Patent Publication Number: US-11033793-B2

Title: Golf training device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present Application is a non-provisional of, and claims priority to, U.S. Patent Application No. 62/883,038, filed Aug. 5, 2019, and is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure generally relates to golf training devices, and more particularly to golf stance, ball position, and alignment training devices. 
     BACKGROUND 
     When playing golf, one&#39;s stance, ball position, and alignment may be important to create a repeatable and consistent swing. As described in  Ben Hogan&#39;s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf , a golf swing and instruction book, in the basic golf stance, the golfer&#39;s right foot should be at a right angle to the line of flight and the left foot should be turned out a quarter of a turn to the left. A golfer&#39;s feet should be set apart the width of the shoulders when the golfer prepares to play a standard five-iron shot. A neutral position for use of a five-iron club may be when both feet are inline vertically and horizontally, and both axes may be adjusted positively and negatively depending on how the club length is varied to open the hips to the target and reduce stance width for shorter irons, or close the hips to the target and increase stance width for longer irons, rescue clubs, or driver. To attempt to line up his/her feet, hips, and shoulders correctly, golfers may use tools, such as golf alignment sticks, but they suffer from drawbacks including that they provide no guidance where to place one&#39;s feet, neither how far apart they should be per club nor how offset from the target line they should be per club. Other tools may include the Swing Path Board, Practice Rite Golf, and WellStance Golf Positioning, but these tools include large boards or contraptions that are not portable and easy-to-use in golf training. 
     SUMMARY 
     A golf stance, ball position, and alignment training device according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided as a single piece or may be comprised of loose parts fastened together. Both left and right-handed golfers may use a golf training device according to embodiments of the present disclosure, as the device may be flipped over depending on which hand the golfer uses. Proper stance width may be enforced using a numbering system based on shoulder width. The training device according to embodiments of the present disclosure may ensure proper ball placement off the golfer&#39;s front heel to ensure consistent ball striking location in swing. The training device according to embodiments of the present disclosure may further ensure proper front foot angle along a swing path for full, pitching, and/or chipping swings and proper rear foot offset from the target line promoting a correct open, neutral, or closed stance and stance width to ensure consistent swing arch based on the selected club. The training device may be separated or collapsed to be placed in the golfer&#39;s bag for storage and/or transport in embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a golf training device comprising: a first horizontal bar having a first end and a second end, the second end having a first pivot point; a second horizontal bar having a first end and a second end, the first end having a second pivot point, the second horizontal bar further comprising a measurement window movable between the first end and the second end to set a golf stance width based on shoulder width of a golfer; and an alignment bar attached to the first horizontal bar at the first pivot point on a lower half portion of the alignment bar and attached to the second horizontal bar at the second pivot point on a top half portion of the alignment bar, wherein the first pivot point and the second pivot point may collapse the golf training device for storage/transport when not in use. The first horizontal bar may further comprise a front foot visual aid at the first end to provide for foot and foot angle placement and/or a front foot visual aid between the first end and the second end to provide for foot and foot angle placement. The alignment bar may further comprise marks on the lower half portion of the alignment bar for a golfer to increase an open stance when using wedges and short irons or decrease a closed stance when using fairway woods or a driver. The alignment bar also may include marks on a top end of the alignment bar, thereby providing an indication where the golfer may place a golf ball. The golf training device may further comprise marks on a bottom end of the alignment bar and a top of the measurement window to use when the golf training device is extended in a measurement mode. The marks on the bottom end of the alignment bar may be placed up to the golfer&#39;s shoulders with the marks resting on an outside of one shoulder and the marks at the top of the measurement window resting on an outside of an alternate shoulder of the golfer. The golf training device may also include marks on the first end of the first horizontal bar and the second end of the second horizontal bar to insert golf tees to secure the golf training device to a surface. The golf training device may further include a rear foot bar attached to the second horizontal bar, the rear foot bar having a first end and a second end, wherein the rear foot bar is capable of being extended to promote correct placement of a rear foot of the golfer relative to his/her club. The rear foot bar may include a pivot point at the first end that provides a connection point between the rear foot bar and the measurement window and/or marks between the first end and the second to identify correct heel placement for wedges (W), short irons (7i), mid irons (5i), fairway woods (3w), and drivers (D). The measurement window may move horizontally along the second horizontal bar to set the shoulder width. The golf training device may include marks between the first end and the second end of the second horizontal bar that depict a measurement setting to ensure golfer stance width is properly set. The pivot points may be fastened with a mechanism to provide spring-loaded stop points to ensure proper angles when the golf training device is collapsed and expanded. Marks may be on both sides of the first horizontal bar, the second horizontal bar, the alignment bar, and the rear foot bar so that the golf training device may be flippable for use by both right and left-handed golfers. 
     Other embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a golf training device comprising: a first horizontal bar having a first end and a second end, the second end having a first pivot point; a second horizontal bar having a first end and a second end, the first end having a second pivot point, the second horizontal bar further comprising a measurement window movable between the first end and the second end to set a golf stance width based on shoulder width of a golfer; an alignment bar attached to the first horizontal bar at the first pivot point on a lower half portion of the alignment bar and attached to the second horizontal bar at the second pivot point on a top half portion of the alignment bar; and marks on a bottom end of the alignment bar and a top of the measurement window to use when the golf training device is extended in a measurement mode. Marks on the bottom end of the alignment bar may be placed up to the golfer&#39;s shoulders with the marks resting on an outside of one shoulder and the marks at the top of the measurement window resting on an outside of an alternate shoulder of the golfer. 
     Further embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a golf training device comprising: a first horizontal bar having a first end and a second end, the second end having a first pivot point; a second horizontal bar having a first end and a second end, the first end having a second pivot point, the second horizontal bar further comprising a measurement window movable between the first end and the second end to set a golf stance width based on shoulder width of a golfer; an alignment bar attached to the first horizontal bar at the first pivot point on a lower half portion of the alignment bar and attached to the second horizontal bar at the second pivot point on a top half portion of the alignment bar; and a rear foot bar attached to the second horizontal bar, the rear foot bar having a first end and a second end, wherein the rear foot bar is capable of being extended to promote correct placement of a rear foot of the golfer relative to his/her club. The rear foot bar may further comprise a pivot point at the first end that may provide a connection point between the rear foot bar and the measurement window. The rear foot bar also may include marks between the first end and the second to identify correct heel placement for wedges (W), short irons (7i), mid irons (5i), fairway woods (3w), and drivers (D). 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, reference is now made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  depicts a golf training device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  depicts a golf training device when extended in its measurement mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3A  depicts a top view of golf training device when in it is collapsed to be placed in the golfer&#39;s bag for storage and/or transport in embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3B  depicts a side view of golf training device when in its collapsed to be placed in the golfer&#39;s bag for storage and/or transport in embodiments of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 4  depicts an exploded view of the golf training device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a golf training device may aid both left and right-handed golfers to ensure proper stance width using the shoulder width as measured with the golf training device. The training device according to embodiments of the present disclosure may ensure proper ball placement off the golfer&#39;s front heel to ensure consistent ball striking location in swing. The training device according to embodiments of the present disclosure may further ensure proper front foot angle along a swing path for full, pitching, and/or chipping swings and proper rear foot offset from the target line and stance width to ensure consistent swing arch based on the selected club. The training device may be flipped over depending on which hand the golfer uses, and it may be separated or collapsed to be placed in the golfer&#39;s bag for storage and/or transport in embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     A golf training device according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be constructed as a single piece (i.e., all components attached so there are no loose parts). However, the golf training device may be comprised of loose parts fastened together ( FIG. 4 ) without departing from the present disclosure.  FIG. 4  depicts an exploded view of the golf training device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. While  FIG. 4  depicts that the golf training device may be formed of six components attached together using a plurality of fasteners, it should be appreciated that there may be more or fewer components without departing from the present disclosure. Regardless whether constructed as a single piece or multiple pieces, the golf training device according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be collapsed or fit into a small case that can fit in a golfer&#39;s bag for storage/transport.  FIG. 3A  depicts a top view of golf training device when in it is collapsed to be placed in the golfer&#39;s bag for storage and/or transport in embodiments of the present disclosure.  FIG. 3B  depicts a side view of golf training device when in its collapsed to be placed in the golfer&#39;s bag for storage and/or transport in embodiments of the present disclosure. 
       FIG. 1  depicts a golf training device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. First pivot point  5  may be on second end  30  of horizontal bar  1  opposite first end  20  to provide a means to collapse the golf training device for storage/transport when not in use. Front foot visual aid  8  and  10  may provide for correct foot and foot angle placement. A golf ball is depicted in  FIG. 1  relative to alignment bar  2 . Alignment bar  2 , which also may be referred to as a collapsible centering guide, may provide a visual for the golfer to properly align his/her feet in a pitching or chipping setup. Second pivot point  6  may be on top half portion  60  of alignment bar  2  on first end  40  of horizontal bar  3  opposite second end  50  to provide a means to collapse the golf training device for storage/transport when not in use. Alignment bar  2  may provide a visual for the golfer to properly align his/her golf club face to be properly squared to the target line in golf stance setup. Marks  12  may be on lower half portion  70  of alignment bar  2  to provide a means for the golfer to increase the open stance when using wedges and short irons. Marks  12  may be on a lower half portion of alignment bar  2  to provide a means for the golfer to decrease the closed stance when using fairway woods or driver. Marks  11  may be on a top end of alignment bar  2  to provide an indication where a golfer may place the golf ball for proper placement. 
     Marks  16  depict the measurement window which may be used to set the correct golf stance width which may be based on his/her shoulder width. Marks  13  and  14  may be on bottom end  70  of alignment bar  2  and top  80  of measurement window  16  respectively to be used when golf device is extended in its measurement mode as depicted in  FIG. 2 . 
     Marks  9  and  15  may be on an end of horizontal bar  1  and  3  of the golf training device for the golfer to use to insert golf tees to secure the device in place in the ground. 
     Rear foot bar  17  may be extended to promote the correct placement of the rear foot relative to the club selected by the golfer. Rear foot bar  17  may have first end  80  and second end  90 , wherein rear foot bar  17  is capable of being extended to promote correct placement of a rear foot of the golfer relative to his/her club. Pivot point  7  may provide a connection point between rear foot bar  17  and measurement window  16 . Rear foot bar  17  may provide visual queue to promote proper inside out club swing path. Marks  4  may be provided on rear foot bar  17  extending from pivot point  7  that may be used to identify correct heel placement for wedges (W), short irons (7i), mid irons (5i), fairway woods (3w), which may include long irons or rescue clubs, and drivers (D) in embodiments of the present disclosure. While certain marks  4  are depicted on  FIG. 1 , it should be appreciated that more or fewer marks  4  may be provided without departing from the present disclosure. 
     Marks  18  depicts the measurement setting which may be set to ensure golfer stance width is properly set. Measurement window  16  may move horizontally along horizontal bar  3  to set the correct width. 
     Pivot point marks  5 ,  6 , and  7  may be fastened with a mechanism to provide spring-loaded stop points to ensure proper angles are achieved when collapsed and expanded. 
     It should be appreciated that the golf training device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include marks  10 , marks  12 ,  4 ,  11 , and marks  18  on both sides of horizontal bar  1 , alignment bar  2 , horizontal bar  3 , and rear foot bar  17  so that the entire device can be flipped and used by both right and left-handed golfers. 
       FIG. 2  depicts a golf training device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure when extended in its measurement mode. A golfer may place the golf training device up to his/her shoulders with marks  13  resting on outside of one shoulder. The golfer may slide measurement window  16  along horizonal bar  3  until marks  14  is resting on outside of alternate shoulder. The golfer may take note of marks  18  measurement number to properly set the golf training device for stance width based on his/her shoulder width. 
     While a physical device has been described herein, it should be appreciated that there may be embodiments of the present disclosure where an image of the physical device may be projected on the ground. In such embodiments, the image may be projected via a laser, projection device, or other similar mechanism in front of a golfer or from above the golfer, thus obviating the need for the physical device to be provided. 
     Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.