Abstract:
A golf swing training device includes a pad having a light-reactive material on one side of the pad, and an indicator having a light source capable of striking the light-reactive material on the pad and creating a visual representation of the light on the pad. The pad includes printed indicia on the light-reactive material in order to illustrate the proper alignment and path for a putting stroke. An individual can place a golf ball on the pad and attach the indicator to the putter, and perform a putting stroke to strike the golf ball on the pad. The movement path of the putter head over the pad is visually illustrated by the reaction of the light source with the light-reactive material such that the individual can compare the actual putting stroke indicated by the light source path on the pad to the printed proper path indicia for the putting stroke. The visual representation of the actual path fades in a short amount of time such that the individual can perform subsequent putting strokes in order to improve the correspondence between the actual putting stroke and the optimal stroke represented on the pad.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/485,428, which was filed on Jul. 8, 2003. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to golf training devices, and more specifically to a light-based golf swing training device.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     In order for an individual to improve his or her skills at the game of golf, a variety of different teaching and practice methods and devices have been developed. These methods and devices focus on various aspects of the golf swing, both in striking the ball from tee to green and in putting the ball on the green. However, due to the fact that strokes made on the green or putting surface typically account for more than 40% of the overall strokes for any given player, an individual wishing to become proficient at the game of golf must practice the putting stroke.  
         [0004]     While the putting stroke is at least as important as the overall golf swing, the devices available for practicing the putting stroke are somewhat limited in their ability to provide a proper “feel” for a proper putting stroke. This is due to the popular notion that the putting stroke, being just a simple pendulum movement, requires only practice to develop an effective putting stroke. Further, of those putting stroke aids available, the majority of aids focus on the alignment of the player with the ball in order to attempt to ensure that the ball is struck in the desired direction when contacted by the putter. These devices address the initial alignment and setup for the putting stroke, but do not provide feedback regarding the motion performed by the individual during the stroke.  
         [0005]     Therefore, it is desirable to develop a putting stroke aid or trainer that incorporates the functions of providing an individual with assistance in properly aligning the putter head with the ball prior to the stroke, and giving the individual feedback regarding the actual stroke after the ball has been struck by the putter. Further, the device should be easy to use and capable of repeated uses without damaging or wearing out the device.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     It is a primary aspect of the present invention to provide a putting stroke training aid that enables an individual to obtain assistance in proper alignment for a putting stroke, as well as to receive a comparison of the actual motion of the individual&#39;s putting stroke relative to the proper motion for such a stroke. The training aid includes an alignment pad that can be positioned on a flat surface and on which a golf ball can be positioned. The pad includes an upper surface that is formed of an indicating material that has alignment indicia printed or otherwise disposed thereon. The printed indicia form a line to illustrate the proper path for a putter head during a putting stroke. A golf ball is positioned on the line defined by the printed indicia illustrating the proper stroke path, and is adapted to be struck by a user practicing a putting swing using the putting stroke training aid.  
         [0007]     The training aid also includes an indicator that is attachable to a putter head. The indicator interacts with the indicating material forming the upper surface of the pad in order to provide a visual representation of the actual path the putter head has taken during the putting stroke. This enables the individual to compare the actual path of the putter head to the ideal or proper path illustrated by the printed indicia on the pad. The visual representation of the actual path created on the indicating material remains visible for a sufficient time to show the correspondence or lack thereof between the actual putting stroke and the proper putting stroke path. However, the visual representation on the pad also fades relatively quickly such that the representation of the actual stroke path completely disappears in order to allow the indicator be utilized with the pad to illustrate multiple subsequent putting stroke paths on the material.  
         [0008]     According to another aspect of present invention, the indicator can be provided with a number of different types of securing devices in order to releasably secure the indicator to an actual putter head. The securing device enables the indicator to be attached to the putter head securely during use of the training aid in providing a visual representation of a putting stroke on the pad, and can also be easily disengaged from the putter head in order to enable the putter to be utilized in normal play for a round of golf. Further, the indicator has a small and simple construction and is light in weight, such that when the indicator is attached to the putter head, the presence of the indicator does not affect the movement of the putter in the individual&#39;s hands so as to maintain a realistic feel for the actual putting stroke.  
         [0009]     According to still another aspect of the present invention, the pad including the indicating material is formed to be flexible such that the pad can be rolled, folded or otherwise deformed for storage. The pad can also include a lower surface formed of a material different from that of the upper surface in order to provide a more stable pad for use with the training aid.  
         [0010]     Other aspects, advantages and features of the present invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description taken together with the drawing figures. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     The drawings illustrate the best most currently contemplated of practicing the present invention.  
         [0012]     In the drawings:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is schematic elevation view of an individual utilizing a golf swing training aid constructed according to the present invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged partial side elevation view with reference to line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the training aid of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged partial rear elevation view of an indicator and pad incorporated in the training aid of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a front elevation view of the indicator of  FIG. 5 ; and  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a view similar to  FIG. 3 , showing a comparison of the path of an actual swing relative to a desired swing path using the golf swing training aid of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]     With reference now to the drawing figures in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the disclosure, a putter utilized in playing a game of golf is illustrated generally at  10  in  FIG. 1 . The putter  10  includes a shaft  12 , a handle  14  disposed at one end of the shaft  12  and a putter head  16  disposed on a shaft  12  opposite the handle  14 . In utilizing the putter  10  to perform a stroke, an individual  17  grasps the handle  14  and moves the putter  10  in a generally pendulum-like fashion to simulate a putting stroke. If it is desired to actually strike a ball, the putter  10  may be used to strike a golf ball  18 . The shape of the putter head  16  can vary greatly depending upon the particular type and style of putter  10 , but each putter head  16  includes a ball striking surface  20  ( FIG. 2 ) that is used to strike the golf ball  18 . The striking surface  20  is generally flat, and may be formed of a single or multiple materials, and may also include inserts which can provide various benefits to the ability of the striking surface  20  to strike the golf ball  18  in the intended manner.  
         [0021]     In order to train an individual utilizing the putter  10  to strike a golf ball in a consistent manner flush against the ball striking surface  20  and in the proper direction, the putter  10  is utilized in conjunction with a putting stroke training aid  22  in accordance with the present invention. The training aid  22  includes a pad  24  and an indicator  26  that is releasably secured to the putter head  16 .  
         [0022]     Referring now to  FIGS. 2-4 , the pad  24  can be any desired shape or size, but is preferably generally rectangular in shape, with a width of about six (6) inches and a length of about twenty-four (24) inches to allow for a variety of putting strokes to be practiced. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the pad  24  is formed with an upper member  28  and a lower member  30  joined to one another by any suitable bonding or securing means such as an adhesive  32 . However, the pad  24  can also be formed solely from the upper member  28 . The lower member  30  is formed of a flexible, and preferably high-friction material such as a foamed thermoplastic that can be positioned on a flat surface on which the training aid  22  is to be utilized. The thickness of the lower member  30  can vary as desired, but is preferably between ⅛ and ¼ inches in order to maintain the upper member  28  of the pad  24  close to the ground to provide a realistic feel to the putting stroke performed when utilizing the training aid  22 .  
         [0023]     The upper member  28  includes or is preferably formed of an indicating material  34  that is capable of visually illustrating the path the putter head  16  takes when the putter  10  is utilized to strike the golf ball  18  resting on the upper member  28 . In a preferred embodiment, the indicating material  34  is a phosphorescent or photoluminescent material that, when contacted by a light source, is energized when exposed to a light source and presents a visual representation  35  of the path of the light source over the material  34 . In a particularly preferred embodiment, the indicating material  34  is a zinc-sulfide phosphorescent material such as Glow Bright 7510 material obtained from Jessup Manufacturing of McHenry, Ill. The indicating material  34  also includes indicia  36  printed or otherwise applied to the material  34  on an upper surface  37  of the upper member  28  opposite the lower member  30 , so as to be visible from above. The indicia  36  preferably comprises a pair of lines indicating the proper path for the putter head  16  during a putting stroke, which can be a straight line, or which may be curved depending upon the particular putting style of the individual. Indicia  36  can also have other lines optionally included, such as a line  37   a  illustrating the proper placement of the golf ball  18  on the upper member  28  of the pad  24 , lines (not shown) illustrating how far to move the putter head  16  from the initial setup position to cause the golf ball  18  when struck to roll a certain specified or desired distance, or other types of indicia.  
         [0024]     Looking now at  FIGS. 2, 3 ,  5  and  6 , the indicator  26  includes a simple securing device  38  that is capable of securing the indicator  26  to the putter head  16  opposite the ball striking surface  20 . The indicator  26  is secured to the putter head  16  in a manner in which indicator  26  is in a desired orientation, preferably perpendicular, with respect to the upper member  28  of the pad  24  in order to provide an accurate representation on the indicating material  34  of the path of the putter head  16  over the pad  24 . Thus, the securing device  38  can take the form of a spring clamp, double-sided tape, a magnet, an adhesive putty, or other suitable securing member in order to secure the indicator  26  to the putter head  16  in the proper orientation.  
         [0025]     The indicator  26  itself can be any type of indicator capable of interacting with or energizing the indicating material  34  of the pad  24  in order to provide a visual representation of the path of the putter head  16  over the pad  24 . In a particularly preferred embodiment, the indicator  26  takes the form of a light source  40  which emits a beam of light  42  that, upon striking the indicating material  34 , causes the material  34  to react and form a visual representation of the path of the putter head  16  thereover. The light source  40  can be any suitable light source for reacting with the indicating material  34 , but is preferably an LED light  44  that is secured within a housing  46 . The housing  46  also encloses a suitable power source (not shown) such as a replaceable battery, and a switch  50  that selectively connects the power source with the light  44 , such that the light  44  can be activated and deactivated as necessary. The size of the housing  46  is kept relatively small in order that when the housing  46  is secured to the putter head  16  by the securing device  38 , the housing  46  does not interfere with the putting stroke made by the individual to maintain the accurate appearance and feel to the putting stroke.  
         [0026]     With respect to the particular type of light  44  utilized with the light source  40 , the particular form of the indicating material  34  will dictate the type or wavelength of light  44  that can be utilized. More specifically, the frequency of the light beam  42  emitted from the light  44  must be higher than the frequency of light required to energize or charge the phosphorescent or luminescent material contained within the indicating material  34 . In a preferred embodiment, the light  44  emits a beam  42  with a wavelength of less than about 500 nanometers. In a particular preferred embodiment, the light  44  is a Blue T-1¾ (5 mm) LED light obtained from The LEDLight.com of Fallon, Nev. which has a 465 nanometer wavelength with a luminous intensity of 4.4 candellas. Further, in order to provide a sharper representation of the putting stroke on the pad  24 , the housing  46  might also include an optional focusing lens  52  in front or behind the light  44  to direct the light beam  42  onto a smaller spot on the indicating material  34 , thereby providing a more clear and focused representation of the putting stroke.  
         [0027]     Having described the construction of the training aid  22 , the use of the training aid  22  will now be discussed. When using the aid  22 , first the pad  24  is positioned on a relatively flat surface, such as a floor, with the indicating material  34  placed in an upwardly facing position. If desired, the golf ball  18  is then positioned on the pad  24  in the proper location as identified by the line  37   a  on the indicating material  34 . The indicator  26  is secured to the putter head  16  of the putter  10 . In many cases, however, golf ball  18  is not used and indicator  26  is secured to the flat front face of the putter  10  since many puffer styles do not have a flat rear surface to which indicator  10  can easily be secured. With putters of this type, indicator  26  may be secured to a curved or otherwise non-planar rear surface using a putty material that adheres to the curved putter surface and also to indicator  26 . However, as shown, indicator  26  may be secured to putter  10  opposite the ball striking surface  20 , utilizing the securing device  38 . The indicator  26  is secured to the putter head  16  such that the light beam  42  emitted by the light source  40  is directly in line with the desired ball-striking area of the striking surface  20  of the putter head  16 , which is typically the center of striking surface  20 . Indicator  26  is further positioned so as to strike the indicating material  34  in a generally perpendicular fashion as the putter head  16  moves through a putting stroke over the pad  24 . When it is desired to operate the light source  40 , the switch  50  is activated to emit the light beam  42  from the light  44 . The individual can then line up the putter head  16  over and between the indicia lines  36 , which may be behind the golf ball  18  if ball  18  is used, in a proper address position and proceed to take a putting stroke whereby the putter head  16  is moved rearwardly and forwardly in a pendulum-type manner. If golf ball  18  is used, putter head  16  contacts the golf ball  18  resting on the pad  24  as the putter head  16  is swung forwardly. As the putter head  16  moves back and forth across the pad  24 , the light beam  42  from the indicator  26  strikes and energizes the indicating material  34  on the pad  24 , causing the indicating material  34  to “glow” as the light beam  42  passes over the pad  24 . After the completion of the putting stroke, the indicating material  34  provides a temporary visual representation  35  of the path of the putter head  16  on the pad  24 , thereby showing the individual the path of the actual putting stroke. This representation of the path can then be compared with the indicia  36  on the indicating material  34  illustrating the proper putting stroke path, such that the individual can determine how close the actual putting stroke was to the proper putting stroke.  FIG. 3  shows the temporary visual representation  35  in line with the indicia  36 , indicating a proper swing.  FIG. 7  shows the temporary visual representation  35  out of alignment with the indicia  36 , indicating that the actual path of the swing varied from the desired path represented by indicia  36 , thus leading to an improper strike of golf ball  18 . After the user has compared the actual path to the proper path, the visual representation  35  on the indicating material  34  fades as the material  34  becomes de-energized, thus allowing the indicating material  34  to form a subsequent visual representation  35  of an actual putting stroke path in response to the light beam  42  striking the indicating material  34  during a subsequent putting stroke. The user can thus practice the putting stroke repeatedly, to create the desired muscle memory for use when putting during an actual golf game.  
         [0028]     The training aid  22  can be utilized in this manner for a large number of putting strokes, because the pad  24 , and specifically the indicating material  34  can be successively de-energized and re-energized by the light beam  42  almost indefinitely. Furthermore, in order to maximize the visual representation  35  of the actual putting stroke on the pad  24 , the training aid  22  should be utilized in a low light condition where the indicia  36  is still easily viewable on the pad  24 , but such that the visual representation  35  created by the indicator  26  moving over the pad  24  is easily viewable in contrast to the indicia  36 .  
         [0029]     While the previous discussion clearly illustrates the best mode currently contemplated of practicing the present invention, other alternative constructions are also contemplated. More specifically, the present invention contemplates any embodiment in which an indicator  26  securable to the putter head  16  is capable of interacting with the indicating material  34  in a manner that temporarily represents the path of the putter head  16  over the indicating material  34 . Also, while the preferred interaction does not involve direct contact of the indicator  26  with the indicating material  34 , a small amount of contact between the two items which does not impede the putting stroke is acceptable as well. For example, the indicating material  34  could be heat-sensitive material that locally changes color when contacted by a heat source, and the indicator  26  could be formed as a small heat source capable of being attached to the putter heat  16  and moved over the heat-sensitive indicating material  34 . Further, the indicator  26  could be formed as a dry erase marker (not shown) or similar writing implement. When the indicator  26  in this embodiment is secured to the putter head  16 , the putting stroke causes the indicator  26  to scribe a line (not shown) representative of the putter head  16  path on the indicating material  34 . In addition, while the present invention has been shown as including an indicator that is removably attached to a putter head, it is also contemplated that the putter head may be formed with an internal light source that emits a light beam through on opening or the like. Further, while the invention is well suited for use in practicing a putting swing, it is also contemplated that the invention may be used to trace the movement of any type of golf swing, and is not limited to a putting swing. While the invention as described is well suited for tracking a putting swing due to the slow movement of the golf club, it is contemplated that the same theory as described may be used to track any type of swing. In addition, it is also understood that the present invention may be used with or without the reference indicia on the pad or other structure that supports the golf ball.  
         [0030]     Various alternatives are contemplated as being with the scope of the following claims, particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming a subject matter regarded as a the invention.