Patent ID: 7214138
Filing Date: 2007-05-08
Classification: A63B

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for monitoring a swing path and/or a golf club head angle at or near an impact location with a golf ball during a golf swing, comprising: a golf ball impact location for receiving a golf ball; a first array of sensors proximate to the impact location; a second array of sensors spaced apart from the first array behind the impact position along a swing path, the first and second array positioned such that a golf club swung in preparation for contact with a golf ball at the impact location will have a swing plane in angular relation to the first and second arrays; an image capture device consisting essentially of a single camera for capturing two or more two-dimensional images of the golf ball after impact with the golf club head and outputting visual image data generated exclusively from the two-dimensional images captured by the single camera; and a processor for receiving signals indicative of a temporal profile of which sensors the golf club head is over during the swing and for determining at least one of a swing path and a club head angle of the golf club based on said signals indicative of the temporal profile, the processor further for determining three-dimensional velocity of the golf ball by extrapolating perimeters of the image of the golf ball utilizing data wherein the only visual image data utilized is visual image data generated exclusively from the two-dimensional images captured by the single camera in two or more images taken using the single camera, and by determining three-dimensional spatial positions of the ball utilizing data wherein the only visual image data utilized is the visual image data generated exclusively from the two-dimensional images captured by the single camera and calculating the three-dimensional velocity of said golf ball based on said three-dimensional spatial positions.