Abstract:
The present invention provides a device and method to facilitate use of a golf club, having a face, as a system to improve a user&#39;s performance in the game of golf. The device includes a body having first and second opposed surfaces; and a clamping mechanism connected to the body to securely affix the body to the golf club, with the second surface being coextensive with the first surface and having an arcuate shape with a constant radius of curvature.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/315,225 listing Troy Allen Fowler and Clifford Bailey as inventors. The No. 60/315,225 filed Aug. 27, 2000 provisional patent application is incorporated in its entirety herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to golf instruments, and more specifically to a method and a device to convert a golf club into a training system. 
     Golf is a popular sport. It is well-known that mastery of the sport depends, in a large part, on the ability to control the direction and distance a golf ball travels when subjected to an inelastic collision with a golf club. To that end, the gold club includes a substantially planar face that contacts a golf ball. Optimum control of the direction and distance of travel, referred to herein as trajectory, of the golf ball is obtained by causing the same to impact with the face of the golf club at the “sweet spot”. The difficulty with obtaining the skills necessary to achieve this goal frustrates the advancement in the sport of many golfers. As a result, many prior art devices have been developed to facilitate training golfers to obtain optimum control over the trajectory of a ball that is stricken with a golf club. U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,228 to Hawkins, Sr. et al. discloses a system for improving ones golf game by using a practice club with a very small head to hit practice balls that are light weight and preferably are very small in diameter. The novel practice golf club has a head or ball-hitting surface which is much smaller than a conventional golf club, such as either surface having a width of about 3.5 cm (1.4 in.) or less or even about 1.5 cm (0.6 in.) or less or a convex surface having a radius of less than about 1.25 cm (0.5 in.) or even about 0.8 cm (0.3 in.) or less. The practice balls are much lighter and preferably smaller than a conventional golf ball, such as less than about 30 g, for example about 1.9 cm (0.75 in.) in diameter and about 1.5 g or about 1.27 cm (0.5 in.) in diameter and about 1 g. This invention includes as optional components of the system mat means and net means. The invention can be embodied in the form of an adaptor to convert a conventional golf club to have the type of ball-hitting surface described above. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,721 to Lobdell discloses a golf putter having an elongated head with an axle adapted for supporting a pair of coaxial rotatable wheels. The putter is rolled along the wheels in the direction of a sight line to strike and direct the golf ball. The strike surface of the putter is convex to assure proper relative position between the ball and the strike surface regardless of the angular position of the putter. The wheels have a resilient outer covering to protect the putting surface and to assure that the wheels grip the putting surface and roll rather than slide as the putter is advanced. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,477 to Redkey et al. discloses a golf training device comprising a base member that is releasably attachable to substantially any conventional golf club. A plurality of training aids are interchangeably attachable to the base member, each of which serves to correct respective aspects of a golfer&#39;s swing and stroke. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,285 to Winslow discloses a putter alignment device and includes a mounting frame for engaging a putter and for aligning the device relative to the putter face. A mirror frame having a mirror, employing a novel indicating line, supported thereby is coupled pivotally to the mounting frame for aligning the putter relative to a target. A securing arrangement is adapted to engage the mounting frame at a portion thereof, extending behind the putter, and engaging another portion of the mounting frame to attach removably to the putter alignment device on the putter. Inventive sight members facilitate positioning of the eyes of the golfer relative to the target line as a part of the alignment method. 
     A need exists, therefore, for a device that attaches to a conventional golf club to improve a user&#39;s performance playing the game of golf. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A device and method to facilitate use of a golf club, having a face, as a system to improve a user&#39;s performance in the game of golf. The device includes a body having first and second opposed surfaces; and a clamping mechanism connected to the body to securely affix the body to the golf club, with the second surface being coextensive with the first surface and having an arcuate shape with a constant radius of curvature. In another embodiment, an indicator is present on the body and has a linear shape. The indicator extends transversely away from the face toward the second surface, bisecting the second surface. The indicator facilitates recognition of the situs on the second surface at which a user should impact a golf ball. The indicator may either be indicia or a groove formed on the body. The shape of the second surface may either be concave or convex. The clamping mechanism includes a support extending from the first surface away from the second surface and terminating in a bulwark. The bulwark extends from the support, parallel to the first surface and includes an orifice extending therethrough. In one embodiment, the orifice includes a wall having threads formed therein. A screw has threads complementary to the threads formed in the wall and reciprocates within the orifice to vary a distance between the screw and the first surface. In another embodiment, an orifice includes a smooth wall, with a rod disposed therein and is resiliently biased against the first surface. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a training device attached to a conventional golf club, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a training device shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the training device shown in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a top-down view showing the device shown in FIG. 2 mounted to a golf club, in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is perspective view of the training device shown in FIG. 2, in accordance with an alternate embodiment; 
     FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the training device shown in FIG. 5; and 
     FIG. 7 is a top-down view of the training device shown in FIG. 6, in accordance with an alternate embodiment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIG. 1 a training system  10  includes a standard golf club, in this example a putter, which includes a handle  12  a golf club head  14  and a shank  16  coupling handle  12  to golf club head  14 . Club head  14  includes a face  18 , which is substantially planar. Coupled to club head  14  is a training device  20  that serves to change the contour of face  18 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, training device  20  includes a body  22  having a striking member  24 , a bulwark  26  and a support member  28 . Striking member  24  includes a first surface  24   a  and a second surface  24   b , opposed to first surface  24   a . Support member  28  extends between first surface  24   a  and bulwark  26 . Striking member  24  and bulwark  26  extend from opposite ends of support member  28 . Bulwark  26  is disposed opposite to striking member  24  and extends parallel thereto, with striking member  24 , bulwark  26  and support member  28  defining a recess  30 . A clamping mechanism is coupled to bulwark  26  to securely affix body  22  to club head  14 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, clamping mechanism includes a bore  32  extending through bulwark  26  and having a longitudinal axis  34  that extends parallel to a direction that support member  28  extends. Bore  32  includes a wall having a plurality of threads  36 . A screw  38  includes a plurality of threads  40  that are complementary to threads  36  so that screw  38  may be threaded within bore  32 . 
     Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, club head  14  is received within recess  30  and screw  38  is rotated to affix club head  14  between screw  38  and first surface  24   a , which faces face  18 . As shown, in the present example, club head  14  includes a protrusion  14   a  extending from a surface thereof in a direction transverse to face  18  and screw  38  contacts protrusion  14   a  to define a clamping force between first surface  24   a  and screw  38 . To ensure a secure fit, first surface  24   a  has a profile that is complimentary to the profile of face  18 . As shown, first surface  24   a  is planar, but it may be any shape desired, dependent upon the application. The training function of training device  20  derives from the shape of second surface  24   b . In the present example, second surface  24   b  has an arcuate shape, and more specifically, is convex. 
     Referring to both FIGS. 1 and 4, when striking a golf ball (not shown) with training system  10 , a user will instantaneously know whether the proper orientation of club head  14  was present. Proper orientation results in the golf ball (not shown) traveling in a straight line in a direction orthogonal to a plane  18   a  in which face  18  lies. This is shown as direction  44 . This will occur upon impacting an apex region  42  of surface  24   b  with the golf ball (not shown). The region of surface  24   b  that corresponds to apex region  42 , in the present example, is approximately ⅛ of an inch wide. Were the golf ball (not shown) to strike surface  24   b  at regions other than apex region  42 , the direction of travel would be at an oblique angle θ, measured with respect to direction  44 . The arcuate shape exaggerates the angle θ that would ordinarily be associated with improper orientation of club head  14  impact on the golf ball (not shown) in the absence of training device  20 . As a result, training device  20  provides immediate feedback with respect to proper orientation of surface  24   b.    
     To assist in identifying the situs of apex region  42  on second surface  24   b , the apex region  42  is located so as to bisect second surface  24   b . To that end, surface  24   b  is formed as an arcuate surface with a constant radius of curvature which as shown, may define a cylindrical surface. This facilitates a user&#39;s attempt to locate the proper point on second surface  24   b  at which to strike a golf ball (not shown) without any further visual assistance. 
     With the training device  20 , a user creates a training system employing the golf club that is used when playing golf. In this manner, a user may develop augment skill in the game of golf by training with the golf club that is employed to play golf. To that end, the screw  38 , shown in FIG. 2, allows the training device  20  to be easily and quickly coupled to, and decoupled from, club head  14 . One of the only noticeable changes to golf club head  14  is a slight increase in weight. To minimize the variation in weight, training device  20  may be manufactured from virtually any material, including light weight aluminum, polymer-based materials and the like. In addition, should increased weight be desired, training device  20  may be formed from steel, iron and the like. 
     Referring to FIG. 4, in another embodiment, a linear indicator  46  may be disposed on body  22  that indicates the location of the apex region  42 , shown in FIG.  1 . Linear indicator  46  is provided on a surface  22   a  of body  22  that faces handle  12  so that a user may view the same when striking the golf ball (not shown). As shown in FIG. 2, surface  22   a  extends between arcuate surface  24   a , bulwark  26  and support member  28 . The linear indicator  46  is present on surface  22   a  and extends from bulwark  26 , terminating at a point proximate to second surface  24   b  and located so as to bisect second surface  24   b , shown in FIG.  1 . In one embodiment linear indicator  46  is indicia disposed on surface  22   a . In another embodiment, linear indicator  46  may be a groove formed into surface  22   a.    
     Referring to FIG. 5, in accordance with another embodiment, the clamping mechanism may include a rod  60  that is resiliently biased to rest again first surface  124   a  via a resilient member, such as a helical spring  62 . Disposed at opposing ends of rod  60  are a detent  64  and a grip  66 . Detent  64  operates to hold helical spring  62  in position, between detent  64  and bulwark  126 . Applying a force to grip  66  to move rod  60  along a direction  68 , a distance, d, between detent  64  and first surface  124   a  may be varied. 
     Referring to FIG. 6, rod  60 , shown in FIG. 5, comprises two portions, a journal portion  60   a  and a threaded portion  60   b . Journal portion  60   a  includes a chamber  60   c  with threaded walls that are complementary to the shape of threaded portion  60   b . Bulwark  126  includes a throughway  132  that has smooth walls  136 . One manner in which to couple training device  120  together would include placing helical spring  62  on journal portion  60   a  and placing journal portion  60   a -helical spring  62  combination in recess  130 . Thereafter, threaded portion  60   b  would be threaded into chamber  60   c  through throughway  132 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 7, another embodiment of training device  20  is shown as training device  220 . All features of training device  220  are the same as training device  20  except that surface  224   b , albeit arcuate, is concave. 
     Although the foregoing has been discussed with respect to the use of the invention on a putter golf club, it should be understood that the present invention may be employed on any golf club design. Thus, the embodiments of the present invention described above are exemplary and the scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined not with reference to the above description, but instead should be determined with reference to the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents.