Patent ID: 8678943
Filing Date: 2014-03-25
Classification: A63B

Abstract:
1. A method for analyzing a golf swing; comprising the features of: (A) obtaining information on a golf swing by measuring information with measurement means where the information allows determination of specific parameters related to energy generation and transmission through the body to the distal end of the club when golf swings are executed, these parameters being referred to as energy-parameters; where information measured by measurement means includes a selection from ground-reaction force information from the golf swing, measured by force measurement means including force plates and pressure pads, and kinematic information from the golf swing, measured by motion capture means including electromagnetic motion capture systems and optical motion capture systems; (B) determining energy-parameters of the golf swing by automatically processing the measured information with an electronic processor which is operable to determine energy parameters of the golf swing; and (C) analyzing the golf swing by automatically evaluating said energy-parameters with an electronic processor which is operable to analyze the swing against predetermined criteria accessible by or provided to the said processor specifying how a swing is influenced by such energy-parameters, these criteria being referred to as optimizing-rules; where (D) evaluation of energy-parameters, using the electronic processor which analyzes the golf swing, is automatically performed with the player and club modeled within the processing calculations as a kinetic chain of a selection of segments and sub-segments linked by joints; where segments, and sub-segments, comprise notionally rigid sections of the player's body and club, and include a selection from club segments and player's lower body, upper body, upper trunk, lower trunk, pelvis, right arm, right upper arm, right lower arm, right hand, right leg, left arm, left upper arm, left lower arm, left hand, left leg, arms, hands and legs segments; and where joints include a selection from shoulders, elbows, wrists, right shoulder, right elbow, right wrist, left shoulder, left elbow, left wrist, joints between upper and lower body, between upper trunk and lower trunk, between trunk and pelvis, between lower trunk and pelvis, between pelvis and legs, and between hands and club; (E) energy-parameters are automatically evaluated by the electronic processor which analyzes the golf swing in relation to a selection from energy generated by muscles associated with a joint between a segment and a proximal segment and energy transferred to a segment from proximal segments, where the club head end of the chain is designated the distal end and the feet-ground connection is designated the proximal end in the processor, and where a segment comprises a selection from a segment and a sub-segment; and (F) energy-parameters include a selection from: parameters related to energy generated by muscles associated with a selection from the following joints: shoulders, elbows, wrists, right shoulder, right elbow, right wrist, left shoulder, left elbow, left wrist, joints between upper and lower body, between upper trunk and lower trunk, between trunk and pelvis, between lower trunk and pelvis, between pelvis and legs, and between hands and club; and parameters related to energy transfer including a selection from latch transfer, launch transfer, sling transfer, flail transfer and radius-reduction transfer of kinetic energy, where; latch transfer of kinetic energy, is defined as a transfer from one segment to another along the chain by latching the segment to an accelerating proximal segment, such that the segment is accelerated along with the proximal segment by energy which is associated with the proximal segment; launch transfer of kinetic energy to a segment, is defined as a transfer from a proximal segment, where momentum is exchanged and kinetic energy is transferred when the local energy of the segment is used to launch the segment off the proximal segment; sling transfer of kinetic energy, is defined as a transfer by forces moving the target-side shoulder joint and slinging the distal segments in an arc which accelerates the distal portions; flail transfer of kinetic energy, is defined as a transfer to the most distal end of the existing kinetic energy in two connected segments which are rotating and translating in the same direction, where the proximal segment and the proximal end of the distal segment are decelerated by centrifugal forces acting on the segments; and radius-reduction transfer of kinetic energy, is defined where the rotating player reduces the angular moment of inertia of the body by reducing the effective radius of rotation, causing acceleration of the more distal parts.