Patent Publication Number: US-7217197-B2

Title: Golf swing training device

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
   This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/425,523 filed Apr. 28, 2003 now abandoned. 

   FIELD OF INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to apparatus for training golfers to improve and maintain the tempo of their golf club swing and, more particularly, to an improved golf swing-training device for enabling golfers to maintain a preferred tempo for their golf club swings under playing as well as practice conditions. 
   BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
   It has been realized for some time that consistency in the tempo of a golfer&#39;s swing under varying game conditions is essential to improvement in a golfers overall game and in reducing a golfer&#39;s scores. In the past, audio and visual training aides have been developed to improve the consistency of the tempo of a golfer&#39;s swing by providing audible and/or visual signals that guide the golfer during the back and down swings of his or her golf club. Unfortunately, such training aides are suitable for use only under controlled practice conditions. Under game conditions, however, a golfer is to keep his or her eyes on the ball as the ball is addressed and during the back swing, upper pause and downswing of the golf club to insure that the club head properly strikes the ball. This requirement renders prior visual signal training practically useless under game conditions. 
   Prior audio-signal training aides also suffer several drawbacks. Those systems that require a loud speaker to generate a sound signal for the golfer interfere with the golfers mobility on the course and are distracting to other golfers. Those systems which utilize a head set connected by an electrical lead to an audio source often interfere with the swing pattern of the golfer wearing the training aide and therefore distract rather than assist the golfer during game conditions. In fact, any audio headset or earpiece is likely to function as a distraction to the golfer while swinging his or her club. 
   The following U.S. patents describe such prior art visual and audio training aides: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,577,868; 4,583,738; 5,040,790; 5,082,281; 5,558,519; 5,743,807; 5,871,406; 5,984,799; 6,040,517; 6,179,723; and 6,517,352. 
   Recently, a shock device has been proposed for sending a periodic electrical shock signal to the wrist of a golfer as a means of prompting the golfer during the swinging of his or her golf club. Japanese publication JP3-128073 describes such a system. Certainly, the periodic shocking of a golfer is counter-productive to the creating of a smooth consistent golf club swing. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   The present invention comprises a small, lightweight, electromechanical golfers&#39; aide for generating relatively high frequency low-level physical vibration patterns. The aide is contained in a housing that transmits the physical vibrations to the golfer. 
   In a first embodiment of the golfers&#39; aide, the housing comprises a case about the size of a telephonic pager attachable to the body of the golfer as by a belt or pocket clip or other suitable means. 
   In a second embodiment of the golfers&#39; aide, the housing comprises a cavity and/or tubular case in the grip portion of a golf club. Such as case may be removable from one club to another or may be carried in the hand or pocket of the golfer. 
   In all embodiments, upon command, the golfers&#39; aide generates the low-level physical vibration patterns. The physical vibration patterns may be factory set or of user adjustable time duration and are physically sensed by the golfer as being indicative of a preferred golf club swing tempo for the golfer comprising a preferred back swing duration, upper club pause time, and preferred club downswing and follow through duration. 
   In the first preferred embodiment of the golfers&#39; aide, the vibration pattern time durations may be programmable by the golfer to his or her preference taking into account the golfers&#39; physical stature, the size and type of golf club and the playing conditions of the course being or to be played. Alternatively, the first embodiment of the golfers&#39; aide may include a control switch for directing high frequency electrical signals which otherwise would activate the physical vibrations to a sound transducer for generating high frequency sound patterns corresponding to the physical vibration patterns indicative of the preferred swing tempo for the golfer. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       FIGS. 1A–1D  are front, right side, and top and left side views of the case housing the golfers&#39; aide in a first embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is an enlarged front view of the case of  FIG. 1  with the front cover removed to show the layout of circuit components for the golfers&#39; aide of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a functional block diagram of the golfers aide of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3A  is a modified version of the functional block diagram of  FIG. 3  substituting an audio feature for the LED feature indicated in  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 4  are timing diagrams of one of the vibration and light patterns generated by the golfers&#39; aide of  FIG. 3  indicative a golfers&#39; preferred golf swing tempo including preferred back swing, upper club pause and downswing time durations. 
       FIG. 4A  are timing diagrams of one of the vibration and sound patterns generated by the golfers&#39; aide of  FIG. 3A  indicative a golfers&#39; preferred golf swing tempo including preferred back swing, upper club pause and downswing time durations. 
       FIG. 5  is a detailed circuit diagram for the golfers aide of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 6  is a functional flow diagram indicating the various modes of operation of the golfers aide of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 7  is an enlarged perspective representation of a circuit board for the second embodiment of the present invention in which the circuit board may be inserted into and removed from a cavity in a grip portion of a golf club. 
       FIG. 8  is an enlarged perspective representation of a circuit board for the second embodiment of the present invention housed in a plastic case that may be inserted into and removed from a cavity in a grip portion of a golf club or which may be carried in the hand of pocket of a golfer. 
       FIG. 9  is a functional block diagram of the golfers&#39; aide comprising the second embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 10  is a timing diagram of one of the vibration patterns generated by the golfers&#39; aide of  FIG. 9 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
   In the drawings, the number  10  depicts the golfers&#39; aide of the present invention. In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the golfers&#39; aide  10  comprises a small, lightweight hand-holdable case  12  attachable to the body of a golfer. The case  12  houses means  14  for generating low level physical vibration and/or light patterns as well as user selectable means  16  for programming the operation of the means  14  to generate either low level physical vibration or light patterns of adjustable time durations indicative of a users&#39; golf club swing tempo. 
   As described herein, a golf club swing starts with a golfer addressing a ball with the head of a golf club and comprises a golf club back swing to an upper club pause position followed by a club downswing and follow through during which the ball is hit by the head of the golf club. 
   As will be described hereinafter, with the golfers&#39; aide  10  comprising a first embodiment of the present invention, a golfer is able to preset or program real time the operation of his or her golfers aide  10  to generate physical vibration and/or light patterns indicative of a number of different swing tempos each of which comprise a user selected back swing time duration, upper pause time and down swing and follow through time duration that the golfer considers as being preferred for the golfers physical stature, type and size of golf club and golf course conditions presented to the golfer. By virtue of the low level vibration patterns generated by the golfers aide  10  and physically sensed by the golfer, the golfer is guided to conform the tempo of his or her golf club swing to the preferred back swing, upper pause time and downswing time durations he or she has selected for the preferred tempo of the golf club swing. 
   More particularly, as depicted in  FIGS. 1A–1D , the case  12  is formed of a lightweight plastic material and is about the size of a common telephonic pager. The case is attachable to a golfer as by a belt or pocket clip  18  secured to a backside  20  of the case. 
   A front side  22  of the case  12  houses or supports a conventional LCD display  24  upon which the different user programmed time durations for the golfers&#39; back swing (BS), top of back swing pause (TOP) and downswing (DS) are selectively displayed. By way of example, the users selected time durations for the back swing BS, pause time TOP and down swing DS shown in  FIG. 1A  are 1200, 500 and 1800 units of time respectively. By way of example only, such unit representations may correspond to vibration durations of 1.2, 0.5 and 1.8 seconds respectively. These time durations are controllable by the golfer simply by pressing the “up” and “down” directed arrow buttons of the back swing (“BACK”) and down swing (“DOWN”) momentary switches  26  and  28  on the front side  22  of the case  12 . For example, if the golfer, considering his or her physical stature, golf club selection and/or golf course condition, believes that the golf club swing tempo should be modified to change the back swing time duration to 1300 units of time, he or she simply presses the “up” indicating button of the BACK momentary switch  26  to effect an increase in the displayed back swing time duration to “1300”. Similarly, if the golfer believes that the preferred swing tempo should be changed to reflect a down swing time duration of only 1700 units of time, he or she simply presses the “down” indicating button of the DOWN momentary switch  28  to effect a reduction of displayed down swing time to “1700”. In these regards, the setting of the golfers&#39; aide  10  is much like the setting of a conventional digital clock or video channel or volume selector. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1A , the display  24  also indicates whether the golfers&#39; aide  10  is in either a manual (“MANU”) or automatic (“AUTO”) mode of operation. Such modes of operation are controlled by the golfer touching the button of an “AUTO”/“MANU” momentary switch  30  on the front side  22  of the case  12 . In the manual mode of operation, the golfers&#39; aide  10  may require manual operation of a “MANU ACT” switch  32  on a top side  34  of the case above the display  24  to initiate each tempo swing control of the golfers&#39; aide  10  as previously described. In the automatic mode of operation, the golfers&#39; aide recycles its swing tempo operation as described above until the “AUTO”/“MANU” switch  32  is changed to a manual mode of operation or until the golfers&#39; aide is turned off by a pressing of a “On-Off POWER” switch  36  on the upper left side  38  of the case  12  to an “Off” condition. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1A , the front side  22  of the case  12  also supports a semicircular array of seventeen light emitting diodes (LEDs)  40  which may be energized to provide a visual display of the swing tempo selected by the golfer using the switches  26  and  28  as described above. The energizing of the LEDs is under control of a “LED”/“VIB” momentary switch  42  on the front side  22  of the case  12 . By pressing the switch  42  the golfer may select between a visual mode (“LED”) and a vibratory mode (“VIB”) of operation for the golfers&#39; aide  10 . 
   In the LED mode of operation, the LEDs will be energized in a sequence corresponding to the swing tempo programmed by the golfer as previously described. For example, for the swing tempo displayed by the LCD display  24  in  FIG. 1A , when the power switch  36  is activated with the switch  42  in the LED position, the LEDs will light in the timing sequence indicated in  FIG. 4 . That is, after a short time interval indicated by the time T 1 , the lowermost LED  40   a  will light and stay lit for the time T 2  signaling to the golfer that he or she should be addressing the ball with the head of a golf club. After a time indicated by T 3 , the programmed back swing duration will commence with the LEDs  40   b–i  lighting in timed succession indicative of the duration of the back swing T 4 . The LED  40   i  will remain lit for the time T 5  indicative of the upper pause time for the golf club. Following T 5 , the LEDs will then light in a reverse sequence from LED  40   i  to LED  40   a  and continuing from LED  40   j  to LED  40   q  during the time T 6  indicative of the down swing and golf club follow through time duration. If the golfers&#39; aide is in its manual mode of operation as previously described, once the LEDs have completed the above-described cycle of operation, the LEDs will turn off awaiting a restart by activation of the manual actuation switch  32 . If the golfers&#39; aide  10  is in its automatic mode of operation as previously described, the foregoing LED operation will continue to repeat until the manual/automatic switch  30  is changed to the manual mode or the power on/off switch  36  is deactivated. 
   As described above, the LED mode of operation of the golfers&#39; aide  10  may be particularly useful as a visual support to the golfer in selecting the settings for or programming operation of the golfers&#39; aide. In that regard, the LEDs operate to provide a timed sequence of light operation visually indicative of the swing tempo which the golfer is setting as he or she is programming the golfers&#39; aide  10 . 
   When the LED/VIB switch  42  is in its VIB mode, the golfers&#39; aide  10  is placed in a vibratory mode of operation wherein the means  14  contained within the case  12  produces low level physical vibration patterns of user selectable time durations such as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The physical vibrations produced by the means  14  are of a low level, for example, somewhat greater than the level of physical vibrations generated by the motor in a conventional electric razor. The golfer physically senses such vibrations as timing patterns for the swing tempo of his or her golf club including back swing, upper pause and downswing of a golf club. 
   More particularly, for the timing sequence of physical vibrations illustrated in  FIG. 4 , after a short time interval indicated by the time T 1 , a first series of physical vibrations of time duration T 2  is generated by the means  14  signaling to the golfer that he or she should be addressing the ball with the head of a golf club. After a time indicated by T 3 , a time duration programmed series of physical vibrations is generated by the means  14  indicative of a back swing duration T 4 . At the end of the back swing indicative vibrations, physical vibrations will cease for the time period T 5  indicative of the upper pause time for the golf club. Following T 5 , the means  14  will resume generation of physical vibrations for the time T 6  indicative of the down swing and golf club follow through time duration. If the golfers&#39; aide is in its manual mode of operation as previously described, the means  14  will then remain in a dormant state awaiting a restart by activation of the manual actuation switch  32 . If the golfers&#39; aide  10  is in its automatic mode of operation as previously described, the foregoing vibration operation will continue to repeat until the manual/automatic switch  30  is changed to its manual mode or the power on/off switch  36  is deactivated. 
   More specifically as to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention and the block diagram thereof depicted in  FIG. 3  and detailed circuit diagram of  FIG. 5 , the golfers aide  10  is powered by two 1.5 volt AAA batteries  44  which by operation of the power switch  36  and a conventional DC/DC converter  46  develop a 3 volt Vcc supply power for the golfers&#39; aide  10 ; the converter  46  being depicted in  FIG. 5  by the switching regulator U 1 , part number MSC7150-03 manufactured by OKI. As depicted in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , the supply power Vcc powers the means  14  including the previously described LCD display  24  and LEDs  40  and a vibration driver  48  and vibration motor  50  as well as MICOM, EEPROM memory and LED driver integrated circuits  52 ,  54  and  56  respectively. In  FIG. 5 , the LCD display  24  is labeled LCD 1 , and may be part number SEQ0363/03(A0) manufactured by Gemini; the LEDs  40  may be conventional LEDs such as those manufactured by UTC; the vibration driver  48  and motor  50  is labeled MO 1  and may be part number 3R2.8 manufactured by Shin Kwang; the EEPROM memory integrated circuit  54  is labeled U 2 , and may be part number 24C02 manufactured by Atmel; the MICOM integrated circuit  52  is labeled U 3 , and may be part number KS88C2434 manufactured by Samsung; LED driver integrated circuits  56  are labeled U 4  and U 5 , and may be part number 74LS138 manufactured by Fairchild; a crystal oscillator (“XTL”)  58  shown in  FIG. 3  is labeled in  FIG. 5  as X 1  and may be a conventional 4 Mhz oscillator manufactured by Sunny. The physical layout of some of these components within the case  12  is depicted in  FIG. 2  and the details for implementing the preferred embodiment of the present invention are understood by reference to the detailed circuit diagram of  FIG. 5 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 3 , basically the EEPROM memory  54  stores tables of instructions for the MICOM  52  indicative of various options that the user of the golfers&#39; aide may select in presetting the aide to display a golf club swing tempo preferred by the golfer. The presetting of the golfers&#39; aide  10  is accomplished by the golfer pressing the “up” and “down” buttons of the switches  26  and  28  to control the time duration of the physical vibrations generated by the motor  50  under control of the driver  48  and indicative of the time duration for the back swing and downswing of golfers&#39; club. Such settings are displayed by the LCD display  24  and may also be depicted by the operation of the LEDs  40  under control of the LED driver  56  in the manners previously described. 
   More particularly, the various functional modes of operation of the golfers&#39; aide of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention are depicted in  FIG. 6  by the steps labeled S 1  through S 26 . In step S 1  the power switch  36  is activated. In step  2  the golfer selects the time values for the back swing and down swing time durations by pressing the “up” and “down” buttons of the switches  26  and  28  respectively. While the settings are being made, the display  24  displays the back swing, upper pause and down swing time durations selected by the golfer in step S 3 . 
   In step S 4  the golfer selects vibration or LED operation for the golfers&#39; aide by controlling switch  42 . If the vibration mode of operation is selected as depicted in step S 5 , the next step S 6  is to select either automatic or manual operation for the golfers&#39; aide by controlling switch  30 . 
   If manual operation is selected as depicted in step S 7 , operation of switch  32  is required as depicted in step S 8 . As depicted in the preferred method of operation for the golfers&#39; aide  10  illustrated in  FIG. 6 , such operation of the switch  32  will introduce a 3 second time delay in step S 9  followed by operation of the motor  50  in the manner programmed by the golfer in step S 2  to generate low level physical vibration patterns indicative of the preferred swing tempo for the golfer&#39;s club. According to the preferred method depicted in  FIG. 6 , such vibration patterns are repeated three time in step S 10  before the golfer is required to activate switch  32  in step S 11  to reactivate the manual mode of operation of the golfers&#39; aide  10 . Otherwise the manual mode of operation will end. 
   If automatic mode of operation is selected for the golfers&#39; aide as depicted in step S 12 , a one second time delay is introduced into operation of the aide  10  in step S 13  followed by the continuous vibration patterns in step S 14  such as depicted in  FIG. 4  and having time durations selected by the golfer by operation of the “up” and “down” buttons of switches  26  and  28  in step S 2 . At any point in time, the golfer may end continuous vibratory operation of the golfers&#39; aide  10  by setting switch  30  to the manual mode of operation in step S 15 . 
   If the LED mode of operation for the golfers&#39; aide  10  is selected in step  4 , the aide enters its LED mode as depicted in step S 16 . Next the golfer can select either manual or automatic modes of operation for the aide as depicted in step S 17 . If the manual mode is selected by operation of switch  30 , the steps of operation depicted by steps S 18 –S 22  conform to those previously described for steps S 7 –S 11 . If the automatic mode is selected by operation of the switch  30 , the steps of operation depicted by steps S 23 –S 26  conform to those previously described for steps S 12 –S 15 . As previously suggested, such LED modes of operation may be useful in assisting the golfer in his or her presetting or resetting of the swing tempo indicated by the golfers&#39; aide  10 . 
   In a modified version of the first embodiment of the present invention as described above, an audible sound feature may be added to the golfers&#39; aide. For the sake of simplicity, in  FIG. 3A  that sound feature has been added by replacing the LED/VIB switch  42  of  FIG. 3  with an Audio/VIB select switch  60  and by replacing LED driver circuit  56  and LEDs  40  with conventional audio signal generator  62  and sound generating speaker  64 . 
   In the modified version, when the select switch  60  is in the vibration mode, the operation of the golfers&#39; aide  10  is as previously described with reference to  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5 . When the select switch  60  is in the audio mode, the MICOM  52  of  FIG. 3A  energizes the audio signal generator  62  to generate a low level high frequency electrical signal having a time duration pattern similar to the audio pattern depicted in  FIG. 4A . The electrical signal generated by signal generator  62  is converted by the speaker  64  into a sound pattern as depicted in  FIG. 4A  comprising a low level “humming” sound corresponding to the preferred swing tempo selected by the golfer by controlling the switches  26  and  28  in the manners previously described. 
   The second embodiment of the present invention is depicted in  FIGS. 7–10 .  FIGS. 7 ,  9  and  10  illustrate a simplified version of the first embodiment of the present invention as previously described. The previous description of the components and operation thereof common with the first embodiment should be consulted for a detailed understanding of the second embodiment of the present invention. 
   As shown in  FIG. 7 , the circuit board  76  upon which the electrical components of the second embodiment are mounted is insertable into and removable from an axially extending cavity  80  in an end of a grip portion  74  of a shaft  72  of a golf club  70 . Once removed from the golf club  70 , the circuit board may be inserted into an end cavity  80  of another golf club or placed in a clothing pocket of the golfer to provide means for transferring the physical vibrations generated by the aide  10  to the golfer to assist in maintaining the preferred tempo for the golfers&#39; swing. 
   With regard to such placement of the board  76 , the cavity  80  includes an axially extending slot  78  for receiving and supporting opposite outer marginal edges of the circuit board  76 . Once the circuit board  76  is within the cavity  80  an open end of the cavity may be closed, as by a threaded plug (not shown), to seal the golfers&#39; aide  10  within the cavity with the power on-off activation switch  36  thereof in line with a push button  82  carried by the grip portion  74  and extending through the shaft  72 . Thus configured, a pressing on the push button  82  will toggle the switch  36  between its “on” and “off” positions to activate the golfers&#39; aide  10  in the manners previously described with regard to  FIGS. 3 ,  5  and  6 . In  FIG. 7 , the physical vibrations and time duration patterns thereof are transmitted from the circuit board  76  through the grip portion  74  of the club  70  to the golfers&#39; hands to indicate to the golfer the preferred tempo for his or her golf club swing. 
   As depicted in  FIG. 9 , the golfers&#39; aide of the second embodiment of the present invention is much simpler than the first embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 5  and includes fewer functional features. For example, the golfers&#39; aide of  FIG. 9  only includes the programming switches  26  and  28  for setting the preferred time durations of the back and down swings as previously described and as illustrated in  FIG. 10 . Also, the options for the programmed time durations selectable by the switches  26  and  28  may be limited, for example to 400, 600, 700, 800 and 1000 units of time. 
   In addition to the switches  26  and  28 , however, the second embodiment of the present invention includes a top pause programming switch  61  to allow the golfer to adjust the time duration of the back swing pause which may be accomplished in the same manner as the previously described golfer setting of the back and/or down swing time durations and as illustrated in  FIG. 10 . 
   Such settings of the time durations of the back and down swings and the pause occur prior to mounting the circuit board  76  within the cavity  80 . Once the circuit board is mounted within the cavity, the only control of the aide  10  available to the golfer is the activation of the power switch  36  by a pressing of the push button  82 . Further adjustment of the aide requires removal of the circuit board  76  from the cavity  80 . 
   To assist in such removal and reinsertion of the circuit board  76  in the cavity  80  as well as to provide a protective covering for the circuit board, it is preferred that the circuit board be housed within a tubular housing or case, such as shown in  FIG. 8 . As illustrated, the circuit board is enclosed within a tubular plastic case  90 . The case  90  may be easily slipped into the cavity  80  and may be conveniently removed and placed in a pocket or hand of a golfer where the physical vibrations generated by the golfers&#39; aide indicative of a preferred swing tempo for the golfer may be easily sensed by the golfer. 
   While in the foregoing, preferred embodiments of the present invention and preferred modes of operation thereof have been described and illustrated in detail, changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the foregoing descriptions, the term “golf club” should be understood to include a “putter”. Also, with respect to the simplified second embodiment of the present invention, the golfers aide may be placed within the grip portion of the golf club or putter or carried in the hand or pocket of a golfer or may be attached to the outside of a golf club or putter as by the use of an attaching means such as a “Velcro” fastener or other suitable means. The important feature in these regards is that the aide be placed such that the physical vibrations generated thereby are felt by the golfer and function as a guide in maintaining a preferred swing tempo for the golfer. Further, the activation switch for the aide may be supported on other parts or end of the grip portion and may connect various types of batteries e.g. a watch battery, to power the other circuit components of the aide. Accordingly the present invention is to be limited in scope only by the following claims.