sensor, that is nearer to an outer edge of the club face where the club face meets a club head housing than a second impact pressure force sensor, is calibrated differently than the second impact pressure force sensor to compensate for deformation pressure differences on the monolith; and a transmitter operable to transmit said data to said human interface.
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6. A method of capturing golf swing dynamics data from swinging a golf club and transmitting said data to a human interface, the method comprising:
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providing a golf club having; a golf club shaft; a golf club head connected to said shaft, said golf club head having a golf club face; at least one permanently internal three dimensional motional acceleration force sensor within the golf club head, wherein the force sensor simultaneously detects acceleration in three different directions; and at least two permanently internal impact pressure force sensors embedded within a non-conductive monolith in said face of said golf club head; connecting said sensors to electronic circuitry that includes a controller; and capturing with said electronic circuitry golf swing dynamics data from said sensors relative to swinging said golf club and relative to striking a golf ball with the said golf club, wherein the electronic circuitry simultaneously samples outputs from the at least two internal impact pressure force sensors at approximately the same point in time, the impact pressure force samples being used to capture a time-varying impact pressure force profile across the club head face during an impact between the club head face and a ball, wherein the capturing includes compensating for decreased deformation differences on the monolith, where the compensation is based at least in part on a first impact pressure force sensor that is nearer to an outer edge of the club face where the club face meets the club head housing, being calibrated differently than a second impact pressure force sensor. - View Dependent Claims (7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A golf club head comprising:
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at least one permanently internal three-dimensional motional acceleration force sensor within said golf club head and operable to measure three-dimensional motional acceleration forces on said golf club head during a golf club swing from a point in time before an initial impact between said golf club head and a ball until a point in time after a separation of said golf club head and said ball; an array of permanently internal impact pressure force sensors distributed across a non-conductive monolith within a face region of said golf club head and operable to measure impact pressure forces that occur across said face region for a duration of impact between said face region and a ball; and electronic circuitry including a controller, within the head, connected to the at least one three-dimensional motional acceleration force sensor and the array of internal impact pressure force sensors, wherein the electronic circuitry simultaneously samples the outputs from the array of internal impact pressure force sensors at approximately the same point in time, the samples of the outputs being used to capture a time-varying impact pressure force profile across the club head face during an impact between the club head face and a ball, wherein a first impact pressure force sensor, that is nearer to an outer edge of the club face where the club face meets the club head housing than a second impact pressure force sensor, is calibrated differently than the second impact pressure force sensor to compensate for deformation pressure differences on the monolith. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification