Abstract:
A golf swing training system that straps to the rear or trailing arm of the golfer and guides movement of that arm to correctly delay release of the golf club on the downswing until the trailing arm bicep is approximately pointing toward the ground. A servo motor locks the trailing arm at the elbow from extension near the top of the backswing as the trailing arm reaches its fully bent position preventing premature club release during the initial downswing, and releases the elbow when the upper arm reaches a near vertical position on the downswing. The entire system is controlled by an on-board microprocessor encoded by input angle signals of the trailing arm bending movement adapted to the swing cycle of the individual golfer under study.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a golf swing training system that attempts to delay the release of the golf club on the downswing to maximize club head velocity at golf ball impact to increase ball exit velocity from the club head at impact. 
     The distance and trajectory of a golf ball is controlled by a variety of factors several of which are not dealt with in the present invention and several are. One is the extension of the golf swing arc on the backswing predominantly influenced by the golfer keeping his hands during the backswing as far as possible away from his body. Another is the setting of his wrists during the backswing and the downswing. The timing of the cocking and uncocking of the wrists during the backswing and the downswing not only affects club head speed at impact, but also ball launch angle and ball spin rate and a variety of other flight factors that are not relevant to this discussion. 
     There is an increasing contemporary swing teaching influence to set the wrists earlier in the backswing when the straight lead arm is parallel to the ground in the backswing, the wrists should in this method be fully cocked with the club shaft 90 degrees to the lead arm pointing toward sky. But in any event, the wrists should be fully set or cocked at least at a club shaft 90 degree angle to the leading arm somewhere in the backswing or in some cases during the downswing. 
     Some of the great golfers actually cock or increase the cocking of their wrists during the downswing. By increasing the cocking angle either before or during the downswing and delaying the release of the club shaft, the time period during release decreases and this is what leads to faster club head speeds at impact. 
     Both Jack Nicklaus and Sergio Garcia, both great swingers of the driver, decrease the angle between the driver shaft and the leading arm during the downswing. What this does is increase the arc length through which the club head must travel to square at impact and at the same time reduces the time for the club head to travel through that longer arc—both influences increasing the velocity of the club head at impact. 
     The present invention does not deal with increasing wrist cocking during the downswing, or even setting or cocking the wrists properly during the backswing, both of which are important to correct golf swing mechanics. 
     The present invention encourages the late release of the club head during the downswing. The later the release of the club head the shorter the time in the total downswing cycle the golfer has to square the club head at impact which mandates greater club head speed between release initiation and impact. 
     There have been attempts in the past to control the release of the club head during the downswing. John Billing, in his U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,103, explains a strapping system on the golfer&#39;s leading arm that attempts to control release by the bending movement of the leading arm. But club head release is not significantly controlled by the bending movement in the leading arm, because the leading arm most productively remains straight during the downswing. 
     The late club head release has been approached by many inventors including Mike Snyder in his U.S. Pat. No. 6,863,616. Most of these late club head release devices include a string attached to the club head at one end and attached at some point to the golfer&#39;s body at the other end; such as one of his arms, or his back, or his foot. In Mr. Snyder&#39;s case, he attaches one end of the string to the golf shaft and the other end of the string to the golfer&#39;s rear forearm as seen in  FIG. 6C  to  FIG. 6G  of the patent. 
     The technical problem in the Snyder patent is the methodology for releasing the string and permitting the golfer to release the golf club to the ball. 
     In Snyder, the release is triggered by the extension of the trailing arm. What does that mean? It means, if the golfer casts the club at the top of the downswing, the string  46  will release permitting the golfer to prematurely release his wrist, losing club head velocity at impact. 
     Thus, the problem with prior delayed club head release devices is the myopic focus on the golfer&#39;s wrists, when in reality the trailing arm of the golfer is what initiates the release of the club head, whether it be early, prematurely or correctly late. 
     So it is in part the primary object of the present invention to ameliorate the problems noted above in swing training devices that attempt to delay the release of the club head during the downswing. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a programmed robotic golf swing training system is provided that guides the movement of the golfer&#39;s trailing arm during the golf swing to enhance ball impact speed, ball launch angle, and ball spin rate. The trailing or rear arm for a right-handed golfer (RH) is his or her right arm. 
     The present invention is cornerstoned on the principle that the trailing arm movement controls a major portion of backswing and downswing to ball impact (half of the golf swing). The leading arm, the left arm in an RH golfer remains or should remain straight during the backswing and the downswing, and does not in a correct swing control the release of the club head during the downswing. Nor is the release of the wrists during the downswing the initiator of the club head release as many teachers extol, although the release of the wrists obviously is what generates club head speed. But the wrist release speed is within the talent and skill of the individual golfer. What is principled in the present swing training system is that (1) the extension of the trailing lower arm from the trailing upper arm is what initiates the release of the club head on the downswing; and (2) by delaying the extension of the lower trailing arm from the upper trailing arm during the downswing increases club head speed at ball impact, increases ball launch angle, and reduces ball exit spin rate. 
     How is all this accomplished? It is accomplished by a servo motor attached to the golfer&#39;s trailing or rear arm that mandates the movement of the trailing arm during the golf swing. While the embodiment of the invention disclosed in this application only guides movement of the golfer&#39;s trailing arm during the downswing, it should be understood that the principles of the present invention could be applied to a system that guides the trailing arm of the golfer through the backswing, downswing and follow through of the golf swing. 
     Generally, the present golf swing training system straps to the rear or trailing arm of the golfer and guides movement of that arm to correctly delay release of the golf club on the downswing until the trailing arm bicep is approximately pointing toward the ground. A servo motor locks the trailing arm at the elbow from extension near the top of the backswing as the trailing arm reaches its fully bent position preventing premature club release during the initial downswing and releases the elbow when the upper arm reaches a near vertical position on the downswing. The entire system is controlled by an on-board microprocessor encoded by input angles of the trailing arm bending movement adapted to the swing cycle of the individual golfer under study. 
     This system&#39;s hardware includes a rigid upper arm brace “Velcro”ed™ to the bicep and a rigid lower arm brace “Velcro”ed™ to the trailing lower arm. The pivotal connection between the upper arm brace and the lower arm brace is at the elbow by a servo motor or electromagnetic brake. 
     One important aspect of the general principles of the present invention is that the extension of the lower trailing arm from the upper trailing arm is what triggers in part, the release of the club during the downswing. The prior art theory that premature club release is caused by premature wrist release only is based on the misconception that the wrists can be released early in the downswing without releasing the trailing lower arm from the trailing upper arm. They occur approximately at the same time. It is far simpler to control movement of the trailing arm than to control movement of the wrists by strings or other crude or ineffective devices. 
     The electromagnetic brake has an annular stator and axially movable armature plate mounted near the trailing elbow to selectively lock and release elbow angular movement. Because the servo motor is only several inches in diameter the braking force is increased accordingly to the present invention by providing radial “V” shaped serrations in the braking pads to dramatically increase the braking force. 
     Another important aspect of the present invention is that the programmed microprocessor for the servo motor is carried on board, on one of the arm braces, and is powered by a 24-volt power supply carried on a golfer mounted belt, on his/her back (not shown in the drawings). 
     In addition to the 24-volt power supply provided for the microprocessor, the microprocessor is programmed by software that enables all the timing cycles of the servo motor, and the movement of the servo motor, to be varied to the swing of the specific student golfer under consideration. For example, the cycle time and angular movement of the golfer&#39;s waggle can be varied to prevent the swing cycle from resetting. 
     Next, the swing angles are variable that determine the transition from the top backswing to the downswing. 
     Following that, the angular degree of extension of the trailing lower arm from the trailing upper arm to initiate servo motor braking of the trailing arm can be adjusted to suit the student&#39;s swing characteristics. 
     Further, after initiation of the servo motion control of the trailing arm at or near the top of the backswing, a time clock is started to begin controlling the downswing cycle. At the end of that controlling cycle, the golfer&#39;s trailing arm is released from control permitting it to swing freely through impact. That control cycle is also adjustable according to the present invention to accommodate the swing of the individual golfer. 
     While the specific embodiment of the present invention does not control the golfer&#39;s swing after release of the trailing arm after the pre-release cycle is completed, it should be understood that the present invention, in its broadest context, contemplates control of the golfer&#39;s swing through servo motors mounted at the human body joints in the arms and legs that dictate movement of those joints throughout the golf swing, in one or all of those joints. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top perspective of the present golf swing training system unattached to the golfer; 
         FIGS. 2 and 3  are orthogonal views respectively of a golfer with the present golf swing training system installed on the golfer&#39;s trailing arm at the ball address position; 
         FIGS. 4 and 5  are orthogonal views of the golfer with the present golf swing training system installed on the golfer&#39;s trailing arm at the top of the back swing; 
         FIGS. 6 and 7  are orthogonal views of the golfer with the present golf swing training system installed at the fully loaded position of the downswing prior to club head release with the golfer&#39;s trailing arm bicep against the right side and pointed downwardly; 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of the golf swing training system illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom view of the golf swing training system illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a partly exploded fragmentary side view of the golf swing training system illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a fragmented longitudinal cross-section of the golf swing training system illustrated in  FIG. 1  taken axially through the servo motor at the mid point thereof; 
         FIG. 12   a  is a fragmented side view of the servo motor armature plate; 
         FIG. 12  is a bottom view of the armature plate of the servo motor showing the radial teeth thereon; 
         FIG. 13  is a top view of the armature plate frame; 
         FIG. 14  is a sub-assembly view of the upper arm brace; 
         FIG. 15  is a longitudinal section of the upper arm brace illustrated in  FIG. 14 ; 
         FIG. 16  is a fragmented top view of the lower arm brace; 
         FIG. 17  is a longitudinal section of the metallic frame portion of the lower arm brace illustrated in  FIG. 16 ; 
         FIG. 18  is a flow sheet for the software of the on-board microprocessor that controls the present golf swing training system; 
         FIG. 19  is a block diagram of the on-board circuit board and microprocessor incorporated in the present golf swing training system; 
         FIG. 20  is a time line cycle for the encoder signals and the clock pulses during a complete cycle of the present golf swing training system, and; 
         FIG. 21  is a view similar to  FIG. 2  enlarged to show somewhat more detail how the present golf swing training system is strapped to the golfer&#39;s trailing arm. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings and particularly  FIGS. 1 to 7 , and referring initially to  FIG. 1 , a programmable robotic swing training system is illustrated depicted generally by the reference numeral  10 , and is seen generally to include an upper arm portion assembly  11  and a lower arm portion assembly  12  connected together at an elbow hinge  14 . A servo motor assembly  15  guides the pivotal movement of the lower arm assembly  12  with respect to the upper arm assembly  11 . An optical encoder  16  is driven by the servo motor  15  and provides signals to an onboard microprocessor  18  to guide the golfer&#39;s lower arm movement with respect to his upper arm movement throughout the golf swing. 
     A pair of Velcro upper arm straps  22  and  23 , which are maintained in position by integral loops on the upper arm assembly  11  and a single wide lower arm Velcro strap  24 , which is supported on integral loops on the lower arm assembly  12 , all hold the programmable robotic swing training system  10  in position on the golfer&#39;s trailing arm as shown in  FIG. 21 . The swing training system  10  is illustrated in dynamic positions on an actual golfer in  FIGS. 2 to 7 , as well as in  FIG. 21 . This sequence of pictures in  FIGS. 2  to  7  is intended to replicate the golf swing of professional golfer Padriq Harrington with the robotic swing training system  10  in position.  FIGS. 2 and 3  depict the address position of the swing trainer and at address the swing trainer senses the actual take away of the golfer&#39;s swing, ignoring preliminary waggles, to begin the cycle of the swing training system  10 . At the top of the swing illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the swing training system senses when the golfer is approaching or reaching the top of the golf swing to initiate the timing cycle of the downswing. If during the downswing cycle the golfer begins to extend his trailing arm  26 , the training system  10  will block or brake the extension of the trailing arm  26  to maintain its approximate right angle position illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . When the golfer reaches the just prior to release position in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , which is achieved when the bicep  27  nears the golfer&#39;s right side and is approximately in the vertical position pointing toward the ground, the servo motor  15  releases the lower arm brace assembly  12  from the upper arm brace assembly  11  permitting the golfer to release the lower trailing arm from the upper trailing arm in the golfer&#39;s position of  FIGS. 6 and 7 , which is what initiates the release of the golfer&#39;s wrist  29  and the club head  30  at high speed into the golf ball. 
     An important aspect of the present invention is that it keys on the release of the trailing lower arm  28  from the upper arm  27  and that in fact is what initiates the release of the wrists  29  and the club head  30  into the golf ball. 
     As seen in  FIG. 14 , the upper arm assembly  11  includes a flanged plastic beam  32  that carries the Velcro straps  22  and  23  and an aluminum pivot frame  34  that has a planar central section  35 , an arcuate peripheral rib  36 , a pivot boss  37 , and a fastener receiving bore  38  that receives a fastener  39  connecting the aluminum pivot frame  34  to the flanged plastic beam  32 . Plastic beam  32  has an arcuate arm  32   a  that wraps around the bicep to hold the brace  11  against the bicep (see  FIGS. 1 ,  8  and  9 ). The frame  34  wraps around the flanged plastic beam  32  so that there is no relative pivotal movement there-between and they are held rigidly together. 
     As seen in  FIG. 11 , the aluminum frame  34  supports and is fixed to a pivot shaft  40  controlled by the servo motor  10 . 
     The lower arm brace assembly  12  is depicted in fragmentary form in  FIGS. 16 and 17  and is seen to include a flanged plastic frame portion  42  fixed to an aluminum frame member  44 , also depicted in  FIG. 17 , that has a pair of apertures  45  therein that receive fasteners to connect the pivot frame  44  to the plastic frame portion  42 . An arcuate arm  45   a  projects from frame portion  42  and wraps around the golfer&#39;s forearm to hold the system  10  in position with the aid of the Velcro straps (see  FIG. 8 ). Frame  44  has a aperture  46  therein that also receives, rotatably, servo motor shaft  40  as seen in  FIG. 11 . As seen in  FIGS. 16 and 11 , the frame  44  carries a circular plate  48  that is fastened to lower circular base  49  of the servo motor that receives fasteners through apertures  50  therein that are equally spaced around the plate  48  and the base  49 , not shown in complete detail in  FIG. 15  for the sake of brevity. As seen in  FIG. 14 , the upper arm assembly  11  has integral loops  51  and  52  to receive the straps  22  and  23  respectively, and while not shown clearly in the drawings, the lower frame assembly  18  has similar loops for receiving the Velcro strap  24 . 
     Viewing  FIG. 11 , for a description of servo motor  10 , it should be understood that the servo motor contemplated by the present invention can either be a servo motor that controls the release of the club head in the golfer&#39;s downswing, or it can continuously control movement of the golfer&#39;s lower arm  28  with respect to his upper arm  27  throughout the golf swing, but the servo motor specifically depicted in  FIG. 11  functions: a) to brake the golfer&#39;s extension of the lower arm  28  with respect to the upper arm  27  during the downswing so that the golfer maintains the trailing arm in approximately a 90 degree position between the top of the swing depicted in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , and the true release position in  FIGS. 6 and 7  when the golfer&#39;s upper arm is vertical. 
     Viewing  FIG. 11 , the servo motor includes spaced annular housing walls  54  and  55  integrally extending upwardly from base plate  49  and housing there-between an annular electromagnetic coil  56  powered through a conductor assembly  57   a , which is connected to one of the outputs of the microprocessor  18 . Conductor assembly  57   a  is powered by a 24-volt backpack carried on the golfer&#39;s waist. The housing assembly of the servo motor has a stator plate  57  enclosing the coil assembly  56  that cooperates with an armature assembly  58  fixed to the servo motor shaft  11 . The armature assembly  58  includes an armature frame  58   a  consisting of a plate portion  59  and a reduced annular boss portion  60  that is keyed at  61  to the servo motor shaft  40 . The plate portion  59  carries an axially movable annular armature plate  62  that is mounted on the plate portion  59  by a plurality of pins  63  that permit axial movement between the armature plate  62  and the plate portion  59 . A plate spring assembly  65  forces the armature plate  62  against the bottom surface of the plate portion  59  but permits relative movement there-between as the armature coil  56  attracts the armature plate  62  into engagement with the stator  57  locking plate  62  to stator plate  57 . Both the lower surface of the armature plate  62  and the upper surface of the stator plate  57  have a plurality of interengaging radial teeth  67  depicted in  FIGS. 12 and 12   a . The outer peripheries of the teeth  67 , as shown at  68 , are square-shaped while the inner ends  69  of the teeth come to a point to accommodate the difference in diameter between the outer diameter of the armature plate  70  and the inner diameter  71 . The innerengagement of the teeth  67  on the armature plate  62  and the stator plate  57  substantially increases the braking force of the servo motor  10  and is an important aspect of the present invention. 
     The servo motor  10  is similar to the electromagnetic brake manufactured by Lenze AG located in Germany, Model Magneta No. 14.110 and 14.100, Size 05, 24-volt DC flanged mounted with 12 mm. central bore. The encoder  16  provides square wave signals illustrated in  FIG. 20  to the microprocessor  18  illustrated in block diagram form in  FIG. 19  to provide angle data and direction of rotation data to the microprocessor so that the microprocessor  18  may control the braking function of the servo motor  10  at appropriate times. The encoder  16 , as seen in  FIG. 11 , is supported on the servo motor housing by four brackets  71   a  fastened to servo motor housing wall  54 . One encoder that has been found suitable for this use is manufactured by US Digital Corporation entitled “Optical Kit Encoder”, Model No. E3, Codes 472, of E3-500-472-10-PKG3. 
     The encoder  16  is an optical encoder and includes a thin plastic annular disc  72  that has a plurality of optical apertures therein through which LED light is projected by an optical circuit assembly  74  that generates a plurality of pulses and signal conditioning including the pulses A and B from the encoder illustrated in  FIG. 20  to the microprocessor  18 . 
     This encoder generates 360 pulses per revolution, and it generates one series of pulses A for counter-clockwise revolution, and one series of pulses B for clockwise revolution and also generates a reference signal at a certes a plurality of pulses and signal conditioning including the pulses A and B from the encoder illustrated in  FIG. 20  to the microprocessor  18 . 
     This encoder generates 360 pulses per revolution, and it generates one series of pulses A for counter-clockwise revolution, and one series of pulses B for clockwise revolution and also generates a reference signal at a certain angular relationship between the upper arm assembly  11  and the lower arm assembly  12  so that there are at least three signals going from the encoder  16  to the microprocessor  18 . 
     In  FIG. 18 , the software for the microprocessor  18  is illustrated, and as shown it has a reset function and a function that determines whether the swing has begun or not. This function is necessary to prevent the cycle from being started if the golfer is simply waggling the golf club and moving his arms back and forth in waggle fashion, and this is determined by sensing the degree of pivot of the lower arm  28  with respect to the upper arm as shown at  76  and  77 . 
     After the swing has actually begun, the microprocessor begins counting the swing angles at  78  and determines the top of the swing at  79  by determining when either the A signal changes to the B signal from the encoder as shown at  80   
     When the downswing begins at  80 , the clock starts at  82  in the block diagram of  FIG. 19  so that it begins developing a window of 30 to 600 milliseconds that can be varied at  81  to the individual golfer&#39;s swing speed 1 . The brake can be applied any time during this variable downswing window if the B pulse count illustrated at  81  is greater than a predetermined value which can be varied to the golfer, and if less than that value, the brake will not be applied. After the variable window has expired at  83 , the brake will be released and the golfer can begin his release from the  FIGS. 6 and 7  position. 1. Golfer Peter Jacobson&#39;s downswing has been timed at 570 ms. 
     It should be understood that certain variations of the software in  FIG. 18  are within the scope of the present invention. For example, one variable would be to always engage the brake at the top of the backswing regardless of whether the golfer begins casting or extending his lower arm from his upper arm. requiring somewhat similar software. 
     The block diagram in  FIG. 19  is a representation of the microprocessor function as programmed by the software in  FIG. 18 . At  86 , the microprocessor senses an AB reversal at the top of the backswing at  87  and an alternate function can be achieved where the top of the backswing is sensed by a diminution of the rate of the A signal from the optical encoder  18 . Lights  88 ,  89  and  90 , which can be carried by the onboard microprocessor  18 , or by a remote wireless receiver, can be utilized by the instructor to vary the parameters of the training system  10  to accommodate the specific golfer&#39;s swing speed and habits. 
     The top of swing sensor is variable as indicated at  89   a . The clock counter  90   a  and the begin B count function  91 , which is variable at  92 , determines the window at  80  shown in  FIG. 18  and the brake is actuated when the B count exceeds a value within the window determined at  81  in  FIG. 18 . 
     The entire system is a 24-volt system as indicated with a 5-volt DC converter  93  to drive the encoder and also supplies 24-volts to the coil  56 . 
     The arm positions are illustrated sequentially at  94  in  FIG. 20 , and at  95  indicates that when Count B is more than 12 pulses, in this case indicating a 12 degree extension of the lower arm relative to the other arm, then clamping occurs but this is a variable.  FIG. 20  represents a clamping line  96  and an unclamping at line  97 .