Patent Publication Number: US-2003224867-A1

Title: Golf swing training club with adjustable weight

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention pertains generally to the field of golf swing training aids and more specifically to a weighted golf club having a weight which is adjustable in location along the club shaft.  
       [0003] 2. Background Art  
       [0004] It is well known in the golf club art that training aids which help develop muscle memory can help a golfer develop a more consistent swing. Moreover, it is generally accepted that a weighted golf cub that is considerably heavier than standard clubs used to actually play a round of golf, can be beneficial in developing muscle memory. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,407 to Sorenson discloses one such golf swing training club which is homogeneously weighted along its length. One potential problem associated with such prior art weighted clubs is that their weight is generally fixed and non-adjustable. Thus, while they may be useful in developing muscle memory, they may not be optimum for all golfers of varying upper body strengths. Thus for example, a two hundred pound male golfer and a hundred pound female golfer would have radically different needs in a weighted golf club training aid. Moreover, as a given golfer develops increased muscle memory, he or she may wish to increase the inertia of the swing training club to further the process. However, a training club of fixed and non-adjustable inertia does not provide such an opportunity.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005] The present invention solves the aforementioned problem associated with prior art weighted golf club training aids. The solution is provided in the form of adjustability of weight and weight distribution. In a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the training club has a shaft which is of uniform diameter between a grip end and a head end and is provided with a plurality of spaced holes which extend through the shaft substantially perpendicular to the length of the shaft. A weighted cylinder is slidably mounted onto the shaft between the grip end and a head end. The weighted cylinder height is slightly less than the spacing between the shaft holes so that a pair of retainers each having a pin, may be removably positioned into the holes immediately above and below the weight thereby preventing movement of the weight along the shaft. With the weight secured along the shaft at any one of several locations by the retainers, a golfer may freely swing the training club without any fear of dislocating the weight. The weighted cylinder may be selected from a range of different weighted cylinders so that the actual total weight of the training club may be selected for the size and strength of the golfer. A small female golfer may for example choose to use a weighted cylinder of one pound or less while a large male golfer may select a weighted cylinder of several pounds or more. A manufacturer may choose to offer training clubs with different respective cylinder weights or make the club user-alterable such as by providing a removable golf club head (such as by threaded engagement with the head end of the shaft) and a plurality of different weight cylinders. In either such configuration, the preferred embodiment hereof provides the unique feature of changing weight location along the shaft by simply removing the retainers to different holes, thereby permitting adjustment of the swing inertia of the training club. Those having skill in the relevant art will readily appreciate that because angular inertia depends upon both the weight and the distance between the center of gravity and the fulcrum, movement of the cylinder toward the head end of the shaft, significantly increases the swing inertia of the training club.  
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0006] The aforementioned objects and advantages of the present invention, as well as additional objects and advantages thereof, will be more fully understood hereinafter as a result of a detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the following drawings in which:  
     [0007]FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;  
     [0008]FIG. 2 is a side view of the preferred embodiment also illustrating two alternative weight positions in phantom;  
     [0009]FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the slidable weight installed along the shaft of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1;  
     [0010]FIG. 4 is a partially cross-sectioned view of the weight and shaft as seen along lines  44  of FIG. 1, with only the shaft in section; and  
     [0011]FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a retainer used in the preferred embodiment.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     [0012] Referring to the accompanying drawings it will be seen that a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a training club  10  having a shaft  12  upon which there is positioned co-axially a weight  14 . The shaft  12  terminates at one end in a grip  16  and at the other end in a head  18 . In the illustrated embodiment, shaft  12  is substantially solid except for a plurality of thru-holes  20  which are equally spaced along a substantial portion of the length of the shaft. The spacing between holes  20  along the length of shaft  12  is selected to be slightly greater than the height of cylindrically-shaped weight  14 . It will be understood that while the weight is cylindrical in shape in the illustrated embodiment, the invention need not be limited to a weight having a regular circular cylinder shape. Moreover, in the preferred embodiment, while weight  14  is made of solid steel except for a central shaft passage  15 , it could be readily made of other high specific gravity materials such as lead, iron or tungsten which would permit different weight sizes as compared to the weight illustrated herein. The actual weight magnitude may be virtually any practical amount depending on the size, shape and material selected. In the preferred embodiment, a weight in the range of about 0.5 to 3.5 pounds is contemplated.  
     [0013] Adjustment of the position of weight  14  along shaft  12  is easily accomplished in the illustrated embodiment to selectively alter the swing inertia of training club  10 . Such adjustment is facilitated by removable retainers  22 . In the preferred embodiment, each retainer  22  comprises an elongated pin  24  secured to a finger ring  26  and having a spring-biased bearing member  28  closer to the pin end opposite the ring. The diameter of pin  24  is slightly smaller than the diameter of holes  20  in shaft  12  so that the pins may be easily inserted in and removed from the holes to permit repositioning of weight  14  along shaft  12 . By way of example, to move the weight  14  to another location along the shaft, such as either of those shown in phantom in FIG. 2, retainers  22  are pulled out of their respective holes  20 , the weight is repositioned, and the retainers are reinserted in corresponding holes above and below the new weight location.  
     [0014] Having thus disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will now be apparent that many variations may be made without altering the principal features of the invention. By way of illustration, weight  14  and shaft  12  may be configured to permit a ratcheting adjustment feature which would obviate retainers  22  and permit more discrete adjustment positions of the weight along the shaft. Thus, it will be understood that the invention scope is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, but only by the appended claims and their equivalents.