Abstract:
A training device worn by a golfer includes a first shoe retainer that is secured to a first shoe of the golfer and a second shoe retainer that is secured to a second shoe of the golfer. In a first embodiment, a housing is pivotally mounted to a toe end of the first retainer and a post is mounted to the toe end of the second retainer. An axle is rotatably mounted in the housing and a first tape measure is coiled about the axle and has a first end secured to the axle. A second tape measure is coiled about the axle and has a first end secured to the axle in diametrically opposed relation to the first end of the first tape measure. The axle is biased so that both tape measures are coiled about it when in repose.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates, generally, to the game of golf. More particularly, it relates to a device that helps a golfer to swing a golf club. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     A golfer learning the game will be told by more experienced players to imagine a line extending through the ball to a target hole, and to stand squarely when facing that imaginary line. A golfer squarely facing the imaginary line will have shoulders in parallel relation to the imaginary line and feet aligned perpendicular thereto. The golfer is said to have proper alignment when so positioned. The beginner will also be told that foot spacing is important. However, there is no universal tool for teaching golfers how to stand relative to the imaginary line and how far apart the feet should be. 
     Numerous devices have been developed to assist golfers in swinging golf clubs, but none of them help the golfer stand squarely relative to the imaginary line from the ball to the target hole and none of them help a golfer to learn what his or her ideal foot spacing is. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,936,143 to Shea discloses foot braces that are adjustable along the length of a transverse slot and longitudinal slots. U.S. Pat. No. 2,220,291 to Savoy discloses a spacer device attachable to a golfer&#39;s shoe. Ridill, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,498,006, provides a harness that interconnects a golfer&#39;s feet with a strap. None of these devices help the golfer visualize an imaginary line from the ball to the target hole or teach the golfer how to stand squarely with respect to such imaginary line nor do they help the golfer learn his or her ideal foot spacing. Many other putt or swing training devices are known; most of them require the golfer to spend a lot of time putting the devices on and taking them off. As a result, they have not been accepted by golfers. 
     There remains a need, therefore, for a device that helps the golfer visualize such an imaginary line, which helps the golfer align the body with respect thereto, and which conveys information to the golfer concerning foot spacing during the swinging of a golf club. Specifically, there is a need for a device that produces a physical, tangible line that points toward the target hole so that the golfer can align squarely therewith and that tells the golfer the distance between his or her feet during the swing. A need exists as well for a device that a golfer can put on and take off quickly and easily. 
     However, in view of the prior art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art how the identified needs could be fulfilled. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     The longstanding but heretofore unfulfilled need for a device that helps golfers improve their putting game is now met by a new, useful, and nonobvious invention. 
     A primary object of the invention is to provide an apparatus that accomplishes the dual purpose of telling a golfer how far apart his or her feet are when preparing to make a golf swing and providing to the golfer a tangible straight line that indicates the desired path of travel for the golf ball during the shot so that the golfer may align his or her body squarely therewith. 
     Another object is to provide golf pros with a training device that is easily attachable to a user&#39;s shoes and just as easily removable therefrom. 
     Another closely related object is to provide such a device that provides accurate measurement between a user&#39;s feet even if the user does not position his or her feet in parallel relation to one another. 
     These and other important objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become clear as this description proceeds. 
     The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the description set forth hereinafter and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view depicting an illustrative embodiment of the invention when its two maim parts are interconnected in laterally spaced apart relation to one another; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a first shoe retainer when disconnected from the second shoe retainer; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the first shoe retainer; 
     FIG. 4 is an end view of the first shoe retainer; 
     FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the second shoe retainer; 
     FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of the second shoe retainer; 
     FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic end view of the interior of the ruler housing; 
     FIG. 8 is an end view of a first shoe retainer of a second embodiment; 
     FIG. 9 is a top view of the structure depicted in FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 10 is an end view of a second shoe retainer of said second embodiment; and 
     FIG. 11 is a top view of the structure depicted in FIG.  10 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, it will there be seen that the reference numeral  10  denotes an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
     The novel golf swing aid including an alignment and positioning rule is denoted as a whole by the reference numeral  10 . It includes a left shoe retainer  12 , a right show retainer  14 , and a ruler housing  16  that is mounted to the distal free end of left shoe retainer  12 . 
     As best understood in connection with FIGS. 1-4, housing  16  includes a hollow cylindrical main chamber  18 . Axle  20 , secured at its opposite ends by fasteners  22 ,  24 , is coincident with the axis of symmetry of cylindrical main chamber  18 . A first wing  26  and a second wing  28 , both of which are also of hollow construction, extend radially with respect to axle  20  in diametric opposition to one another. 
     Housing  16  is supported at wings  26 ,  28  by a frame  30  (FIGS. 3 and 4) having a flat bottom wall  32  and diverging arms  34 ,  36 . Flat bottom wall  32  is centrally apertured and that central aperture is aligned with an aperture formed in the distal free end of left show retainer  12 . A pivot pin  38  extends through said aligned apertures so that housing  16  is rotatable three hundred and sixty degrees (360°) about said pivot pin. 
     A free end  40  of a first flexible ruler  42  extends just slightly out of first wing  26  when first shoe retainer  12  is in repose as depicted in FIG. 2. A free end  44  of a second flexible ruler  46  extends just slightly out of second wing  28  when said first and second flexible rulers are in their respective coiled positions of repose. As best understood on connection with FIG. 7, a bias means  48  ensleeves axle  20  and maintains said rulers in their coiled positions of repose until an external force overcomes its bias. When the novel device is in use in the manner disclosed below, the spreading apart of the user&#39;s feet overcomes the bias. Thus, as the feet are spread apart, the rulers simultaneously extend from opposite sides of the housing by a corresponding amount and as the feet are placed closer together, the rulers retract into the housing under the influence of the bias means. FIG. 1 depicts the shoe retainers when interconnected to one another and when they have been laterally spread apart relative to one another by a user. 
     A rigid ring  50  (FIGS. 1-4) is secured to free end  40  of first ruler  42 . An upstanding post  52  (FIGS. 1,  5 , and  6 ) is fixedly secured to the distal free end of right shoe retainer  14 . Post  52  extends through the opening defined by ring  50  when putting aid  10  is in use as indicated in FIG.  1 . 
     A pair of slots  54 ,  56  (FIG. 1) are formed in base  13  of left shoe retainer  12  about mid-length thereof and a first elongate strap member  58  having a width slightly less than the extent of the slots is fed therethrough so that it is engaged mid-length thereof by said slots. A pad  60  covered with the loop part of a hook and loop fastener is sewn to a first end of the strap on a first side thereof and a pad  62  covered with the hook part of such a fastener is sewn to a second end of the strap on a second side thereof so that when a user wearing golf shoes places a left golf shoe atop left shoe retainer  12 , the opposite ends of strap  58  are easily wrapped around the instep of the shoe and fastened to one another, securing the shoe in place. 
     An outboard slot  64  and an inboard slot  66  are formed in the trailing end of left shoe retainer base  13 . An outboard strap  68  has a first end secured to outboard slot  64  and a second end secured to a second elongate strap member  70 . An inboard strap  72  has a first end secured to inboard slot  66  and a second end secured to said second elongate strap member  70 . A pad  74  covered with the loop part of a hook and loop fastener is sewn to a first end of second elongate strap member  70  and a pad  76  covered with the hook part of such a fastener is sewn to a second end of said second elongate strap member. Medial part  78  of strap member  70  is positioned behind a user&#39;s ankle and the strap is then wrapped therearound to further secure the user&#39;s left shoe to left shoe retainer base  13 . 
     A pair of shoe toe-aligning wings, denoted  80  and  82 , are formed integrally with base  13  and are upturned as best depicted in FIG. 3; they perform the function their name expresses. 
     The structure of right shoe retainer  14  is a mirror image of the structure of left shoe retainer  12 . Accordingly, the respective parts thereof are denoted by a reference numeral that is similar to the reference numeral that denotes the corresponding part of the left shoe retainer. 
     It should also be observed that shoe retainers  12  and  14  can be reversed so that the left show retainer becomes the right shoe retainer and vice versa. Housing  16  is simply rotated one hundred eighty degrees (180°) about pivot pin  38  so that ring  50  may engage post  52 . The distal end of shoe retainer base  13   a  that supports post  52  is bent for elevation as depicted in FIG. 5 so that post  52  is positioned at substantially the same level as ring  50  when shoe retainer bases  13  and  13   a  are positioned atop a support surface. 
     Novel putting aid  10  is used by strapping the left and right shoes of the golfer to the left and right shoe retainers  12  and  14 , respectively. Ring  50  is brought into engagement with post  52  and the feet are spread apart into a putting or other golf swing stance. The spacing between the feet is read, in inches, at the edge of right wing  26  if housing  16  is mounted to left shoe retainer  12  and said spacing is read at the edge of left wing  28  if said housing is mounted on right shoe retainer  14 . An equal length of the opposing ruler extends simultaneously from the opposite wing, and the two ruler lengths therefore collectively provide a straight line that is positioned in parallel relation to an imaginary line drawn from the golf ball to the target hole. The golfer then stands squarely relative to the straight line and swings the club in parallel relation to the straight line defined by the rulers, thereby ensuring an accurate golf shot. A golf pro advising the golfer can record the distance between the golfer&#39;s feet during a series of shots to thereby determine the optimal foot spacing for the golfer. The golfer can then practice making shots with that foot spacing, using the extended rulers as a guide for each shot until sufficient practice eliminates the need for novel device  100 . 
     A second embodiment, denoted  90  as a whole, is depicted in FIGS. 8-11. In this embodiment, only a vestige of shoe retainers  13 ,  13   a  remains. Specifically, a truncate plate  92  (FIGS. 8 and 9) fits under a user&#39;s shoe  108 , just forwardly of heel  94  thereof. Strap  96  has a first end secured to a first end of truncate plate  92  and strap  98  has a first end secured to a second end of said truncate plate. The respective free ends of straps  96 ,  98  are secured to opposite ends of a rigid plate  100  (FIG.  8 ). A swivel means  102  surmounts rigid plate  100  and supports housing  16  in vertical alignment with rigid plate  100 . 
     As indicated in FIGS. 10 and 11, where similar reference numerals are employed to indicate similar parts, straps  96   a ,  98   a  extend from opposite sides of truncate plate  92   a  and said straps engage opposite ends of rigid plate  100   a . Post  102   a  surmounts said rigid plate  100   a  but it does not swivel as does its counterpart  102 . Hook  104  is formed at the distal free end of rigid arm  106  which is cantilevered to post  102   a . The length of arm  106  is sufficient to position hook  104  just beyond the inboard side of a user&#39;s right shoe  108   a  to facilitate engagement of ring  50  by said hook when the user&#39;s shoes are positioned close to one another. After hook  104  has engaged ring  50 , the user&#39;s shoes are spread apart as in the first embodiment, and tapes  42 ,  46  simultaneously extend from wings  26 ,  26  of housing  18  as in the first embodiment. 
     Thus, the second embodiment functions in substantially the same way as the first embodiment, but it requires fewer materials to make. Truncate shoe retainers  92 ,  92   a  require much less material than elongate shoe retainers  13 ,  13   a , for example. However, the primary advantage of the second embodiment is its vertical alignment of housing  18  in relation to truncate plate  92  and its vertical alignment of hook  104  in relation to truncate plate  92   a . By positioning truncate plates  92  and  92   a  about mid-length of each shoe, ring  50  and hook  104  are likewise positioned mid-length of each shoe. This produces a more accurate measurement of the spacing between the user&#39;s shoes because the measurement is independent of the position of the user&#39;s toes. In the first embodiment, if a user&#39;s toes point out, or if one of them points out with respect to the other, or if both toes point in, or one points in with respect to the other, a false reading of the spacing between the shoes results. By centrally positioning housing  18 , the effect of the user&#39;s stance relative to toe positioning is minimized. In other words, an accurate reading of the distance between the user&#39;s feet is obtained, even of the feet are not held in parallel relation to one another. 
     Both embodiments of the novel device are quickly and easily attachable to shoes and just as quickly and easily detachable thereform. Placing the ring and post in engaging relation to one another is a very simple task, and disengaging them is just as simple. Accordingly, this invention provides golf swing-teaching features heretofore unavailable while being free of the difficulties associates with many golf swing-teaching aides. 
     It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made apparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained. Since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 
     It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween. 
     Now that the invention has been described,