Abstract:
A golf training method and device having at least one flat surface and an annular surface, wherein the annular surface is configured to receive contact with a golf club and the flat surface is configured to contact the surface on which the device is disposed. The device may have a radius greater than the height. The device may be sized to have the diameter of a standard regulation golf ball, and a height approximately 0.25 inches to require the user to swing within 0.25 inches precision in order to hit the training device. The device maybe made from a soft, resilient material suitable for use indoors.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates in general to a golf training device, more particularly for practicing a golf swing. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Various golf training devices are available for golf players to practice their golf swings. Training devices suitable for golf players at varying levels of skill are available, as often beginners and amateur players practice a different aspect of their golf swing than more seasoned players. Golf training devices are often projectiles which frequently incorporate characteristics that allow the device to simulate the feel, weight, and/or flight characteristics of a regulation standard golf ball to provide accurate informational feedback to the user regarding certain aspects of their golf swing. 
     Most beginner and amateur golfers suffer from hitting the golf ball “thin” or “fat.” Hitting a golf ball thin, or topping the ball, results from the head of the golf club hitting the ball too high on the ball. Hitting the golf ball fat, or taking up a large divot with the golf club, results when the head of the golf club hits the ground before the golf club hits the golf ball. Accurate and precise golf swings which hit the golf ball “pure” or dead on require repeated and regular practice. However, frequent trips to a driving range or golf course may be costly and/or impractical for various reasons, especially if a user is just beginning to practice golf. Thus, it is often desirable to be able to practice golf in one&#39;s home, office, or yard. 
     Many factors are involved in perfecting a golf swing, such as the golfer&#39;s grip, stance, alignment, swing path, and point of impact with the golf ball. Many golf training devices require the user to simultaneously concentrate on numerous aspects of their golf swing, rather than allowing the user to focus on specific aspects of their golf swing, such as contacting the golf ball at a desired distance from the surface on which the golf ball rests, which is often a main concern for beginning and amateur golfers. 
     The present inventor has recognized the need for a durable, accurate training device for practicing a golf swing, which allows the user to focus on specific aspects of a golf swing. 
     The present inventor has recognized the need for a training device which can be used outdoors or indoors without damaging furniture, walls, or other items. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention comprises a golf training device for practicing golf swings by giving golfers a visual aid and training device to help the user hit a golf ball “pure” or dead on. The golf training device comprises a disk shaped body having at least one flat surface, and a cylindrical surface. In one embodiment, the device is made of a resilient material, such as rubber, so as to minimize damage to any surface with which the device comes into contact. The device has a height and a radius wherein the height is less than the radius. 
     In one embodiment, the training device has a diameter between 0.80 inches (20.32 mm) and 2.54 inches (64.52 mm) and a height between 0.125 (3.175 mm) and 0.25 (6.35 mm) inches. In another embodiment, the training device has a diameter between 0.80 inches (20.32 mm) and 2.54 inches (64.52 mm) and a height between 0.125 inches (3.175 mm) and a value less than the radius. In another embodiment, the disk has a diameter of 1.68 inches (42.67 mm), a radius of 0.84 inches (21.34 mm), and a height of 0.25 inches (6.35 mm). In another embodiment, the training device has a diameter of not less than 1.68 inches (42.67 mm). In another embodiment, the training device has a diameter of that of a regulation golf ball as set by the United States Golf Association. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the golf training device comprises a disk shaped body with one flat surface, a cylindrical surface, and a stepped surface comprising of at least two surfaces each at a different distance from the flat surface, with each distance from the flat surface corresponding to the height of a portion of the cylindrical surface on which the golf club could make contact with the training device. In this embodiment, the user can rotate the device to change the degree of accuracy within which the user must swing to send the device into projectile motion. By providing only a limited height for making contact with the device, the user is required to practice honing in on the accuracy of their swing. 
     Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will be become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims and from the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of the golf training device. 
         FIG. 1B  is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of the golf training device. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the golf training device in place for use. 
         FIG. 3A  is a side view of the golf training device in place for use. 
         FIG. 3B  is a side view of the golf training device in place for use. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an alternative exemplary embodiment of the golf training device. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a second alternative exemplary embodiment of the golf training device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and will be described herein in detail, specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated. 
       FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate the side and top views respectively of one embodiment of the golf training device. As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the golf training device  10  is a disk shaped device comprising at least one flat surface  20  and a cylindrical surface  30 . A second flat surface  25  is in contact with an operating surface  40 . In one embodiment, the flat surfaces may include a pattern or texture, for example, to represent the dimples of a golf ball such as shown in  FIG. 1B . 
     The golf training device  10  is made from a flexible and/or resilient material, such as, rubber, foam, silicone, plastic, resins, other polymeric or synthetic materials, or a combination thereof. This type of material allows the device to be used indoors such that upon impact, damage to walls or furniture is minimized. In one embodiment, the device is made of materials with resilient characteristics, such as rubber, or rubber-like compositions. Rubber materials or rubber-like compositions include synthetic rubbers, natural rubber, a combination of synthetic and natural rubbers, latex, and polyurethane. 
     In one embodiment, the device is made of foam, such as polyurethane, neoprene, and polyvinylchloride. The foam material should be of a sufficient density to allow the training device to launch into projectile motion upon contact to provide a visual indication of the general direction of launch. The foam material may be water resistant to be more adaptable to outdoor use. 
     The training device  10  can also be made from a combination of materials to achieve a desired weight or flight characteristic. For example, the flat surfaces  20 , can be made of the same or different material, and the cylindrical surface  30  can be made from the same or different material as either of the two flat surfaces. In another embodiment, the outer surface layer may be a different material from the inner surface. In one embodiment, a softer outer surface may be disposed around an inner material that is denser. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 2 , the training device  10  has a diameter “d,” height “h,” and a radius “r.” The golf training device has a height “h” less than the radius “r”. 
     In one embodiment, the training device has a diameter between 0.80 inches (20.32 mm) and 2.54 inches (64.52 mm) and a height between 0.125 (3.175 mm) and 0.25 (6.35 mm) inches. In another embodiment, the training device has a diameter between 0.80 inches (20.32 mm) and 2.54 inches (64.52 mm) and a height between 0.125 inches (3.175 mm) and a value less than the radius. In another embodiment, the training device has a diameter of 1.68 inches (42.67 mm) and a height of 0.25 inches (6.35 mm). In another embodiment, the training device has a diameter of not less than 1.68 inches (42.67 mm). In another embodiment, the training device has a weight of not greater than 1.620 ounces (45.93 grams). In another embodiment, the training device has a diameter of that of a regulation golf ball as set by the United States Golf Association. In another embodiment, the training device has a diameter of that of a regulation golf ball as set by the organization charged or generally recognized as setting standards related to golf ball size in the United States. 
     In operation, the user places the training device  10  on an operating surface  40  such that a flat surface  25  of the training device is in contact with the operating surface  40 . The user positions the golf club  50  such that when the user swings the golf club, the golf club strikes the training device on its cylindrical surface  30 . The operating surface  40  can be any firm surface, such as a golf practice mat, floor, carpet, asphalt, grass, or any other firm surface on which the device is disposed. The user positions them self and aligns the golf club the same way they would with a golf ball, and similarly takes a swing at the training device  10 . 
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate a golf club being swung along curve S of a swing immediately before making contact with the training device  10 . In  FIG. 3B , the golf club  50  contacts the training device  10  at a higher point B on the cylindrical surface than point A in  FIG. 3A . The height of the training device dictates the accuracy within which a swing needs to be executed in order to make contact with the training device and cause the training device to be launched. If the swing is “thin” the club head will go over the training device  10  without hitting it because the training device is only of a certain height. Conversely, if the user&#39;s swing is “fat” or hits the ground before it makes contact with the training device, the golf club will skip right over the training device without hitting the training device. Only by making contact with at least a portion of the height of the cylindrical surface  30  will the user cause the training device to launch as a projectile. Different embodiments of the training device each may have a different height to correspond to the configuration of the golf club or difficulty level desired by the user. A training device with a lesser height will be more difficult to hit and thus will require more accuracy in the user&#39;s swing. 
     Since a golf ball is spherical in shape, a rehearsed swing at the disk shaped training device with a cylindrical surface perpendicular to the ground will translate to a contact point on an actual golf ball that is at a different height on the golf ball than the height of the training device. The point of contact on the golf ball will be higher. By practicing swings at, for example, a training device having a height of 0.25 inches (6.35 mm), the rehearsed swing will translate to allowing the user to hit the golf ball at a desired contact point. 
     In an alternative embodiment as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the training device comprises a disk shaped device  90  with one flat surface  60  which comes in contact with an operating surface  70 , such as a golf practice mat, floor, carpet, asphalt, grass, or any other firm surface on which the device is disposed, and a cylindrical surface  80 . The training device  90  further comprises a stepped surface  65  comprising a first partial surface  61  and a second partial surface  62  on the side of the training device opposite to bottom flat surface  60 . First partial surface  61  has a height L 1  from bottom surface  60 , while the second partial surface  62  has a height L 2  from bottom surface  60 . Height L 1  and L 2  are different, so as to provide different heights with which a user can practice a golf swing within the same disk shaped device  90 . Alternative embodiments can contain additional partial surfaces by, for example, dividing the stepped surface  65  into three or more partial surfaces. When using the training device  90 , a user can place the training device  90  such that the cylindrical surface  80  with a greater height L 1  is facing the golf club. If the user desires a different difficulty level, the user can place the training device  90  such that the cylindrical surface  80  with a height L 2 , which is less than that of height L 1 , is facing the golf club since a cylindrical surface  80  with a lesser height will be more difficult to hit and thus require more accuracy in the user&#39;s swing. 
     In a second alternative embodiment, the training device comprises a device with one flat surface  110  which comes in contact with an operating surface  160  ( FIG. 5 ). The training device  100  further comprises a second flat surface  120  disposed at an angle with respect to the first flat surface  110 , and a cylindrical surface  150 , The second flat surface  120  comprises an upper end  121  and a lower end  122 . The upper end  121  has a height H 1  from the bottom surface  110 , while the lower end  122  has a height H 2  from the bottom surface. Heights H 1  and H 2  are different so as to provide surfaces of different heights with which a user can practice a golf swing within the same device. If the user desires a different difficulty level, the user can place the training device  100  such that the cylindrical surface  150  with a height H 2 , which is less than that of height H 1 , is orientated to make contact with the golf club since a cylindrical surface  150  with a lesser height will be more difficult to hit and thus require more accuracy in the user&#39;s swing 
     From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred.