Abstract:
A golf putting training aid comprising a raised putting line stretched between respective front an rear reference fixtures; said putting line provided with an adjustable reference marker.

Description:
[0001]     The present invention relates to devices and methods for the improvement of golf strokes and, more particularly to the improvement in consistency of a player&#39;s putting stroke.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Many factors influence the successful execution of a golf putting stroke. Amongst these is the recognized desirability for a player to maintain a position wherein his line of sight is vertically above the ball. A further desirable factor is the need for consistency of the height of a player&#39;s head above the ball and that his or her head remains still during the making of the stroke. In addition, it is important that a player makes a consistent stroke for a given desired initial velocity of the ball.  
         [0003]     Another desirable aspect of a putting stroke executed on a sloping green is to be able to recognize the “break point” or “break area”, that is the approximate position from the point of impact at which the ball departs from an initial generally straight line due to its initial velocity, to curve away when the slope of the green becomes the predominant influence.  
         [0004]     Golf putting aids for training a player to become proficient in meeting some but not all of these conditions are known. Thus for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,732 discloses a putting teaching aid utilizing a raised string line defining a putting line with a reflective surface near ground level at a distal end.  
         [0005]     By placing a ball directly beneath the line and by a player sighting along the line so that the line and its image in the reflective surface appear coincident, at least the first but only the first desirable aspect of a putting stroke is realized. There are no means provided for maintaining the line of sight vertically above the ball both in the plane passing through the putting line and a plane through the ball at right angles to the line.  
         [0006]     Nor is there a provision for assessing the consistency of stroke length for a given impact velocity or of assessing a consistency of break point.  
         [0007]     It is an object of the present invention to address or at least ameliorate some of the above disadvantages.  
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION  
       [0008]     Accordingly there is provided in a first broad form of the invention a golf putting training aid comprising a raised putting line stretched between respective front an rear reference fixtures; said putting line provided with an adjustable reference marker.  
         [0009]     Preferably, said reference marker and a ball placed directly below said marker define a sighting line substantially normal to a putting surface; said line being a first determinant of the position of a user&#39;s head relative to said ball.  
         [0010]     Preferably, said respective front and rear reference fixtures each include a respective front and rear target object disposed directly under said raised putting line.  
         [0011]     Preferably, putting line is further provided with respective front and rear adjustable reference markers; each said reference marker adapted for positioning relative to each respective said target object so as to define a sloping front sighting line and a sloping rear sighting line such that said front sighting line and said rear sighting line intersect on said sighting line substantially normal to said putting surface to define a second determinant of the position of the head of a user.  
         [0012]     Preferably, said first and second determinant enable a user to maintain his or her head at a position directly above said ball and at a consistent height above said ball for repeated training strokes for a given ball position relative to said front and rear reference markers.  
         [0013]     Preferably, said training aid further comprising first and second side lines disposed on either side of and parallel to said putting line; said side lines stretched between said front and rear reference fixtures at a height above the putting surface so as to allow a golf ball to pass under said side lines.  
         [0014]     Preferably, each of said first and second side lines is provided with at least a pair of adjustable reference markers; said reference markers adapted to indicate a notional enclosing box having one end rearward of a golf ball and an opposite end forward of said golf ball so as to define the backswing and follow-through of a putting stroke.  
         [0015]     Preferably, each said first and second side lines is provided with at least one additional adjustable reference marker to said pair of adjustable reference markers adapted to indicate a notional transverse line for the aligning of a striking face of a putter at right angles to said putting line when said putter is in an address position relative to a ball.  
         [0016]     Preferably, a pair of adjustable reference markers is further adapted to be positioned on their respective side line forward of said golf ball in said address position so as to define a notional exit gate for a golf ball in a breaking putt when said training aid is used on a sloping surface.  
         [0017]     Preferably, said putting line and said first and second side lines are elastic lines stretched between respective support posts on each said respective front and rear reference fixture.  
         [0018]     Preferably, said reference markers are beads adjustably attached to said putting line and said first and second side lines.  
         [0019]     Preferably, said front and rear target objects are white discs.  
         [0020]     Preferably, said front and rear target objects are white hemispheres.  
         [0021]     Preferably, said training aid is further provided with at least one putting surface; said putting surface comprising a strip of flexible material adapted to stretch between and under said front and rear reference fixtures.  
         [0022]     Preferably, said putting surface is provided in a variety of textured surfaces; said variety of textured surfaces simulating different running characteristics of putting green surfaces.  
         [0023]     In a further broad form of the invention there is provided a golf putting training aid comprising a series of parallel lines; said series including a central putting line arranged above and substantially parallel to a putting surface and at least one side line spaced apart from and at an intermediate height between said putting line and said putting surface.  
         [0024]     In yet a further broad form of the invention there is provided a method for practicing a consistent putting stroke for a straight line putt on a level surface; said method including the steps of: 
        (a) providing a raised putting line above said putting surface,     (b) arranging forward and rear target objects directly under respective forward and rearward ends of said putting line,     (c) providing adjustable ball, forward and rearward reference markers on said putting line,     (d) placing a golf ball directly under said putting line,     (e) adjusting said ball reference marker so as to define a line substantially normal to said putting surface and centred on said golf ball,     (f) adjusting said forward and rearward markers to define sloping sight lines between respective said markers and said forward and rearward reference markers so that said sight lines intersect at a point on said line substantially normal to said putting surface.        
 
         [0031]     Preferably, said method includes the further steps of: 
        (a) providing first and second side lines arranged on either side and below said putting line,     (b) providing adjustable reference markers on respective said first and second side lines,     (c) adjusting said reference markers on said side lines so as to form a notional box having a forward end forward of said golf ball and a rearward end rearward of said golf ball, such that the distance between said golf ball and said forward end determines the follow-through portion of a putting stroke and the distance between said golf ball and said rearward end determines the back swing or takeaway of said putting stroke.        
 
         [0035]     In still a further broad form of the invention there is provided a method for practicing a consistent putting stroke for a breaking putt on a transverse sloping putting surface; said method including the steps of: 
        (a) providing a raised putting line above said putting surface,     (b) arranging forward and rear target objects directly under respective forward and rearward ends of said putting line such that said putting line and said target objects define a plane generally normal to said putting surface,     (c) providing adjustable ball, forward and rearward reference markers on said putting line,     (d) placing a golf ball under said putting line so as to be bisected by said plane,     (e) adjusting said ball reference marker so as to define a line substantially normal to said surface and centred on said golf ball,     (f) adjusting said forward and rearward markers to define sloping sight lines between respective said markers and said forward and rearward reference markers so that said sight lines intersect at a point on said line substantially normal to said surface.        
 
         [0042]     Preferably, said method includes the further steps of: 
        (a) providing first and second side lines arranged on either side and below said putting line,     (b) providing adjustable reference markers on respective said first and second side lines,     (c) adjusting a pair of said reference markers on a first side line further up the slope of said sloping surface from said putting line such that the distance between said golf ball and a forward one of said reference markers determines the follow-through portion of a putting stroke and the distance between said golf ball and a rearward one of said reference markers determines the back swing or takeaway of said putting stroke,     (d) adjusting a pair of said reference markers on a second opposing side line to define an exit target gate for passage of said golf ball after breaking from an initial direction defined by said plane substantially normal to said surface,     (e) adjusting a reference marker on said putting line to indicate a break position where said golf ball departs from a first direction along said plane generally normal to said putting surface.        
 
         [0048]     In yet a further broad form of the invention there is provided a method for determining a consistent position of a player&#39;s head relative to a ball for making a putting stroke with a golf putter; said method including the steps of: 
        (a) arranging a putting line parallel to a putting surface passing directly over a golf ball so as to define a plane substantially normal to said surface and bisecting said golf ball,     (b) defining a line substantially normal to said surface and centred on said golf ball by positioning a first reference marker on said putting line above said golf ball; said line substantially normal to said surface and forming a first determinant of said position,     (c) defining at least one sloping sighting line within said plane between a target object under said putting line and a second reference marker on said putting line; said sloping line intersecting with said line substantially normal to said surface at a point; said point being a second determinant of said position.        
 
         [0052]     Preferably, said method includes the further steps of: 
        (a) providing first and second side lines arranged on either side and below said putting line,     (b) providing adjustable reference markers on respective said first and second side lines,     (c) adjusting said reference markers on said side lines so as to form a notional box having a forward end forward of said golf ball and a rearward end rearward of said golf ball, such that the distance between said golf ball and said forward end determines the follow-through portion of a putting stroke and the distance between said golf ball and said rearward end determines the back swing or takeaway of said putting stroke,     (d) adjusting a further first and second marker on each said respective side line so as to define a notional line relative to said ball and at right angles to said putting line and said side lines as a guide to a striking face of a putter.       
 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0057]     Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:  
         [0058]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a golfing aid according to the invention.  
         [0059]      FIG. 2  is side elevation view of the golfing aid of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0060]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of the golfing aid of  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  
         [0061]     FIGS.  4  to  6  are plan view of the golfing aid of FIGS.  1  to  3  showing the use of reference markers as aids in the alignment of the striking surface of a golf putter.  
         [0062]     FIGS.  7  to  9  are further plan views of the golfing aid showing various arrangements of reference marks on the central putting line for stroke analysis. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0063]     Putting strokes in golf may be broadly categorized as either straight line putts or breaking putts. Straight line putts are those where the putting surface is substantially level or the line between ball and hole is along the maximum slope of the surface, whereas breaking putts are those where the intervening surface between the ball and the hole is sloping transversely across the line between the ball and the hole.  
         [0064]     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a golf putting and training aid  10  according to a preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a spaced apart front reference fixture  12  and a rear reference fixture  14 . Each reference fixture  12 / 14  is provided with a vertical post  16  and  18  respectively between which is stretched a putting line  20 .  
         [0065]     For indoor use, training aid  10  may be provided with putting surface  11  which may have be textured to simulate the grass surface of a golf course putting green. In some preferred embodiments of the invention, the training aid may be supplied with a selection of putting surfaces  11  so as to reflect a range of “speeds” of a putting green.  
         [0066]     For outdoor use training aid  10  may be placed directly onto the surface of a putting green and, if desired, may be pegged to the green by means of golf tees driven through holes (not shown) provided in fixtures  12  and  14  for that purpose. For practicing straight line putts where the surface of the green between the ball and the hole is substantially level, the golfing aid  10  may be set up so that the putting line  20  is directly over the target hole.  
         [0067]     Also provided on each reference fixture are target objects  22  and  24  respectively, each of which is positioned directly below putting line  20 . The target objects  22 / 24  may be in the form of white discs or white hemispheres for example. The putting line  20  and the centres of the target objects  22  and  24  then define a vertical plane  26 .  
         [0068]     Front reference fixture  12  and rear reference fixture  14  are both provided with pairs of side line posts  42 , each pair disposed on either side of, and below putting line  20  so as to allow the stretching between them of first side line  43  and second side line  44  parallel to putting line  20 . Posts  42  are arranged so that side lines  43  and  44  are at a height above putting surface  11 , or the surface of a putting green, sufficient to allow a golf ball  34  to pass beneath them. The two side lines and the central putting line provide parallel reference lines which aid a user of the device to correctly adjust his position with shoulders and stance parallel to these lines when addressing the ball.  
         [0069]     Putting line  20  is provided with three reference markers; a front reference marker  28 , a rear reference marker  30  and a ball reference marker  32 , all of which may be slidably adjusted to any desired position on putting line  20 . To use the training aid  10  a golf ball  34  is placed on the putting surface  11 , or the ground if used outdoors, at a desired distance from the front reference fixture  12  so that the ball  34  lies directly under putting line  20  and is thus bisected by the vertical plane  26 . Ball reference marker  32  is then slid into position directly over golf ball  34  so that marker  32  and golf ball  34  define a vertical line  36  as a first determinant of a user&#39;s head position relative to the ball  34 . By sighting down on ball reference marker  32  so that it appears to lie in the centre of golf ball  34  below it, a user of training aid  10  ensures that his or her head is centred vertically over the ball.  
         [0070]     The user (not shown) of training aid  10  now takes up a comfortable position with a putter  41  as if to address the ball  34  so that his or her head is at a preferred height at position “A” directly on vertical line  36 , and sights (with no movement of the head) towards the forward target object  22 , making a mental note of the apparent position of the centre of target object  22  on putting string  20 . The front reference marker  28  is then adjusted to that position. A similar procedure is used to position the rear reference marker  30  so that appears to be centred on rear target object  24  as viewed from “A”.  
         [0071]     As can best be seen in  FIG. 2 , front target object  22  and front reference marker  28  define a sloping front sighting line  38 , and similarly, rear target object  24  and rear reference marker  30  define a sloping rear sighting line  40  which intersect at point “A” on vertical line  36 . Thus sight lines  38  and  40  act as a second determinant of a user&#39;s head position relative to the ball  34 .  
         [0072]     It is now a simple matter for a user of the training aid  10  to re-establish his or her head position, as well as the ball position for repeated practice strokes for the ball placed at a given position relative to the front and rear reference fixtures  12  and  14 . By re-adjusting the positions of the front and rear reference markers, a user can play repeated strokes with the head held at selected and different heights so as to accurately judge the effect of such changes to his or her stance.  
         [0073]     Each of side lines  43  and  44  are provided with a pair of reference markers  45  and  46 , and  47  and  48  respectively which may be slideably adjusted to any desired position along the length of the side lines  43  and  44 . In a first use of reference markers  45 - 48 , the markers may be adjusted to define a box  50  as shown in  FIG. 3  arranged so that markers  45  and  48  and  46  and  47  adjustably define the limits of the two components of a putting stroke. Thus firstly, markers  46  and  47  define a back swing (or “takeaway”) distance “Y” and markers  45  and  48  define a follow-through swing distance “X”. Thus the markers allow a user of the training aid to further add to the consistency of practice strokes and to test the effect of different lengths “X” and “Y”. As well, by defining distance “Y”, a user may practice different speeds of the putter head at the point of impact with the ball by counting as one, two, three, between the start of the takeaway, the point of maximum backswing and the impact. Thus experience may be built up by the tempo of components of the stroke in combination with the distance set by the markers.  
         [0074]     In at least one preferred form of the invention, each of side lines  43  and  44  is provided with three markers. As shown in FIGS.  4  to  6 , the middle ones of the three,  70  and  72  may be used to assist in aligning the face of the putter  41  squarely to the ball  34 . This may be done by aligning the markers  70  and  72  with the ball marker  32 , with the centerline of putter head or with the striking face of the putter.  
         [0075]     Additional uses may be made of the markers  28 ,  30  and  32  on the putting line  20  and the box defined by markers  45  to  48  as shown in FIGS.  7  to  9 , to allow practice and analysis of different strokes. Thus for example the position of the intermediate marker  32  and rear-most marker  30  in  FIG. 7  will aid in indicating if the head of the putter is closer to or further away from the body during the backswing or takeaway, as is the case for an “inside stroke” or “outside stroke” respectively. Similarly, the markers as arranged in  FIG. 8  can assist in indicating if the follow through is an “inside” or an “outside” stroke, while the arrangement in  FIG. 9  will emphasise the putter position at takeaway, impact and follow through of a “square to square” putting stroke.  
         [0076]     Thus the markers on both the putting line  20  and the two side lines  43  and  44  allow a wide variety of configurations to indicate critical aspects of the putting stroke including the open, closed or square disposition of the putter face. It will be obvious that although the described embodiment discloses particular examples of markers on the putting and side lines, additional markers may be used to further aid, indicate or highlight aspects of the putting action.  
         [0077]     A second use of a pair of reference markers on one of the side lines  43  or  44  “downhill” from the putting line  20  allows a user of the training aid to practice “breaking putts”. Breaking putts are those executed on a sloping surface where the initial direction of the ball when struck with a putter is not directly along the line between the ball and the hole. As shown for example in  FIG. 3  where the slope of the putting surface is indicated by an arrow  51 , the initial velocity of the struck ball  34  causes it to follow a path defined by the putting line  20  until it reaches a break point  54  at which the force of gravity on the ball due to the slope of the surface overcomes the inertia of its velocity at that point and the ball curves away along path  55 . The front marker  28  may be re-positioned so as to indicate the break point  54  so that a user may practice achieving a consistent break.  
         [0078]     For the practice of breaking putts, the golfing aid  10  may be placed offset from a hole in the putting green surface and the user set up a “gate”  52  with markers  45  and  46  (or markers  45  and  70  if three side line markers are provided) to define a target position for a breaking ball to pass under the side line  43 . By experimenting with the box  50  (now defined by the remaining reference markers  47 ,  48  on side line  44  further up the slope from putting line  20 ) and the speed of the putter stroke, a user may practice obtaining consistent break points and exits of the ball through the gate  52 . As a further aid, the forward reference marker  28  may be adjusted to indicate the break point  54 .  
         [0079]     The above describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled. in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.