Patent Publication Number: US-7214136-B1

Title: Method and apparatus to practice golf swing

Description:
This invention pertains to a method and apparatus for practicing a sport. 
   More particularly, this invention pertains to an apparatus and method for practicing a golf swing. 
   A variety of apparatus and methods have been developed to practice a golf swing. 
   It would be desirable to provide an improved golf swing apparatus that would permit a golf ball—after being struck by a golf club—to rotate about a fixed axis and that would quickly, and safely return a golf ball to an at rest position in which the golf ball could be struck yet again. 
   Therefore, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for practicing a golf swing. 
   A further object of the invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for practicing a golf swing in which movement of a golf ball is quickly retarded so that the ball is ready to be struck again by a golfer. 

   
     These and other, further and more specific objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a golf practice device constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of a portion of the device of  FIG. 1  illustrating the mode of operation thereof; and, 
       FIG. 3  is a side elevation view illustrating an alternate piston construction in the invention. 
   

   Briefly, in accordance with my invention, I provide an improved apparatus for practicing a golf swing. The apparatus comprises a base; a chamber mounted on the base; dampening apparatus in the chamber; a piston in the chamber for reciprocation therein, the dampening apparatus retarding movement of the piston in the chamber; a golf ball unit; an elongate arm having a first end connected to the golf ball unit and having a second end; a shaft unit pivotally mounted on the base and having a primary end connected to the second end of the elongate arm, and a control portion operatively connected to the piston such that when the golf ball unit is struck, the golf ball unit and elongate arm travel through an arc and rotate the shaft unit, such that the primary end and the control portion of the shaft unit rotate, and such that the rotation of the control portion moves the piston in the chamber to slow the rotation of the shaft unit. 
   Turning now to the drawings, which depict the presently preferred embodiments of the invention for the purpose of illustrating the practice thereof and not by way of limitation of the scope of the invention, and in which like reference characters refer to corresponding elements throughout the several views,  FIG. 1  illustrates apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention and generally indicated by reference character  10 . Apparatus  10  includes a base  11 . Base  11  is configured to be mounted on the ground, or on a floor. As would be appreciated by those of skill in the art, base  11  can be configured to be mounted on a wall or other surface. 
   Golf ball unit  15  is connected to one end of elongate arm  14 . The second end of arm  15  is connected to the primary end  13  of shaft unit  12 . A portion  16  of shaft unit  12  is operatively connected by cable  17  to a piston  20  in chamber  18 . Chamber  18  and operatively associated chamber  19  are mounted on floor  21  of base  11 . Shaft unit  12  can comprise a single elongate shaft, can comprise a plurality of members linked together in a linear fashion in the manner illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; can comprise a plurality of members linked together in a gear train which may be linear or may be non-linear; etc. Shaft unit  12  must, when golf ball unit  15  is struck and arm  14  and ball unit  15  travel through an arcuate path A, function to produce rotation or another movement that facilitates the displacement of a piston  20  in chamber  18  to slow the movement of unit  12 . 
   Golf ball unit  15  can comprise a regular golf ball or comprise a construction that simulates the appearance and function (when hit) of a conventional golf ball. 
   The construction of arm  14  can vary as desired, but presently consists of a core of steel cable circumscribed by a polymer, textile or other sheath. 
   Hollow cylindrical chambers  18  and  19  are illustrated in further detail in  FIG. 2 . Chamber  18  includes dampening apparatus that includes a liquid  60  and a spring  22  interposed between piston  20  and the top of chamber  18 . Chamber  19  also is charged with liquid  60 . The composition of liquid  60  can vary as desired, but liquid  60  presently preferably comprises an oil. Spring  42  supports flat, cylindrical valve mechanism  40 . O-ring  41  is seated in mechanism  40 . 
   Chambers  18  and  19  are interconnected by upper conduit  49  and lower conduit  50  to permit the flow of liquid  60  between chambers  18 ,  19 . 
   In operation, when ball unit  15  is struck and rotates A through an arc, shaft unit  12  rotates in the direction of arrow B simultaneously with ball unit  15 , causing cable  17  to move in the direction of arrow C and wind about portion  16  of shaft unit  12  ( FIG. 1 ). As is illustrated in  FIG. 2 , when cable  17  unit moves in the direction of arrow C, piston  20  is displaced upwardly simultaneously in the direction of arrow C. Spring  22  and fluid  60  retard the movement of piston  20  upwardly through the interior of chamber  18 . Further, when piston  20  moves upwardly, liquid  20  flows in the direction of arrow F through conduit  49  into chamber  19 . The fluid flow from chamber  18  through conduit  49  into chamber  19  downwardly displaces valve mechanism  40  from the top of chamber  19  such that O-ring  41  is spaced apart from circular groove  61  in the manner illustrated in  FIG. 2 . This permits liquid  60  to flow more freely from conduit  49  into chamber  19 . Liquid  60  also flows from chamber  19  through conduit  50  into chamber  18  in the direction of flow indicated by arrow E. 
   Ball unit  15  can reach the end of its travel in the direction of arrow A either because liquid  60  and spring  22  sufficiently retard the travel of piston  20 , or, because piston  20  fully compresses spring  22  against the top of chamber  18 . Regardless of what causes cessation of the rotation of ball unit  15 , once such cessation occurs, spring  22  begins to displace downwardly piston  20  in the direction of arrow G, which pulls cable  17  in the direction of arrow G. This causes shaft unit  12  to rotate in a direction opposite that of arrow B ( FIG. 1 ), which causes cable  17  to unwind from portion  16  and causes ball unit  15  and arm  14  to rotate through an arc in a direction opposite that indicated by arrow A so that ball unit  15  eventually returns to the start position indicated by dashed lines  15 A in  FIG. 1 . 
   When piston  20  moves downwardly in the direction of arrow G, fluid flows through conduit  49  from chamber  19  to chamber  18  in the manner indicated by arrow I ( FIG. 2 ). When fluid flows in the direction of arrow I, spring  42  is sufficiently strong to force valve mechanism  40  upwardly toward the top of chamber  19  such that O-ring  41  seats in circular groove  61 . When O-ring  41  seats in groove  61 , the flow of fluid from chamber  18  to  19  through conduit  49  is slowed, because fluid can only move through smaller aperture  62  formed in valve mechanism  40 . The ability of fluid to flow only through smaller aperture  62  also slows the return of fluid from chamber  18  to chamber  19  via conduit  50  in the manner indicated by arrow H. 
   In an alternate construction of the invention, chamber  19  is not connected to chamber  18  via conduit  49 . Conduit  49  is removed, and, instead, chamber  18  is connected  25  to a chamber  24  filled with pressurized air or another pressurized gas or liquid. In this alternate construction, when piston  20  is displaced upwardly in the direction of arrow C, the pressurized gas in chamber  24  expands in the direction of arrow J and helps “push” fluid  60  from chamber  19  to chamber  18  in the direction of arrow E. Then when the direction of travel of piston  20  is reversed, and piston  20  travels downwardly in the direction of arrow G, fluid  60  travels back into chamber  19  and forces pressurized gas back into chamber  24  in the direction of arrow K. 
     FIG. 3  illustrates an alternate embodiment of the invention in which chamber  19  is completely dispensed with and only chamber  18 , piston  20 , spring  22 , and fluid  60  are utilized. Chamber  18  and fluid  60  are omitted from  FIG. 3  for the sake of clarity. The particular construction of piston  20  utilized in this embodiment of the invention is indicated by reference character  20 A in  FIG. 3 . Apertures  30  to  33  are formed through piston  20 . The center of a circular resilient rubber valve member  70  is fixedly secured to the bottom of cylindrical piston  20 , but the outer peripheral portion of member  70 , including circular peripheral edge  36 , is free to be displaced resiliently outwardly and downwardly from the bottom  71  of piston  20 A in the manner illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Consequently, when piston  20 A is displaced upwardly in the direction of arrow C, liquid  60  impinges against the upper surface  72  of piston  20 A in the manner indicated by arrows L, M, N, O. Some of the liquid  60  flows through apertures  32  and  33  and displaces the peripheral portions of member  70  away from bottom  71  to facilitate the flow of liquid  60  through apertures  32  and  33  in the manner indicated by arrow P. This facilitates the movement of piston  20 A in the direction of arrow C. Liquid  60  also flows through apertures  30  and  31  in the manner indicated by arrow Q. 
   When, however, the direction of travel of piston  20 A is reversed, and piston  20 A and cable  17  travel in the direction of arrow G (which travel is caused by spring  22 , which spring  22  is omitted from  FIG. 3  for the sake of clarity), liquid  60  located beneath piston  20  generates forces acting upwardly against valve member  70  and causes the peripheral portions of member  20  to press and seat against the bottom  71  of piston  20  so that liquid  60  can not travel through apertures  32  and  33 . As a result, liquid  60  can only travel through apertures  30  and  31  in a direction of travel opposite that indicated by arrow Q, i.e. can travel through apertures  30  and  31  in a direction of travel equivalent to the direction of travel indicated by arrow C. This retards movement of piston  20 A in the direction of arrow G. 
   One principal advantage of the apparatus of the invention is that the spring  22 —fluid  60  combination is effective in rather quickly slowing the rotation of ball unit  15  after ball unit  15  is struck with a golf club, so that a golfer need not wait a long time before the ball unit  15  is in the position indicated by dashed lines  15 A in  FIG. 1  and can again be struck with a golf club. The apparatus of the invention also safely slows the movement of ball unit  15  on its return to the “ready” position indicated by dashed lines  15 A. 
   Having described my invention in such terms as to enable those of skill in the art to make and practice it, and having described the presently preferred embodiments thereof,