Patent Publication Number: US-6699141-B1

Title: Golf putting and swing teaching aid

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Usually a golfer will view an imaginary putter path line from the ball position to the cup location. He tries to strike the ball along the putter path line, but instead improperly strokes the ball along a path that is oblique to the intended line. 
     The broad purpose of the present invention is to provide an aid for assisting a golfer in developing his “muscle memory” to correctly strike the ball along a correct putter path. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the teaching aid includes a resiliently coated rod (pillow) that is placed on a putting pad where a practice ball is usually placed. Rubber-bands support each end of the rod so that it opposes the motion of the club as it strikes the pillow toward an imaginary cup. 
     The putting pad has a line describing the intended ball path. The pillow has a line intended to be aligned with the line on the putting pad. When the golfer correctly and squarely strikes the pillow, the line on the pillow is aligned with the putter path line. After repeatedly practicing this putting motion, the user then removes the pillow from the pad, and replaces it with a practice ball. He then can determine his improvement in his putting stroke. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, the user can practice his golf swing with other clubs using a similar technique, that is a resiliently coated rod is placed in the location of the ball, with the axis of the rod at right angles to the intended ball path. The ends of the rod are resiliently connected to the pad by rubber strips so as to be independently movable in the direction of the ball travel. By repeatedly and correctly striking the coated rod, the user can develop his muscle memory for a proper swing. 
     A pylon is mounted adjacent one end of the pad to assist the golfer in properly initiating and completing his back swing. 
     In either case, the object of the invention is to provide an apparatus to assist the golfer in striking the resiliently coated rod square to the intended line of flight. The putter then tells the body how to react. 
     Some prior art related to this invention includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,912 issued Feb. 21, 1989 to Robert D. Hickman for “Golf Putting Teaching Aid”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,719 issued May 20, 1997 to Terry W. Franklin for “Golf Putting Teaching Aid”. 
     Still further objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The description refers to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf putting and swing teaching station illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a putting pad extension; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing how the ends of the pillow are releasably mounted on the pad; 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the pillow removed from the putting pad; 
     FIG. 5 is a view showing a golf putter contacting the pillow during a putting stroke; 
     FIG. 6 illustrates the pillow partially driven along the putter path with an improper contact between the club and the pillow; 
     FIG. 7 illustrates a resilient mounting of the one end of the pillow; 
     FIG. 8 is a view of another embodiment of the invention for practicing a golf swing; 
     FIG. 9 is a view of the pillow in its fully retracted position; 
     FIG. 10 is a view of one end of the pillow in its extended position; and 
     FIG. 11 is a view showing the matter in which a pylon is connected to the practice pad. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1-7 illustrate a preferred practice putting aid  10 . Putting aid  10  includes an elongated rectangular putter pad  12 , and a pad extension  14 . Pad  12  is preferably portable and flexible so that it can be rolled up for storage. It is preferably made of a green artificial turf attached to a foam backing. 
     Pad  10  is preferably about 37″ long and 10″ wide. Pad extension  14  has one end mounted in contact with the far end of pad  12 , and is also formed of an artificial turf material with a rigid backing, and a pair of bumper rails  16  and  18  along the full length of the sides of the extension pad. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, a notched support  20  is mounted adjacent the end of the pad extension. The pad extension has a lip  21  that is received in a selected one of several notches  23  so that the extreme end of the putting surface can be elevated to a desired height, simulating an uneven ground surface. The putting pad has an elongated putter path line  22  along the center of the pad. 
     A mirror  24  is located at one end of the pad. As best shown in FIG. 6, three parallel lines  26 ,  28 , and  30  are inscribed on the mirror. The lines are perpendicular to putter path line  22 . Line  28  defines the beginning of a putter stroke. Line  26  defines the end of a practice putter stroke. A fourth line  32  on the mirror is aligned with putter path line  22 . 
     The mirror has a slot  34  which extends from the left end of the mirror, as viewed in FIG. 4, toward a semi-circular end  36  which is closely adjacent line  28 . Preferably the slot is about 5½″ long and 1½″ wide. The slot exposes a portion of mat  12  permitting the user to mount a practice golf ball directly on the artificial turf. The mirror permits the user to view his head position with respect to the club head as he progresses through a practice stroke. 
     Referring to FIGS. 3-6, a pair of parallel, horizontal, tubular supports  38  and  40  are mounted adjacent the side edges of mat  12 . Threaded fastener means  41  attach the two supports to pad  12 . The two supports are identical in configuration and have elongated cut-out openings  42  and  44 , respectively, which includes about 180° of the top half of each tube. Opening  42  defines a forward stop  46 . Tubular support  40  also has a forward stop  48 . 
     Tubular support  38  also has a short tube  50  extending from the rear end of opening  42 . Tubular support  40  has an identical short tube  52  extending forwardly from the rear end of opening  44 . The outside diameter of tubes  50  and  52  closely fits the inside diameter of the rear end of tubular supports  38  and  40 . 
     A tubular sliding support  58  is slidably mounted on the lower inside surface of tubular support  38  and has an outside diameter corresponding to the inside diameter of support  38 . Sliding support  58  is slidable from a rearmost position in which it abuts tube  50  in a forward direction parallel to putter path line  22 . 
     Similarly, a second tubular sliding support  60  is slidably mounted on the inside lower half of tubular support  40  and is movable from a rearmost position in which it abuts tube  52 , toward a forward position in a direction parallel to the putter path line. The two sliding supports are independently movable in their respective tubular supports. 
     Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a rubber-band  62  is removably connected between an internal pin  66  in tube  50  and a second internal pin  68  in sliding support  58  to bias it toward tube  50 . Similarly, a second rubber-band  70  is removably mounted between an internal pin  71  in tube  52 , and a second internal pin  72  in sliding support  60  to bias sliding support  60  toward tube  52 . The two rubber-bands are replaceable so that the user can customize the resiliency of the two sliding supports, that is, he can use either stronger or weaker rubber-bands. A spring member could be substituted for each of the rubber-bands. 
     The two sliding supports have cut-out portions  73  and  74 , respectively, for journalling the ends of tubular rod  75 . Rod  74  is covered with a relatively thick soft rubber cover  76 . 
     The rigid ends of covered rod  75  (pillow) are independently movable within their respective tubular sliding supports, that is one end of the rod can move forwardly with respect to the other end of the rod. 
     Cover  76  has a line  78  which is alignable with putter path line  22 , as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. Pillow  75  is removable from cut-out portions  73  and  74 , as illustrated in FIG. 4, so that the user can place a practice ball  80  on the putter path line and strike the ball along the line. 
     Referring to FIG. 5, in use, the head of a putter  82  is placed parallel to rod  75  with line  84  on the putter head aligned with line  78  on the pillow which in turn is aligned with putter path line  22 . He then moves the putter head toward the right from the pillow toward line  30 , and then using a putting motion strokes the pillow to advance it until the pillow is aligned with line  26 . 
     Using many repetitions, the user&#39;s muscles will become accustomed to placing the putter so that it is flat against the pillow and then moving the putter in a correct putting cycle. 
     FIG. 6 illustrates an incorrect putter stroke. Note that line  78  is not correctly aligned with the putter path line  22 . 
     For longer putts, the user can strike the ball so that it climbs up pad extension  14  until finally striking notched support  20 . 
     FIGS. 8-11 illustrate another embodiment of a golf practice aid in the form of a frame  100  supporting a simulated grass pad  102 . Pad  102  is elongated preferably having a width of 11¼″ and a length of 50½″. A pillow  104  is mounted on the pad. The pillow includes a resilient cover  106  mounted on a rod  108 . 
     Frame  100  has a pair of tubular side members  110  and  112 . Rod  108  has a length such that its opposite ends overlap side members  110  and  112 . 
     Referring to FIG. 10, a resilient elongated strap  116  extends through an opening  124  in frame member  112 . Similarly, a second resilient elongated strap  126  extends through an opening  128  in frame member  110 . The inner end of each strap is connected by a pin, not shown, in the same manner as strap  116 . The outer end is connected by a hook  130  and a loop  132  to a groove  133  in the respective end of the rod. Thus, each end of the pillow is independently movable so that the pillow can be skewed with respect to the length of the pad. The straps are replaceable for either stronger or weaker straps to accommodate the strength and the desires of the particular golfer. 
     The center of cover  106  has a white band  134  to provide a point of impact for the golf club to strike the pillow. 
     In use, the golfer swings the club to strike the pillow squarely and repeats this process many times. The resistance provided by the resiliently mounted pillow develops the particular muscles necessary to accurately strike a ball squarely with respect to an intended line of flight. 
     Referring to FIGS. 8 and 11, a pylon  136  is mounted in a block  138  along the path of the back swing of the user&#39;s club. Block  138  is attached by a plastic connector  140  to the golf mat so that the horizontal location of the pylon can be adjusted with respect to the user&#39;s back swing. In practice, the user swings his club in a back swing on one side of the pylon as illustrated by line  146  and then in a forward motion on the opposite side of the pylon in the direction of arrow  148  toward the pillow.