Patent Publication Number: US-6669574-B1

Title: Golf training device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to sports training equipment. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for training a golfer to putt correctly. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Training devices for assisting the golfer to develop a proper, consistent putting stroke are known, including the use of a flat base and a channel within which the golfer places a golf ball and places the putter head in a hitting position. The golfer then executes a stroke and the ball hit by the putter head. One of the desired characteristics of putting is to perform a straight back swing and forward stroke. If the golf swing is not straight, the club will touch the wall sometime during the swing. The golfer, however, may not be aware of the first touching of the wall. It would be desirable to provide a channel training device where a signal such as a buzzer is activated when the golfer touches the wall with his putter during the putting stroke. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,106, issued Dec. 12, 2000, to Adams, describes a putting training device having a flat base with an adjustable width channel running its length. The user adjusts the width of the channel to a size slightly larger than the putter head so that it passes freely through the channel. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,044, issued Jun. 18, 1996, to Terry, III, describes a golf training device for putting having a support base with removable elongated guide rails to provide a guide path for the golfer to move the putter head and a laser light source generating a planar shaped beam of light that is useful in the alignment of the golfer&#39;s body and club face before and during the striking of the golf ball. 
     German Patent Number DE 197 38 313, published Mar. 4, 1993, by Dambacher, describes a golf putting training device having two is guide strips in the swing pane and employs light barrier which determines the putter head position speed during the putting strike. 
     British Patent Number GB 2 355,668A, published May 2, 2001, by Manage describes a golf putting practice aid which includes ball targets and a sensor such as a bell or alarm to indicate a successful putting strike when the ball hits a target. 
     None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, a golf training device solving the aforementioned problems is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a device for use in training a golfer to putt correctly using the concept of muscle memory. The device has an adjustable width elongated guide path defined by the inner walls of parallel guide members mounted on an elongated pad. The pad has a fixed guide member and a laterally movable, adjustable guide member located on the elongated pad which allows the golfer to form a lengthwise guide path between the guide members of the proper width to allow a putter head of a given width to be swung along the guide path while provide a desired clearance between the putter and each guide member inner wall. The device, thus adjusted, guides the golfer in swinging the putter along a straight line and hitting the ball along a desired path. One embodiment employs a pad having parallel crosswise grooves corresponding to rails on the underside of the movable guide member for adjusting the width of guide path appropriate for the length of the putter head swung. An alternative embodiment employs a thin pad having countersunk magnetically attracted strips such as iron or steel and the movable guide member has on its underside countersunk magnets corresponding to the strips so as to accurately adjust the width of guide path appropriate for the length of the putter head swung. 
     Metal contact strips running the length of the interior of the guide member inner walls sound a buzzer when the head of the putter deviates from the desired path and makes contact with the guide member wall. The sound of the buzzer informs the golfer immediately that his swing has deviated from the desired straight back-swing and putting stroke. Lengthwise lines are provided along the guide path on the pad to assist the golfer in placing the ball and determining if the stroked ball travels in a desired straight line. Crosswise lines on the tops of the guide members assist the golfer in determining the length of the back-swing, putting stroke, and follow-through. 
     Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a device which is useful for a golfer to develop a straight putting stroke. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a device as above which incorporates an adjustable guide for the putting stroke. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a device as above wherein the guide has a guide path which is adjustable in width to accommodate putter heads of differing size. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a device as above wherein a buzzer sounds when the putter head deviates from the desired straight stroke. 
     Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device as above having pairs of electrical contacts in the form of metal strips along each side of the guide path which result in a buzzer sounding when a swing of a putter deviates from a desired straight swing. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes. 
    
    
     These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a golf training device according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the golf training device of FIG. 1 with the adjustable guide member removed. 
     FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the adjustable guide member of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of a buzzer system as attached between a pair of metal strips as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 is an environmental, perspective view of the golf training device as in FIG. 1 illustrating the positions of the putter and ball upon a miss-hit with the putter engaging the pair of metal strips and thus completing the buzzer circuit resulting in a buzzing sound. 
     FIG. 6 is an environmental, perspective view similar to that of FIG. 1, showing an alternative embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention is a device for use in training a golfer to putt correctly using the concept of muscle memory. The device is a guide having an adjustable width elongated guide path formed by guide members mounted on an elongated pad. Vertically spaced electrical contacts, mounted on and running the length of the inner guide walls, sound a buzzer when the head of the putter deviates from the desired path and makes contact with the guide member wall, bridging the spaced contacts and, thus, completing the buzzer circuit. 
     Referring to the FIGS. 1-3, there are shown an end perspective view, a side perspective view of the pad and fixed guide member, and a side perspective view of the adjustable guide member of the golf training device  10  of the present invention. Training device  10  has an elongated pad  12  having a fixed guide member  14  fixedly attached on its upper surface along one side thereof. Fixed guide member  14  is in the form of an elongated box having end walls  16 , outer side wall  17 , inner side wall  18 , and a top wall  20  having a removable lid  22 , and is made of electrically nonconductive materials. 
     Upper contact flat  24  and lower contact flat  26  are a pair of vertically spaced, parallel metal electrodes extending along the inner side wall  18  the substantial length of fixed guide member  14  and are mounted thereto by any desired means such as screw fasteners  27 . The pad  12  has a pair of pad adjustment slots in its upper surface extending parallel and crosswise to pad  12  to receive adjustable guide member  30 . The inner ends of slots  28  are spaced from the inner side wall  18  a distance so as to form a guide path on pad  12  for accommodating the ball B and putter head P when adjustable guide member  30  is fitted in slots  28 . 
     Adjustable guide  30  is similar in configuration and size to fixed guide  14 , having end walls  32 , inner side wall  34 , outer side wall  35 , and a top wall  36  having a removable lid  38 , and is made of electrically nonconductive materials. Upper contact flat  40  and lower contact flat  42  are a pair of vertically spaced, parallel metal electrodes extending along the inner side wall  34  the substantial length of adjustable guide member  30  and are mounted thereto by any desired means such as screw fasteners  44 . 
     Adjustable guide member  30  rests on two adjustment rails  46  which rest in pad adjustment slots  28  to allow limited adjustment inward and outward of adjustable guide member  30 , thus accommodating different putter sizes to be used in the guide. Spaced longitudinal lines  48  are located in the guide path area for assistance in placement of the ball B and in following its direction relative to the guide path when it is stroked by the golfer by putter head P having shaft S. Crosswise guide lines  50  are spaced along the top walls  18  and  36  and their included lids  22  and  38  to assist the golfer in gauging the length of his stroke. 
     Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, there are respectively shown a diagrammatic illustration of a pair of contact metal flats such as upper flat  40  and lower flat  42  as part of the buzzer alert feature, and an environmental perspective view similar to that of FIG. 1 with the putter head electrically connecting the contact metal flats  40  and  42 . Lower flat  42  is electrically connected to battery  54  at its positive pole, buzzer  52  is electrically connected to battery  54  at its positive pole, and buzzer  52  is electrically connected to upper flat  40 . As illustrated in FIG. 5, there is shown the ball B hit offline and the putter head P electrically connecting upper flat  40  and lower flat  42  at contact point C, thus completing the buzzer circuit (see FIG. 4) and causing the buzzer alert to sound. 
     Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown an alternative embodiment similar to that of FIG. 1 which enables the use of a thin elongated pad  112  having fixed guide member  14  as in FIG.  1 . In this embodiment, thin strips  128  of Ferromagnetic material such as iron or steel are countersunk flush with the upper surface of pad  112 , in place of grooves  28 , allowing the pad  112  to be substantially thinner than the grooved pad  12 . In this embodiment, adjustable guide  30 (shown in a narrower embodiment) contains countersunk magnets  130 (one shown) even with the underside of the adjustable guide  30 . In this embodiment the guide  30  is movable inward or outward while retaining its desired orientation due to the magnets  130  maintaining alignment with the strips of iron or steel  128 . This allows for the use of a thin pad  112  which, in turn, allows for easier use of the golf training device  10 . 
     A separate buzzer and battery are preferably placed in each boxlike guide member and leads attached to their respective electrode flats. The buzzer and battery may be conveniently mounted inside the guide member and the batteries replaced by removing the lid. The circuitry may be attached to the electrodes by attachment to the inner ends of the screw fasteners or by providing a hole through the inner wall for contact as by soldering with the desired electrode in a known manner. More than one pair of lengthwise electrodes may be vertically spaced along a guider member inner wall to detect contact of the putter head at different levels as desired along with added circuitry to activate the buzzer in a well-known manner. 
     Also, a number of vertically oriented, horizontally spaced pairs of electrodes may be distributed along the length of the guide member inner wall, each pair being electrically connected with electrical circuitry to activate the buzzer in a well-known manner. Other variations of electrode placement along guide member inner walls are contemplated by the present invention such that a buzzer is activated upon the putter head touching the electrode-bearing wall. 
     The surface of the pad is preferably covered with felt material for a better appearance and to improve observation of the stroked ball. The invention may also simply embody the two, buzzer-containing guide members which may be freely arranged by the golfer, or one guide member may be fixed to a web of felt or carpet and the adjustable guide member placed as desired by the golfer. 
     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.