Title:
Focused beam emitting golf ball like device for putter aim testing and training
Document Type and Number:
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
A laser or other focused beam is mounted in a device with the appearance from above of a golf ball which device can either rest on the ground in contact with a putterface or be attached to a putterhead or other clubhead such that the focused beam is at a 90 degree angle to the putterface. After the device user is satisfied that the club is properly aimed or aligned at a target, the laser beam is activated via a wired foot, or finger, or wireless switch such that the actual aim can be compared on a visible or blind screen behind the target with the intended target. The device can be used with any putter for putter training, putter club fitting, and putter aim testing and selection.
Representative Image:
Inventors:
Rohrer, John W. (York, ME, US)
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Application Number:
10/706226
Publication Date:
07/15/2004
Filing Date:
11/12/2003
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Export Citation:
Assignee:
Rohrer Technologies, Inc. (York, ME)
Primary Class:
Other Classes:
473/236, 473/220
International Classes:
(IPC1-7): A63B069/36
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
John, Rohrer W. (5 Long Cove Rd., York, ME, 03909, US)
Claims:
What is claimed is:
1. A device with the appearance of a golf ball, or similarly sized white or light colored circle or disc, when viewed from above with a stable mounting or integral base underneath with an embedded focused beam of light or other energy source which device can be placed attached or unattached in front of the face of a golf putter or other club such that the focused beam is at right angles to such clubface for purposes of determining the actual orientation, aim, or alignment of such clubface relative to an intended target when such light source is activated.
2. The device of claim 1 where the focused beam is a laser or other visible light source.
3. The device of claim 1 where the focused beam is an infrared or other non-visible source.
4. The device of claim 1 where the focused beam is a radio frequency or electro-magnetic source.
5. The device of claim 1 where the mounting-base is set on the ground or a floor unattached to the clubhead and in flush contact with a clubface such that the focused beam is at a normal angle to such clubface.
6. The device in claim 1 where the mounting base is rigidly or flexibly attachable to a putterhead, or clubhead face, or sole via pressure sensitive adhesives, suction cups, straps, mechanical clips or other means such that the focused beam is at a normal angle to such clubface.
7. The device of claim 1 provided with interchangeable bases per claim 5 and claim 6.
8. The device of claim 1 having a mechanical means in the mounting base such as mating curved groves and ridges, slotted holes or the like for adjusting the height of the focused beam relative to the ground or a floor while maintaining the beam at right angles to the clubface or the mounting base member contacting said clubface.
9. The device of claim 1 having the mounting base of claim 6 with a flexible hinge, tape strip, or other suitable means allowing the focus beam of the device to maintain its height or attitude relative to the floor or ground when the user moves the club shaft fore or aft.
10. The device of claim 1 with mounting base where the device with mounting base and/or the floor activation button is weighted above 50 grams to prevent movement of either while the user is aligning the clubhead.
11. The device of claim 1 with the mounting base where the device with mounting base and/or floor activation button has a soft flat elastomer bottom with multiple small projections or feet to firmly grasp both flat hard slippery floor surfaces and textured grass or carpeted surfaces without unintended movement during use.
12. The device of claim 1 where activation of the beam is via a foot push button or switch connected to the device via wires.
13. The device of claim 1 where activation of the beam is via a finger operated push button or switch detachably connected to the club grip or upper club shaft in such position as to not disturb the users normal grasp of the club, such push, button or switch connected to the focused beam device via wires.
14. The device of claim 1 where activation of the focus beam is via a button or switch on the device or its mounting base, or club attachment means activated by a forward, downward or upward movement of the putterhead relative to the base or device by the user.
15. The device of claim 1 wirelessly connected to a focus beam activation button or switch.
16. The device of claim 1 where the battery or other energy source is located remotely from the device.
17. The device of claim 1 with a vertically oriented optional user shielded backs top screen which can be placed behind the intended target and approximately normal to its focused beam to show and/or sense such focused beam and its position relative to an intended target on or in front of such screen.
18. The device of claim 1 with backstop screen of claim 17 with multiple photo or RF/EM/IR sensitive sensors connected to a dedicated or computer display showing actual clubhead orientations when the focused beam is activated relative to the intended target.
Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Numerous laser and other optical alignment devices have been proposed for putters and other golf clubs. Almost all such devices have one or more light sources, either in the clubhead, attached to the clubhead, generally above it and above ball height, or attached to the putter shaft or hosel near the clubhead. None of the above have gained wide popularity as putter training devices because they are cumbersome or inaccurate to set up and use, and present a substantially different optical picture than the golfer will see on the course during actual play. If a single centered laser is embedded into a putterface, it cannot be aimed or aligned at a target with a golf ball in front of it (ball blocks light) resulting in an unrealistic alignment picture. Numerous putterheads with two lasers (toe and heal) have been proposed allowing ball placement in between to overcome this problem. The two laser beams are offset left and right of the target requiring compensation for the actual target. These putters do not conform to the United States Golf Association (USGA) Rules of Golf and, therefore, the golfer must use another putter during actual play.
[0002] Other designs attach a single laser above the clubface high enough to shoot over a golf ball. This creates an optical picture substantially different than the user's usual on-course putter. Many others have proposed shaft or hosel mounted laser alignment devices with a single focused beam or numerous dots along the target line. These devices are difficult and time e consuming to line up accurately. Set up is range sensitive. For example, if aligned properly for 20 feet, they must be realigned if practice is desired at 10 feet.
[0003] All of the above devices are extremely shaft angle sensitive. The beam hits the ground in front of the target or goes skyward above any target backstop if the user moves the puttershaft more than a few degrees from true vertical. Few, if any, of the devices have user remote activation of the light source. If the light is turned on before the user aims, he uses the light, not his own skills, to aim or align to the target. Nothing is learned. None accommodate “blind testing” where the user does not learn of his aim test results until several aims are completed, and therefore can't cheat by using one aim test result to “adjust” or improve the next one.
[0004] Putterhead or shaft mounted lasers, and other light or mirror based putters, are illegal for actual play under USGA rules. You must therefore play actual rounds without the above devices creating a different aim picture. The shaft and putterhead detachable mounted lasers are difficult to mount and align making them impractical for comparing alternative putters (to see which ones you aim best) or testing alternative putting setups and stances.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention describes an inexpensive, easy to use laser or other focused beam based aim training or testing device which can be used with any putter (or other club) without time consuming or cumbersome setup and adjustment. It is either unattached or flexibly attached to the putterhead. It can be used with or without an optional recording backstop screen and can have a user activated remote switch, for either “blind testing” (where you don't see and, therefore, cannot adjust from your prior aim and “shot”), or full view testing. Unlike others, it is not shaft angle or loft sensitive. The device presents a realistic visual picture of any putter with a ball centered in front of it. Golfers can easily use the device themselves in a golf shop or home to find the putter they can consistently “aim” the best or to find the stance and setup-putting their optical aim on the target line.
DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0006] There are numerous examples of single or duel lasers or lights embedded into putterheads including U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,458,038; 5,980,393; 5,810,674; 5,593,354; 5,482,283; 5,169,150; 5,165,691; and possibly others. These putters are non-conforming to the USGA Rules of Golf and, therefore, cannot be used in normal play, requiring a different putter for play vs. practice. The single central embedded clubhead laser or light can't be used with a ball in front creating an unnatural unrealistic optical picture. The twin lasers are offset from the ball target line requiring compensation. They can't be used to test the aim or alignment of any other putters. They are extremely loft and lie sensitive where a slight shifting of the user's hand position shoots the beam in wayward directions, hitting the floor before the target or shooting over it. They lack remote user activation buttons which a user can engage only after one feels his aim and alignment are correct. If the laser remains on during aiming, the user is tempted to “cheat” using the laser beam not the putterhead to aim. No user vision shielded backstop screens are described which are necessary for “blind tests.”
[0007] Numerous other examples describe lasers, mirrors, or focused beams permanently or removably attached to the top of putterheads. These allow more realistic use of a golf ball in front of the putterface and do not require aim compensation like twin laser putterheads, but the laser mount, or mirror, or light source presents an unrealistic optical picture for aiming vs. putters used in actual play. Like all devices rigidly affixed to putterheads or shafts, they are loft and lie sensitive, and they lack user remote activation buttons allowing users to “cheat” by using the beam to aim rather than learn their true-aiming tendencies. They also lack-user shielded backstop screens for “blind testing.” Those with removable lasers can be USGA legal, but realignment of the lasers once removed is time consuming, inaccurate and cumbersome. Examples of putterhead attached devices include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,383,087; 6,371,864 B1; 6,095,930; 5,725,439; 5,709,609, 5,611,739; 5,464,221; 5,388,832; 5,330,188; 5,213,331; and 5,193,812.
[0008] Perhaps the most popular type of laser-putter systems involve putter shaft attached devices. Some are-attached low, at or near the club Hosel and throw a single beam, either offset 4″ to 12″ from the target line, or aimed from a different angle making tedious readjustment and calibration necessary every time the target to putter distance is changed. Other higher shaft mounts project multi-dots along the putterhead target tine (again after tedious adjustment). Still others bounce the shaft mounted lasers off 45 degree angle oriented mirrors mounted on top of the putterhead destroying-any realistic looking siting pictures. All of the above are loft and lie sensitive, lack user shielded backstop screens and lack user operated remote activation (except U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,204). Shaft mount examples include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,238,298 B1, 6,149,537, 5,725,440, 5,494,290 and 5,207,429.
[0009] Prior art discloses only two putter alignment devices which lie on the ground unattached to a putter like the present, invention. U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,897 describes a laser device which is laid on the ground (by user or assistant) against the putterface after the user has attained his aim and removed the golf ball. This is cumbersome and time consuming with a very high likelihood that the aim will be lost before the procedure is done, especially if the user attempts this unassisted. Both the device and its use differ substantially from the subject invention. The other U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,189 to Pelz, requires accurate mounting of a mirror on the putter toe at precisely a 90 degree angle from the face and exact, alignment of a light source/sensor box (with top display) parallel to the putter-target line. If the user moves the putter toward or away from the sensor box, the alignment is off. Neither device describes user remote activation buttons or user shielded recordable backstop screens. U.S. Pat. No. 6,458,038 B1 does describe a photo-sensitive screen with remote display, but uses a single non-user shielded backstop and putterhead embedded light source with all the limitations of same previously described.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010]
[0011]
[0012]
[0013]
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] The present invention utilizes a focused beam device of visible or non-visible light or other energy to determine or improve a golfer's ability to aim or align any putter, or other club, accurately at a specific target. Because the device has the size, shape, and appearance of a golf ball, when viewed by a golfer from above, and can be used with any putter, it has the identical optical appearance of an actual ball being addressed and aimed by a golfer with a putter (or other club).
[0015] The present invention also incorporates one ore more remote user activated beam activation means and an optional user blind recordable backstop screen placed behind the intended aim target (typically the center of a golf cup or similarly sized flat white disc on the ground). This allows the user to aim, shoot, and record several alignments without using the visible focused beam to improve aim (i.e., cheat), again exactly simulating actual playing conditions where such visible aiming beams are not permitted under the Rules of Golf.
[0016] The present invention is, therefore, useful in determining or improving a golfer's aiming accuracy with a specific putter or club (i.e., the relative dispersion of multiple shots at a target), as well as, average alignment error (i.e., the location of the shot grouping center relative to the intended target point). Aiming accuracy (shot dispersion) is primarily influenced by the optical appearance of specific putterheads when viewed (aimed) by a golfer from above with a ball in place. At a range of 20 feet, a typical golfer might have an aim dispersion of 12 inches with one putter and less than half that with another better optically suited to him. The same golfer might have an alignment error of 3° left with one putter, stance or setup and 0° with another putter, stance or setup.
[0017] The subject invention, therefore allows a golfer to select the best putter, stance, and setup to optimize both aim accuracy and alignment. It also allows improvement through practice aiming not possible by actually stroking a ball which introduces swing errors and green errors (breaking slopes and grass grain moving a ball off line). The subject invention represents a major improvement over the current art of golf laser or light aiming devices because:
[0018] 1. It is the only device presenting an optically realistic picture of the user's actual playing putter (unencumbered by any shaft or clubhead mounted light sources) addressing a golf ball.
[0019] 2. Since the focused beam is in the ball which stays flat on the ground and not rigidly attached to the club or shaft, it is not loft or Iie sensitive, with the beam hitting the ground in front of the clubhead if the player moves his hands forward, and skyward if he moves his hands rearward.
[0020] 3. The device can be used with all USGA legal clubs (which cannot have focused light sources) without cumbersome, time consuming, inaccurate light source or mirror attachment to the clubhead or clubshaft and adjustment.
[0021] 4. It can be used with its optional backstop screen to blind test aim a putter such that the user cannot “cheat” by using the visible light beam from one aim test to improve the next.
[0022] 5. It incorporates users activatable beam activation means (wireless or wired floor, grip mounted or remote button) keeping the beam off until the user feels he has achieved correct aim.
[0023] The preferred embodiments are more fully described in'the drawings.
[0024]
[0025]
[0026]
[0027] In another preferred embodiment (not shown), a white or light colored circle or disc, approximately the diameter of a golf ball and located in a substantially horizontal plane on the device, replaces the golf ball shaped device of the present invention.
[0028] Other embodiments incorporating the principles of the invention described herein are also a part of the present invention.