Golf swing practice device

A golf swing practice device (10) having an elongate flat guide member (11) defining a lineal guide edge (26) adapted to be placed on the ground adjacent to a golf ball (25) to be struck with the lineal guide edge (26) extending parallel to the desired and intended line-of-flight (28, 39) of the golf ball (25); an upstanding L-shaped guide element (14) having a vertical leg (15) and a horizontal leg (16) defining a swing plane stabilizer; a fastening device (13, 20) extending through an elongate vertical slot (19) formed in the guide member (11) and through the horizontal leg (16) formed on the swing plane stabilizer (14) so as to separably, but fixedly, secure the guide element (14) to the guide member (11) in any desired adjustable position along the length of the slot (19); and, a phantom tee (21) separably coupled to the guide member (11) adapted to be position forward of the golf ball (25 ) along the intended line-of-flight (28, 39) thereof for defining the intended bottom of the golfer's (29) swing when using long, intermediate and/or short irons, so as to induce the golfer (29) to commence his/her backswing with the club head (34, 38) passing closely adjacent to and somewhat beneath the level of the swing plane stabilizer (14) and to cause the golfer's downswing to follow a desired inside-out trajectory (35) and to impact the ball (25): (i) either at or just after reaching the bottom of the golfer's swing when using woods; and, (ii) during the golfer's downswing when utilizing long, intermediate and short irons.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Technical Field 
The present invention relates to a golf swing practice device; and, more 
particularly, to a simple, lightweight, readily portable, inexpensive 
device that may be used by a golfer--whether male, female, adult, child, 
right-handed or left handed, and whether experienced or inexperienced--to 
practice and perfect the golfer's swings when using either woods, long 
irons, short irons, or when pitching, chipping and/or putting. More 
specifically, the present invention relates to a simple, yet highly 
effective, device which can be positioned relative to the lie of the golf 
ball so as to create an unobtrusive, imaginary barrier or guide plane 
parallel to the desired line-of-flight of the ball such that the golfer is 
constrained to swing the club with the same inside-out downswing 
trajectory every time, thereby: (i) improving the tendency to maintain the 
club face in a slightly closed position at the point of impact so as to 
propel the ball with a slight hook/draw trajectory which is desired; (ii) 
decreasing the tendency to maintain the club face in an open position at 
the point of impact so as to minimize the chances of propelling the ball 
along a fade/slice trajectory; (iii) increasing accuracy of the ball's 
line-of-flight; and (iv), increasing distance. 
The exemplary golf swing practice device of the present invention may be 
used with equal facility for inducing proper golf swings when used with: 
(i) woods off the tee where it is generally desired that the 
point-of-impact between the ball and the club face occur just after the 
bottom of the golf swing--i.e., at the beginning of the golfer's upswing 
during follow-through; (ii) fairway woods ("3", "4" and "5" woods) and 
longer and intermediate irons ("1" irons through "6" irons) where it is 
generally desired that the point-of-impact between the ball and the club 
face occur on the downswing portion of the golfer's swing approximately 
four inches (4") to five inches (5") inches prior to reaching the bottom 
of the swing; and (iii) shorter irons ("7", "8" and "9" irons and/or 
wedges) where it is desired that the point-of-impact occur just prior to 
reaching the bottom of the downswing. Moreover, the device readily permits 
practice of such shots as pitchs, chips and/or putts where it serves to 
minimize the natural tendency of the golfer to employ an excessive 
backswing. 
2. Background Art 
In recent years, the sport of golf has achieved everincreasing popularity 
with both old and young alike, as well as males and females, all of whom 
are desirous of improving their golf score to the greatest degree 
possible. However, many of those individuals do not have access to, and/or 
cannot afford the luxury of tutoring by, a qualified golf professional. As 
a consequence, the average non-professional golfer rapidly gets into the 
habit of making fundamental errors in his/her swing which result in 
improper clubface/ball impact and, therefor, skyrocketing scores. As a 
result, there has long been a need for a simple teaching aid which is not 
expensive, which can be used by anyone irrespective of their physical 
abilities and/or disabilities, and which enables the golfer to 
repetitively employ a proper golf swing--swings which will differ from 
club to club--for virtually any condition encountered, be it a wood or an 
iron shot from the tee or fairway, an approach shot such as a pitch or 
chip, or when putting. 
Indeed, the prior art is replete with patents showing a wide variety of 
such devices For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,520,287--Plunkett et al. 
discloses a relatively cumbersome and complex curvilinear guide within 
which the head of the club is located and which serves to confine the club 
head to the same arcuate path on both the backswing and the downswing. Not 
only is such device relatively large and expensive, but, moreover, the use 
thereof does not prepare the golfer for actual playing conditions where 
there are no restraining guides. Indeed, the Plunkett et al device is 
believed to be undesirable because it tends to induce the golfer to move 
the club head in the same curvilinear path on both the backswing and the 
downswing, thereby preventing the golfer from employing a correct 
inside-out swing. A similar apparatus subject to all of the same 
disadvantages is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,653,025--Zega. Moreover, 
both of the foregoing devices are limited to use with right-handed 
golfers; and, a completely different design is required for use by 
left-handed players. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,583--Oppenheimer, the patentee proposes the use of a 
relatively complex harness worn by the golfer and having a guy secured to 
the club head and to the harness for controlling the path through which 
the club head passes. Such a harness not only interferes with the golfer's 
natural free swing, but, additionally, it can promote movement of the 
golfer's shoulders to undesired positions which result in an improper 
swing. 
Yet another apparatus is disclosed in, for example, the more recently 
issued U.S Pat. No. 4,486,020--Kane et al wherein a wall-mounted unit is 
releasably attached to the club so that when in use the club is forced to 
move along a fixed arcuate path for both the backswing and the downswing. 
Canadian Pat. Nos. 872,391--Gentry (1971), 911,478--Hetman et al (1972), 
and 1,216,870--Shipley (1987) are all of incidental interest for their 
disclosures of control devices for golf swings which are quite similar to 
that disclosed in the aforesaid Kane, U.S. Pat. No. 4,486,020--that is, in 
each of these devices the club is tethered to a wall or other fixed object 
so as to insure that the club head moves in the same curvilinear path at 
all times irrespective of whether it is being moved during the backswing 
or the downswing. 
Finally, attention is directed to Canadian Pat. No. 949,993--Seltzer (1974) 
where the patentee discloses a golf club swing guide quite similar to that 
shown in the aforesaid Plunkett et al U.S. Pat. No. 2,520,287 except that 
in this instance the highly complex guide includes one curvilinear track 
for the backswing and a second curvilinear track for the downswing so as 
to hopefully train the golfer to utilize the correct inside-out swing so 
critical to accuracy and distance. As in the case of Plunkett et al, the 
Seltzer device requires different designs for right and left-handed 
golfers, as well as for golfers of differing heights. 
Unfortunately, however, none of the devices disclosed in the foregoing 
patents are realistically suited for teaching proper golf swings. Thus, in 
each instance the golf club is physically coupled to some type of 
restraint device; yet, when the golfer encounters actual playing 
conditions that restraint device is no longer present and, consequently, 
the golfer's swing during actual playing conditions is being made under 
conditions markedly different from those encountered when using the 
training device. Moreover, except for the heavy, cumbersome and complex 
device proposed in the aforesaid Seltzer Canadian Pat. No. 949,993 (1974), 
each of the other devices improperly trains the golfer to swing the club 
head along the same curvilinear path on both backswing and downswing, thus 
promoting an outside-in swing at impact and increasing the tendency to 
develop an undesirable fade or slice. Finally, none of the foregoing 
devices is suitable for use under actual playing conditions; and, none is 
suitable for use in practice pitching, chipping and/or putting. Indeed, 
each must be specially designed to be compatible for use with right-handed 
and left-handed golfers, male and female golfers whose statures are 
generally quite different, and for tall golfers on the one hand and short 
on the other. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention overcomes all of the disadvantages inherent in the 
foregoing systems by providing a simple, lightweight, economical, portable 
device which can be used with equal facility by all golfers--whether 
experienced or inexperienced, male or female, adult or child, tall or 
short, right-handed or left-handed--both under practice conditions and 
under actual playing conditions. The device: (i) does not require the use 
of any physical or mechanical constraint on the golfer's swing; (ii) 
promotes the development of a proper inside-out swing; (iii) can be used 
with the different swings required for woods, long irons, intermediate 
irons and short irons; and (iv), can even be used to improve pitching, 
chipping and putting. 
To this end, the golf swing practice device of the present invention 
comprises a generally flat elongate guide member, preferably calibrated in 
inches or other suitable distance units, adapted to be laid on the ground 
and defining a straight guide edge parallel to the desired line-of-flight 
of the golf ball. A separate upstanding guide element or "swing plane 
stabilizer" is mounted on the generally flat elongate guide member and is 
adapted to be fixedly, but adjustably, secured thereto in any desired 
position along the length of the flat elongate guide member so as to 
accommodate different swinging conditions. The generally flat elongate 
guide member and the upright swing plane stabilizer serve to establish a 
fixed, but unobtrusive, imaginary, vertical guide plane parallel to the 
desired line-of-flight for the golf ball and which serves to induce the 
golfer to maintain the club head in the proper position at all times 
during the backswing, thus inducing the proper inside-out downswing, all 
without the need for any physical and/or mechanical constraints. In short, 
the golfer can visually observe the position of the club head relative to 
the imaginary, unobtrusive, vertical guide plane defined by the device so 
as to insure that the club head does not penetrate the imaginary plane as 
would normally be the case should the golfer's swing be improper, 
describing an outside-in trajectory. Moreover, since the vertical guide 
plane is imaginary, there is no tendency to damage clubs and/or cause 
physical injury to the golfer as is the case when using mechanical guides 
and/or physical walls in the form of upright barriers. Indeed, with 
practice, and as the golfer becomes more proficient, a proper inside-out 
downswing becomes quite natural since no physical restraint and/or 
mechanical barriers are employed when using the practice device. 
In the exemplary form of the invention, a moveable "spot" or phantom tee in 
the form of a washer-like element can be removably attached to the 
elongate flat guide member. This phantom tee readily permits the golfer to 
locate the actual lie of the ball approximately four inches (4") to about 
five inches (5") to the rear of the washer-like element or phantom tee 
which identifies a target for the low point of the golfer's swing when 
using long and/or intermediate irons so that the point-of-impact occurs 
during the golfer's downswing and approximately four inches (4") or five 
inches (5") prior to reaching the bottom of the downswing. Similarly, when 
practicing with shorter irons, the washer-like element or phantom tee can 
be positioned just in front of the golf ball's actual lie, thereby 
assisting the golfer in learning to impact the ball just prior to reaching 
the bottom of his/her downswing. 
Finally, the calibrated nature of the generally flat elongate guide member 
and the inclusion of the adjustable upright swing plane stabilizer enables 
the golfer to position the latter a measured number of inches to the rear 
of the ball, thereby providing a guide or stop serving to limit the 
backswing during putts and promoting a straight and proper accelerating 
follow-through following impact with the golf ball which serves to control 
the distance and accuracy of the putt.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Turning now to the drawings, and as best illustrated by reference to FIGS. 
1 and 2 conjointly, it will be observed that the exemplary golf swing 
practice device of the present invention, here generally indicated at 10, 
comprises an elongate, generally flat guide member 11 which may be formed 
of any desired material such, merely by way of example, as plastic, wood, 
metal, or the like. While the actual materials for, and dimensions of, the 
device 10 are not critical to the present invention, excellent results 
have been achieved using a clear, rigid, plastic sheet material 
approximately one-quarter inch (1/4") in thickness, twenty-eight inches 
(28") in length, and two and one-half inches (21/2") in width. The device 
10 is preferably provided with calibration marks 12 spaced one inch (1") 
apart along a substantial portion of the length of the guide member 11. 
In carrying out the invention, provision is made for developing an 
imaginary, unobtrusive, vertical guide plane adapted to be positioned 
parallel to the desired line-of-flight for the golf ball; and, to this end 
the device 10 includes a generally L-shaped vertical guide element or 
"swing plane stabilizer", generally indicated at 14, having an upright 
vertical leg 15 and an integral horizontal leg 16 adapted to be removably 
secured to the generally flat guide member 11 by means of a bolt 18 
passing upwardly through an elongate slot 19 formed in the guide member 11 
and through the horizontal leg 16 with the assembly being separably, but 
fixedly, held together with a wing nut 20 or the like. Thus, the 
arrangement is such that the swing plane stabilizer 14 can be easily 
shifted to any desired position along the length of the device 10 by 
merely loosening nut 20, sliding the swing plane stabilizer laterally 
along slot 19 to a desired calibration mark 12, and retightening nut 20. 
Just as in the case of guide member 11, the material from which the swing 
plane stabilizer 14 is formed is not critical to the present invention; 
but, excellent results have been achieved when employing a 
self-supporting, but relatively soft or flexible, piece of rubber or 
rubber-like material, thereby eliminating the possibility of damage to the 
club face should the club accidentally impact the swing plane stabilizer 
14. 
In order to establish a "spot" or phantom tee that can be used for 
designating the desired low point or bottom of the golf swing when 
practicing with irons--esp., long and intermediate irons--the exemplary 
device 10 preferably includes a simple, yet highly effective, marker in 
the form of a washer-shaped element 21 secured at one end of a short line 
or cord 22 having its opposite end removably secured to the guide member 
11 by means of a nut and bolt combination, generally indicated at 24. In 
use the washer-like element 21 is positioned on the ground at that point 
forward of the golf ball 25 where the golfer intends his/her downswing to 
bottom out. That is, the washer-like element 21 defines an intended target 
located approximately three inches (3") to about four inches (4") in front 
of the lie of the golf ball when using long or intermediate irons (and 
immediately in front of the lie of the golf ball with short irons), 
thereby inducing the golfer to cause the club head to impact the ball 
during the downswing. 
Referring now to FIG. 3, the use of the exemplary golf swing practice 
device 10 during a practice drive and/or fairway wood shot by a 
right-handed golfer has been illustrated. Thus, as here shown the device 
10 is laid on the ground outboard of the golf ball 25 and defines an 
elongate lineal guide edge 26 parallel to the intended and desired 
line-of-flight of the ball 25 as represented by the arrow 28. The device 
10 is further positioned such that when the golfer 29 addresses the ball 
25, the shaft 30 of the golf club, generally indicated at 31, lies in a 
vertical plane normal to the guide edge 26 of the guide member 11 with the 
swing plane stabilizer 14 being fixedly secured to the device at a 
distance ranging from approximately four inches (4") to about five inches 
(5") behind the ball 25, it being understood that the actual distance 
between the ball 25 and the swing plane stabilizer will vary from golfer 
to golfer dependent upon such variables as the golfer's size, strength and 
normal swing, as well as the particular club being employed and the lie of 
the golf ball. Thus, when the golfer 29 commences his/her backswing along 
the curvilinear dotted line depicted at 32, the vertical leg 15 of the 
swing plane stabilizer 14, together with the guide edge 26 on guide member 
11, define an unobtrusive, imaginary, vertical plane parallel to the 
desired and intended line-of-flight 28 of the golf ball 25, causing the 
club head 34 to pass adjacent, and preferably slightly below the level of, 
a laterally projecting tab 15a (FIG. 1) at the upper end of the vertical 
leg 15 of swing plane stabilizer 14. Moreover, as the golfer starts 
his/her downswing, the presence of the unobtrusive, imaginary, vertical 
guide plane defined by the swing plane stabilizer 14 and the guide edge 26 
tends to induce the golfer to swing the club along a proper inside-out 
trajectory as indicated in the broken line trajectory depicted at 35 with 
the club head 34 impacting the ball 25 at the bottom of the swing and 
thereafter following an outside-in follow-through trajectory designated by 
the dash-dot line 36. 
Since the exemplary golf swing practice device 10 of the present invention 
does not utilize any physical or mechanical restraints or barriers, 
repetitive use of the device serves to "groove" the golfer's swing in a 
highly desirable inside-out path during the downswing; and, when using 
woods the club head 34 impacts the ball 25 just after reaching the bottom 
of the downswing, thus producing a natural tendency to propel the ball 25 
along a relatively straight and accurate trajectory as indicated by the 
arrow 28, preferably with a slight draw or hook trajectory. 
Turning now to FIG. 4, the proper stances which should be used by a golfer 
when addressing a golf ball 25 from a given lie utilizing various 
different golf clubs have been shown. Thus, in each case the golf swing 
practice device 10 of the present invention is positioned with its guide 
edge 26 outboard of the golf ball 25 and lying parallel to the desired 
line-of-flight of the golf ball as here represented by the arrow 28. The 
golfer will normally position his/her feet in one (1) of four (4) 
different stances dependent upon the particular club being employed--viz., 
(i) an "open" stance as indicated at 37L, 37R when utilizing short irons 
such as a "7", "8" and/or "9" iron or a wedge; (ii) a "square" stance with 
the feet relatively close together as indicated at 37L, 37R' when 
utilizing an intermediate iron such as a "5" or "6" iron; (iii) a slightly 
wider "square" stance with the right foot moved to the right as indicated 
at 37R" when utilizing the longer "1", "2", "3" and "4" irons as well as 
"3", "4" and "5" woods off the fairway; and (iv), a somewhat "closed" 
stance as indicated at 37L, 37R"' when utilizing a driver. Those skilled 
in the art will, of course, appreciate that the stances depicted in FIG. 4 
and described above are all quite conventional, albeit they are for 
right-handed golfers. 
However, when practicing golf shots utilizing the device 10 of the present 
invention, the phantom tee 21 is preferably deployed somewhat differently 
dependent upon the particular club being used. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4, 
when utilizing the "square" stance depicted at 37L, 37R" for fairway 
woods--e.g., "3", "4" or "5" woods--and/or longer iron shots--e.g., shots 
employing a "1", "2", "3" or "4" iron--the phantom tee 21 would preferably 
be deployed as shown in the drawing, or approximately three inches (3") or 
four inches (4") in front of the actual lie of the golf ball 25, providing 
the golfer with a visual indication or target representing the desired 
location of the bottom of the golfer's downswing. As a consequence, as the 
golfer brings the club head 38 back along the dotted line trajectory 32, 
the club head preferably passes closely adjacent and slightly below the 
level of the swing plane stabilizer 14. During the downswing, the 
unobtrusive, imaginary barrier defined by the swing plane stabilizer 14 
and the guide edge 26 on device 10 induces the golfer to swing the club 
along the desired inside-out trajectory indicated by the broken line 35, 
with the club head 38 impacting the golf ball 25 during the downswing 
approximately three inches (3") or four inches (4") prior to reaching the 
bottom of the downswing as the club head passes over the phantom tee 21. 
Essentially the same description with regard to use of the practice device 
10 as set forth above is equally applicable to the use of the device with 
shorter irons except: (i) when using a "5" or "6" iron, the golfer will, 
assuming he or she is right-handed, shift his/her right foot to the 
position indicated at 37R' and move the phantom tee 21 slightly closer to 
the golf ball--e.g., to approximately two inches (2") forward of the 
ball--and (ii), when using still shorter irons such as a "7" iron through 
a wedge, the golfer will move to the "open" stance indicated at 37L, 37R 
and either not deploy the phantom tee 21 at all or deploy it immediately 
in front of the lie of the golf ball 25 so as to insure that the club head 
38 impacts the ball immediately prior to reaching the bottom of the 
downswing trajectory 35. 
Finally, when utilizing a driver, the golfer will utilize the proper stance 
as indicated above, but, since it is desired that the club head of a wood 
impact the golf ball 25 either at the bottom of the downswing or slightly 
after reaching the bottom of the downswing, the golfer need not deploy the 
phantom tee 21 for these practice shots, utilizing the ball 25 itself as 
the target for the bottom of the swing. Alternatively, the phantom tee 21 
could, in some instances, be deployed immediately to the rear of the ball 
25 so as to induce the golfer to impact the ball after reaching the bottom 
of the swing. 
Turning next to FIGS. 5 and 6, usage of the exemplary golf swing practice 
device 10 to improve putting will be described. As here shown, the swing 
plane stabilizer 14 is positioned to the rear of the ball 25 by an 
incremental distance that can, and will, vary dependent upon the distance 
the ball is to be stroked and the type of club employed--for example, 
approximately four inches (4") in the case of a putt of about four feet 
(4'), approximately five inches (5") in the case of a putt of from about 
feet (6'), approximately six inches (6") in the case of a putt of about 
eight feet (8"), etc. Those skilled in the art will, of course, appreciate 
that the actual distances will vary from golfer to golfer; but, as each 
golfer becomes more experienced in the use of the device 10, he/she will 
soon become accustomed to coordinating the distance of the backswing and 
the speed of the club head when stroking the ball so as to enable stroking 
the ball any given distance with considerable accuracy. The device 10 is, 
in this instance, located parallel to the intended path 39 of the ball 25 
and between the golfer's feet 40 and the ball 25. ball 25 and between the 
golfer's feet 40 and the ball 25. The arrangement is such that the swing 
plane stabilizer 14 tends to limit the golfer's backswing during putting 
and to promote a straight line accelerating follow-through of the putter 
41, as indicated at 42, as it moves from the solid line position 41 at 
point of impact to the position shown in broken lines at 41'. 
Referring next to FIG. 7, it will be noted that essentially the same 
practice conditions can be achieved as described in connection with FIGS. 
5 and 6 by placing the exemplary golf swing practice device 10 outboard of 
the golfer's ball 25 rather than between the golfer's feet 40 and the 
ball. 
Thus, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that there has 
herein been described a simple, economical and easily portable golf swing 
practice device which is totally devoid of physical and/or mechanical 
constraints which tend to unnaturally alter the golfer's stance and/or 
swing; yet, which effectively constrains the swing to move in a desired 
inside-out trajectory during the downswing with the club head impacting 
the golf ball at the proper point in the swing trajectory dependent upon 
the type of club being employed--i.e., either at or slightly after 
reaching the bottom of the swing in the case of woods; about four (4") 
inches or five inches (5") prior to reaching the bottom of the downswing 
in the case of long and/or intermediate irons; and, immediately prior to 
reaching the bottom of the downswing in the case of short irons. The 
device is universally applicable to all types of golfers irrespective of 
their physical size and/or condition and/or limitations, their sex, age 
and whether they are left-handed or right-handed. Moreover, the golf swing 
practice device of the present invention is not limited to use with a 
particular type or group of clubs, but, rather, can be employed when 
practicing with any club ranging from a driver or "1" wood through a 
putter.