Abstract:
A golf alignment and targeting aid is a simple, durable, lightweight and easily portable device which provides golfers with a straight, clear and accurate view of their target by allowing the golfer to visualize the target several feet in front of the golf ball, eliminating the need for the golfer to visualize targets that vary in great distances, and enabling the golfer to keep his/her head down without the need to look up toward the target.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention generally relates to devices and methodologies that assist in aiming projectiles at specific targets, and specifically to such targeting aids as applied to sporting activities, such as golf. 
   Every shot in golf requires proper alignment which establishes the necessary swing path. Alignment involves the proper positioning of the body in order to execute an accurate shot. The club shaft plane is created by gripping the club and placing the club head on the playing surface behind the ball. Preparation for the shot is achieved through aiming at an intended target then positioning the club and body relative to the ball with proper alignment. 
   There are numerous golf training systems and various devices which can be found in the prior art, which are available to assist the golfer in developing both proper alignment and proper swing path. Several very early patents disclose golfer stance gauges for teaching proper stance, angle and position of the feet with relation to the golf ball. Representative of these are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,025,519 and 2,169,407. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,407 relates to a golf training method which involves placing two strips in parallel arrangement and a third strip in perpendicular arrangement. The golfer positions him/herself on one of the strips so that he/she faces the golf ball with one foot on each side of the perpendicular strip. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,616,085 discloses a swing training aid having an elongated stance member. A golf ball positioner is carried by the stance positioning member. A swing guide at the end of the golf ball positioner has a generally triangular shape. The swing guide is relatively small and is provided to assist the golfer in club movement extending a short distance on either side of the ball. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,738 teaches a stance alignment device in the form of a substantially flat mat designed to align a golfer&#39;s feet with respect to the intended flight path of the golf ball. U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,570 discloses a golf instructional aid that is a generally U-shaped, flat frame, having a V-shaped base and two parallel arms forming an open gate. The device is intended as a golf instructional aid which allows the golfer to practice the golf swing with proper stance, ball position and hand position. U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,008 shows a golf training apparatus consisting of a plurality of tubes which can be assembled in various ways to provide training. 
   From the foregoing patents, which are representative of numerous patents that relate to golf training devices, it can be appreciated that both stance gauges and alignment devices are well known in the prior art. The prior art generally teaches devices consisting of flat panels or rods, which may be positioned on the playing surface in some manner to assist in stance, alignment and ball position. But these devices, while they may be helpful in the mechanics of stance and body alignment, do not aid in the actual visual alignment and targeting of a golf shot from an immediate, direct and concrete perspective. 
   Many golf instructors will utilize various mental techniques to assist a student in visually aligning a golf shot. One such method is to imagine a line starting from the golf ball extending down the golf ball path to the intended target. However, the visualization of such an imaginary line is often difficult for golfers because of the great distances that are involved. Moreover, such visualization tends to distract the golfer&#39;s attention from the golf ball to the target, thereby inducing him/her to lift his/her head during the swing and/or to take his/her eyes off the ball. 
   A review of the prior art demonstrates that there exists an unfulfilled need for a device that aids golfers in alignment and targeting visualization without interfering with the proper mechanics of the golf swing. In addition, there exists the need for an aid that will allow the golfer to perceive the target from directly behind the golf ball rather than from the side of the golf ball, as prior art generally does. Furthermore, there exists the need for a simple device that is durable, lightweight and easily portable. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An objective of the present invention is to provide an aid to golfers in alignment and aiming that will allow the golfer to visualize the proper path of the ball to the target without lifting his/her head or taking his/her eye off the ball. 
   Another objective is to provide a targeting aid that provides a straight, clear and accurate view of a golfer&#39;s target. 
   A further objective is to provide a target sight disc several feet in front of a golfer&#39;s golf ball, so that the golfer does not have to visualize an imaginary line of the intended golf ball path that will vary in great distances. 
   An additional objective is to provide an alignment and targeting visualization aid that will reduce the amount of golf balls used during a golf game by reducing the strokes needed to complete the game. 
   A further objective is to provide an alignment and targeting visualization aid that is simple, durable, lightweight and easily portable. 
   A still further objective is to provide an alignment and targeting visualization aid that is cost effective and inexpensive to manufacture. 
   These and other related beneficial objectives are achieved by the preferred embodiment of the present invention as described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Attention is called, however, to the fact that the detailed description and drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the alignment and targeting aid; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the alignment and targeting aid with the target sight disc mounted on the tip in a configuration ready for use; 
       FIG. 3  shows a golfer aligning a shot using the alignment and targeting aid; 
       FIG. 4  shows a golfer placing the target sight disc on the ground; 
       FIGS. 5A ,  5 B,  5 C show a golfer removing the target sight disc from the tip of the alignment and targeting aid; 
       FIG. 6  shows a golfer aligned for a golf swing using the golf ball, target sight disc and target line. 
       FIG. 7  is a side elevation view of the alignment and targeting aid with the target sight disc mounted on the top piece in a configuration ready for storage. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1  depicts an exploded perspective view of a golf alignment and targeting aid that constitutes the preferred embodiment of the present invention. As depicted in  FIG. 1 , the golf alignment and targeting aid comprises a shaft  10 , a sight  12 , a tip  14 , a top piece  16 , and a target sight disc  18 . The shaft  10  is an elongated rod having approximately the same length and diameter as that of a golf club shaft. The shaft  10  is made of a rigid, light-weight material, such as wood or plastic. To the distal end of the shaft  10  is fixedly attached the tip  14 , which is a disc-shaped piece of magnetic material, such as iron or steel. Along the side of the shaft  10  in close proximity to tip  14  is fixedly attached the sight  12 , which is a vane-shaped flat extended surface that broadens from its distal to its proximal end. The sight  12  is made of a rigid, light-weight material, such as wood or plastic. To the proximal end of the shaft  10  is fixedly attached the top piece  16 , which is a disc-shaped piece of magnetic material, such as iron or steel. 
   The target sight disc  18  is a compact, durable object having the configuration of a polyhedron, cylindrical disc, cone or frustum with a broad, flat base, such that it maintains a stable position when placed on a substantially flat surface. Within the target sight disc  18  is an embedded magnet  36 . As shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 7 , the target sight disc  18  is removably attachable to either the tip  14  or the top piece  16  through the magnetic attraction between the embedded magnet  36  and the magnetic material comprising the tip  14  and the top piece  16 . 
     FIGS. 2-6  illustrate the method of using the golf alignment and targeting aid to align and aim a golf shot. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the target sight disc  18  is first removably attached to the tip  14  through the magnetic attraction between the embedded magnet  36  and the magnetic material comprising the tip  14 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , a golfer  24  then positions him/herself on a ground behind a golf ball  22  so as to establish a straight and unobstructed sight line  26  to a target  20 . Next, the golfer  24  grasps the shaft  10  by its proximal end and raises it so that the sight  12  is aligned with the sight line  26  to the target  20 . 
   As depicted in  FIG. 4 , the golfer  24  then lowers the shaft  10  through the plane formed by the sight line  26  and the golf ball  22 , which plane intersects the ground to form a target line  28  between the target  20  and the golf ball  22 . The golfer  24  lowers the shaft  10  to the point at which the target sight disc  18  rests on ground along the target line  28 . As depicted in  FIGS. 5A ,  5 B and  5 C, the target sight disc  18  is next detached from the tip  14  by sliding the tip  14  downward along the surface of the target sight disc  18  until it reaches the ground and separates from target sight disc  18  and is clear of the attraction of the embedded magnet  36 . 
   As seen in  FIG. 5B , during the process of sliding  34  the tip  14  off the top and down the side of the target sight disc  18 , the golfer  24  must apply a light downward pressure  32  onto the target sight disc  18  so that the target sight disc  18  will stay in its proper position on the ground along the target line  28  while being detached from the tip  14 . The pressure  32  is applied by pushing down on the shaft  10 , which in turn applies pressure  32  down the shaft  10  to the tip  14  and onto the target sight disc  18 , such that the target sight disc  18  is held in its proper position on the ground, while allowing the tip  14 , as seen in  FIG. 5C , to slid  34  away free and clear from the magnetic attraction  38  of the embedded magnet  36  within the target sight disc  18 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 6 , once the target sight disc  18  is detached from the tip  14 , the golfer  24  sets the golf alignment and targeting aid aside and uses a golf club  30  to stroke the golf ball  22  toward the target  20  along the target line  28  as it extends from the target sight disc  18  to the golf ball  22 . This obviates the need to rely on an imaginary line starting from the golf ball  22 , extending down the golf ball path to the intended target  20 , which will vary in great distances. It also obviates the need for the golfer  24  to look up toward the target  20  while he/she is aligning the shot, thus enabling the correct “head down, eye on the ball” golf swing. 
     FIG. 7  depicts the golf alignment and targeting aid in a configuration ready for storage. Once the golfer  24  has finished the above steps and is ready to store the alignment and targeting aid, the golfer  24  simply takes the target sight disc  18  and mounts it onto the top piece  16 . The embedded magnet  36  in the target sight disc  18  will magnetically attract  38  and hold the target sight disc  18  to the magnetic material comprising the top piece  16 . With its durable, lightweight shaft  10  and its ability to be stored in such a simple manner, the golf alignment and targeting aid will fit anywhere golf clubs are stored or into any golf club bag, making it an easily portable device. 
   While this invention has been described with reference to a specific embodiment, the description is not to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiment, as well other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to this description. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will cover any such modifications or embodiments that fall within the true scope of this invention.